Caged as His Canary, I Choose to Escape

Chapter 3

I was uneasy all the way back. By the time I returned to the Vance mansion, the sky had darkened.

Sterling was sitting on the leather sofa, an unlit cigar between his fingers.

He heard the noise and looked up at me. That look alone sent a chill down my spine.

"Why are you back so late?"

I stopped in my tracks. "I heard my sister had been found, so I went back to the Winthrop estate."

The room fell silent. Cold sweat beaded at my temples.

After a long pause, he suddenly smiled. "Mm, you should have gone."

His tone softened, as if the coldness just now had been my imagination.

"Come here."

He put down the cigar and reached out his hand, his fingers long and defined.

I walked over and sat down beside him. He leaned back lazily, a hint of weary pallor in his eyes. I set my purse aside, settled myself between his legs, and leaned into him, pressing my fingers to his temples with the pressure he liked.

He enjoyed my massage. He said I was gentle and obedient like this.

Then his hand landed on my back. Through the thin fabric, the warmth of his palm seeped through. I tensed up, barely daring to breathe.

He stroked my back gently. "What did you talk about when you went back today?"

My heart skipped. "Just some casual family matters."

He studied me for a moment, then reached out and pinched my chin, not hard, but enough to force me to meet his eyes.

"Is your sister jealous of you?"

My throat tightened. "I don't know."

"Liar." He chuckled, but I couldn't read his tone. "Who wouldn't be jealous of you? My woman has the best of everything, and even in bed, I give you the best experience. Do you know how many women out there would kill to take your place?"

I dropped my gaze and didn't answer.

He looked at me for a long while, then let go. "I'm going on a business trip tomorrow."

I blinked in surprise.

"Back in two days," he said flatly.

My heart leaped. Two days. If Willa really went to see Grandma Vance, these two days were my window.

I kept my face blank, burying my head lower so he wouldn't see the hope flickering inside me.

His hand returned to my back, patting lightly. "Don't miss me too much."

I forced a smile. "I'll be good and wait for you to come home."

Satisfied, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Good girl."

The next morning, Sterling left early as he said.

Around noon, Sterling's mother arrived from the family estate, dressed in an elegant gown, her expression complex. She settled into the living room sofa. After the maid served tea, she looked at me, standing nearby, and spoke softly,

"Zara, that girl the Winthrops just found, Willa, came to the family estate to see Sterling's grandmother early this morning. She insisted that the engagement with the Vance family was always meant to be hers, that you were the swapped child, that you had no rightful claim to Sterling's side.

"She even said that she didn't need any allowance, that she would do everything better than you, just to be with Sterling."

My fingers curled at my sides. I could barely contain the hope surging in my chest.

"And what did Grandma Vance say?" I asked softly.

Mrs. Vance Sr. sighed, a hint of pity in her eyes. "She wasn't going to agree at first. But that girl has a silver tongue. She kept bringing up the engagement, crying about how you'd taken her place for over a decade. The ladies at the card table chimed in, saying a fake heiress and a real one aren't the same, and that people would talk if the arrangement stayed as it was.

"I also put in a word for you. Over the years, I've seen how difficult Sterling can be, how much you've endured by his side."

My nose stung. My eyes burned.

Mrs. Vance Sr. had always looked out for me privately. She knew the bruises I carried, but out of respect for both families, she'd never been able to openly help me leave. Speaking up now must have cost her a great deal.

"Thank you, Auntie," I said, my voice trembling.

She took my hand and patted it gently. "Poor girl. Don't thank me. You've stood by Sterling through all his schemes and dangers. He's always been controlling and cold, and I know how much you've suffered. His grandmother has agreed to change his fiancée to Willa. She's also set aside a sum of money for you, enough to live comfortably."

I bowed deeply, my throat too tight for words.

"Go on now. Pack your things and leave before he returns."

She rose to go. I nodded and turned toward the stairs.

But just as my foot touched the first step, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.