Page 65 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

EVA

W hen the video call connected, Genevieve’s face filled the screen. My breath hitched. She still looked terrible. Her skin was pallid, her eyes hollowed by dark circles, and her hair was a chaotic mess. Even through the pixelated image, her frustration and exhaustion were unmistakable.

“Eva,” she croaked hoarsely, “where the hell have you been?”

Guilt flared hot in my chest. I straightened, trying to compose myself. “I’ve been working on this, Genevieve.”

Sighing, she ran a shaky hand through her disheveled hair. “Meanwhile, I’m holed up in this place like some kind of fugitive. I can’t keep living like this. I’m going crazy.”

I took a deep breath to steady my voice. “I know it’s difficult, but you’re safe there. That’s what matters right now. You have the best guards, and your location is secure.”

Genevieve’s weak smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I know. And I am grateful. But I want my life back, Eva. I want normal again. If that’s even possible.”

I wanted that for her too—for both of us. “We’ll get there,” I promised, leaning closer to the screen. “But for now, you have to trust me. I can’t even come see you yet because my safety is at risk, too.”

Worry crept into her tired face. “You’re in danger, too?”

I nodded, exhaling sharply. “Yes. But I’m working diligently to get to the bottom of this. Just hang in there a little longer.”

Genevieve’s fingers twitched against her temple. “Eva… do you believe in hypnosis?”

The question threw me off balance. “Hypnosis?”

“Yeah. What if someone is hypnotizing me? That would explain why I can’t remember any of these things I’ve supposedly done. The bar, me stripping in front of strangers... none of it makes sense. None of it is me .”

My stomach tightened. As absurd as it sounded, she wasn’t wrong to suggest it. What was happening wasn’t normal. “Honestly? You might be onto something. There’s definitely something happening to you that isn’t natural.”

Genevieve sat back, her face paling further, but there was a glimmer of relief in her eyes. “My grandmother used to tell me stories about magic. She swore it was real. I always thought she was just eccentric, but now…”

I chewed the inside of my cheek. Genevieve deserved honesty, at least a sliver of the truth. I owed her that much. “Genevieve,” I began softly, “I just want you to know you’re not crazy. There is… otherworldly stuff at play here, and this is not your fault.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and her lip quivered before she let out a shaky breath. “You’re serious?”

I nodded, my throat tight. “There’s a whole world you’re not aware of. I’m not going to go into detail now, but you’ve been a pawn in a much bigger game. And I swear I’m going to get to the bottom of it. I won’t give up until you’re free of this.”

Her tears spilled over. “Thank you. God, Eva, I… I thought I was losing my mind.”

“You’re not. And I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you sooner. About everything. I should have listened to you.”

Genevieve nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line as she wiped her cheeks. “Thank you for apologizing. It means more than you know.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get any leads. You deserved better. I hate that so much time has been wasted because I was searching for something that didn’t exist.”

“You were just doing your job, Eva. Don’t blame yourself for this. Like you said, there’s something else at play that’s obviously much bigger than me.” She smiled weakly, a flicker of hope lighting her expression. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Yes. I really believe that.”

When we ended the call, I sat back and stared out at the ocean.

The waves glittered under the sun, their constant motion soothing but doing nothing to quiet my racing thoughts.

Genevieve’s relief had been palpable, but so was her fear.

The weight of her trust settled heavily on my shoulders. I had to get this right. I had to.

The sound of arguing caught my attention, so I stood and headed back inside. The second I stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted by the sight of Grelth, his fists clenched as he glared at Jareth, who was lounging at the table with his usual unbothered air.

“Master Grelth deserves to be treated better,” Grelth shouted. “Master Grelth may quit and find some other asshole to serve!”

Jareth took a slow sip of his coffee. “Fine by me.”

Grelth jabbed a clawed finger at Jareth. “You can’t even wipe your own ass without Master Grelth’s assistance!”

A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it, which earned me a sharp glare from Jareth. I clapped a hand over my mouth, grinning despite myself.

“If you’re done with the theatrics,” Jareth said dryly, setting his mug down, “what is it you actually want?”

Grelth crossed his arms, his nose in the air. “Control of the menu. No more of your plain chicken and boring vegetables. Master Grelth will cook what he deems best.”

Jareth sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. “Fine. You can choose the menu from now on.”

Grelth blinked. He clearly hadn’t expected to win so easily. “Without your approval?”

“Yes, Grelth,” Jareth said with exaggerated patience. “Congratulations. You’re in charge of the food.”

A grin split Grelth’s face, and he broke into a bizarre little dance, his long limbs moving with unexpected grace. “Finally! Master Grelth reigns supreme in the kitchen!”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as he twirled into the kitchen, humming triumphantly.

Jareth shook his head, muttering, “What have I done?”

Sliding into a chair across from him, I smirked. “You’ve created a monster, clearly.”

He shot me a look, though his lips twitched. “I can always revoke his reign of terror.”

