Page 117 of Ruthless God

I force myself to smile sweetly, tilting my head. “Haven’t you heard? I changed rooms.”

Her eyes flicker. Got her.

“Claudius asked me to stay in his room with him.”

Her widening eyes betray her shock for just a second. Just long enough for me to see the cracks. She didn’t know. Ha! She doesn’t know everything that happens in this house.

Finally, she regains her composure, pressing her lips into a thin line. “You need to be careful.”

I step toward her, challenging. “Do you know what I think?”

She doesn’t answer.

I take another step. “I think it’s Claudius who needs to be careful.”

Her face remains neutral, but I swear I see something flicker behind her gaze. Fear? Guilt? Something else?

“I don’t know what you’re up to, Agnes,” I continue, voice firm, “but I won’t let you hurt him.”

That makes her laugh. Not a full laugh. Just a quiet, almost pitying chuckle. Then she shakes her head.

“You think you’ve got it all figured out, do you?”

The amusement vanishes in an instant. She steps closer, her presence suddenly heavier, colder. Her voice drops lower and more serious.

“Dearie, you have no idea what you’re dealing with. As for who should be careful,” she murmurs, “It’s you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m telling you. You think I’m just saying these things to scare you? I’m not. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect me?” I scoff. “I don’t need protecting.”

“You do. You’re in danger by being here and you don’t even see it.”

I hold up my hand. “I don’t want to hear another lie. I’m going back to my room.”

I don’t wait for Agnes to reply. I don’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me hesitate. Instead, I turn and walk away, my steps steady and controlled like she didn’t just scare the shit out of me. Because she did.

Her words still crawl under my skin, slithering through my thoughts, settling into something uneasy. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? I don’t. And I hate being kept in the dark.

That means one thing. I need to head right toward that door the moment I can. Because if she’s trying to keep me out… That means that’s exactly where I need to be.

In Claudius’ room, I climb onto the bed. It’s been a hell of a day and I fall asleep without meaning to. My goal was to stay awake until Claudius gets home. Instead, I’m jolted out of sleep by a touch to my foot.

I gasp, sitting. There before me is Claudius. Or so I think until he speaks.

“It’s a funny thing. People pay millions of dollars for high-tech security systems only to forget one tiny thing.” He leans in. “We’re identical in every way, which means his face that unlocks everything also works for me.”

I pull the bedding closer to my chest.

“What are you doing here, Gabriel?”

His lips lift. “Maybe I missed you.”

“Doubtful.”

My mind races. How did he know I was in here? I only changed rooms today.

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