17- The Boundaries of the Estate

Two weeks had passed since Elena had moved into the east wing of Kaysen’s estate.

She still hadn’t grown entirely accustomed to the place, although the wing was spacious enough to serve as an independent home. It had a large bedroom, a private sitting room, a small study overlooking the back garden, and even a side entrance that allowed her to reach the garden without passing through the rest of the estate.

Yet she didn’t feel the sense of independence that all that space suggested.

The guards stationed at the entrances, the cameras monitoring the corridors, and the gates that wouldn’t open until every visitor’s identity had been verified constantly reminded her why she was there.

The danger she’d been exposed to hadn’t disappeared, and Kaysen had given her no option to return to her own home until he was certain the situation was safe.

At first, she’d assumed her stay would last only a few days. But she was beginning to realize that he didn’t treat her as a guest who would be leaving anytime soon.

He’d arranged everything she might need, even the little things she hadn’t asked for.

And that was precisely what unsettled her.

⸻

That evening, Elena was sitting in the private sitting room of her suite, turning the pages of a book she’d chosen from the estate’s library.

A light knock sounded at the door before Eleanor, the housekeeper, entered with her usual gentle smile.

“Would you like to have dinner in the main dining room tonight?”

Elena looked up from her book.

“Is Mr. Vance there?”

“Yes. He asked me to let you know that dinner will be served at eight.”

She glanced at the clock.

“Then we have half an hour.”

Eleanor smiled.

“I can have dinner sent up if you’d prefer to stay here.”

Elena hesitated briefly before closing her book.

“That’s all right. I’ll come downstairs.”

She didn’t want her stay in the east wing to turn into complete isolation. Besides, she was beginning to grow tired of eating alone.

⸻

When she reached the main dining room, Kaysen was seated at the table, reviewing some papers beside his plate.

He looked up when she entered, then set his pen aside.

“Good evening.”

“Good evening, Mr. Vance.”

She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

She was wearing a dark blue house dress, her hair loosely tied back. She looked more relaxed than she usually did during business meetings, something Kaysen noticed before returning his attention to his plate.

Dinner began quietly.

He asked about her day, and she told him she’d finished the book she’d found in the library and was thinking about choosing another.

“You can take whatever you like from the library.”

She smiled.

“I noticed that. But I didn’t know I was allowed to move the books to my wing.”

“I didn’t put the estate library there for decoration.”

She laughed softly.

“I’ll try not to take advantage of your excessive generosity.”

He looked at her over the rim of his glass.

“I don’t recall complaining about it.”

Their eyes met for a moment before Elena returned her attention to the food in front of her.

The conversation was simple, far removed from work, files, and debts. Yet she found herself enjoying it more than she’d expected.

Until Kaysen’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen before answering curtly.

“Yes?”

He listened for a few moments, and his expression shifted slightly.

“Since when?”

A brief silence followed.

“Don’t let anyone in until you’ve verified the situation.”

He ended the call and placed the phone beside his plate.

Elena noticed the change in his expression.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

She wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t press him.

A few moments later, one of the guards entered the dining room. He inclined his head slightly before speaking to Kaysen in a low voice.

Kaysen listened, then gave a small nod.

“Handle it.”

The guard left.

Elena looked at him.

“Does it have something to do with what happened before?”

He placed his napkin beside his plate.

“Just a precaution.”

He clearly didn’t want to explain the details at the table, but his tone told her that whatever had happened wasn’t entirely ordinary.

⸻

After dinner, Elena returned to her suite, but she couldn’t concentrate on her book.

The estate was unusually quiet, and there was less movement in the corridors than usual.

She stepped out onto the small balcony adjoining the sitting room. The air was cold, and the garden lay beneath the darkness, illuminated only by the lights lining the stone pathway.

She stood there for a while before hearing the door open behind her.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who had entered.

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?”

Kaysen stood by the doorway, his jacket removed.

“Because nothing happened.”

“I heard the guard speaking to you.”

He approached until he was standing beside her, his gaze directed toward the garden.

“Someone arrived at the gate and asked to see you.”

She turned toward him sharply.

“Who?”

“He didn’t provide a reliable name, and he had no appointment.”

A slight knot formed in her stomach.

“Did he know I was here?”

Kaysen looked at her.

“That’s what we’re trying to establish.”

She was silent for a moment before asking,

“Did he leave?”

“Yes.”

She turned back toward the garden, trying to hide the unease that had appeared on her face.

Kaysen noticed, but didn’t comment. He simply removed his watch and placed it on the nearby table.

“The guards are handling it. You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

“It’s difficult not to when it concerns me.”

He didn’t argue.

Instead, he approached the table, picked up the glass of water she’d left there, and handed it to her.

She took it, their fingers brushing briefly.

This time, she didn’t pull her hand away immediately, and he made no attempt to prolong the contact. He simply watched her until she’d taken a sip, then stepped away toward the door.

“Good night, Elena.”

She raised her eyes to him.

“Good night, Mr. Vance.”

He paused at the doorway, as though remembering something.

“By the way, you’ll find some new books in your library tomorrow.”

She smiled in surprise.

“How did you know what I wanted to read?”

“I didn’t. I ordered a variety.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Perhaps you’ll find something you like among them.”

Then he left, closing the door behind him.

⸻

The following morning, Elena found a large box sitting on the table in her sitting room.

It was filled with books, some novels and others about art and history.

She sat on the floor beside the box and began examining the titles with a smile.

But she stopped when she found a book at the very bottom that she’d searched for months earlier and hadn’t been able to find in any nearby bookstore.

She turned it over in her hands, then looked toward the open doorway leading to the corridor.

She hadn’t told him she wanted it.

In fact, she couldn’t even remember mentioning its title in front of him.

She looked at the cover again, then slowly closed the box.

Kaysen knew more about her than she’d expected.

Perhaps more than he should.

And for the first time, the question occupying her mind wasn’t why he insisted on keeping her in his estate.

It was how he’d managed to make this place feel as though it had been prepared for her long before she’d ever set foot inside it.