The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride-Chapter 62: Escape plan

Alice had one goal.

Escape.

Quietly. Quickly. Preferably before someone breathed in her direction.

To aid her covert mission, she’d stolen a pillowcase from the bed and wrapped it around her head and half her face like a half-committed Egyptian mummy. Only her eyes peeked out, darting anxiously in every direction. It wasn’t fashionable. It wasn’t breathable. But it was the only armor she had left against the bizarre reality of Hades’s apartment.

She had checked the time on her phone. By now, Dawin should be out. The Matriarch and Patriarch were almost never seen unless they wanted to see you. And as for Van, well, she didn’t know. But the most important thing was leaving here.

She needed a shower. She wanted to take off her contact lenses, which were badly irritating her eyes now. She needed to eat and, to be honest, she still felt a bit sick.

But the priority was leaving this place.

Leaving him. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Even if she would race down from Block C to A.

She opened the bedroom door like it might explode. Tiptoed into the hallway, with purse and heels in hand. Each step was a prayer.

Unbeknownst to her, however, her journey to freedom had an audience.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Hades sat at his desk, sipping wine, staring at the surveillance feed on his screen with an expression of quiet disbelief. There, in full HD, was her, sneaking through the hallway like a burglar in her own soap opera.

She paused behind a column. Then darted to the next wall. Then froze, flattening herself behind a potted plant like she was in a stealth game.

A single brow arched on Hades’s face.

He didn’t say a word, just tilted his head slightly as she crab-walked across the entryway, still wrapped in cotton like a kitchen bandit.

His eyes followed her as she showed up in different parts of the screen, depending on where she had landed.

"Pointless," he muttered quite to himself as he sipped his drink.

As soon as she got to the living room...

Ding-dong.

The doorbell.

"Shit!"

Alice flinched like she’d been shot.

She stumbled back, almost tripping over her own feet as her gaze darted everywhere, looking for where to run to. She hadn’t even decided on where to hide when Milo appeared out of nowhere, startling her so badly she let out a muffled squeak.

The way he looked at her, without any kind of confusion or shock, since she was covering her head and face with a pillowcase like an Egyptian mummy, made her confused. It was as if he’d expected this ridiculous play to happen exactly this way.

He glanced once at the door, then at Alice.

"Were you trying to escape?" he asked flatly, a hint of amusement twitching at the corner of his lips.

Alice didn’t answer, her muffled breathing the only sound. Her gaze went to the top corners of the apartment. There had to be a CCTV somewhere. If he looked this chill, it meant they had probably seen her.

She looked around but could not find any obvious cameras.

Milo, with an almost theatrical sigh of resignation, walked past her, and before she could flee back inside, he opened the door fully, revealing Betty, with her usual resting bitch face and impeccably tailored suit.

What was she doing here? Alice wondered, her mind racing.

"Miss Betty," Milo greeted with a nod, a forced politeness in his tone. "Where are the suitcases?"

Alice blinked behind her cotton mask. Suitcases?

Betty’s gaze flicked to Alice, a flicker of a raised brow, before she returned her attention to Milo. "I actually came to inform the house that the Matriarch has not authorized the move."

Alice’s eyes widened behind her cloth disguise. The move? What move?! What was going on?

Milo’s brow ticked up just slightly, a hint of annoyance surfacing. "She’s denying the transfer?"

"She said the second lady cannot leave Block A without her written permission. So it’s impossible to bring her luggage." Betty’s voice was crisp, unwavering.

There was a beat of silence. Milo, not even remotely rattled, pulled out his phone and dialed, a casual air about him. "I see."

Alice was utterly confused. She looked at Milo, then at Betty. She was moving in here? HERE!? Her eyes widened in genuine horror.

Maybe two days ago, she would have thought that was a good idea. I mean, she had suggested it. But now? Today? She may as well become a maid in Block A.

What the hell.

"Wait... why am I suddenly... moving here?" Her voice was muffled against the cloth as she spoke with Milo, who simply shrugged like he was wondering the same thing too, still holding his phone to his ear.

Alice turned toward the door, unsure whether to run, vanish, or scream into the pillowcase. She was halfway to doing all three when—

Footsteps.

