One Wild Night

As Tyler navigated the winding driveway leading to Henry Rosewood's residence he thought about dinner with Henry – a prospect that would have thrilled him a week ago, but now felt heavy with a looming sense of dread.

He thought about Sonia's request. He'd never recorded a conversation without someone's knowledge, and the act felt like a betrayal, a violation of trust. Yet, the potential benefits of having proof of Henry's intentions, if any, were undeniable.

He pulled up to the imposing front door, its polished brass glinting in the evening sun. With a deep breath, he made his decision. Reaching for his phone, he tapped the screen, activating flight mode to ensure no interruptions, then hit record.

Tyler shrugged off the pang of guilt that gnawed at him when he thought about Mia and how doing this might help them save her from Henry.

The silence that followed seemed to amplify the pounding in his chest. He slipped the phone into his work bag, ensuring it wouldn't be visible during the evening.

Emerging from the car, he straightened his tie and composed his face, a mask of practiced charm. Before he could knock, the grand door swung open silently, revealing a vision in crimson. Diana stood there, dressed in a with a practiced smile.

"Dr Tyler? Mr. Rosewood is expecting you. Please, come in," Diana said with a polite smile.

Tyler nodded curtly, stepping inside the cool, marbled entrance hall. The air held a faint scent of polished wood and expensive cigars. Following Diana's silent lead, he walked down a hallway lined with priceless paintings, their subjects gazing down at him with an unsettling intensity.

As he followed her, he couldn't help but wonder who she was. Was she Henry's sibling? He shook his head. She wouldn't refer to him so formally if she were his sibling.

Yet, she was dressed too beautifully to be mistaken for a domestic staff. Perhaps she was Mia's sister or friend? Tyler reasoned.

Finally, they arrived at a large, mahogany-paneled living room. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the opulent furnishings. And there, seated in a plush armchair, was Henry Rosewood himself.

Henry's face broke into a smile as Tyler entered. His eyes, held a hint of amusement, as if he could see right through Tyler's carefully constructed facade.

If Tyler had not known Lucy and Sonia all his life, he would have thought that Mia was the liar and they were all wrongfully accusing such a fine gentleman of being a monster. But he knew Lucy and Sonia, and he trusted them.

That meant Henry was a one of a kind type of Monster seeing how normal and dare he say, friendly, he looked.

"Dr Tyler! I'm so glad you could make it," Henry boomed, his voice surprisingly jovial for a man of such imposing status. "Come in, come in. Please, have a seat." He gestured towards a plush sofa opposite him.

"Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry I didn't come with a wine. I wasn't sure I could afford a wine of your taste," Tyler said politely as he sank into the cushions, his back ramrod straight as he placed his bag on his thigh.

He offered a smile, attempting to match Henry's warmth, but it felt forced, hollow. And the recorder, hidden in his bag, felt like a ticking time bomb, a constant reminder of the deception playing out.

"Never mind about that. I've been both curious and eager to meet the man who helped me find a wife whom I didn't realize was merely missing and not dead. I'm sure you are aware that I have brought her back home now, yes?" Henry asked and Tyler nodded.

"I saw the news. Congratulations on your reunion with your wife," Tyler said with a polite smile.

"It is thanks to you. I never really thought of looking," Henry said, since that was indeed the truth. He never would have imagined that Mia had what it took to run away from him.

"I'm a man who believes very much in rewarding people when they do something to please me, and I do not hesitate to punish them when they displease me. An act like yours should be rewarded," Henry said and Tyler's smile faltered.

"I really didn't do anything to be rewarded for. I thought she looked a lot like her and I told Dr Evans so," Tyler said and Henry waved it off.

"There is no need for the modesty. I'm curious. What exactly happened? How did you meet her? And did you say anything to her? Did she say anything to you?" Henry asked, wanting to know how much Tyler knew.

Tyler paused, not sure what to say or what to keep to himself since he wasn't sure what Mia might have told him.

Not wanting to sound like he was very close to Lucy and the others so that Henry wouldn't suspect anything, he shrugged, "I accompanied a friend of mine to visit his sister, and I saw her. I thought she looked familiar and I said so, but she said she had never met me before, which was true, so I didn't push. I decided to talk to Dr Evans about it since I recalled he mentioned something about not finding her corpse in the accident," Tyler responded, and before Henry could say another word, Mia walked in, escorted by Diana.

Seeing Tyler, Mia's steps faltered. What was he doing there? Did Sonia and the others send him? Or was he here on Henry's invitation? She mused.

"I see you're here, honey. Meet our guest, Dr Tyler. I trust you've met him before. Dr Tyler, my wife, Vanessa Rosewood," Henry said, reaching out a hand to Mia to come to him.

Hearing Henry, Mia snapped out of her thoughts as she realized that Tyler was one of the guests Diana had mentioned was coming over for dinner. Knowing Henry, he probably wanted to reward Tyler and make him one of his people. It was just like Henry to do something like that, Mia thought as she took the hand Henry offered, and met Tyler's gaze.

