Page 147 of Heartless Sinner

He’d believed I was innocent. That somehow made it worse.

He’d known I’d never intentionally hurt him or Adelina, but my last name was enough for him to hate me anyway.

I’ll never forgive myself for betraying him and Adelina.

The door suddenly opened.

I slammed the journal shut and shoved it behind my back.

Brooks slipped through the narrow opening, locked the door behind him, then let his back hit the wood.

His head followed with a quiet thud.

I stayed still.

Partly because I was sitting on evidence of my snooping.

Partly because something about him was off.

He stayed against the door for another second, tugged at his bow tie, then yanked it loose like it’d been choking him all night.

There it is.

Him dismantling the polished Brooks when he’d had enough pretending.

Whatever happened tonight had pissed him off.

Something inside me softened.

For maybe three seconds.

Until I saw my tiara.

I shook off the urge to comfort him and noticed the plastic bag in his hand. Something dark was shoved inside.

I squinted.

Is that … hair?

“What’s that?” I craned my head for a better look and gasped. “Did you cut off someone’s head?”

I quickly scooted backward, conveniently sitting on top of the journal.

Brooks glanced at the bag like he’d forgotten he was carrying it. “What?”

I pointed at the bag.

“This?” He lifted it.

“Yes, that. The bag of human remains you casually brought in here.”

“This is your ticket to the after-party.”

“After-party?” I stretched out my legs in front of me. “No thanks.”

“You don’t have a say in it.” He tossed the bag onto the bed.

I discreetly shoved the journal under the pillow before crawling toward the bag and opening it. Inside was a brunette wig.