Page 21 of The Truth Between

As the memory faded,I found myself standing up and pacing back and forth. I took one last sip of my whiskey and placed the glass back on my desk, knowing that Franklin would retrieve it in the morning.

I paced back and forth in my office, my thoughts consuming me before I finally left to head upstairs and go to bed.

I walked down the hallway and up the stairs but found myself unable to go to my bedroom. Instead, I stopped in front of the locked door that haunted me to this very day. Before I could convince myself otherwise, I found myself opening the door and slipping inside.

This room was filled with Eden’s things, and I couldn’t help but sigh as I took it all in. Dusty beams of moonlight filtered through the curtains, falling across items of our unconventional marriage: a faded bouquet of wildflowers Eden had used as a bouquet on our wedding day, a book of poetry I’d given her when we were teens, and her wedding dress.

All of this was a memorial to the woman with whom I had shared a wonderful friendship but who I hadn’t been able to secure justice for. No matter how long it took me, I was determined to make her father pay for her death. I assumed she wanted the same, and that was why her ghost still haunted the halls of Chevalier Manor to this day. I couldn’t help but reflect on the many ways she practiced empathy and kindness to others and yet she was still snatched away from this world before her time.

I knew that Eden wouldn’t want me to isolate myself forever. Hell, she’d even debated the option of marrying me because it would tie us together versus giving me the ability to find everlasting love, according to her.

And now I had that opportunity once again with Iris. I couldn’t deny that Iris had sparked something inside me. A flicker of warmth in the dark, a breath of hope that I’d never expected even if I didn’t show it to her. I might have been masterful at hiding it, but beneath the layers, something was shifting.

Maybe now was the time for a change.

This short walk down memory lane had been enough. I found myself walking to the door, stepping out of it, and locking it behind me once more.

12

IRIS

Two days after my last encounter with Soren, Franklin walked down the stairs of the basement and approached me. This wasn’t out of the norm since he was the one who continued to deliver my meals, but he’d just delivered lunch to me about thirty minutes ago. Without saying a word, he crouched down by my side and carefully unlocked the chain around my ankle.

“Ms. Bennington,” he said softly, “Mr. Grant has decided to let you stay in one of our guest rooms.”

I eyed him warily, unsure of what to make of this sudden change. Why would Soren want to do me a favor after the big fight we had? It didn’t make any sense. I brought my ankle closer to my body and rubbed it gently as the thoughts in my mind raced. “Why?”

“He mentioned that you might be more comfortable in a real bed. All your accommodations are set up.”

This sounded too good to be true. Trusting anyone in this place was the worst decision I could make. In fact, it made me more anxious than anything because I could already see a million ways that I could get stabbed in the back. However, the idea of staying chained up in this room was unbearable. I wanted to get out and move around more freely even if it still meant being locked in this mansion.

“Okay,” I nodded, hesitantly standing up. “Please show me to the room I’ll be staying in.”

Franklin led me through the home, giving me a short tour of where some of the main rooms were, including the kitchen and the bathrooms. His footsteps were nearly silent on the floor, while I thought I sounded like an elephant stomping through the house. As we walked around the house, we didn’t run into the one person I felt was lurking around every corner. Soren was nowhere to be found, but I couldn’t help but feel as if I was still under his watchful eye. I couldn’t deny that I was happy he hadn’t appeared, but I refused to ask Franklin anything about him.

“Here,” Franklin gestured to an ornate wooden door. “This will be your room.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, stepping inside. I immediately recognized it as the room Soren had brought me to when he’d invited me to take a shower.

“The bathroom is right through that door. If there is anything else you need, I’ll be downstairs.”

Franklin was already across the threshold when I spoke. “Wait, can I ask you one more thing?”

“Sure.”

“What is today’s date?”

He remained silent, so still and quiet that I began to question if he’d even heard me. The moments stretched on, agonizingly, until he finally spoke, “December nineteenth.”

The date echoed in my mind like I was playing it on repeat.Shit.By now, festive lights would be twinkling everywhere, and the air would be filled with the scent of pine and gingerbread cookies. The holidays were in full swing. I would usually be spending this time with Gran and celebrating the fact that she and I were together. All the festive cheer out there was a stark contrast to my current reality. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

Franklin walked out of the room without another word, the door clicking shut behind him.

I found myself in a room that felt dark and old yet still retained its beauty. It was as if time had frozen in here and had decided to preserve the charm of the room. Vaulted ceilings rose high above, with beautiful molding and a chandelier that hung almost like a crown.

The four-poster bed in the center of the room was made from what looked to be dark mahogany. The bedding was a deep red and looked as if it would be smooth to the touch. Two nightstands surrounded the bed, each with a lamp on its rich, glossy surface. A dresser that matched the nightstands and the bed stood along one of the walls in the room. The room had your standard bedroom furniture and a small desk in the corner with a notebook on it.

The first place I walked to was the window, which currently had its heavy curtains open, allowing the sunlight to shine in. At least from this window, there was nothing that could be seen for miles. This home was very isolated, making an escape even harder because there was nowhere I could run to for help.

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