Under the Heiress' Facade

"What are you going to do about it if I'm not? Get out of here and tell Hera to come see me!" Nicholas snapped as he chased Wayne out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Wayne was speechless. He was about to turn and leave when the door behind him creaked open. Nicholas warned through the gap, "Get back here. Don't you dare tell anyone what happened just now, or I'll give you hell when we go back to Jedburgh!"

The threat might have left a bigger impact had Wayne not turned around and seen Nicholas poking his head through the gap in the door. He looked so ridiculous with his auburn curls that Wayne told Bernard about the incident immediately upon returning.

Outside another hotel room, Bernard snorted after hearing Wayne's report. He had expected a more elaborate plan from Nicholas, only to be disappointed.

"Got it. Keep an eye on him," Bernard said as he handed Wayne a bank card.

The image of Nicholas lying in bed naked, save for his boxers, made Wayne's stomach churn. He would have refused to do Bernard's bidding had Bernard not given him a bank card.

With his limited academic qualifications and work capabilities, Wayne would never make enough money in Jedburgh to cover his and Everly's costs of living. While Hera had been kind enough to provide him with free lodging, his male pride did not allow him to depend on Hera's generosity.

As such, he made up his mind to do whatever Bernard tasked him with. At least the money was good. He took the bank card and promised, "Alright, I'll keep an eye on him. I won't let him bother you and Hera."

...

When Bernard returned to the room, Hera asked, "What happened?"

"I won the bet. Nicholas was only pretending to be ill," Bernard declared triumphantly as he closed the door behind him. He locked it and crossed the room to the bed in a few long strides. "Guess we're doing it my way tonight."

Hera fell silent. She had wanted to swing by Nicholas' room to check up on him earlier, but Bernard did not permit her to leave. He even made a bet with her that Nicholas was pretending to be ill to get her attention.

To prove that his hunch was right, Bernard sent Wayne to check up on Nicholas.

"How did you know he was faking it?" Hera asked, pressing a hand to Bernard's chest to keep him from inching closer.

"Because I'm a man and I know how he thinks," Bernard said.

"Oh?" Hera eyed him with faint amusement. "I'm guessing you've pulled the same trick before."

Bernard gave her a withering look. "Stop talking and kiss me," he murmured as he dipped his head to kiss her on the lips.

After a long and lingering kiss, he covered Hera's eyes with his hand. Her heart careened from beat to beat when she sensed what he was about to do next. Panic flooded her as she clutched the front of his pajamas.

"Do you have to?" Hera asked, her soft voice strained and without its usual composure.

Bernard glanced down at the fingers clutching the front of his shirt and knew she was terrified.

He lowered his head until his cheek

was pressed against hers and

whispered in her ear, "Don't be

scared. We'll try it out, and if it

doesn't work, we'll move on to some

other method. How about it?"

Hera's heart thumped wildly as she thought about what would happen next. Her breathing grew labored, and she instinctively shook her head.

But deep down, she knew she

couldn't keep being afraid of the dark. She had to overcome it at some point. Breathing in Bernard's familiar and comforting scent, she tightened her grip on his shirt and nodded once. "Okay."

"Don't worry. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere," Bernard promised softly as he kissed her lips. He reached past her and turned off the lights in the room. Hera stiffened as the lights went out with a click.