Page 115 of King of the Cage

Regina smiled faintly and nodded. There was something about her smile… a secret pride?

“Wait, is it you? S, the painter? It’s you, isn’t it?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I don’t publicize it or put my face to the work, but it’s my passion.”

I turned back and eyed the painting. There was no denying the talent or technique in the oil painting.

“You said you used to have a career, was this it?”

She shook her head. “God, no. It was totally boring, chemistry, of all things. No, this is a calling. I love to paint.”

“You’re very good at it,” I muttered and sat when Regina gestured toward a couch. I perched awkwardly on the edge.

“Just relax and let’s have some tea.”

“You live at the hotel,” I said.

She nodded. “We have for years. It’s home. A little unorthodox, but at least it’s a penthouse,” Regina laughed.

I stared at her. How could home be a place where terrible things happened regularly?

“Didn’t a bunch of women committee suicide from up here somewhere a few years ago?” I couldn’t help but ask.

Regina’s eyes widened. “I’ve never heard anything about that.”

Hmmm. Sure. I continued to look around.

Someone wheeled a little trolley in with tea, like a maid from some period drama. It seemed Regina liked to cosplay as lady of the manor.

I reached out to take the teacup and froze.

Alice No Last Name stood in front of me. Her hand shook slightly as she held the tea out to me. Her eyes urged me to take it. Slowly, I took the cup and wrapped my hands around it.

“Thank you, that’ll be all,” Regina said primly when Alice lingered.

She was wearing a maid uniform. What the hell was happening?

Regina’s phone rang then, and she huffed loudly. “I need to take this. I’ll only be a minute.”

She strode out of the room, and I was up and crossing over to Alice as fast as possible.

“What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

The torrent of questions hit Alice, and she blinked at me, twisting to stare over her shoulder at the door Regina had just gone through.

“I’m okay, you’re the one who needs to get out of here. Didn’t you read my note?”

“Yes, I read it… I don’t know what it means.”

Alice gripped my wrist. “It means you need to get out of here. Now.”

“Regina called my husband, he’s coming for me,” I started.

Alice shook her head. “She didn’t call anyone. She’s lying. You need to find a reason to leave.”

“Come with me,” I urged.

Alice shook her head. “No, not now, I can’t. They have too much on me… I can’t go against them more than I already am.”

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