+Chapter 20+

Caspian just wanted to return to Asher's place, hopefully alone, so he could take a shower and decompress from tonight's event.

Jael showed up then, the Beta wearing a stern expression. "Mafia King Nikolai went ghost."

Asher looked even more troubled, but the person most shaken by this news was Caspian.

The person bothering him like a sleazebag had been a Mafia King? Oh no, he had literally attacked him. Should he mention that to Asher? Was he in trouble now?

Asher closed the door of the car instead of getting in as well like he planned to, "Take her to the mansion."

Jael looked like he would like to protest but he didn't, obediently heading for the driver's seat. He started the car, watching Asher return to the party through the windshield.

Caspian sat stiffly in the backseat, his worries compounding, the alcohol in his system giving him a slight headache.

Was telling Jael a better option? Or should he just pretend like it never happened? There was also the option to just pretend to be naive and act like he didn't know what was going on.

"Cassia," Jael calling his name startled him. "Where did you work at before the auction?"

Caspian swallowed with difficulty, at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? That he ran away from his Pack only to be scammed and kidnapped to be sold off? Yeah no

"At a lounge in the 2nd District," He lied, his words coming out surprisingly easy.

Jael's blood ran a little colder at her words, "Name?"

Caspian was grateful that even in his devastation about losing everything he owned, he still managed to look around. "Cedar Lounge."

Jael didn't ask any further questions and Caspian was just glad he had been able to give an answer. The question had been so sudden and if he had stalled, he would come off suspicious.

What he didn't know what that his first response already doomed him, Jael's expression was grim as he stepped on the gas.

No one who lived in the Central Area decided to sell themselves off, especially if they had a decent job.

She was also a little strange from the start but he didn't really pay attention to things like that, too busy to focus on someone he had written off as a gold-digger.

Now that it was clear that Mafia King Nikolai had been serious about her, Jael was beginning to see her in a different light.

He would focus on investigating her background, after all, it had been put on hold because of Mafia King Nikolai but now that it was clear that those two topics were related, he had to act fast.

The journey back to the mansion was quiet, and as soon as he dropped her off, he returned to Asher's side.

He said nothing to his boss about his recent findings, there was no reason to give an incomplete report, and if he were to be wrong about his assumptions, there would be consequences.

Caspian was just glad to be alone again, he quickly took off the shoes as soon as the bedroom door was locked behind him, sitting on the carpet fully dressed.

Things were getting too complicated too quickly, he had just been trying to protect himself but now he was several layers deep into his lies.

Meanwhile, the cruel people who had sold him off were running free, most likely with the money bid on him.

It may be the alcohol making things out to be worse than it was but it felt a little hard to breathe, and he felt alien in the dress he wore.

Why couldn't anything go right for him? Why did his luck have to be so sour?

Caspian reached behind him to undo the zipper of his dress, and it was immediately clear why it had been so hard to breathe, but that didn't solve the rest of his issues.

Asher could walk through the doors of the room at any moment and he would be forced to deal with his lies head-on.

He had been proud of his quick response to Jael but what would he do if the Beta decided to do a follow-up on his claims?

How much longer could he continue to hide his identity? The pretense was draining, he almost wanted to give himself up so he could return to his normal life.

Sitting on the floor sighing might be a bit cathartic but it wasn't productive so he rose to his feet. The shower wouldn't be enough to wash off all the residue of the night, he would need a good long soak for that.

The pretense was draining but he was too scared to face the consequences of his secret getting out, he was just choosing the lesser evil.

Besides, if he had gotten kicked out or worse, he wouldn't have gotten the chance to luxuriously soak in a high-end tub. He was well fed and given everything he asked for, it was almost difficult to complain.

After getting out of the tub, Caspian was met with another hurdle, what to wear to sleep.

The nightdresses provided were so skimpy and uncomfortable, but he couldn't exactly wear a dress to bed, so he went with the next best thing.

He layered on a couple of nightdresses that covered some skin, throwing another robe over it and tying it tight.

He might be lucky and Asher wouldn't even return tonight, it sounded like they had their hands full with Mafia King Nikolai.

He got on the bed after dressing up, careful not to leave a mess this time. Not after Hannah had made the closet spotless.

Caspian's feet were sore and he was sure he was going to wake up with blisters. He plopped down on the bed and let out a big sigh, his back hurt from sitting stiffly and the little bit of alcohol left in his system was making him sleepy.

The time showed that it was a little past midnight, his problems would still be waiting for him when he woke up so he intended to get a good night's sleep.

His hopes for that were crushed when he heard the key turn in the lock, the clear clicking sound was deafening in the dim room, it made Caspian's eyes fly open in trepidation.