threads of deception

chapter five ~ the escape plan 2

And now, she was sneaking out to see Jaiden, and Kai was sitting downstairs waiting to drive her.

The moment Hailey stepped into her bedroom and slammed the door shut, she grabbed her phone, pacing the floor as she dialed Lyric in a panic.

Lyric picked up on the second ring. "Hey, what's up?"

"Lyric, we have a massive problem,"

Hailey whispered frantically, keeping her voice low so it wouldn't carry through the vents. "I was trying to come over to see Jaiden tonight, but Kai is downstairs! He insisted on dropping me off because he's leaving the mansion early. If he drives me straight to your house, the whole plan is ruined. What do I do? He's too smart, Lyric. If he suspects even a little bit that I'm lying, he will dig until he finds out everything."

Lyric was quiet for a second, her sharp mind quickly working through the chess pieces. "Okay, okay, calm down. We can play this. Here is what we do."

Hailey held her breath, listening intently.

"Get in his car and act totally normal," Lyric instructed smoothly.

"While you guys are on your way, I am going to call your phone. The second I call, you need to put it on speaker so Kai can hear the entire conversation. I'll act like I just saw your missed calls.

You'll tell me, 'Yeah, I'm on my way to your house right now to get the books I left, I need them for the presentation.' Then, I’ll drop the twist."

"What twist?" Hailey asked, her eyes widening.

"I’ll tell you, 'Oh, wait, I'm actually at my cousin's apartment right now. Why don't you just meet me here so we can head back to my place together? It's right on the way.' I'll text you Jaiden’s address, but it’ll look like my cousin’s place. To make it foolproof, I’ll even call you back a little later while you're in the car to ask if you guys are close yet. It’s going to sound completely organic. Kai won't suspect a thing."

A tight knot in Hailey's chest finally loosened. "Lyric, you are an absolute genius."

"I know," Lyric chuckled. "Now pack your bags, get downstairs, and put on your best acting face. Don't keep your brother waiting."

Hailey took a deep, steadying breath in front of her vanity mirror, checking her reflection to make sure none of her internal panic showed on her face. She grabbed her backpack, heavy with textbooks, and zipped up a small overnight bag. Slinging them over her shoulders, she opened her bedroom door and headed down the grand staircase of the Ashford mansion, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

Kai was already waiting by the front door, tapping his foot idly while checking something on his phone. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up, his sharp eyes sweeping over her bags before he offered a slight, approving nod.

"Let’s go, Barbie," he said, turning to open the heavy front door. "Mom is already tracking the clock."

"Bye, Mama! Bye, Devana!" Hailey called out into the house, trying to keep her voice perfectly light and casual.

"Goodnight, baby! Call me when you get to Lyric's!" her mother's voice echoed warmly from the dining room.

[The Tense Car Ride]

The night air was crisp as they walked down the paved driveway toward Kai’s sleek, luxury sedan. Kai unlocked the car, and Hailey threw her bags into the backseat before sliding into the front passenger side.

The scent of expensive leather and masculine cologne filled the quiet cabin as Kai started the engine, the powerful motor purring to life.

For the first few minutes of the drive, the only sound was the low hum of the tires against the asphalt and the quiet jazz playing from the dashboard speakers. Hailey kept her gaze fixed out the window, watching the streetlights blur past, consciously keeping her breathing even.

Kai shifted gears, his long fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. He glanced over at her, his protective, older-brother radar clearly pinging.

"You've been quiet since dinner, Hailey," Kai noted, his deep voice slicing through the silence. "Are you sure this presentation is the only thing on your mind? You looked like you were a million miles away back at the table."

Hailey swallowed hard, keeping her smile steady as she turned to face him. "Yeah, totally. It's just a really big percentage of our final grade, and I have to present first thing in the morning. I hate public speaking, you know that."

Kai didn't look completely convinced, his jaw tightening slightly. "If anyone at that university is giving you a hard time, or if something else is bothering you, you tell me. Got it?

Don't hide things from me, Barbie."

"I'm not hiding anything, bro, I promise," she lied smoothly, her fingers anxiously gripping her lap.

Right on cue, the center console screen lit up, cutting off the jazz music.

Hailey's phone began to vibrate loudly, the caller ID flashing:

"Lyric"

A surge of adrenaline hit Hailey's chest. Perfect timing.

She swiped the screen to answer, deliberately tapping the speakerphone icon so the audio flooded the car speakers.

