Secrets In The Mansion

The sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows was blinding, too cheerful for Evelyn’s mood.

She sat up in bed, her silk robe slipping slightly off her shoulder. The sheets beside her were cold, but the faint indent where Alexander had lain was still visible. He slept here? She wondered.

She pressed her lips together, unsure whether the thought comforted or unsettled her. Last night’s memory crept back in, the warmth of his body sliding into bed, his voice low and dark in her ear.

“You’re mine. And tonight, I’m claiming what’s mine”. She remembered his words.

But he hadn’t claimed her. Not fully. Not yet.

Evelyn snapped back to reality. She padded across the suite barefoot, the marble floor cool beneath her toes. Her fingers skimmed over the polished dresser, the vanity cluttered with expensive colognes and cufflinks, and the glass doors leading out to a private balcony.

The house felt like a palace and a prison at the same time. She tied her robe tighter and slipped into the hallway.

The Kane mansion was suffocating in its grandeur. Gilded mirrors reflected her pale face as she wandered past oil paintings and crystal chandeliers. The quiet was heavy, broken only by the occasional clink of distant silverware or a faint voice in another room.

At the end of one corridor, she paused. A heavy oak door stood out from the rest not because of its design, but because of the gleaming brass lock on it.

It wasn’t locked. Not fully. The door sat slightly ajar, as if inviting her in. Evelyn hesitated.

“Mrs. Kane.” She startled, her hand flying to her chest.

Mrs. Alvarez, the housekeeper, was watching her from several feet away, her expression polite but cold. “That room is off-limits,” she said crisply.

“Why?” Evelyn asked, raising her chin. “Because Mr. Kane said so.”

Evelyn arched a brow. “And do you always obey his orders without question?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She replied immediately.

There wasn’t even a flicker of doubt in the woman’s tone.

The tension between them stretched until Mrs. Alvarez finally added, “You’d do well to remember whose house this is.”

Evelyn’s lips curled in a tight smile. “Thank you for the warning.”

And yet, as she walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was behind that door was important. Maybe even dangerous.

Downstairs, she found Alexander at the breakfast table, scrolling through his phone. He didn’t look up when she entered.

“You’re an early riser,” she remarked, sliding into the chair opposite him.

“Business doesn’t wait for newlyweds”, he replied evenly, his dark eyes still on the screen.

“Or maybe you just didn’t want to share a bed with me” She retorted.

That got his attention. He lowered his phone and met her gaze, his mouth curving into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

Do you want me to stay in that bed tonight, Mrs. Kane? Her breath hitched at the way he said it, low, velvety, and laced with challenge.

“I don’t care what you do”, she lied.

He smirked faintly. “Liar.”

The rest of breakfast passed in silence. Evelyn stabbed at her food, aware of his watchful gaze every time she moved.

When he finally excused himself for a conference call, she seized the chance to explore.

She found her way back to the locked door. Her hand hovered over the brass knob. Just one peek.

“Curiosity is a dangerous thing, Mrs. Kane”. Her heart leapt as she spun around. Alexander leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“You’re following me now?” she asked, forcing her voice to sound calm.

“You make it too easy” He said while striding towards her, his polished shoes silent on the marble.

Evelyn’s back hit the door as she stepped away.

“Why is this room locked?” she demanded.

“Because it’s mine”, he said coolly.

“So is every other room in this house, yet this is the only one with a lock” She said rhetorically.

Alexander’s lips curled into a dark smile “You’re bold today”.

“Maybe I’m tired of being treated like a prisoner”. She said in a call but shaky voice.

He leaned in, his face inches from hers, his scent intoxicating and his voice low. “This isn’t a game, Evelyn. There are rules here. Break them, and you won’t like the consequences”.

“Then tell me what’s inside”, she whispered, meeting his gaze defiantly.

His eyes darkened, and for the briefest moment, Evelyn thought she saw something like pain, regret, fear flash across his face. But then before she could blink it was gone.

Alexander reached past her, locked the door with a key from his pocket, and slipped it into his suit jacket.

“Stay out of things that don’t concern you,” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear. Or you might not like what you find. And with that, he walked away in even strides.

Evelyn’s knees nearly buckled as she exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. But as she glanced at the polished glass beside the door, she caught his reflection.

For the first time since they met, Alexander Kane didn’t look powerful or smug. He looked haunted.

Evelyn pressed her palm to the locked door and whispered, “What are you hiding from me, Alexander?”