Heavy. Familiar.

Milo ended the call he had started, a subtle shift in his demeanor.

She turned.

And down the stairs came Hades, calm as an avalanche, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his expression unreadable, but somehow more dangerous that way, a primal force of nature in tailored clothing.

Alice immediately spun to face the wall. Of course he had to come down now. Of course. And of course she looked like a half-baked hostage from a rejected sitcom.

Hades didn’t spare Alice any glance. He acted like she was not there and simply kept his gaze on Betty, a silent command in his eyes.

Betty stiffened immediately under Hades’ presence, like a soldier sensing the general’s disapproval. She bowed slightly, voice trembling. "I—I only came to deliver the Matriarch’s message—"

"You did." Hades cut in coolly, descending the last step, his voice a low, decisive rumble. "And it was declined."

Betty’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock. "B-but—"

"She’s moving," Hades said simply, his tone final, absolute. "This is her home now."

Alice turned slowly, disoriented, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. "I’m—?"

She looked from Betty to Milo to Hades, then back again, eyes huge. Her voice cracked through the pillowcase, a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

"You... said no. When I asked you." She finally spoke up amidst her embarrassment, not able to fully meet his eye contact, a wave of indignation washing over her.

And for some reason, it felt like he also was avoiding making direct eye contact with her, which was unlike him. So unlike him. A subtle awkwardness hung in the air between them, thick and unspoken.

At least he was not shameless enough to act like what had happened between them had not happened.

"I changed my mind," he said simply, his gaze still stubbornly fixed just past her ear.

"Why?" she demanded, the muffled sound barely concealing her frustration.

"Don’t be silly. We are married," he replied, as if that was a real answer, a dismissive wave of his hand.

Alice stared at him, face turning red under the pillowcase. Her heart felt like it had skipped so many beats it was now just breakdancing in her chest.

Then he stepped closer to her, his movements fluid and intentional. And now, they both locked gazes, his dark eyes finally meeting hers. She inched back as he advanced, a nervous swallow.

He then crouched, meeting her gaze levelly, the intensity in his eyes unnerving her.

"Also... you still owe me money," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, a hint of something unreadable in his tone.

Her emotion turned sour immediately and she scoffed in disbelief, the embarrassment momentarily forgotten, replaced by sheer annoyance.

Milo cleared his throat, seemingly to remind them people were still there, his gaze darting between the two, an amused glint in his eyes.

Hades went back to full height and turned to face Betty, who had been brazenly eyeing Alice, her curiosity piqued, but snapped back to rigid attention when he looked at her.

Betty gave one last uncertain look, bowed again, and murmured, "I’ll... inform the Matriarch." Her gaze lingered on Alice for a beat too long, a subtle judgment in her eyes.

She turned and left quickly, almost fleeing.

And just like that, the front door closed.

Silence settled, broken only by Alice’s ragged breathing.

"I don’t... want to stay here," Alice said at once, her voice firm despite the pillowcase.

Hades turned to her, a hint of something unreadable in his dark eyes.

"You said you wanted to."

Suddenly, Milo was lost on what to do. Whether he was to remain there or disappear. And of course, watch this from the room, like a clandestine movie. But never let Hades find out.

"I said I wanted to. But you refused. And now—"

"Now what?" His voice was low, challenging her to articulate her sudden change of heart.

She was embarrassed, and he knew it. The very thought of staying here, exposed, around him, made her skin crawl.

"If you wish to speak to me clearly, take off that thing on your face. I already seen you bare."

Pause.

Okay... that wasn’t what he had planned on saying. Nope. That definitely just slipped out.

I mean, yeah... that was what he wanted to say, but not the way it had slipped out. I mean... damn! Just forget it!

Suddenly, it’s like there was a flashback to one, the dreams they had both had. Two, Hades seeing her bare body. Literally. The memory, sharp and unwelcome, created a fresh wave of awkwardness that was almost suffocating.

"I’ll... go join Rowan in the kitchen to make brunch." Milo said awkwardly, practically bolting, a smirk playing on his lips. But before he could disappear completely, the doorbell rang again, sharp and insistent.

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