Page 27 of Covenant

Fuck. Jules never did anything to me, so I pick up a small cake and pop it into my mouth, flavor exploding across my tastebuds. I lied about strawberries. I fucking love them. But I just couldn’t afford them.

Suddenly, I hate Matthias even more. How dare he give me a taste of what I’ve been missing? I don’t need him to provide for me.

But you do. That’s why you’re here.

I ignore that thought. I’m not here because Matthias is providing for me, but because of The Firm.

In a year, I’ll walk out of his life just as I walked in—with just the clothes on my back.

At least Jackson will get the help he needs. The money in my accounts is a nice bonus too. It’s more than enough to get me back on my feet.

See, I don’tneedMatthias. Or his stupid strawberries.

“I don’t like them,” I lie, wincing internally as Jules’s lips turn down at the edges. “It’s not because of your cooking. I’m just not a fan of strawberries. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Jules perks up again after my hasty explanation. “How about raspberries?”

“Sounds great,” I say, forcing a smile. It’s not his fault his employer’s a prick. “Thank you, Jules.”

I turn to see Matthias staring at me, his hands in his pockets. There’s amusement in his eyes, immediately getting my hackles up. “What?”

His lips twitch. “Nothing. Just good to see you’re as terrible a liar as you always were.”

With that, he spins on his heel and walks away.

* * *

Despite his offer to show me around his office, Matthias doesn’t return. I make small talk with Jules for a few more minutes before leaving to explore on my own. Fuck him. I don’t need Matthias to show me around. More than that, I don’t want him to. Knowing him, he’ll keep certain areas hidden from me.

He never has been one to be fully open, even as a kid.

I didn’t know better then. I do now.

So with that thought in mind, I explore every inch of the house. Every nook and cranny. I peek inside countless rooms, open closets, and even climb up the rickety ladder into the attic. Other than a small nest and a very angry pigeon, there’s not a lot up there.

I make sure to tilt every picture on the wall and any that I find with Matthias in them, I turn them completely upside down. I hope he sees this. I hope he knows how pissed I am.

He knows. He can still read you. Even after all these years.

The only area I steer clear of is the east wing, where Matthias said his office was. The longer I can avoid the man the better. To be fair, this house is so fucking ridiculous that I’ll likely be able to avoid him most of the time. Especially seeing as he has a day job.

Unlike me.

I think my job for the next year should be to make his life as miserable as possible, nothing with far-reaching consequences, but little annoyances that will make him grumble and grump.

That is what I’d like to do. I started with the pictures around the house. I need to figure out what else to do.

I want his eye to twitch when he sees it.

I move back through the expansive house, making sure to rearrange everything. When I get to our room, I turn all of his shirts inside out. It’s a long process, but worth it. I hope he shows up somewhere with all of his clothes on the wrong way.

I may even tie his shoelaces together.

I hope he trips.

When I’ve managed to subtly rearrange everything I can in the house, I wander outside, an umbrella over my head as I skirt the puddles on the ground. Even through the rain, like when I first arrived today, I find that this estate is gorgeous. Alive.

I find myself standing in the middle of the storm and just breathing in the scent of it.

---