Chapter 524

• Jake, Sylvana, and Giovanni are locked in the sitting room with a lot of yelling and banging as I sit in the kitchen with Arrick and try not to self-implode. Sitting so tensely, my body aches with the effort, and I’m on high alert. It’s been only minutes since we left the dining room, and my nerves are completely done in.
• “Here.” He hands me a mug of cocoa and slides into the chair beside me at the kitchen table with a supportive smile.
• “Thanks.” I accept it gratefully, still picking at the plate of food he warmed for me, trying to ignore the noise echoing down the hall. All the house staff has retired for the night, and the place is eerily empty. Arrick’s girlfriend is either in his room or gone, so here he is, babysitting me at his brother’s request because Jake didn’t want me left alone to ponder everything.