Chapter 8 The Bed

I lay in bed, feeling completely out of place. Everything about this situation was wrong, and yet, a strange warmth had settled in the room. What unsettled me even more was seeing Elijah—usually so distant and cold—display a rare hint of tenderness. It was clear that he adored Thea, completely convinced that she was his biological daughter. I could sense his love for her in the way his voice softened as he read the bedtime story, and in the gentle way he answered her questions. Our contract had been clear: we were to keep the true nature of our arrangement hidden from Thea. I understood now why Elijah had stayed in bed with us—he didn’t want to upset her. For a child as bright and imaginative as Thea, her happiness seemed to be the one thing Elijah couldn’t deny. Maybe, if he was somehow involved in her kidnapping, he was unaware of it. Or perhaps, even if he did kidnap her for whatever reason, he did love and care for her. Which was a far cry better from the cold, unloving life that I had imagined my little girl having after she was stolen. Not that I would ever forgive him if he knowingly took my child. I might even want to kill him if that was the case. Thea held her beloved pony, Bella, tightly as she drifted in and out of the story, her little voice chiming in with questions or giggles. Despite the awkwardness between Elijah and me, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of peace settle over the room. Soon enough, the soothing rhythm of his voice and the warmth of the moment started to make my eyelids grow heavy. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, something felt off. I didn’t open my eyes at first, but I immediately sensed the difference. Thea’s small, warm body was no longer curled up next to me, and yet, to my horror, there was someone still lying on the other side of the bed. I froze, panic fluttering in my chest. Elijah. My pulse quickened as I tried to remain as still as possible, pretending to still be asleep, waiting for him to get up and leave. I couldn’t believe he had stayed all night. Finally, I heard the rustle of blankets and the soft creak of the bed as he shifted. The quiet click of the door closing signaled his exit, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. But then, just as I thought I was safe, I opened my eyes—and there he was, standing by the door, staring right at me. My heart lurched into my throat. “Are you messing with me?” I blurted out, sitting up abruptly. “Thea begged me to stay for a while,” he said calmly. “But after we both fell asleep, I guess she snuck off.” I blinked, still trying to wrap my head around the situation. Thea had been playing matchmaker—there was no doubt about it. She was just a child, but clearly, she believed that getting me and Elijah to spend time together would somehow make us fall in love. I mean, she had said so herself. My heart twisted at the thought. She had no idea how complicated things truly were, that this was strictly a contract situation. That he might have even been involved in her kidnapping, if she truly was my daughter. Elijah turned to leave. But as his hand reached the doorknob, I blurted out the words before I could think twice. “Is Thea… adopted?” He turned, looking utterly stunned. “No,” he replied sharply, instantly making me regret even asking. “Thea is my daughter with Olivia. Why are you asking?” I felt my stomach drop, my mind spinning with possibilities, as I hesitated. He seemed to think that Thea was his biological daughter. Did that mean that he didn’t know…? I wondered if I should tell him about my fears. He wasn’t unreasonable, at least not apparently. Maybe, if I just explained everything, he would understand and try to help me… But… No. That was a bad idea. He might accuse me of trying to take Thea myself. Or, if he was knowingly involved in the plot to take her, then he might do something even worse. Besides, I didn’t even know for certain yet whether she was mine. I couldn’t go around throwing out accusations like that. I needed proof—solid proof—before I dared reveal my suspicions. If I was wrong, it could ruin everything. And if I was right… if Thea really was my daughter, it meant someone had stolen her from me. Olivia. Or Elijah. Or both. Either way, this was a dangerous situation to be in. I had to be smart about this. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to act casual. “I was just curious,” I said quickly. “Thea doesn’t seem to show any attachment to Olivia. She called the ‘that other woman’ last night, so…” Elijah’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t press the matter. Instead, he gave me a curt nod, his eyes still guarded. “Prepare yourself for your new job,” he said simply before turning and walking out of the room, leaving me with more questions than answers. As soon as he was gone, I raked my fingers through my hair, trying to steady my racing heart. That was close; too close. I needed to be more careful from now on until I had solid proof. I’d been around the block with this sort of thing long enough to know just how quickly women like me got labeled as crazy and deranged, and if Thea was my daughter, then I couldn’t risk being kept from her. For now, I had to play the part of an oblivious employee. Even if it broke my heart to smile at Thea and hold her little hand and not be able to tell anyone how I truly thought, I had to do it. Not for me, but for her. Elijah had given me an order to prepare myself for my new job, so I had to do just that. Sighing, I tossed the blankets aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, trying not to notice the warm spot where Elijah had been sleeping. My hand brushed against the pillow as I went to get up, and something caught my eye—a strand of brown hair. I held it up to the light, my breath catching in my throat as I inspected it. It was easily far too light to be one of my own hairs. It could have been Thea’s or Elijah’s, as they both had brown hair. But Elijah’s was darker than this. It looked more like it belonged to Thea, who had those adorably sunkissed little curls, blonde at the tips from days rolling around in the garden. Suddenly, as I stared at the hair, an idea struck me. A lead. This was a lead!