Jason chuckled, all pleased, "I knew it. You're a true gentleman of great generosity." "Skip the flattery. Give me the number." "Two hundred thousand dollars. Fifty percent deposit upfront." Zane felt another throb in his temple. "Two hundred thousand? You have quite the nerve. It's just a hypnosis session. Any experienced hypnotist could do it." "No, no, no. That is not a job for just anyone. Only I am familiar with the drug's specific reactions and know the precise timing for initiating the trance." Zane thought of the single vial of drug in the safe. There was only one, and he had no way to obtain more. If the hypnosis timing was off—too early or too late—the entire effect could be ruined. He ground his teeth. Money can be earned again. But if Darcy's memory isn't perfectly reset to when we were in love, all of this will have been for nothing. The risk I've taken will mean nothing. After a tense silence, Zane replied, "Fine. The deposit will be in your account tonight. The remainder will be paid in cash upon completion." "Oh, Mr. Vance, I always said you were a true gentleman. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Goodnight." Zane hung up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Once that was over, he'd have no further need for the man. Whether the man got the rest of his money would depend entirely on his mood. Hell, he might even find a way to get the deposit back. He returned to the living room to find Darcy still there, her plate of pasta empty. He was pleased. She's accepting the situation. He gave the maid a look. "Go get your dinner. Afterwards, attend to Miss Gale upstairs." Then he turned to Darcy, his voice softening. "Darcy, your body is still recovering. You should go upstairs and get some rest." Darcy's internal alarms blared. She shot him a wary glance. Zane smiled, "I won't touch you. Don't be afraid." Just one night. I can wait. Darcy stood and went back up to the bedroom. Zane didn't follow, and she let out a silent sigh of relief. Before bed, she needed to use the bathroom. Opening the door, she found the maid still at her post. "Do you people never sleep?" Darcy asked, gesturing to the maid and the guards downstairs. The maid stifled a yawn and shook her head. "Oh, no. Mr. Vance said I can only go to sleep after you've fallen asleep. As for the guards, they work in rotating shifts through the night." Darcy nodded, said nothing more, and went into the bathroom.As she had done earlier, she locked the door. With the water running to mask the noise, she tried again to force the window open. This time, however, she had a small wrench in her hand—the one she'd spotted by the first-floor window during dinner and had secretly slipped into her clothing. It took considerable effort, but finally, the window gave a little, becoming slightly loose. But it was taking too long. The maid outside knocked on the door. "Miss? Are you alright?" Darcy thought quickly. If she attracted Zane's attention now, it would ruin everything. She steadied her breathing, washed her hands, and opened the door. "All done." Back in the bedroom, as the maid moved to lock the door, Darcy frowned. "What if I need the bathroom in the middle of the night?" The maid blinked. "You can wake me. I'll be right next door." Darcy's voice was gentle, persuasive. "That's rough. You're finally sleeping, and I yell to wake you? Kinda cruel. And this room's big and echoey. If I wake you, I'm waking the whole house. I'd feel guilty." Gently, she coaxed, "Why don't you just give me the key? If I need the bathroom, I'll unlock it myself. I'll be quiet. I promise Mr. Vance won't notice. How about it?" The maid hesitated. "I don't know..." "You haven't had a good night's sleep in ages, right? Look at those dark circles under your eyes. Long-term sleep loss spikes sudden-death odds to, like, eighty percent." Darcy added fuel to the fire, her tone grave. "You're about to get a big payday. You wouldn't want to risk not living to enjoy it, would you?" The "eighty percent" statistic was pure fabrication, of course. She was bluffing, betting on the maid's likely lack of education. It worked. The maid's hand flew to her cheek. "Oh my god, that's terrifying! Lack of sleep can cause that?" She glanced nervously down the hall. There were guards at the front door downstairs and at the main gate outside. What could possibly go wrong? Darcy was so slender; even if she grew wings, she couldn't escape. Reassured, the maid furtively slipped the key into Darcy's hand and pleaded, "Please don't tell Mr. Vance. He'll fire me on the spot. My family's poor—they rely on me." Darcy gave her a reassuring smile and put a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. This is our little secret. I won't tell a soul." Finally satisfied, the maid left. Sometime in the dead of night, long past midnight, the villa was utterly silent, all lights extinguished. Darcy rose from the bed, moving with infinite care. She unlocked the chain, opened the door without a sound, and began to creep toward the bathroom.