Chapter 6

"You thought you could sneak off while I was asleep, packing your stuff and slipping out the back door?"

He went through it all, his voice low and tinged with amusement.

"You probably had no idea, but I spent the whole night on the roof, watching you gather your things, slip out the window, and carry your kid to the back door."

"Then I locked the back door from the outside."

I was stunned.

So he did it on purpose last night?

He just sat on the roof all night, watching me like I was some kind of show?

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to smack him. "Your Highness, I only wanted to move somewhere else to run my business. I had no intention of offending you."

"Move somewhere else?" Payton raised an eyebrow. "Where? North or east? Do you want me to send someone to give you a ride?"

I was stunned.

"Esme," Payton's smile vanished as his tone turned cold. "I told you, you won't get away from me."

"Villanueva may be vast, but if I decide to hunt you down, not even an ant could escape me. So what chance do a woman and her child have?"

His fingers seized my chin, making me lift my face to him.

"Don't bother trying anymore."

"Just stay here and wait for me. I'll want an answer in three days."

His stare made my skin crawl. I turned my head away from his hand, trying to keep my voice steady. "Your Highness, I'm just a widow raising a child. Someone like me could never hope to be with someone like you. You could have any woman you want, why bother with a widow like me?"

"A widow?" Payton let out a low chuckle, his voice laced with something I couldn't quite read. "Esme, do you really think I'd buy that?"

"Where's your husband buried? What's on his tombstone? Who was at your wedding?"

He fired question after question, closing in on me with every word.

"You're a widow, all alone, running an inn with your kid in Villanueva. Not a single thug ever gave you trouble? The officials never hassled you?"

"Your kid's three, and you claim you've been a widow for three years. So your husband died while you were pregnant? You handled a funeral while pregnant, then traveled all the way to Villanueva with a newborn? And came out unscathed?"

"Esme, your story doesn't add up at all. You really think you can fool me?"

I went quiet for a moment, my voice low. "You don't believe me? Then send someone to check."

"Already did."

He answered without missing a beat.

"According to your official papers, your husband's surname was Wood. He died three years ago, and you brought your child from the north to settle in Villanueva."

"But when I tried tracing your story further north, I found nothing. It's as if someone went out of their way to erase your past."

He looked down at me, his eyes studying me with sharp scrutiny.

"Esme, who are you?"

My heart clenched, but I kept my tone steady. "I'm just an ordinary widow, Your Highness. Your questions are beyond me."

Payton stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk, I'm not going to push you."

He stepped back, sat down at the table, and picked up his fork to take a bite of food.

"But there's one thing you need to know."

"I'll get anything I want. Always."

"And you're no exception."

He said it like it was nothing, as if he was just talking about the weather, but I knew he was dead serious.

He was crazy before he lost his memory, and he was still crazy now.

I turned to leave, but he called out to me again.

"Wait."

"Is there something else, Your Highness?"

"What's your kid's name?"

I paused for a moment. "Kellan."

"Kellan," Payton repeated, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "That's a pretty good name."

I didn't respond, just made a quick exit. By the time I closed the door behind me, my legs felt like jelly.

No matter if he remembered me or not, this man always had me right where he wanted me.

For the next two days, Payton made himself right at home in my inn, acting like he owned the place.

During the day, he'd patrol the city, then return at night. Sometimes, he'd spend time in the courtyard, playing with Kellan.

Strangely enough, he looked cold to others, but with Kellan, he was surprisingly gentle.

One time, Kellan was chasing butterflies in the courtyard when he tripped and scraped his knee, bursting into tears.

Payton happened to come back just then. He frowned, walked over, crouched down, and scooped Kellan up into his arms.

"Hey, little man, real tough guys don't cry over a little fall, you know?"