As the car pulled away, Nina sank back into the seat, her mind racing. Sean’s words replayed in her head over and over, but no matter how she turned them around, she couldn’t make sense of them.
His words occupied her mind throughout the drive home, so much so that she didn’t even realize they had arrived until Martin opened the door for her.
Once inside her room, she had barely settled into bed when a knock broke the silence. At first, she considered ignoring it, sinking deeper into the mattress as her thoughts spiraled around the incident with Sean at the mall. His bitter words still lingered, gnawing at her mind. What did he mean? Why that level of resentment?
But then the knock came again, this time accompanied by a voice—a low, deep voice that made her breath catch.
Axel.
As much as she wanted to deny it, she recognized him immediately. He hadn’t left?
Panic gripped her, sharp and insistent. She bolted upright, glancing around the room as if she might find an escape route. Her heart hammered as a thousand thoughts raced through her head. Had Adelaide allowed Axel into her room before? They were engaged, after all. Surely, trust between them was expected, but this wasn’t it—or at least, not yet.
The Graves and the Whitlocks weren’t enemies; their alliances ran deep, especially in matters of power and influence. Still, Axel being here—at her door, uninvited—felt invasive in a way she couldn’t quite articulate.
She scrambled to the mirror, fingers fumbling to smooth her hair and straighten her clothes. Her reflection stared back, wide-eyed and tense. Calm down. Compose yourself. Be Adelaide. If her expressions betrayed even a sliver of doubt, the carefully constructed facade could crumble, and the Whitlock family secret would be exposed.
“D?” Axel’s voice came again, softer now but edged with worry.
She swallowed hard, forcing a calmness she didn’t feel into her tone. “I’ll be out shortly,” she called back, trying to make her voice sound casual, confident—like Adelaide’s would.
Her hands shook as she smoothed the hem of her dress, then fiddled with the cuffs and adjusted her hair—small, repetitive motions to settle her nerves. Was this fear or anticipation? She couldn’t tell. Probably both.
When the reflection in the mirror finally looked composed—like someone who wasn’t harboring a tornado of emotions—she took a deep breath and moved toward the door.
As she opened it, Axel stood there, his face an open book of emotions. At first, there was worry etched into his features. But as soon as his eyes landed on her, a smile softened his expression, though it didn’t reach his eyes. They still carried a shadow of trouble.
“Hey…” he said, his voice low and familiar.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out. The words came sharper than she had intended, and as his smile faltered, she immediately regretted them. Too late now.
“Are you still mad at me?” he asked, his tone gentle but probing. “Something important came up that I couldn’t ignore. Even so, I sent Nathan to give you my jacket, but he said you returned it—said you didn’t want it.”
Her heart tripped over itself as memories of the previous night replayed in her head. She hadn’t said that. She hadn’t even realized the jacket was Axel’s. Now that she thought about it, Nathan had been wearing his own jacket when he draped the spare one over her shoulders. She had only returned it because she was heading back inside—not out of spite. But why would Nathan lie?
She swallowed the questions swirling in her head, knowing she couldn’t let any of this show. She needed to play along, at least until she figured out what Nathan was up to.
“So you waited all this time to tell me that?” she asked, her tone casual, bordering on indifferent.
“I came back,” he said. His words hung in the air for a moment, heavy with something she couldn’t quite name. “Your words—I couldn’t stop thinking about them. What did you mean when you said you’re already used to me disappearing on you? You know I’ve never done that before yesterday.”
Shoot.
Had Nathan lied about more than the jacket? Had he also been untruthful about how much time Axel spent with Adelaide? She had repeated those words because Nathan made it sound like Axel was constantly slipping away. Now she realized that might not have been true.
“Uhm…” she stammered, fumbling for a response that wouldn’t betray her. “I was upset and spoke unreasonably.”
Axel’s brows knitted together as he studied her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It sounded like more than that. Like you were holding something back,” he said, his voice low, yet soft enough to tug at her nerves.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, trying to sound soothing. “I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me.”
He didn’t respond right away, his gaze still locked on her like he was trying to peel away the layers of her facade. Then, without warning, he stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. The warmth of his embrace caught her off guard, and she froze, her heart hammering so loudly she was certain he could hear it.
“You know how miserable I get when you’re mad at me,” he murmured, his voice muffled against her hair.
She felt trapped—not physically, but emotionally. Her arms hung limply by her sides, unsure if reciprocating would make her seem more convincing or if staying still would give her away. When he finally pulled back, his hands lingered on her shoulders as he searched her face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, a small smile forming, dimples appearing faintly.
“Like what?” she asked, forcing a smile of her own, though her voice betrayed the edge of her nerves.
“Like you’re… dazed,” he replied, tilting his head slightly. Then his gaze shifted past her to the door behind her. “You changed your room again?”
Panic flared in her chest. This wasn’t Adelaide’s room? She quickly masked her reaction, keeping her expression neutral. “Yeah, I guess I needed a change,” she said casually, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Axel’s eyes lit up with amusement. “What was it this time? Another bug infestation, or did a spider scare you off?”
She forced a laugh, lightly swatting at his arm. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re unpredictable,” he replied, grinning as he fell in step beside her when she shut the door and began walking. “I’ve known you all my life, and I still can’t figure out how your mind works. No one can.”
She winked, aiming for playful confidence. “Aww, thanks.”
He let out a short laugh. “That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Too bad,” she shot back with a smirk. “I’m taking it as one.”
Before she could react, Axel reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. Her stomach twisted, and for a moment, she froze again. Was she uncomfortable? No. But she wasn’t ready for this level of closeness.
“It means I love you,” he said softly, his gaze steady on hers. “Always and forever.”
She stopped walking altogether, her brain scrambling for a response that wouldn’t seem unnatural. His words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning she couldn’t reciprocate.
“What?” Axel asked, his dimples deepening as his smile grew. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I…” she hesitated, the words sticking in her throat before she managed to force out, “I love hearing that.”
He chuckled, clearly satisfied. “I know,” he said, pulling her into another embrace. This time, he leaned in, kissing her neck lightly. The gesture sent a jolt through her, and she stiffened. He sniffed slightly, then leaned back just enough to study her with a curious expression.
“You changed your soap?” he asked, his head tilting slightly. “Or is it your cream?”
Her knees wobbled slightly. Was there anything she could change without being noticed? “My soap,” she replied quickly, recalling how Adelaide’s medicinal scent had bothered her enough to switch it out. Besides, Mrs. Whitlock had been the one who replaced it.
Axel’s lips quirked into a knowing smile. “Hmm. I like it. It suits you.”
She nodded, keeping her smile steady while internally grappling with the close call. This role was becoming a tightrope, and every step felt more precarious than the last.