Page 20 of Royal Beast
As if on cue, a soft knock comes at the door. Kellan stands up, giving me one last pointed look before answering it. A bright-eyed young woman steps in, beaming with all the fresh excitement of a new job. Kellan introduces her with a warm smile, rattling off her credentials as if hearing them will somehow convince me.
“Darcy, this is Elise. Elise, my wife, Darcy. Elise will be taking care of Rose during the day, and she’s more than capable. I’m sure you’ll find her helpful.”
I force a polite smile, exchanging pleasantries with Elise though I’m sure my expression is strained. Rose, oblivious, waves shyly at her from her seat. Kellan pats Elise on theshoulder in that easy, confident way of his before grabbing his coat and heading to the door.
“Have a good day,” he says, then he’s gone, leaving me alone with Elise and a simmering resentment.
The second his footsteps fade, I turn to her, holding my composure as best I can. “Actually, Elise,” I say, letting a hint of apology slip into my tone, “There’s been a change of plans. We’ll be enrolling Rose in preschool, so your services won’t be necessary after all.”
She looks momentarily taken aback but nods with professional understanding. “Of course, Mrs. Brannagan.”
After she leaves, I sit down with my laptop, ready to tackle this myself. There’s no way I’m letting Kellan or anyone else dictate what’s best for my daughter. But the more I search, the more reality sets in. This won’t be cheap.
I scroll through preschool websites, weighing tuition rates against my mounting annoyance. There’s no way I can admit to Kellan that I might have bitten off more than I can chew with the preschool thing, but I’m not about to let him win this. He can take my freedom, but he’s not controlling how my daughter is raised. Not without a fight.
Maybe I can arrange to work from home for part of the week. I’d need to go in for meetings, of course, and I have a lot of those. Frustration bubbles up, and I run a hand through my hair, tapping my foot as I think.
I’d taken the week off to adjust to the situation, giving Miranda as little information as possible, just enough so she wouldn’t worry. But now I wish I had the distraction of work to keep me from realizing how hopelessly entangled I’ve become in Kellan’s web.
The door clicks open, and I barely register Kellan’s footsteps until he’s standing just a few feet away, his eyes scanning the room in a way that instantly puts me on edge. I close my laptop,straightening up and steeling myself for whatever reason he’s come back so soon.
He raises an eyebrow. “Where’s Elise?”
My pulse quickens, but I hold his gaze with as much defiance as I can muster. “I told her we didn’t need her after all. I’ve decided to look at preschools instead.”
A heavy silence settles between us. Then, in one swift motion, he reaches over to the hook next to the door and grabs my car keys, tossing them onto the counter with a clatter. Then he grabs my wallet, plucks out the credit card he’d given me, and lays it down slowly beside the keys.
“If you want to go anywhere,” he says, his voice low, “or do anything that requires spending money, it will be with my permission.”
My cheeks burn. “So now you’re just cutting me off?”
He shrugs, a cold, dangerous glint in his eyes. “You want to be independent, fine. But under my roof, you will work with me or you will learn the consequences. If you refuse my help, you won’t be able to pick and choose when it suits you.”
The room suddenly feels too small, the walls closing in around me as I struggle to keep my expression neutral. My nails dig into my palms as my hands curl into fists. “You can’t control everything, Kellan.”
A smirk pulls at his lips. “You might be surprised.”
Kellan’s cocky smirk stirs something deep within me—something fierce and wild that refuses to lie down and take his orders.
I don’t think. I just act.
Scooping Rose up from her toys, I march past him, ignoring his look of mild surprise as I head straight to her bedroom. I shut the door firmly behind us and twist the lock. My heart pounds in my chest as I sit Rose down, taking deep breaths to push back the rising sense of panic.
I try to distract myself with Rose, arranging a little tea party on the floor with her stuffed animals. But my mind races. How did I let myself agree to this arrangement, to Kellan’s false promises of independence when all he really wanted was to have me under his thumb and his control? I glance at the locked door, wondering how long he’ll wait before he tries to drag us back into whatever twisted setup he’s orchestrated.
This isn’t what I wanted for Rose, nor is it the life I agreed to. The harsh truth hits me—I have no idea how to fix this.
As an hour drags by, each tick of the clock reminds me of how cornered I feel. Rose is content, building block towers and stacking her toys, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in my mind. Every time I glance at her, guilt surges up, mixed with frustration. I’d promised myself that I’d give her a stable life, but instead, here we are, locked away because I can’t bring myself to face Kellan.
Hiding out in her room with no plan is only stalling the inevitable. With a sigh, I push myself up, smoothing down my clothes as I gather my thoughts. I’ll have to talk to him eventually, if only to get some sense of control back, to show him that I won’t let him bulldoze over every part of my life.
I unlock the door and step out. Kellan is in the middle of the living room, phone to his ear, voice low and tense. He glances over as I approach, but instead of ending the call, his tone shifts.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. Just give me twenty minutes,” he says then hangs up, pocketing his phone with a frown.
“You’re leaving?” I demand, irritation spiking. Of course he’s off to handle some business emergency, conveniently avoiding the mess he’s left at home.
He straightens, not even attempting to hide his impatience. “Something came up. It’s important.”