"Hey, Lyric! I'm actually in the car with Kai right now, he's dropping me off," Hailey said immediately, giving Lyric her cue. "I'm on my way to your place to grab those books I left today. We really need to review them tonight."

On the other end of the line, Lyric didn't miss a beat. Her voice came through crisp and perfectly natural.

"Oh! Wait, Hailey, I'm so glad you called. I actually just saw your missed calls from earlier. Don't go to my house right now!"

Hailey feigned a confused frown, glancing over at Kai, who had already subtly narrowed his eyes, listening intently. "What do you mean? Aren't you at home?"

"No, I had to run an errand," Lyric explained smoothly, sounding entirely relaxed. "I’m actually at my cousin’s apartment right now helping her unpack some things. It’s way closer to where you guys are coming from anyway. Why don't you just meet me here? It’s completely on the way to my place, and we can just head back together from here."

"Oh... okay," Hailey said, doing her best to sound spontaneous. "Where exactly is your cousin's place?"

"I’ll text you the address right now," Lyric replied. "It’ll save your brother a longer drive. Text me when you guys are close, okay?"

"Will do. See you in a bit," Hailey said, hanging up the phone just as a text message chimed.

She opened the message, revealing Jaiden's apartment address, and casually held the screen out toward Kai. "Look at that, she's right. It actually saves us about fifteen minutes. Here's the address, bro."

Kai glanced down at the screen, his sharp mind analyzing the street name before he slowed down inputting the name of the street to his GPS, steering the car into the turning lane that led toward the downtown apartment complex district. " lyric do have a lot of cousins," he muttered dryly, though his tense posture relaxed just a fraction.

"Tell me about it," Hailey laughed nervously, locking her phone and putting it away.

Ten minutes later, the car hummed to a stop right in front of a modern, high-rise apartment building. The exterior was sleek, lit up by elegant minimalist lights, it was exactly the kind of place a wealthy student like Jaiden would inhabit.

Hailey grabbed her bags from the back, her heart doing backflips in her chest. She was finally here.

"Thanks for the ride, Kai," she said, leaning over to give him a quick smile.

Kai didn't unlock the doors immediately. He kept his hands on the wheel, turning his head to look at her with a lingering, serious expression. "Call me when you and Lyric get back home . And Hailey... keep your phone on tonight. If I call and you don't answer, I'm coming back to look for you."

"I know, I know. Protective as always," Hailey said, offering a reassuring smile as the doors finally clicked unlocked. "Goodnight, bro. See you tomorrow for dinner."

She stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut. She walked briskly toward the glass entrance of the building, keeping her back straight because she knew Kai was watching her from the driveway. She pretended to scan her phone as she walked inside, waiting until she heard the distinct roar of Kai’s engine pulling away into the night traffic.

Once the sound of his car completely faded, Hailey stopped in the lobby. She turned around, looking out the glass doors to confirm he was gone.

A heavy, breathless silence fell over her. She was completely alone, standing in the lobby of the building where the new, intensely dark version of Jaiden lived. Clutching the straps of her backpack, she walked toward the elevators, her fingers trembling as she pressed the button for his floor. There was no turning back now.

[rush building]

The elevator ride up to the fourteenth floor felt agonizingly slow. Hailey watched the glowing numbers click upward, her stomach twisting into tighter knots with every floor she passed.

She was dressed for the crisp, cold night in a pair of heavy grey cargo trousers and an oversized, thick black hoodie that swallowed her frame, the casual layers only making her look more delicate.

When the doors finally slid open with a soft chime, the corridor was quiet and lined with minimalist dark wood paneling. She walked down the hallway, her sneakers squeaking faintly against the polished floor, until she stopped right in front of Apartment 1302.

Even though she had been to his place many times before since their relationship started, coming here at this hour felt completely different.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she raised her hand and pressed the sleek doorbell.

Inside the penthouse, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Jaiden was pacing the expansive, modern living room, the city skyline glowing through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him. He had his phone pressed tightly to his ear, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles in his cheek bared a sharp line.

On the other end of the line, his mother’s voice was vibrating with absolute, cold fury.

"I don't care what excuses you have, Jaiden!" Mrs. Lancaster snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut through glass. She was entirely livid about the news that had reached her earlier. "MacArthur's sudden visit to the campus was completely uncalled for, and the fact that you allowed those people to even breathe the same air as you again is unacceptable!

Have you forgotten what they did?

Have you forgotten the mess they caused?"

"Mom, I didn't invite him," Jaiden said, his voice dropping into that new, dangerously low baritone. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes dark as he stared out at the city traffic below.