The price of privilege

Chapter 5: Hidden Wounds

Kae woke up holding the small key she had found on her pillow the night before. For a moment, she thought she might have dreamed her midnight meeting with Caspian Black in the yard. But the key was real, cold and solid in her hand.

What did it open? And who had left it for her?

She looked at the note again: For the truth about Sage. Trust no one else.

The morning passed in a blur. Kae tried the key in every lock she could find in her room and nearby halls, but nothing worked. By luncheon, she was frustrated and hungry.

Margaret knocked softly on her door. "Mr. Vaughn requests your presence at dinner tonight," she said. "He's invited some important guests."

"Do I have to go?" Kae asked, not wanting to face Beckett or anyone else.

Margaret's kind eyes held a warning. "It would be unwise to refuse him."

That evening, Kae put on a simple black dress she found in the closet. It fit perfectly, which was strange since she hadn't brought any nice clothes with her. Had Sage worn this dress?

The dining room took Kae's breath away. The long table could seat twenty people easily, and sparkled with crystal cups and silver plates. Huge windows looked out over the dark ocean. Candles made everything glow with golden light.

Beckett stood as she entered. "Kalliope," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You look lovely."

Five other people sat around the table. Kae recognized Orion Wellesley with his cold blue eyes. Next to him sat an older guy with the same blonde hair but a harder face – Sebastian Wellesley, she guessed.

Her heart jumped when she saw Caspian at the far end of the table. He wore a dark suit that made his green eyes stand out even more. He gave her a small nod but no smile.

"Please, sit," Beckett said, pointing to a chair between him and Sebastian.

The dinner was the fanciest Kae had ever seen. Servants brought plate after plate of food she couldn't name. Everyone talked about business and people Kae didn't know. She felt out of place and nervous.

Sebastian Wellesley watched her with cold eyes. "So, Miss Reyes," he said suddenly. "What did your sister tell you about her work here?"

Kae nearly choked on her water. "Nothing," she said truly. "We hadn't spoken in three years."

"Such a shame," Sebastian said, not sounding sorry at all. "And what a tragic accident. Driving those ocean roads at night can be so dangerous."

Something in his voice made Kae shiver. Across the table, she saw Caspian's hand tighten around his fork.

"It wasn't an accident," Beckett said sharply.

Everyone went quiet. Even the staff stopped moving.

"Father," Orion warned. "Not now."

Beckett ignored him. "Someone cut the brake lines on Sage's car," he said, looking at Sebastian. "Someone wanted her dead."

Kae felt sick. She reached for her water glass with shaking hands but knocked it over instead. Water and ice spilled across the table. As she tried to clean it up, the glass broke in her hand.

"Ouch!" Kae cried as a sharp pain shot through her palm. Blood welled up and dripped onto the white tablecloth.

"I've got it," Caspian said, standing quickly. "I'll help her."

Before anyone could object, he was at Kae's side, wrapping her hand in a napkin.

"Come with me," he said softly. "We need to clean this."

He led her out of the dining room and down a hallway to a small bathroom. Inside, he gently unwrapped her hand and held it under cool water. The cut wasn't deep, but it bled a lot.

"Did you bring the key?" Caspian asked suddenly, his voice low.

Kae stared at him. "How do you know about the key?"

"I don't have time to explain," he said, looking over his shoulder at the door. "But you need to find what it opens before they do."

"Before who does?" Kae asked. "And how can I find what it opens when I've tried every lock I can find?"

Caspian's green eyes locked with hers. "Not every lock is in plain sight," he said. "Sage was clever. She would have hidden it somewhere only you would think to look."

He pulled a first aid kit from a cabinet and began cleaning her cut with something that stung. Kae winced but didn't pull away. His hands were strong but gentle as he worked.

"What did Beckett mean about Sage's car?" Kae asked.

Caspian's hands paused. "The official story was that Sage lost control on a curve and went off the cliff," he said quietly. "But I checked the car myself afterward. Someone had cut the brake lines."

"Who would do that?" Kae whispered.

"Someone who wanted to stop her from revealing what she had discovered," Caspian said, carefully wrapping a bandage around her hand.

His fingers lingered on her wrist, and Kae felt her heart speed up. There was something about his touch that made her feel both safe and scared at the same time.

"You said they're watching my apartment," Kae remembered. "Was that text message from you?"

Caspian nodded. "I was trying to warn you."

"Why should I trust you?" Kae asked. "You just told me not to trust anyone."

"You shouldn't trust me completely," Caspian admitted. "Everyone in this house has secrets, including me. But right now, I'm the only ally you have."

As he held her bandaged hand, Kae felt a strange connection between them, like an electric current running from his skin to hers. From his face, she could tell he felt it too.

"What secrets are you hiding, Caspian Black?" she asked softly.

Before he could answer, they heard footsteps in the hallway. Caspian quickly dropped her hand and moved away.

Sebastian Wellesley appeared in the doorway. "Is everything all right?" he asked, his cold eyes moving from Kae to Caspian.

"Fine," Caspian said stiffly. "Just a small cut."

"How unfortunate," Sebastian said. "Beckett is worried about you, Miss Reyes. Perhaps you should return to the table."

"I'll take her back," Caspian said.

Sebastian's smile didn't reach his eyes. "That won't be necessary. I can drive her myself."

Kae looked at Caspian, not wanting to go with Sebastian.

"It's okay," Caspian said, but his eyes told her to be careful. "We're done here."

As Sebastian led her back toward the dining room, his hand gripped her arm too tightly. "You should be careful around Caspian Black," he said quietly. "He's not what he appears to be."

"What do you mean?" Kae asked.

Sebastian leaned closer. "Did you know he was investigating your father before he came to work for him? He has his own plan, and you're just a pawn in his game."

Before Kae could ask more, they reached the dining room. Everyone looked up as they entered.

"All better?" Beckett asked with fake concern.

Kae nodded, avoiding Orion's cold stare as she sat down.

The rest of dinner passed in a blur. Kae couldn't stop thinking about what Sebastian had said about Caspian. Was he using her for some reason? And what had he been investigating Beckett for?

Later that night, as Kae returned to her room, she found a package slipped under her door. Inside was a picture of a woman who looked strangely familiar. She had the same hazel eyes as Kae, but her face was older, more polished.

On the back, someone had written: Elena Vaughn, 1997. Ask Caspian who she really was.

Kae stared at the photo, confusion and dread building inside her. Who was Elena Vaughn? And what did she have to do with Caspian?

As she turned to place the photo on her dresser, she noticed something strange about the picture on her wall – a seascape she hadn't paid much attention to before. There in the corner of the frame was a tiny keyhole, just the right size for the key she'd been carrying.