Page 59 of The Heart of a Villain

Yeah, it’s safe to say no one likes or trusts this guy, not even Rush himself.

“That’s great. So where is Rush?” I put the mug on the nightstand and swing my legs to the side, my feet slapping against the cold marble. I locate my shoes and go to them, slipping into the flats.

He exhales heavily. “In the observatory tower. He doesn’t like to be disturbed when he’s there.” A beat passes. “His mood right now is not… good.”

Well, that’s too damn bad, isn’t it?

“How do I get there?” Based on my memory, the tower was part of the main castle, so there has to be a way from within.

“Go to the far left, and there will be the curved stairs leading up.”

I dart to the door but pause when William calls my name.

“Sometimes, we cannot explain what we truly want. It doesn’t make it wrong.”

I share a long look with him. Arguably, he knows me better than anyone here, since he spent a year in my house. So he probably guesses my thoughts, but my emotions are too raw to discuss them with him right now.

Nodding, I go out in the hallway and dash to the left, then finally reach the stairs.

Since they seem slippery, I’m careful going up, my heartbeat speeding up the closer I get to the place as it becomes colder and colder on my way, the walls growing thicker, it seems.

Once I’m at the top, I see wide-open double doors, and a harsh wind blasts into me, billowing my hair backward as my dress plasters against my body, while loud thunder shakes the sky, followed by lightning in the otherwise only moonlit space.

I go to the doorjamb, studying the view opening up to me consisting of a wide area with various canvases scattered all over it along with paints and brushes.

All of them are covered in black cloths, hiding them from me, and I walk farther to see an arched opening that leads to the balcony, which opens up to the ocean. The waves slamming against the rocks can be heard in the distance, followed by more thunder.

The black curtains jump up and down from the wind, and I rub my arms from the coldness breaking goose bumps on my skin.

Moonlight streams in so brightly it lets me study every vivid detail of how haunted the place really seems, and yet… it’s so wicked, as it promises dark secrets I’d never expect to hear anywhere else.

I spot a mattress in the corner, covered with a blanket and two pillows, with several empty whiskey bottles nearby.

And then finally, my gaze lands on him.

He stands with his back to me, his dark hair falling down to his shoulders and swaying a little from the wind, while his scar-covered skin shows in all its brutal glory.

He stands barefoot, his jeans hanging low on his hips while his muscles flex every time he moves the brush on the canvas, painting a blue ocean, judging by the looks of it.

His powerful energy dominates the observatory tower, filling it with a dangerous aura that sends fire through my veins, while he leans to the small table next to him and dips his brush in water before pressing it in the red paint.

“Close the door.”

I jump at his order, not even realizing he knew of my presence, but I do as he told me.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

Since he still doesn’t face me, I move closer to him as my eyes roam over the paintings depicting a truly horrible image.

A little boy floats in the ocean during a storm as rocks and sharks surround him, tearing his flesh, with blood dripping from his wounds while he lifts his hand up, as if begging for survival, and yet it’s nowhere in sight.

A thousand stars in the sky are shining on him, almost mocking him for hoping, since no one gets out of the ocean alive once it gets you into its clutches.

However, despite the uneasiness in me, I cannot help but admire the exquisite artwork—from the horror on the boy’s face, to the waves that seem so real my fingers are itching to touch them. “It’s beautiful. Sad but mesmerizing.” I step even closer, admiring how flawless his movements are.

“Pain usually is.” He drops the bigger brush and picks up a smaller one, dipping it into a gray as he adjusts some details on the rocks. “Humans are selfishly compassionate creatures by nature.”

“Selfishly compassionate?”

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