"You're welcome to our home, Dr Tyler. I must thank you for the role you played in helping my husband and I find each other again," Mia said with a stiff smile as she sat beside Henry looking every bit like the the trophy wife Henry expected her to be.

Looking at her, Tyler could see how completely different this Vanessa Rosewood seemed from Mia despite the obvious physical resemblance.

Mia had seemed like a pretty ordinary lady, living a pretty ordinary life, but there was nothing ordinary about Vanessa. Not in her outfit or makeup or the manner with which she spoke and carried herself. She seemed like a different person now.

Realizing that he was yet to respond to what she had said, Tyler gave her a polite nod, "I'm glad I could help. I can't imagine how terrible it would have been had I decided to ignore my instincts. It must have been tough for you both being apart because of circumstances beyond your control," Tyler said and Henry turned to Mia with a loving gazer.

"Dinner has been served," Diana announced as she joined them, and Tyler looked at her, once again wondering who she was, especially when she exchanged a look with Henry.

"Let's move to the dining," Henry suggested as he rose, and they all headed to the dining.

Henry sat at the head of the table, while Mia sat at his left side, and Tyler at his right side.

Tyler resisted the urge to raise a brow when Diana also took the sit beside Mia. Seeing the curious look on his face, Mia reasoned that he was probably trying to figure out what was going on in the house so he could relay it to the others.

She was pretty sure that if Henry had invited Tyler over, Tyler would most likely have told Sonia or any of the others about the invitation. This was probably the best and easiest way to let them know about the changes and what was happening in the house.

"Dr Tyler, have you been introduced to Diana yet?" Mia asked, and Tyler watched as Diana exchanged a look with Henry.

"No, I haven't. I assumed she was your sister," Tyler said even though he no longer thought so.

Ignoring the warning look that Henry shot her, Mia turned to look at Diana, "My sister? Why would you think that? Do we look alike?" Mia asked and Tyler merely shrugged.

"Well, this is Diana Locke. My darling husband was so worried about my mental health that he employed her as my aide. She goes everywhere with me and monitors all that I do. I can't even sneeze or go to the bathroom without her watching me, can you believe it? She is in charge of everything around here. Even the domestic staff. My darling husband doesn't want me to be stressed out by anything. I'm glad I have her with me, though. So, much has changed here and I'm still trying to find my footing. I can't add telling the kitchen staff what to make for dinner, to my plate right now," Mia said with a short laugh, wanting them to believe she was joking.

Henry and Diana both laughed awkwardly at what they assumed was Mia's joke and Tyler also forced a laugh, "You should let our guest enjoy his meal, darling," Henry cautioned.

"Right. I should. I'm sorry for blabbering. I must be having a manic episode," Mia said with a self deprecating smile and returned her attention to her meal.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance Ms Locke," Tyler said politely and Diana smiled.

"Diana is just fine," Diana said with a nod.

For the rest of dinner, Mia listened as Henry conversed with Tyler, trying to get to know him. She really hoped that Tyler got her message and would relate it to Sonia and the others. Once she was done with dinner, Mia excused herself, claiming she was having a headache after a busy day of playing golf and needed to rest, and Diana followed her.

Alone with Tyler now, Henry looked at him. "Tell me, how would you like me to reward you? Shall I invest in your clinic?" He asked, now that he had confirmed that Tyler seemed to believe the memory loss story and didn't seem to know anything about the fact that his wife had run away and

"If you insist on rewarding me, why don't I think about something I want and get back to you?" Tyler asked, and Henry smiled.

"I like you," he said with a short laugh, "A man that doesn't make hasty decisions is a wise man. Now I'm convinced that I want to work with you," Henry said and his words sent a shiver down Tyler's spine.

"I appreciate the thought, Mr. Rosewood," he replied cautiously. "But I'm curious, what kind of work?"

Henry's smile widened, revealing a glint in his pale eyes. "That, is something best discussed over a good glass of wine. Shall we?"

He gestured towards a decanter on a nearby table, the amber liquid within shimmering in the firelight. Tyler hesitated, his stomach churning with a mix of apprehension and anticipation. This dinner, he realized, was about to take a turn he hadn't quite anticipated.

As they both returned to the living room with their wineglasses in hand, Tyler looked at Henry with interest as he waited to hear what the man had to offer him.

"As you must know, Dr Evans is retiring soon and plans to move away from here. I will like you to be my doctor," he said and Tyler shook his head.

"I'm not sure you are aware that I'm more of a cosmetic surgeon…"

"I am aware. And your service in that field will do just fine. You see, me and my wife we like to get a little rough when we make love. Some times it leaves marks. I'd like you to take care of those marks and keep it all to yourself. Whatever happens within the Rosewood family stays within the Rosewood family. You also can't ask her questions about it. It embarrasses her to admit that she is so wild. You know what I mean?" Henry asked with a grin.

"I understand," Tyler said with a nod.

"So? Will you accept my offer?" Henry asked and Tyler gave him a nod.

"Of course. It will be a honor to be your family doctor," Tyler said with a polite smile and Henry laughed happily.