I laughed, surprising myself with how natural and unhindered it sounded.

I sat at my makeshift desk, wanting nothing more than to stare out at the ocean, but the spreadsheet on my laptop demanded my attention. My fingers flew over the keyboard as I typed.

When the door creaked open, I glanced up. Jareth strolled in, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He had an air about him that said he wasn’t here for anything specific but was curious enough to stick around.

He ambled closer and sank into the chair across from me, his movements fluid and relaxed, though his gaze remained fixed on my laptop screen.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked.

Jareth tilted his head slightly, still watching the laptop like it might grow legs and scuttle away. “I was thinking,” he started, his voice casual, “I’d really like to learn how to use one of those things. I mean, I’m fine with the phone, but I’ve never used that.” He nodded toward the laptop.

I frowned. “You mean the computer?”

“Yeah. A computer,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “Seems like it’d be useful.”

I stifled my grin. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

His eyebrows knit together, clearly affronted. “Why not?”

I tapped my finger against my chin. “Well, you have a bit of a… short temper. Technology requires patience. You know, that thing you don’t have.”

Challenge ignited in his eyes. “That’s not true!”

“You’re shouting,” I pointed out.

“I’m not shouting. I’m… enthusiastic.”

I shook my head as I laughed. “Fine. If you’re so enthusiastic, I’ll teach you. But no growling at the computer when it doesn’t do what you want.”

“Deal,” he said, his grin widening into something boyish and unexpectedly charming.

Swiveling the laptop toward him, I motioned for him to lean closer. “All right, let’s start with the basics. Do you know what the internet is?”

He gave me an exasperated look. “Yeah, of course. I have a phone.”

“And you use it for…?” I prompted, though I already had an idea of the answer.

“Calls and texts. I click on video links or article links when they get sent to me… and now Vivian’s warding app,” he replied, deadpan.

I stared at him, jaw slightly agape. “That’s it? You’ve never used the internet on your phone?”

“I’ve never needed to,” he said with a shrug. “What else is there?”

“Oh, Jareth.” I sighed dramatically, flopping a hand onto the desk. “You’ve been missing out.”

He leaned closer, watching intently as I opened a browser and typed into the search bar. “This,” I said, gesturing at the screen as the page loaded, “is the internet. You can look up anything you want.”

His eyes widened slightly, genuine curiosity sparking to life. “Anything?”

“Anything.” I regretted confirming that when I saw the mischief in his expression.

He carefully took the laptop, his large hands dwarfing the device as he tilted the screen toward himself. He hesitated, fingers hovering over the keyboard before he began typing slowly. When he hit “Enter,” the results loaded, and my stomach dropped as I caught sight of the search bar.

“ Tits ?” I exclaimed, my cheeks instantly heating. “Damn it, Jareth!”

His grin was impossibly smug as he scrolled through the results. “People actually post this stuff online?”

“Yes,” I hissed, lunging for the laptop, but he shifted it out of my reach.

“Wait, wait,” he said, holding me off with one hand. “This is fascinating.”

“Fascinating?” I sputtered, mortified. “This is not what I meant by learning how to use the internet! You can watch porn on your own time.”

“You’re blushing, Delgado.”

“I’m not blushing,” I snapped, though my face betrayed me, burning hot enough to rival the midday sun.

“You are,” he said, his voice dipping lower. “Didn’t realize you were so easily scandalized.”

“I’m not scandalized,” I snapped. It wasn’t just the ridiculousness of his search that threw me—it was the way Jareth’s teasing gaze lingered on me, as though he could see right through my flustered exterior to the chaos underneath.

My pulse quickened, my breath hitching in my throat, and I hated how much he noticed.

“You sure?” His voice dipped lower, a suggestive edge curling around the words. He leaned forward slightly, his broad shoulders crowding my space just enough to make me feel trapped—but not in a way that made me want to escape. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’re squirming like?—”

“Jareth,” I cut in sharply. My heart hammered as I glared at him, desperate to regain the upper hand, though the heat spreading across my cheeks was impossible to ignore.

He smiled that infuriatingly smug smile as he leaned even closer, his face hovering mere inches from mine. His golden-brown eyes sparkled with mischief and desire.

“You’re fun to mess with, Delgado,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a near whisper that sent a shiver down my spine. The intimacy of his tone was almost unbearable. “Didn’t think you’d get all flustered over a little search.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. The teasing edge in his voice wasn’t just playful anymore—it was charged, deliberate, like he was testing the waters to see how far he could push me.

I tried to level him with a glare, though my traitorous pulse thudded so loudly in my ears I doubted it looked as intimidating as I hoped.

“Mess with me all you want,” I said, my voice strained but steady enough to stand on. “But don’t forget who’s teaching who here.”

Jareth grinned, leaning back in his chair as though I’d just handed him a victory. “Oh, I’m learning plenty, sweetheart.”