Chapter 25 The Spy in the Yard
The rain was beating down on the roof so damn loud it was driving me insane.
Usually, rain is relaxing, but tonight my nerves were totally fried.
I was aggressively scanning the ledger sheets, making sure those military bureaucrats wouldn't find a single excuse to audit our finances, when Hans knocked on the door.
It wasn't his normal, polite knock. He sounded panicked, like he was holding his breath.
"Come in," I barked.
Hans didn't waste time. He slipped inside, slammed the door shut, and leaned his back against it. "My Lady, there's someone in the back garden. They've been watching the house for a while now."
I bolted upright, marched over to the window, and blew out the desk candle so no one could see my silhouette from the street.
I peeked through the heavy curtains into the pitch black yard.
Through all the fog and tree shadows, someone was just standing there.
Soaked in a black cloak. He wasn't even trying to hide from the downpour...
he was just staring directly at my window.
I almost threw up. I squinted, trying to see through the dark.
Then lightning flashed for a split second, lighting up the whole backyard.
And right there on his chest, something shiny caught the light.
A crest. A wolf head. The d'Alen?on family emblem.
My stomach twisted into a knot. They weren't just patrolling the streets; they were stalking my damn house.
I thought that by fixing the family business, I'd slip under Claus's radar.
Nope. No way. Claus d'Alen?on didn't care about a good reputation or a fat bank account.
He was a hunting dog, and he was going to keep digging until he found a reason to lock me up.
"Kill all the lights on this floor," I whispered to Hans, my voice shaking a bit. "Don't make a scene. If they want to come in, let them knock on the front door. Don't give them a reason to climb the walls."
Hans nodded and slipped out. I turned back to the window, crouching down so I wouldn't be an easy target.
The guy didn't move. He knew I saw him, and he didn't even care.
This wasn't a secret spy mission. It was pure, raw intimidation.
He wanted me to know that every single thing I did, every contract, every meeting, was in his crosshairs.
He was just flexing his power. I reached into my desk drawer and pulled out the tiny dagger I'd hidden there on my first day in this body.
The metal handle felt ice cold. Honestly, I didn't even know how to use the damn thing, my left hand was shaking like crazy, but just holding something heavy kept my knees from buckling completely.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. The sound of rain dripping off the gutters was suddenly incredibly loud.
The shadow outside didn't even flinch. Then, out of nowhere, he turned around.
Without looking back, he walked over to the fence, vaulted over the brick wall in one clean, stupidly fast move, and vanished into the dark street.
He didn't try to break in. He didn't attack. He just left me a warning.
I dropped the dagger onto the desk. I finally let out the breath I was holding, but my chest still felt tight as hell.
I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead, my hands still trembling.
I didn't sleep a wink that night. I spent the rest of the hours locking every single door and window, checking the deadbolts twice, and making sure Hans was on guard duty.
The days of feeling safe in my own house were officially over.
Claus had his eyes on me. One slip-up and I was dead.
I wasn't going to just sit around and wait for him to show up with an arrest warrant.
I needed a backup plan, a bag packed, and my eyes wide open.
I sat back down at the messy desk, ignoring the tax documents.
Screw the money. I needed dirt. I needed to hit him first before he ruined me.
Sitting in that quiet, creepy house that felt like a giant mousetrap, I started making a list of people I could bribe and whatever nasty secrets I could use to tear him down.
If he wanted to play dirty, I'd show him how it's done.