/Madison's POV/
Maybe Allison's death left me walking on eggshells, maybe I'm being paranoid when I think everyone else was out to get me but I wasn't wrong this time.
The first time had been a terrible mistake.
I'd almost attacked Zane's housekeeper—mid-fifties, judging by her build and the faint lines across her face—mistaking her for an intruder.
I was a minute away from jumping her and barely managed to stop myself just in time to duck behind the kitchen island my heart in my throat. when I saw her putting on a very cute cotton half apron around her waist while she got started with laundry moving briskly but harmlessly.
Watching her skitter towards the laundry room, I relaxed with a sharp exhale against the cold marble tiled kitchen island before slipping right back into my room and into the bathroom some minutes later to have my bath.
Zane might have trusted the housekeeper with free access to his home when he isn't around but something tells me the part where his fiancee's twin sister was in his house pretending to be his fiancee wasn't part of the trust package and if it was, I'd have to hear it from him first until then, I stayed cooped in my room still scouring the internet trying to find out why someone targeted my sister.
The information I'd requested on Zane arrived soon after.
Connecting my phone to the small desk computer right at the edge of the room by the window, I quickly accessed the file because for some reason, I wanted Zane Antler off my suspect list. This would be a whole lot easier if he wasn't the enemy.
I'd expected Kim to half-ass the job—the file came much faster than I'd anticipated—but no, it wasn't her. The speed was because there wasn't much to dig up. Everything about him was straightforward. Almost boring.
Zane Antler: Orphan although born in wealth, despite his fine poise and elegant appearance he had a pretty rough childhood. Lost his parents more than 15 years ago and was raised by his uncle.
"Woah," I murmured as my brows furrowed, flipping through more pages.
Despite being an heir to his father's multi-billion fortune, it was absorbed into his maternal uncle's business empire, Alessio Clemonte, who became his guardian immediately after his parent's death.
Zane's relationship with his uncle's family wasn't rosy, I thought as my frown deepened after learning he spent literally half his life in boarding schools abroad, UK to be specific.
From middle school or the way through college it's like they'd rather not have him home.
I skimmed faster, trying not to get sucked into his lonely upbringing until I got to the part when my sister entered his life, to my surprise, it was earlier than the public believed, apparently. They'd met in high school but hadn't started dating until his first trip home from college.
"Long distance huh?" I muttered, wondering how they managed to even pull that off but I didn't get to find out since my eyes gazed bounced right off the computer towards the door as the soft shuffle of feet crept closer.
Gently unplugging my phone from the desk computer, I softly approached the door, the sounds of my socks-draped foot barely a whisper against the cold marble tiles before my ears met the door, listening quietly to whatever was going on at the other side of it.
It was definitely not the housekeeper this time.
Her footsteps had been brisk and unhidden; this person was careful, deliberate like he putting more thoughts into his movement, the extra effort not to make another sound made it obvious he was being secretive.
The faint metallic click of doorknobs followed, one room after another. Even through the voices of people arguing downstairs, I quickly noticed that the intruder was trying to open up all the rooms in the wing, especially since it soon came to my doorknob turn.
I took a couple of steps back as I watched the knob slowly turn, slowly enough not to make any sound. Apprehensive, a heavy rush of adrenaline hit me while the intruder struggled against the knob the moment he realised the door was locked.
I flinched when a shout came from downstairs, it was more like an angry yell and that gave the intruder an opportunity to rattle the lock, harder and louder, hoping it'll give way but as soon as the voices downstairs died down, the intruder stopped rattling the lock instead I heard tools working.
I'll be damned, I thought as it dawned on me the door lock was getting picked. Then the distant growl of a car in the driveway. Zane's voice, faint but unmistakable.
The intruder must have heard too since the went still after that. I heard movement hurrying away from the door the moment I was sure Zane was now in the house.
I didn't realise how anxious I was until the retreating footsteps faded and yet I felt a sense of danger and urgency knowing Zane was also in the house.
