The clock on the dashboard read midnight. Grace's SUV rolled to a silent stop in front of the massive black iron gates of Hayden's Beverly Hills mansion.
She did not press the intercom button. She pulled out her phone. She opened the smart home application. Because she had set up his entire life as his assistant, she held the master administrative privileges.
She tapped the screen. The perimeter security system deactivated instantly.
The heavy iron gates slid open without a sound. Grace drove the SUV into the hidden side garage, completely bypassing the main security cameras.
Inside the master bedroom on the second floor, Hayden and Jacey were drinking champagne. They were celebrating the news of a massive blockbuster role Hayden was about to sign.
Jacey was wearing Hayden's oversized dress shirt. Her bare feet sank into the expensive wool rug. She spun around the room, already imagining herself as the permanent mistress of the house.
Grace walked up the grand staircase. Her steps were slow and deliberate. She stopped outside the heavy mahogany door of the master bedroom. It was cracked open. The sound of Jacey giggling drifted into the hallway.
Grace did not push the door open. She leaned against the wall and pulled out her phone. She opened her messages and typed a text to Hayden.
I miss you. I am right outside your door.
She hit send.
Inside the bedroom, Hayden's phone lit up on the nightstand. A sharp chime cut through the music playing in the room.
Hayden casually picked up the phone. He glanced at the screen.
All the blood drained from his face. His skin turned the color of ash. He shot up from the edge of the bed so fast he nearly dropped his glass. Champagne sloshed over the rim, soaking into the expensive white bedsheets.
Jacey jumped back. "What are you doing? You ruined the sheets!" She reached for his phone.
Hayden slapped her hand away violently. "Shut up!" he hissed, his voice trembling. "Grace is outside the door!"
Jacey's face froze. Panic instantly took over. She started spinning in circles, looking for a place to hide like a trapped rat.
Standing in the hallway, Grace listened to the frantic scrambling inside. A cold, mocking smile spread across her face.
Hayden looked around wildly. His eyes locked onto the massive walk-in closet at the far end of the room.
He grabbed Jacey by the wrist. He dragged her across the carpet.
Jacey dug her heels in. "Why do I have to hide?" she whispered angrily. "Just tell the assistant it is over!"
Hayden whirled around and gripped her shoulders hard. "If she catches us, I am finished! Everything is gone! The endorsements, the movies, all of it! Get in the closet, now!"
The threat of losing the money worked. Jacey bit her lip hard and stopped fighting. Hayden shoved her roughly into the dark closet.
He slammed the door shut and engaged the sturdy lock on the outside. Jacey was locked inside the dark, windowless closet.
Hayden sprinted back to the bed. He kicked Jacey's scattered clothes under the frame. He shoved the extra champagne glass under the mattress. He ran his hands frantically through his hair, messing it up to look like he had just woken up.
He stood in the middle of the room, his chest heaving as he tried to slow his racing heart.
Outside, Grace looked at her watch. She waited exactly two minutes. She let the terror marinate.
Then, she raised her hand.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The three sharp raps echoed through the silent hallway.
Inside, Hayden flinched. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and forced his voice to sound sleepy. "It is open, baby. Come in."
Grace pushed the heavy mahogany door open. The light from the hallway spilled into the room, casting a long shadow across the floor.
She stepped inside. Her eyes swept the room. It looked clean. But her gaze instantly locked onto the massive, wet stain of spilled champagne spreading across the center of the bed.
Hayden walked toward her. He stretched his arms out, a flawless, loving smile plastered on his face. He went in for a hug.
Grace shifted her weight and stepped to the side. Hayden's arms grasped empty air.
She walked past him and sat down on the white leather sofa. "I drove a long way," she said coldly. "I have dust on my clothes."
Hayden lowered his arms slowly. His hands felt clammy. A deep sense of unease settled in his stomach. Grace was acting wrong. She was too calm.
