Sold to Them

Chapter 35

Kaylee's POV

The masquerade ball was only two days away, and the entire house had been buzzing with constant activity. Staff members had been hurrying around, trying to ensure absolute perfection for the upcoming event. There was so much going through my mind when it came to Hunter, Grayson, and even myself. I just needed space from everyone and everything right now, but that seemed impossible at the moment.

I knew that Grayson really wanted to see me and had been trying to come by, but I had been avoiding everyone in the house by feigning illness for the last few days and had locked myself in my room to 'recover.'

Sitting on my bed, I couldn't escape the overwhelming thoughts that rushed through my mind. I had allowed myself to get completely swept up in the whirlwind romance I had experienced with both Grayson and Hunter. The Rothcroft brothers seemed to have an allure that I had never experienced before and it was like an entire sea of emotions that I was drifting through day after day, oblivious to the waves causing ripples all around me. I had been so content with them that I hadn't even noticed when I started to drown.

I scolded myself silently, realizing that I had allowed myself to get way too comfortable, way too caught up in the magic and thrill of their presence. It was all so intoxicating, the way they looked at me, the way they made me feel desired, the way they touched me. Everything about them. It was easy to get swept up in it all, but I couldn't forget that I was essentially a captive in their luxurious world, a pawn in their game.

The thought gnawed at me, the realization that if they truly cared about me, they would have delved deeper into my personal life. They would have tried to understand how I ended up in this mansion, seemingly under their control. Their lack of curiosity about my past, my true identity, and the circumstances that led me here felt like a sort of betrayal. They had every opportunity to help me escape, to offer me more than just empty promises of protection and luxury.

I knew, deep down, that they both must be aware of how I got here in the first place. That knowledge weighed heavily on my heart, and it was a source of some of my frustration. Did they believe I was so naive not to recognize their silence on the matter? I guess that I truly had been up until this point.

The unanswered questions and the secrets they kept from me were infuriating. It was time to take control of my own fate, to find the answers I needed, and to escape from the clutches of the Rothcrofts once and for all, even if it meant saying goodbye to Hunter and Grayson once and for all.

I sat on my bed, propping myself up with some pillows as I heard a soft knock on the door. The knock seemed tentative and my heart began racing at the sound. "Come in," I called out, my voice carrying a hint of my nervousness. The door swung open, and there he was, Grayson, looking at me with those concerned gray eyes that always seemed to pierce through my defenses. His eyebrows were creased together with concern and the worry behind his eyes made my heart ache.

He took a few tentative steps into the room, the door clicking shut behind him. My breath hitched as he approached me slowly, tentatively. The hidden emotions were breaking through my resolve, but I reminded myself that it was just one big facade designed to lure me in.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently, seemingly genuine concern etched on his face.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as I faked a raspy cough and replied, "I feel horrible." It wasn't entirely a lie. I did feel horrible. I felt horrible for lying to him about a fake illness and the hurt and defeated look in his eyes every time I turned him away, but then I also felt horrible about all of the lies and deception from him.

Grayson's eyes softened even more, his apologetic tone cutting through my pretense. "I'm sorry you're feeling so under the weather," he said, his voice filled with sincerity.