Page 39 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

“I think we need to rule out any medical conditions. I’ll have my team set up an appointment with a doctor. We’ll get every test we can think of—blood tests, brain scans, the whole nine yards.”

She nodded quickly, relief flashing across her face. “Please. I’ll do whatever it takes. I need to know what’s happening to me.”

“I’ll arrange everything. One of the guards will drive you, and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Genevieve’s lip quivered as she looked at me. “Thank you for not dropping me. Everyone else has. Even my own family.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I tried to keep my voice steady. “You’re not a lost cause, Genevieve. You’re just going through something, and we’re going to figure it out.”

Jareth, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional display, chimed in with his usual sarcasm. “Absolutely. You’re not a degenerate in any sense of the word. You’re a pillar of the community.”

I shot him a death glare, but he just shrugged innocently, mouthing, What?

Genevieve gave a weak laugh, shaking her head. “Thanks… I think.”

“Get some rest,” I told her as I stood. “And let me know if you need anything.”

Genevieve nodded, tears still glistening in her eyes. “You’re already doing so much. More than I ever expected. Thank you, Eva.”

I offered her a small smile before turning to Jareth. “Let’s go.”

As we stepped out into the hallway, I let out a heavy sigh. Jareth was silent as we walked back to the elevator, his expression unusually thoughtful.

“Well,” he said finally, “that was interesting. Maybe she really can’t remember anything.”

“Yeah,” I muttered.

Something wasn’t right. I believed Genevieve when she said she didn’t remember anything, but now I needed to figure out what was causing the memory lapses and why the hell she acted so uncharacteristically while she was having them.

When we stepped into my penthouse, the scent of something savory hit me immediately. My stomach growled loudly, and I realized I hadn’t eaten since the piece of bacon I shoved in my mouth that morning. Grelth’s voice carried from the kitchen, high-pitched and eager.

“I’ve been busy, Miss Eva!” He peeked around the corner, his small, furry face alight with pride. “I watched one of your human cooking shows. You won’t believe the masterpiece I’ve created.”

I exchanged a look with Jareth, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

We walked into the kitchen to find Grelth standing on a step stool by the counter, proudly gesturing at what could only be described as a meatloaf monstrosity.

It was massive, glossy with ketchup—or something that resembled ketchup—and lined with what looked like strips of carrots and broccoli.

“Meatloaf,” Grelth declared grandly, hands on his hips. “A traditional human dish. I’ve perfected it.”

I forced a smile, my stomach suddenly less excited. Meatloaf. Fantastic. “Wow, Grelth. That’s...incredible.”

He beamed. “Master Grelth thought you’d say that. I’ve been preparing this all day.”

Jareth snorted in amusement at my attempt to mask my dismay. “Bet it’s delicious,” he muttered, not even trying to hide the sarcasm.

Thankfully, Grelth didn’t pick up on it. “Come,” he said, hopping down from the stool. “It is the perfect night to dine out on the terrace tonight. I’ve already set the table.”

“It is a nice night,” I agreed.

The terrace was cool but not freezing. The city below buzzed faintly like a distant symphony.

Grelth had arranged everything with surprising elegance.

The candles that flickered on the table joined the city lights to cast a golden glow across the scene.

It was almost enough to distract me from the meatloaf.

Jareth pulled out a chair for me, then took his own seat, looking far too smug for someone who was about to eat a brick of mystery meat.

“So,” Jareth said after Grelth scurried back inside to grab the bread rolls. “What’s the deal with Genevieve? Do you believe what she’s saying? About not remembering anything?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I do. I don’t know why, but I just… believe her. The look in her eyes, the terror in her voice. It felt real.”

Jareth leaned back in his chair, watching me closely.

“I trust your judgment, Eva. But it looks like she’s gone off the deep end, and I can see it’s stressing you out.

I wish you would cut her loose. Let her move on to another attorney and get away from the danger this is putting you in.

You’ve got too much stress on you, and too much attention that you don’t need right now. ”

I shook my head. “I can’t. If I drop her now, no one else will represent her, and she’ll just spiral further. I think she needs help. Real help.”

“Then you need to be willing to let me do whatever I need to do to protect you. I refuse to sit back and watch you put yourself in danger for this woman. Especially since signs are pointing to potential magical influence, and your situation in The Below is so precarious right now.”

Before I could respond, Grelth returned, holding a platter of bread rolls like it was the crown jewels. “Here we are! And now, for the star of the show.” He placed a massive slice of meatloaf onto my plate.

I swallowed hard, plastering on a fake smile. “Thank you, Grelth. It looks… amazing.”

He sat down next to me, his wide eyes filled with anticipation as I took a tentative bite. The texture was odd—chewy in some spots, mushy in others—and the seasoning was...creative, to say the least. I forced it down and smiled brightly. “Delicious! You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

Grelth clapped his tiny hands together, thrilled. “Wonderful! I’ll add this to the regular menu.”

“Fabulous,” I muttered under my breath, shooting Jareth a glare when he snickered.

“Oh, Jareth’s is almost finished,” I said loudly, gesturing to his plate. “He’ll need seconds, Grelth.”

Jareth froze mid-chew, his eyes narrowing at me. “Eva.”

“What?” I asked innocently as Grelth bounded over with another generous helping for Jareth.

“You’re too kind,” Grelth said, piling on the meatloaf. “Eat up, Master Jareth.”

Jareth forced a tight smile, his jaw working as he glared at me. “Thanks, Grelth. You’re a real gem.”

“Grelth, you better go back inside,” I said. “Even though it’s dark, someone might spot you out here on the terrace, and I doubt I could convince my neighbors across the street that you’re a dog.”

Grelth smiled. “Actually, Master Grelth has been doing some research on these dog creatures, and I think I can be convincing if need be. I’ve been practicing my… what do you humans call it? A bark ?”

Jareth coughed on his water. “Let’s hear it then. Give us your best bark.”

Grelth puffed out his chest and let out a high-pitched “Ruff!”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh, but Jareth didn’t even bother hiding it. “Weak,” he said, shaking his head. “You need to work on that, buddy.”

Grelth flipped him off with one tiny hand and stomped back inside, muttering in a language I didn’t recognize.

“I doubt he’ll ever speak to you again.”

“Me? You’re the one who called his bark weak,” I pointed out.

He shrugged. “Just trying to help the little fella out. Constructive criticism is something we all need from time to time.”

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth, a fleeting break from the heaviness that usually weighed on me. The moment felt like a breath of air after being underwater too long. Jareth’s gaze lingered, fixed on my lips, as if savoring the rare sight.

“I like it when you smile.”

I ignored the way my pulse skipped. “Don’t get used to it.”