Chapter 2

My grandfather had fallen asleep, and his eyes had closed forever.

A massive heart attack, they explained to me afterward, one that apparently hadn't caused him much pain. However, for a ten-year-old girl, finding the only person she had left in the world and discovering she couldn't wake him was as confusing as it was terrifying.

I remember calling his name several times, softly at first and then shaking him desperately, until I finally ran toward the mansion's kitchen in search of help.

Maggie, the head cook, was placing a pot of water on the stove when I rushed in.

"Maggie!"

"There you are, little tadpole!" she greeted me with her usual affection as she picked up a plate to serve me breakfast. "You're running late for breakfast, and you still have to get to school."

"It's just that Grandpa won't wake up. He's still sleeping, and no matter how many times I call him, he won't answer me."

I remember Maggie dropping the plate she was holding and watching it shatter against the floor, but everything that happened afterward became a blur, leaving me with only a few scattered memories.

Christopher's hand holding mine, an umbrella above our heads, and the scent of wet earth mingling with the fragrance of the white flowers surrounding my grandfather's coffin.

After the funeral, my future became shrouded in uncertainty, something I was still too young to fully comprehend.

The Morgans had managed to locate a distant aunt who was willing to take me in, although she lived too far away for me to continue the life I had always known. That was when Mr. and Mrs. Morgan reached an agreement with her, without my having any knowledge of what they were negotiating.

They would provide me with housing, food, clothing, education, and everything else necessary for my upbringing, in addition to paying my aunt a monthly allowance in exchange for her agreeing to let me remain in their care. They would also continue making deposits into the bank account my grandfather had opened in my name.

My aunt, of course, accepted those conditions, and that was how my peculiar job as Christopher Morgan's human pillow officially began.

I was moved into a bedroom in the mansion, although it was quite far from the main bedrooms, since the small cottage where I had lived with my grandfather needed to be made available to the chauffeur who would replace him.

The rules accompanying this change were very clear. I wasn't allowed to wander freely around the mansion or enter Christopher's bedroom on my own initiative; he had to come and get me or call for me whenever he needed my company. I was also forbidden from participating in family gatherings, dinners, or parties held on the estate because, despite the unusual circumstances of my situation, I was considered a member of the household staff.

My relationship with Christopher had to remain strictly professional, which meant we could no longer spend our afternoons playing together or sharing activities during the day. Our time together was reserved for the nights, when we could read a book before falling asleep.

We lived in two completely separate worlds that somehow met when night fell.

And that was how the next eight years passed.

I continued attending school and earning excellent grades, although when I began my final year of high school, certain questions about my future arose that I had never before considered.

My teachers wanted to know what I was interested in studying and which universities I planned to apply to, but I had no answers to any of their questions. My situation was quite different from that of my classmates because while they could imagine themselves studying in another city or living in a college dormitory, I had a job that required me to be there every single night.

After thinking about it for several days, I decided to ask Christopher directly.

That night, I had already settled beneath the sheets and was waiting for him to finish getting ready for bed. When he finally lay down beside me, I lifted my head slightly to look at him.

"Christopher, what's going to happen to me when I finish high school?"

"What do you mean?" he asked as he adjusted himself on his pillow.

"Will I be able to keep studying?"

Christopher turned his head toward me, surprised by the question.

"Would you like to continue your education?"

"I hadn't really thought much about it until my teachers started asking what I wanted to do after graduation. I'd like to go to college, but I don't know if that's actually an option for me."

"Of course it is, Mia. You can attend the same university I went to. It's pretty close to home. If that's what you want, I can talk to my parents about it tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Of course. I don't see why you should have to stop studying."

"Thank you," I replied with a smile, feeling as though a worry that had been weighing on me for weeks was finally beginning to disappear.

Yes, I wanted to continue my education. I wanted to earn a university degree, find a job during the day, and build something that belonged entirely to me. After all, I couldn't spend my entire life working as a human pillow, could I?

"Do you want to read for a while, or would you rather sleep?" Christopher asked when I settled back down.

"I think I'd rather sleep. We can save the book for tomorrow."

"All right."

He turned off the light and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest in that familiar way that, after so many years, had become a natural part of our nights.

The following morning, he spoke to his parents, and to my relief, the Morgans agreed that I should continue studying. They gave me permission to apply to the university Christopher had mentioned, although I also decided to follow my teachers' advice and submit applications to other institutions.

Given my grades, I had a chance to earn a scholarship, and I didn't want to waste that opportunity.

I had decided to study Systems Engineering, and once I received the Morgans' approval, my possibilities began to seem far greater than I had ever imagined.

Over the following months, I focused on my classes, college applications, and school assignments, doing my best to maintain my excellent grades while waiting for nightfall to fulfill the duties of my rather unusual job.

Much of my final year of high school passed that way, until a party Christopher hosted reminded me just how complicated our situation had become.

That evening, he had invited several friends over, and the mansion filled with music, conversations, and laughter that continued well into the early hours of the morning.

Among the guests was Serena, a young woman who seemed to devote considerable time to ensuring every detail of her appearance was perfect. Her hair fell in carefully styled waves, her makeup was flawless, and she wore a practiced smile that she knew exactly how to use to attract attention.

I wasn't there when she approached Christopher, but I later found out what had happened.

"What do you say we sneak away and spend the night together?" she suggested in a voice as sweet as it was seductive.

Christopher smiled at her boldness.

"We can sneak away for a while, but I'm not sure we can spend the entire night together."

"Your parents aren't home tonight, and you don't have any plans tomorrow. We can sleep together without anyone bothering us."

Christopher eventually accepted her proposal, and shortly afterward, I received a message from him letting me know that I wouldn't need to come to his bedroom that night.

It wasn't the first time something like that had happened, so I didn't think much of it.

Instead of putting on one of the pajamas I usually wore when I slept beside him, I chose something much lighter: a tank top and a pair of shorts. My bedroom was considerably warmer than his, and since I wouldn't have to worry about the air conditioning Christopher insisted on keeping at absurdly low temperatures, I could sleep without so many blankets.

I climbed into bed with a book in my hands, intending to enjoy the peace and quiet of the night, although it didn't take me long to realize that I was more tired than I had thought.

Outside, the party continued, and every now and then, muffled laughter drifted into my bedroom from somewhere in the distance. However, that wasn't my world, and it never had been, so I preferred to close my eyes and retreat into one of those universes that existed only in my imagination.

It must have been around four in the morning when I felt my bedroom door open.

I was still half asleep when the mattress dipped slightly, and someone lifted the covers to slip into bed beside me. I didn't need to open my eyes to recognize him because, the moment an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me against a familiar body, I caught the scent of the soap he had been using for years.

"Christopher?" I murmured sleepily.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep, Mia."

He settled me against his chest, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around him, tangling one of my legs with his before drifting back to sleep almost immediately.