Chapter 14
The guard at the checkpoint recognised Ryder immediately, waving us through with a respectful nod and a "Good morning, Mr Purcell.
" As we drove through the gates, I stared up at the imposing structure ahead of us.
The main building was an architectural contradiction, gothic arches and large columns merged seamlessly with sleek modern glass, creating something that was both ancient and futuristic.
It should have looked ridiculous, but instead it was strangely beautiful, like something from a dream.
"What is this place?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Luce leant forward from the backseat, her voice carefully neutral.
"Lexington is a medical university," she explained.
"It specialises in mental health research and treatment, with a small biotechnology division.
It's actually quite respected in academic circles.
" I turned to look at Ryder, whose jaw was set in a hard line as he navigated the winding driveway.
"So your mother works here? Is she a doctor or…
" Ryder's laugh was sharp and bitter, cutting through my question like a blade.
"No, Poison. She's not a doctor." He pulled into a parking space with more force than necessary.
"She's a patient." The words hung in the air like a physical weight.
I felt Luce shift uncomfortably behind me, and when I glanced back at her, I saw something that looked like guilt flickering across her features.
"Ryder-" she started, but he was already getting out of the car, slamming the door behind him with enough force to make the whole vehicle shake.
I sat there for a moment, processing what he'd just told me.
His mother was a patient at a psychiatric facility.
No wonder Cole had been concerned about our visit here today.
Luce and I got out of the car more slowly, following Ryder toward the main entrance.
Up close, the building was even more impressive, and intimidating.
The gothic elements gave it an almost cathedral-like quality, while the modern additions suggested cutting-edge research and technology.
It was the kind of place that inspired both awe and unease.
"Luce," I said quietly as we walked, "what happened to his mother? Why is she here?" Luce's expression tightened.
"It’s kinda complicated, but…" She hesitated, glancing ahead to where Ryder was striding toward the entrance, his shoulders rigid with tension.
"Let's just say that the Purcell men have a tendency to destroy the women they claim to love.
" A chill ran down my spine at her words, and I couldn't help but think about Ryder's obsession with me, his possessive behaviour, the way he looked at me sometimes like he wanted to consume me whole.
The interior of the building was surprisingly bright and airy, all clean lines and natural light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows.
It looked more like an upscale hotel than a psychiatric facility.
People moved through the space with purpose, doctors in white coats, younger people carrying books and laptops who I assumed were students, and others in casual clothes who could have been patients or visitors.
We approached a reception desk where a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and greying hair smiled at us warmly.
"Mr Purcell," she said, her voice genuinely pleased. "How lovely to see you again. And Miss Purcell," she added, nodding to Luce. "Your aunt will be so happy to see you both."
"Thank you, Mrs Henderson," Ryder replied, his voice softer than I'd heard it all morning. "We'd like to visit Charlotte, please. And we have a guest with us today." He gestured to me.
Mrs Henderson's gaze shifted to me, taking in my appearance with professional assessment. "Of course, I have all three of you on record for today. I'll just need you all to sign in and go through our standard security procedures."
The security procedures involved emptying our pockets, surrendering our phones, and walking through a metal detector. I watched as Ryder handed over a pocketknife I hadn't even known he was carrying, his movements practised and familiar. This was clearly routine for him.
"First time visiting Lexington?" Mrs Henderson asked me kindly as she processed our visitor passes.
"Yes," I managed, still trying to process everything I was seeing.
"It can be overwhelming at first," she said with understanding. "But I think you'll find it's quite different from what most people expect. We pride ourselves on creating a healing environment that doesn't feel institutional." As we clipped on our visitor badges, Luce leant closer to me.
"The facility is divided into different wings based on the level of care needed," she explained quietly.
"A Wing is for patients who have the most freedom, they can come and go, visit town, attend classes.
B Wing, where Aunt Charlotte is, requires more supervision but still allows patients to wear their own clothes, socialise, and participate in educational programs."
