Chapter 7
Ashleigh
Night settles quietly around me as I perch on the window seat in my bedroom, knees drawn to my chest, gazing out into the moonlit courtyard. The curtains are half-drawn, and the lamplight inside casts a golden pool around me, but I keep the rest of the room in shadow.
My window is cracked, letting in the cool hush of night, the distant chorus of crickets and the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze.
I like the dark of night. I imagine it's a cloak wrapping around me, protecting me from all my fears. The world outside is soft with silver shadows, the garden lights twinkling in the distance. It’s the only time I feel even a little free.
The patio below glows softly with lantern light.
I spot Kaden making his nightly rounds, his silhouette familiar and comforting.
We’ve been spending quite a bit of time together.
It’s been almost two weeks since he first set foot on the Burke estate.
My father asked him to keep close to me whenever he could, and he’s upheld that to the best of his ability.
My heart thuds with the thought of what his life might be like outside of these walls.
I press my forehead to the cool glass; it feels nice against my warm skin. I watch, breath held, as I watch Kaden pause beneath my window, head tilting as if he senses my gaze.
Slowly, things have shifted. We talk. Not loads, but when we do talk, he actually listens to me. He asks me what I think, what I like. He’s the first person who’s ever truly wanted my thoughts—who listens to every snarky thing I have to say.
The last person to listen to and talk to me as intently as he has was my mom, and she passed five years ago. It’s been lonely on my own. I imagine this is how Rapunzel felt, locked away in her tower.
I admit I’ve tried to ignore him and push him away since he got here. But I can’t resist him.
Am I only feeling this way because we’ve been spending so much time together?
Am I just na?ve? Am I so desperate for some meaningful connection that I’m latching on to him?
Or could this be real? The questions circle through my mind as I watch him linger below.
All I want is to be with someone who cherishes me, who treats me as an equal.
Freedom—maybe that’s what love is. Maybe Kaden could be that person.
I always thought princesses -Rapunzel- were na?ve when their hero came along. Falling all over themselves for the first person who treated them well, but maybe they weren’t so wrong. If you find a good thing, why would you let it go?
I almost feel sorry for him for being stuck assigned to guard me. He doesn’t have much other choice but to put up with me.
He’s probably got better things to do. Which means this assignment is a complete waste of his time. But then at times it seems as if he knows; knows all my secrets and sees through all my exterior.
Either way, he’ll find out eventually that I’m the one sending the threats and creepy surveillance photos.
And he will, he’s too clever not to work it out, if he hasn’t already, and then he’s going to hate me.
That’ll be the end of any kind of relationship we have, not just my imaginary romantic one, but our friendship too.
That thought lives rent-free in my mind every minute that we spend together.
It guts me deeply because of the connection we’ve formed. Or maybe it’s just the connection I’ve formed with him. Will he help my father track me and kill me when I finally dare to make my escape?
I hope not.
When Kaden is completely out of view, I dip into the bathroom for a shower before getting ready for bed.
I’m just pulling on an oversized sleep shirt, hair still damp and skin warm from the shower, when there’s a gentle knock at my door. My stomach flips. I crack the door open, and there he is in all his gorgeous, dark glory.
Kaden stands on the other side, hands by his sides. His eyes flick over me, pausing at my damp hair. He flashes a quick, polite smile. Every day that he’s here, he does a nightly check of the perimeter and then comes by to say goodnight before leaving for the night.
“Hey,” he says, voice quiet, careful not to disturb the late hour. “Just wanted to check in—are you okay? Need anything before bed?”
I shake my head, suddenly aware of how close he is and how intimate the moment feels in the hush of the hallway. For me, anyway.
“I’m fine. Thanks for checking in. Will I have to deal with you following me around again tomorrow?”
He nods, shifting his weight. “I’m off for the night. I’ll see you in the morning, Ash. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.” His gaze lingers, stoic and serious. It makes me think twice about his words. Does he know? “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Kaden.”
I don’t shut the door; he stays standing there for an extra moment before the spell is broken by the buzzing of his phone.
“I should go...”
I nod and close the door, cheeks flushed. The scent of him and the sound of his voice linger. Then I realise that he’s still in the hall, talking on his phone. Curiosity gets the best of me, gripping me to stay where I am.
It’s after ten PM. I wonder who he’s on the phone with. He’s never mentioned a girlfriend, and he doesn't ever wear a wedding band. But the guy is a catch; while I’d be disappointed, it wouldn’t surprise me to find he had another half.
“I’m just about to leave the estate now.”
“Owen’s a douchebag but seems pretty harmless.”
“Yeah...”
“Aside from having no leads and being stuck babysitting Princess Snowflake? Everything is just peachy.” He chuckles, but I don't hear anything else beyond that point.
Princess Snowflake?
The words slam into me—mocking, careless, like everything I feel is just a joke to him.
My heart pounds so hard it hurts, a hollow ache where hope used to be.
Humiliation and betrayal twist my insides, every fragile, secret dream curdling into dread.
Blood roars in my ears, and I press a trembling hand to my chest, trying to breathe, but the air is gone.
I always knew I was just a job to him, but hearing it—hearing the condescension in his voice.
. shatters something I didn’t realize I’d let myself hope for.
My vision blurs. I refuse to let the tears fall, but I gasp for air, mind splintering, everything I thought I felt—every small, hopeful thing—crumbling in an instant.
Panic claws up my throat. Desperate, I scan the room for something, anything, to anchor me, but all I see are the walls of my prison. When my eyes land on the window, instinct takes over. I need air—need to escape. Anything to outrun the anguish pressing in from all sides.