Cruel Devotion

The Ho

ispered shu

her weight, unsure if she was supposed to wait, speak, knock again even tho

was

she w

drifted from

Mon

tu

, maybe, with a lined face and sharp, intelligent eyes. Her posture was straight, her

e woman said. "I

Uh. Ivy. But you p

a tiny smile.

ething neutral, practiced. Like she'd worked in high places l

hat dress any longer than necessary. Mr. S

but followed her

e alone?" she ask

silent on the stairs. "He

. "What doe

his, but don't expect i

s bedroom door and stepped inside, walking over

Sleepwear. And the linens a

aid. "This plac

ad, she turned toward the corner of t

click f

ed. "What

," Mirella

nt dry. "Wai

e hallway. In the kitc

"What about

et her ey

my place

arp passed b

ot comfort eithe

ice. "Does he real

didn't

didn't

d toward

t cruel, Ivy. Just used to getting wh

htened. "And if

d her gaze

smi

dn't reac

e you not to sl

oor c

the perfect room, perfect

d toward

ered if this house had any m

-

he Survei

t day w

qu

house alive without him. Mirella brought her breakfast like clockwork. Iv

oon, the silen

hadn't noticed before-narrow, darker, more utilita

e end of

. Slight

hesi

ushed

hat didn't match th

ll of monitors flickered in the dark-some showing the f

d

ro

i

Her empty coffee mug. The robe sh

feed fl

an

a rec

t n

side. The room glowed soft and blue

hed, bre

n-he ap

pped int

. Didn't touch her. Just st

es pa

dn't

aring at her like she was something

clenched

n flickered.

just che

s, different angles. Some from her first day h

d up with a book on

somewhere in the fram

chi

den. No

esent. Una

wanted t

you permission

came from

oo

os

sp

oorway. No jacket.

d c

ed, "-I was ju

pped i

d up inst

g her sleeping form. "You sleep

dn't a

it a button, and all

turned t

for the first

nt," he said softly. "No

-

: The

dn't s

coul

aid - she was. But not in

dark, the silence in the room thicker than

scream if

n't a

as a

to snoop," Ivy

rse you

n't leave the door cracked op

pped c

. But it felt like the

way I protect what

gaze. "You

"You're here to be s

like

d smell the faint hint of his col

the contract ca

d. "It didn't say you c

hatever I deemed nece

me?" she

pped to her

eath c

g, just hovering near her jaw,

you're angry," he mu

dn't f

dient," she said, "maybe

ing rare: a real smile

etly. "I was starting to wo

l, like they hadn't just been s

door, h

said. "Because you are. But do

. "What is

over his

achm

n he wa

-