"What about the other wings?" I asked, though part of me wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Luce's expression darkened slightly.
"C Wing is more restrictive, no off-grounds privileges, stricter schedules.
D Wing is for patients who are considered potentially dangerous.
And E Wing..." She shuddered slightly. "E Wing is essentially solitary confinement.
Complete isolation, facility clothing, constant supervision.
" The classification system sent another chill through me.
This wasn't just a hospital, it was a complex hierarchy of control and containment.
And somewhere in this maze of regulations and restrictions was Ryder's mother.
Mrs Henderson handed us our passes. "Charlotte is in her room right now. She's been looking forward to your visit all week, Mr Purcell."
“Thank you Mrs Henderson, I appreciate it,” Ryder said with a smile. Mrs Henderson turned to smile at Luce.
“And will you be along with your father next week as well?” she asked. I looked over just as Luce’s eyes widened.
“My father?” she asked and turned to Ryder who looked equally surprised. He shook his head quickly at Luce and she smiled at Mrs Henderson.
“No, I won’t be with him, you know how school can be.” Mrs Henderson nodded with a smile and waved us towards a set of doors with a security guard standing by them. The guard buzzed the door security and let us through. As the doors closed behind us Luce turned to Ryder and whispered.
“Did you know my dad was visiting Aunt Charlotte?” she asked and Ryder shook his head.
“No,” he said, “And I doubt my father knows either. Which means that your dad is getting access somehow.” He reached out to show his badge to the next guard and then shrugged. “Good on him, it’s about time that both of them had something happy happen in their lives.”
We made our way deeper into the building before emerging into a central courtyard.
The space was beautiful, landscaped gardens, benches, people walking or sitting in small groups.
It looked almost normal, if you ignored the discrete security cameras and the way certain individuals were obviously being monitored by staff members.
Ryder seemed to know exactly where he was going, and I noticed that several people recognised him.
A few patients said hello, and I caught more than one staff member giving him a respectful nod.
Whatever his history with this place, he clearly held some kind of status here.
We were almost to the B Wing entrance when a young woman with bright ginger hair and bright eyes came running up to us.
She threw her arms around Ryder in an enthusiastic hug before turning to embrace Luce with equal warmth.
"Ryder! Luce! I can't believe you're here!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Hey, Ava," Ryder said, his whole demeanour softening as he returned her hug. "How are you doing, kiddo?"
"I'm good! Really good. Dr Martinez says I might be able to move to B Wing next month if I keep up with my progress." She turned to me with curious eyes. "And who's this?"
"Ava Williams, meet Cadence Turner," Ryder said, his hand finding the small of my back in a possessive gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Ava.
"Cade is our Consort." Ava's bright expression immediately dimmed, her eyes filling with something that looked like pity as she looked at me. "Oh," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry for what?" I asked, confused by her reaction.
"For having to deal with my dick of a sperm donor among other things," she said matter-of-factly, and suddenly the pieces clicked into place. Ava Williams, she was related to Headmaster Angus Williams.
"You're-" I started.
"The headmaster's daughter, yeah. And trust me, I know exactly what kind of man he is.
" Her voice was bitter beyond her years.
"The apple fell very far from that particular tree, thank God.
Not that it did Amy any good, now did it?
" Ryder's expression had grown protective, and he reached out to squeeze Ava's shoulder.
“I’m still looking into it,” he said with a grimace. “I am trying to get into the official archive, but even I am struggling with it. And you know those Archive Regents guard that place like bloody hell hounds.” Ava smiled and shrugged, although she looked so sad.
“I may have another idea,” she said thoughtfully, “But it’s gonna take some manoeuvring.”
“Ava,” Luce said gently, “Amy wouldn’t want you doing anything stupid, and you know it. Please be careful with what you are thinking.” Ava then plastered a bright smile on her face and winked at Luce.
“Don’t worry,” she said, her voice almost too high, “I know how to stay out of trouble, I just choose not to.” Ryder let out a short laugh, but cut it short after Luce glared at him.