Page 26 of Bittersweet Revenge

I scowled, wrapping the towel around me. “The journal–” I repeated.

He rolled his eyes. “What journal?” He sighed, throwing his hands up as if it didn’t matter, and maybe it didn’t. “I’ve got to get ready. Just stop being so pathetic,” he added before walking away, leaving me still reeling about the revelation he’d just made.

He’d never gotten my letter. It had been intercepted, and now I knew for a fact that someone in this house knew more than they were letting on. I just needed to figure out if it was his mother or his father…

I needed to tell Archie and Antoine about this. It was not much. I knew Archie would be angry that I’d tried to share the pages with Caleb, but I’d just wanted him to hate us less. Now that those pages were out...someone knew I knew more than they wanted me to. It was a potential added liability, but I’d thought I’d done something good, something that would help him gain some peace. But he was never going to cut me any slack, was he? How dare he talk to me like that anyway?

I was getting angrier the more I thought about it and even the steaming hot shower didn’t help calm my rage. I’d never done anything to warrant this, except claim back freedom I more than deserved.

I changed into my pajamas and opened my bedroom door, glaring at his end of the corridor, considering if challenging him was even worth it.

“It’s enough,” I muttered, walking to his room. I had nothing left to lose with him. Our pseudo-relationship had been annihilated and he wouldn't try to make it better. Archie’s advice had been utter crap. This fly would not be caught with honey but with flipping cyanide!

I opened his bedroom door without knocking just as he was putting on his dress shirt. I frowned at the hint of the tattoo peeking out at the top of his spine as he did.

I was taken aback for a second. I, for some reason, hadn’t expected Caleb Astor to be the tattoo type, and I was now dying to see what was under his shirt.

“Esmeralda,” he enunciated, keeping his back to me as he buttoned his shirt. He turned around as his shirt was closed. “We’re not respecting each other's privacy, I see. Good to know.”

I didn't miss the underlying threat in his voice.

I shook my head. That was a discussion for another time. I followed him with my eyes as he scanned a box of cufflinks. He was taking a lot of time to figure out which ones he wanted to wear.

“How dare you disrespect me like that?” I said, my words dripping with anger. The shame and pain I’d felt at his words before had unleashed my tongue. I didn’t think anything I could say or not say would be able to salvage our relationship at this point. I had broken the little trust, or faith, or whatever he’d felt for me when I’d left. I just had to learn to live with the consequences.

He glanced my way and detailed my pajamas. “I see you've put some clothes on. Good call. It would have been a wasted effort as my parents are actually not coming back until the end of the week.”

That stopped the tirade I was about to give him. “Then why areyoudressing up?” I asked as he tucked his shirt into his dress pants.

“Because I have a date with Aleks and I need to pretend to make an effort.” He gestured for me to move out of the doorway.

I took a couple of steps back as he walked toward me. He passed by so close that I could feel the heat of his body on mine.

“Please don’t go,” I begged as he started down the corridor. I wasn’t sure why it distressed me so much. I tried to convince myself that it was because it was Aleksandra and I knew that she would gloat tomorrow, even if I knew deep down it was more, that even if we were together in appearances only, it was more... At least for me.

“Why?”

“Because it’s her, because I told you I won’t stand being disrespected like that. I won't be made a joke of, Caleb.”

I noticed his expression darken and I knew my answer had been wrong. He straightened. “Ah well, it’s a good thing then that I don't care about what you think, isn’t it? You belong to me and I do what I want. I don't think there is anything to add.”

You belongtome...notwithme. The difference spoke volumes and once again reminded me about how angry he’d made me and how frustrating he really was.

I shook my head. Begging was not worth it. He would not give in and was enjoying my downfall way too much.

“Fine, just go.” I threw my hands up in surrender. “You actually deserve each other. You’re both cold-hearted bastards.”

His face morphed into a hard, soulless grin. “Yes, we are, and you’d better remember that, no matter what.” He straightened his jacket. “The little part of humanity you think you’d witnessed, never existed, and even if it did, it died with Theo.”

“I won’t forget.” Even if I didn't entirely believe that, I let it go. I was too hurt and angry to fight him.

“Good!” He turned around briskly and I followed him with my eyes. A small and yet exceedingly naïve part of me wished he would not go through with it. Yet, within a few minutes I heard the main door close. I walked back to my bedroom just in time to see his Aston Martin speed down the driveway.

I sighed, shaking my head. I knew better, didn’t I? And yet... I turned around, letting out another sigh. I’d just won another reprieve. I wasn't sure when Caleb’s parents would be back now, but I knew my window to explore the place undetected was closing. I decided to look around tonight, if only to keep my mind occupied with something other than what Caleb would be doing in the next few minutes with that girl.

I growled, rolling my eyes.He made no promises to you, Esme. Quite the contrary,I repeated to myself, somehow hoping that this statement would finally sink in, that I would finally forget the Caleb I’d seen before I’d left, that I would finally let my heart go back to the way it was before I’d set foot in this town.

I padded barefoot around the huge, impersonal house, my steps silent on the cold, tiled floor. The house seemed so empty even though I knew old Benjamin and a couple of staff were around. They were so good at being invisible, only appearing when you needed them. It was still so creepy to me. It felt like they appeared out of nowhere, like ghosts. I shivered, rubbing down my arms over my red Henley. It seemed that this house was haunted anyway and not only by staff with ninja skills, but by all the secrets, lies, and animosity seeping from every wall.

---