(Ruby's POV)
Kai's smile doesn't reach his eyes.
He stands in the middle of the main hall like he owns it. Maybe he thinks he does. His suit is perfect. His hair is perfect. Everything about him is polished and fake, like a mask made of skin.
"The conservatory is such a lovely space," he says, folding my mother's sketch and tucking it into his jacket pocket. "So much light. So many memories." He looks at me, and his voice drops to something softer, almost kind. "Your mother used to paint there, you know. Hours and hours, lost in her work. She was so dedicated. So... intense."
My nails dig into my palms. "I know."
"Do you?" He tilts his head, studying me like I'm a puzzle he's trying to solve. "I wonder how much you really know, Ruby. About your mother. About her state of mind. About the choices she made."
Nicholas moves to stand beside me, his shoulder almost touching mine. A silent show of support. "Uncle, if you have something to say—"
"I have many things to say, Nicholas." Kai's voice sharpens. "But not to you. Not right now." He looks back at me, and his expression shifts to something almost concerned. "Ruby, my dear, I'm worried about you. The stress of this arrangement, the isolation, the... intensity of my nephew's attention. It can be overwhelming."
"I'm fine."
"Are you?" He steps closer, close enough that I can smell his cologne. Something expensive and cloying. "The staff tells me you've been wandering the house at night. Talking to yourself in the conservatory. Drawing strange pictures of rooms you've never seen." He shakes his head, sighing. "These are not the actions of a healthy woman."
My heart pounds. "I'm not wandering. I'm just—"
"Exploring? Searching? For what, Ruby? What do you hope to find in this old house?" His voice is gentle, almost pitying. "Your mother searched too, you know. Before she... disappeared. She became obsessed. Paranoid. Convinced there were conspiracies everywhere." He pauses, letting the words sink in. "The doctors said it was a breakdown. A genetic condition, perhaps. Something that runs in families."
The world tilts. He's not just threatening me. He's rewriting my mother's story. Making her sound crazy. Making me sound crazy.
"You're lying," I whisper.
"I'm telling you the truth. The truth no one wanted to speak." He reaches out, patting my shoulder like a concerned uncle. "I only want to help, Ruby. To protect you from the same fate. The same... delusions."
Nicholas steps forward, his body blocking Kai's hand. "That's enough."
Kai raises an eyebrow. "Protective, aren't we? That's new." He smiles, but it's cold. "I'm not the enemy here, Nicholas. I'm trying to prevent a tragedy. Your father's obsession destroyed him. Elara's obsession destroyed her. I won't stand by and watch the same thing happen to this girl."
"She's not a girl. She's my wife."
"A wife you bought. A wife you keep locked in a gilded cage. A wife who draws maps of forbidden wings and whispers to dying flowers." Kai shakes his head. "What do you think that does to a person? The isolation, the fear, the constant uncertainty?" He looks at me again, and his voice drops to a murmur. "He's not well, Ruby. My nephew. He never has been. The fire broke something in him, and he's been pretending ever since. Pretending to be strong. Pretending to be sane. But you've seen the cracks, haven't you? The rage. The paranoia. The way he watches you when you sleep."
I want to scream. I want to tell him that Nicholas is the sanest person in this house. That the only monster here is standing in front of me in a tailored suit.
But I can't. If I defend Nicholas too fiercely, Kai will know. He'll see that we're allies. Partners. Lovers.
So I stay quiet. I let my eyes fill with tears. I let my hands tremble.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," I whisper.
Kai's smile softens. "Of course you don't, my dear. That's why I'm here. To help you see clearly." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small orange bottle. "These are for you. To help you sleep. To calm your mind."
I stare at the bottle. My name is on the label. Prescribed by a doctor I've never met.
"I don't—"
"Take them." His voice is gentle but firm. "Just one at night. To help you rest. To keep the nightmares away." He presses the bottle into my hand. "I only want what's best for you, Ruby. I hope you know that."
I close my fingers around the bottle. The plastic is warm from his pocket. "Thank you," I manage.
He pats my cheek, a gesture that feels more like a slap. "Good girl. Now, I should be going. Business calls." He turns to Nicholas, and his smile sharpens. "Take care of her, nephew. She's more fragile than she looks."
He walks toward the door, then pauses. "Oh, and Nicholas? The conservatory sketches. I'll be keeping them. For safekeeping." He glances back at me, his eyes cold. "We wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about this family."
The door closes behind him. The hall falls silent.
I stand there, frozen, the pill bottle clutched in my hand. My mother's sketch is gone. Kai has it. He knows we're looking. He knows we're getting close.
Nicholas takes the bottle from my fingers, reading the label. His face is pale, his jaw tight. "These aren't sleeping pills. They're sedatives. Strong ones. Enough to keep you unconscious for hours."
"He wants me docile. Confused. Dependent."
"Yes." He sets the bottle on a table, pulling me into his arms. "But we're not going to let him win. We're not going to let him break you."
I press my face against his chest, breathing in his warmth. "He's going to come back. He's going to keep pushing. Keep testing."
"I know."
"What do we do?"
He's quiet for a moment. Then he pulls back, cupping my face in his hands. "We fight. We keep pretending. We let him think his poison is working. And then, when he least expects it, we strike."
I nod, forcing myself to believe it. "The safe house. The evidence. We need to move faster."
"Tonight. After the staff goes to sleep. Liam will meet us in the conservatory. We'll go through the tunnel, retrieve the files, and hide them somewhere Kai will never find."
"And Alexander?"
"Anya is arranging the meeting. Tomorrow night, if all goes well." He kisses my forehead, soft and quick. "We're going to win, Ruby. I promise."
I want to believe him. I need to believe him.
But as I look around the cold, empty hall, at the shadows gathering in the corners, I can't shake the feeling that Kai is always watching. Always listening. Always one step ahead.
---
That night, I can't sleep.
The pill bottle sits on my nightstand, an orange accusation. I haven't taken one. I won't. But just looking at it makes me feel dirty. Complicit. Like I've already let him inside my head.
Nicholas is in the west wing, making final preparations. Liam is supposed to meet us at midnight. The house is quiet, the staff asleep, the corridors dark.
I'm standing at my window, watching the moon trace silver lines on the sea, when I hear it.
A soft knock. Three quick, two slow.
My heart leaps. Nicholas. But he's not supposed to come here. It's too risky. The cameras, the staff, the risk of being seen.
I open the door.
It's not Nicholas.
Liam stands in the corridor, his face pale, his eyes red. He looks like he's been crying.
"Ruby." His voice cracks. "We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
He glances over his shoulder, checking the shadows. "Kai knows about the tunnel. He knows about the cave. He knows about the evidence." He swallows hard. "He knows about Nicholas's safe house in Edinburgh."
My blood runs cold. "How?"
Liam's face crumples. "Because I told him. I didn't want to. He threatened to kill my mother. He said if I didn't cooperate, he'd make sure she died in prison. He said—" His voice breaks. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
I stare at him, my mind racing. If Kai knows about the tunnel, he knows about the escape route. If he knows about the safe house, he knows where we hid the evidence. If he knows about everything—
"Ruby." Liam grabs my arm, his grip desperate. "You need to run. Both of you. He's coming tonight. He's bringing his men. He's going to burn it all down."
The words hang in the air like a death sentence.
Burn it all down.
Just like he burned Nicholas's parents. Just like he tried to burn us.
"Go," Liam says, pushing me toward the stairs. "Get Nicholas. Get out. Now."
I run.