Anissa freezes. The cold rain drips from her hood, sliding down her pale face. She stares into Erick Shelton's impassive, dead eyes. Her pulse hammers in her throat.
Ashanti steps forward instantly. She places her body directly between Erick and Anissa. Her hand drifts dangerously toward her hidden knife.
Erick doesn't even flinch at Ashanti's lethal threat. He simply raises a single, gloved finger. He commands her to stand down with quiet, absolute authority.
Anissa touches Ashanti's shoulder. She silently orders her bodyguard to back off. Fighting the Head of Security on Sinclair grounds is suicide.
Erick's earpiece crackles loudly in the quiet rain. A panicked guard's voice bleeds through. The guard reports that the targets from the bistro are heading toward the estate perimeter.
Erick presses his finger to his earpiece. His voice is calm and dripping with authority.
"Stand down," Erick orders the guards. "Return to your barracks immediately. This is a severe misidentification, and you are causing a public spectacle."
He coldly reprimands the men over the radio. He berates them for causing a public disturbance while off-duty. He threatens them with immediate termination if they pursue the matter further.
Anissa watches in stunned silence. Erick is completely covering up the chase. He neutralizes the threat with a few words, erasing her involvement.
Erick turns his gaze back to Anissa. His rigid expression softens just a fraction, though his posture remains stiff.
He gestures toward a hidden, ivy-covered iron gate embedded in the estate's massive stone wall.
Erick unlocks the gate with a biometric scan of his thumb. The heavy iron clicks open. He steps aside to allow Anissa and Ashanti to enter the grounds.
Anissa swallows hard. "Thank you," she whispers. Her voice is barely audible over the pouring rain.
Erick replies stiffly, his eyes fixed forward. "It is my job to protect the estate from scandals, ma'am. I will log this as a misunderstanding with aggressive paparazzi. However, you must understand that Mr. Sinclair will eventually review the perimeter logs. I highly suggest you return to your quarters before this situation becomes entirely unmanageable for both of us." He implies he is managing the immediate fallout for Julian's image, but the grace period he is offering her is incredibly fragile.
Anissa's brief moment of gratitude sours into bitter reality. She hurries through the gate, stepping back into her gilded cage.
They move quickly through the manicured gardens. They avoid the main illuminated pathways and head straight for the servant's entrance.
Anissa pushes open the heavy wooden door of the service corridor. She steps into the warm, brightly lit hallway.
Before she can even pull off her soaking wet hood, a stern, sharp voice echoes down the corridor.
"Where have you been?"
Hennie Drake, the head housekeeper, stands at the end of the hall. Her arms are crossed. She looks absolutely furious.
Hennie marches toward them. Her sensible heels click aggressively on the marble floor. She is flanked by two anxious, wide-eyed maids.
Hennie grabs Anissa's arm tightly. She pulls her out of the main sightline and shoves her into a nearby laundry room.
"Have you lost your mind?" Hennie scolds in a harsh whisper. "Sneaking out on the night of Cecily Price's birthday?"
Anissa's eyes widen in realization. She had completely forgotten about the lavish private dinner Julian was hosting for his favorite mistress tonight.
Hennie strips the wet hoodie off Anissa. She throws the damp garment to a maid. "Burn this in the incinerator immediately," Hennie orders.
Hennie grabs a thick towel. She aggressively dries Anissa's hair, muttering about the catastrophic optics of the situation.
"I'm sorry," Anissa tries to apologize.
Hennie cuts her off. "Julian is currently tearing the house apart looking for you. Cecily suffered a severe allergic reaction during the dinner. The entire event is ruined."
Anissa is genuinely confused. "I had nothing to do with the catering. I was out of the house the entire evening."
Hennie stops drying her hair. She looks Anissa dead in the eye. Her expression is grim and terrifying.
"The allergen was found in the specific custom dish you allegedly requested the kitchen to prepare," Hennie whispers.
Before Anissa can process the sheer malice of the framing, the heavy laundry room door is violently kicked open. The wood slams against the wall with a deafening crack.
