Chapter 7

Inigo moved with terrifying speed.

He grabbed my hand. He pulled me toward the massive wooden bookshelf behind his desk. He reached behind a thick, leather-bound dictionary and pressed a hidden button.

The heavy shelf swung open silently.

A dark, narrow room was hidden perfectly behind the books.

"Get inside," Inigo whispered urgently. "Do not make a single sound."

I stepped into the dark, dusty space. The heavy shelf closed immediately behind me. I was plunged into absolute darkness. I felt the cold stone wall with my shaking hands.

I found a small, rectangular brass ventilation grate. I pressed my face against the cold metal. I had a perfect view of the bright study.

The heavy oak doors burst open.

Troy stormed into the room. Paula followed right behind him.

I stopped breathing. My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

Troy looked like a wild, caged animal. His expensive clothes were wrinkled. The fresh, jagged scars on his face were bright red and angry. He paced furiously across the expensive rug.

"They took him, Inigo!" Troy screamed. "Someone broke into the manor and stole my son!"

Paula sat down gracefully on the leather sofa. She covered her face with her hands. She let out a loud, dramatic sob. It was a completely fake performance.

Inigo walked over to his wooden cabinet. He poured a glass of amber whiskey. He handed it to Troy. His face was a perfect mask of deep concern.

"Calm down, my friend," Inigo said smoothly. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Troy drank the whiskey in one massive gulp. He slammed the crystal glass onto the mahogany desk.

"The guards found the nursery completely empty," Troy lied effortlessly. "The kidnappers bypassed all the security cameras. They did not leave a single trace. I need your help, Inigo. You have the resources. You have the men. You must find whoever did this."

"I will tear the city apart for you," Inigo promised. His deep voice dripped with fake sympathy. "I will find your boy. You have my absolute word."

"We need to go to the police station," Troy told Paula. He ran a shaking hand through his dark hair. "We have to play the grieving, desperate parents for the cameras. We need to offer a massive reward."

Paula nodded slowly. She stood up and smoothed her expensive skirt. She followed Troy out of the room.

The heavy doors clicked shut.

I waited in the dark. My entire body shook violently. I just watched the man who ruined my life play the victim.

The bookshelf swung open.

I stepped out into the bright study. The warm air hit my cold face. I looked at my new husband.

"You are a brilliant liar," I whispered.

Inigo walked toward me. The fake warmth completely vanished from his face. His dark eyes turned cold and hard.

"I learned from the absolute worst," he replied quietly.

I stared into his eyes. I needed to know the truth. I needed to understand the man I just married.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "Why did you help him fake his death if you hate him so much?"

Inigo closed his eyes for a brief second. A sudden flash of pure, agonizing pain crossed his handsome face. He walked over to the window and looked out at the dark forest.

"I had a younger sister," Inigo said softly. "Her name was Clara. She was sweet, brilliant, and completely innocent."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"Troy and Paula destroyed her," Inigo growled. His voice was thick with raw, bleeding anger. "They used her. They framed her for a terrible crime she did not commit. They completely ruined her reputation in this city."

I gasped softly. I took a step toward him.

"The lies broke her mind," Inigo continued. He turned around to face me. "They drove her to absolute madness. She is locked in a secure psychiatric facility right now. She does not even know her own name anymore."

Hot tears filled my eyes. I understood his pain perfectly. Troy and Paula tried to do the exact same thing to me. They buried his sister in a white cage. They tried to bury me in one, too.

"I pretended to forgive Troy," Inigo said. He stepped closer to me. "I pretended to stay his loyal best friend. I waited patiently for years. When he came to me with his insane plan to fake his suicide, I finally saw my chance."

"You helped him so you could trap him," I realized.

Inigo nodded slowly. He reached out and gently touched my cheek. His warm fingers sent a sudden, electric shock straight to my heart.

"I gave him the rope to hang himself," Inigo whispered. "I gathered undeniable evidence of his massive crimes. I am going to lock him in a cage for the rest of his miserable life. I am going to take everything he loves."

I looked up at him. The intense physical proximity made my breath catch in my throat. We were two broken souls. We were bound together by pure, burning revenge.

"We will destroy them together," I promised softly.

Inigo leaned down. His dark eyes searched my face. His lips were dangerously close to mine. The heavy tension in the room shifted into something entirely different. It was a fierce, undeniable attraction.

Suddenly, the heavy front doorbell rang loudly.

We jumped apart. The romantic spell shattered instantly.

Inigo frowned. He walked quickly to the study doors and opened them just a crack.

I heard the elderly butler speak in the grand hallway.

"Miss Paula," the butler said in obvious surprise. "Did you forget something?"

"I left my red purse in the study," Paula’s sharp, arrogant voice echoed loudly down the hall. "Do not bother announcing me. I know the way."

My blood turned to pure ice.

I heard the sharp click of her high heels marching rapidly across the marble floor.

She was walking straight toward the study. She was walking straight toward me.

The secret bookshelf was already closed. I was standing right in the middle of the bright room. There was nowhere else to hide.

Inigo looked at me. Absolute panic flashed in his dark eyes.

Paula reached the heavy doors.