I debated whether or not to tell him about it as doubts of him having a hand in the scheme gnaws at me at the same time, if he wasn't involved in this, If the intruder had come for Allison, anything could go wrong esepcially since I have no idea how skilled the fucker is.
"Fuck this!" I hissed under my breath, unlocking the door and stepping out cautiously.
No sign of anyone. The hall was empty.
No matter how hard I checked the intruder was gone but to be safe, I pulled Zane's personal number from Kim's file on my phone and shot him a warning message.
I wasn't trying to meet his eyes as I tried scouring the room in case I could catch onto the intruder but our gaze met, drawing the attention of his guest to my position but I disappeared back into my room before his guest even had the chance to turn.
Seconds passed, then minutes before I heard a knock on my door.
"It's Zane," He said, his voice low. My hands found their way back to the cold knob again, bringing me face to face with him. "Can I come in?" He asked after a brief awkward pause after opening the door, tension clinging to his posture and I made way for him.
"I got your message" He said.
"I saw," I replied quickly, ignoring the waft of his expensive cologne, maybe a little too quickly. I mean I was there when he whipped out his phone and all.
"I think he got away." He admitted, his voice laced with disappointment. "We didn't find anyone else in the house but the flower branch under the balcony caught a black fabric. We are assuming it's the intruder's." He further, his tired eyes straying from mine like looking at me was painful. "Are you okay? Did he see you?" Worry flickered to life in his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. He was still trying to get through the door," I assured steadying my voice.
"I can't believe someone slipped past my security. These people are relentless." Zane's expression hardened but his words only watered the seed of doubts already taking roots in my heart.
I wasn't downstairs to know the number of guards he hired but judging from voices and numerous footsteps around the house, I was sure it was quite a number and an intruder from outside the house shouldn't have been able to get that far. Unless the intruder was one of them.
"I'll increase security—"
"No," I cut him off sharply. "Maybe it's a good thing, The plan has always been to lure them out, tightening security means we risk pushing them away. That wouldn't help the plan," I explained.
Confusion seeped into Zane's expression. "But you could be in danger," He made clear, his tone plain and drawn like that should have been obvious.
"I'll be fine. I know what I signed up for." I assured him but the worry lines on his face never ceased. "Um, does the housekeeper—"
"Sorry. I forgot to mention her." He apologised quickly, slipping one of his hands into his suit pants. "She'll be here for 3 hours after I go out for work but she knows not to touch this room and probably assumes it's my Fiancee in here." Zane explained and I nodded in understanding. "Now that you mentioned it, we should take things up a notch. I'll be announcing that Allison has regained her consciousness tonight."
I tried not to act surprised by the news but I must have failed since Zane immediately spoke my mind next. "You're not ready." He guessed reading my expression. "I don't mean to pressure you but among people who are gonna wanna come visit Allison to check if she's actually alive. The interaction and everything. It'll make it easy to narrow down the suspect list." Zane further explained.
"Yes, I understand. I just…I'd have to act like my sister but…I don't know her like that," I admitted.
"That's why I brought these." He held up a USB drive he retrieved from his pocket, "Tapes and interviews and movies, basically anything documented about her. Study them. With those you can pull it off," He handed me the file but I couldn't help my worries..
"Even if we announced that Allison regained her consciousness tonight. I'm not planning to open her doors for guests just yet," he added. "We'll say she's too weak for visitors for a few days."
nodded again, unsure whether his sudden compromise was for my sake or simply strategy since he didn't really consider how I feel when he made me this preposition in the first place or maybe I'm just reading too much into his actions and this is just who he is, either way…I want to see how this plays out.
"Sure, I'll try to act Allison as best I can," I promised but the words felt hollow. Worry gnawed at me through the rest of the day and into the night—until the mattress dipped behind me.
A familiar yet foreign warmth enveloped me as Zane dragged me closer. "Ally," He sobbed softly, and I stiffened rigid as a stone, when his wet lips brushed the back of my neck the touch was gentle but aching with longing; heat flushed the area and I jerked out of his arms but his eyes were closed with tears streaking down them.
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