ログインI marched to her room and pushed the door open. She was sitting in her chair, reading a book. She looked up, her face pale."Where did he go?" I demanded."I don't know," she said. Her voice was steady, but I could see her hands shaking."Don't lie to me, old woman! You were talking to him this morning. He tells you everything.""He just needed some air, Valentina. You have made this house impossible to live in. He went to work at the ports.""The ports? In this weather?" I laughed. "He’s hiding from me. He thinks he can just run away and I’ll stay here like a good little girl."I turned to the doorway. Mrs. Gable and two other maids were standing there, watching."What are you looking at?" I shouted at them. "Get back to work! Clean the windows! Scrub the floors! If I see one speck of dust when I come back down, you’re all fired!"They scrambled away like frightened mice. I turned back to Evelyn."You think you’ve won something, don't you?" I hissed. "You think he’s going to come bac
Lucas’s POVThe mansion felt like it was shrinking. Every wall was covered in gold, every floor was made of the finest marble, but I felt like a prisoner in a very expensive cage. For the last week, I had barely spoken to Valentina. We lived in the same house, but we were like two ghosts passing each other in the dark.I stayed in my study most of the time. I didn't want to see her eyes, which were always full of greed. I didn't want to hear her voice, which was always complaining. But most of all, I didn't want to see the way she treated my mother.My mother, Evelyn, was a shadow of the woman she used to be. She used to walk with her head high. She used to be the one who gave orders to everyone. But now, she looked small. Valentina had taken over everything. She changed the menus, she changed the flowers, and she even changed the way the maids dressed.One morning, I was walking past the kitchen when I heard a loud crash."I told you to clean the silver properly!"It was Valentina. I
I sat back down in my chair. I felt like I was in a cage. A golden, expensive cage, but a cage nonetheless. I thought about my mother, crying at the table. I thought about Charlotte, who hadn't called me in weeks. I had lost everyone I loved because I wanted to be "the leader."I opened the bottom drawer of my desk. I pulled out a small, old sketchbook. I had taken it from Naomi’s room a long time ago. I opened it to a page where she had drawn a picture of a man sitting on a bench. It was me.In the drawing, I looked happy. I looked peaceful."I'm sorry, Naomi," I whispered to the paper. "I'm so sorry."I didn't go to the gala. I stayed in my study and drank whiskey until the world became blurry. I dreamt of a small blue house and the smell of green apples. But when I woke up, I was still in the mansion, and the sun was rising on another day of silence and screams.Valentina’s POVThe gala was perfect. Everyone told me I looked like a princess. I drank the best champagne and laughed w
Naomi’s POVIn the mountains, the world was simple and sweet.Leo was now five months old. He was a happy baby. He didn't cry much, and when he did, it was usually because he was hungry or wanted to be held. He had the biggest, darkest eyes I had ever seen. Every time I looked at him, I saw a memory of Lucas, but it didn't hurt anymore."He’s trying to sit up, Naomi! Look!" Martha called out from the living room.I ran from the kitchen, wiping my hands on my apron. Leo was on a soft blanket on the floor. He was wiggling his little legs, his face red with effort. He pushed himself up with his tiny arms, stayed steady for three seconds, and then flopped back down with a happy "Goo!"We all laughed. Martha, Clara, and I were like a little family. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had enough. I had started drawing again, not for Lucas, but for the village. I drew the local children and the farm animals. The people in the village liked me. They didn't know my real name. They called me
Lucas’s POVThe sun was shining through the windows of the Ashford mansion, but inside, the air felt like a storm was coming.It had been exactly one year and one month since the wedding. My life had become a circle of gray days. I woke up, I went to the office, I signed papers, and I came home to a house that felt like a battlefield. I was trying to be a good husband. I bought Valentina everything she asked for. I took her to every party. But no matter how much gold I gave her, she was never happy.And now, there was a new problem. A silent problem that was growing louder every day.I walked into the dining room for breakfast. My mother, Evelyn, was already there. She was sitting at the head of the table, her face tight and worried. Valentina sat opposite her, picking at a piece of dry toast. She looked bored and angry."Lucas, sit down," my mother said. Her voice was sharp."Good morning, Mother," I said, taking my seat.The room was quiet for a few minutes. The only sound was the c
Naomi’s POVThe labor came in the middle of a rainy night.The rain was drumming on the stone roof of the cottage. It was a loud, soothing sound. But inside, I was in pain. It wasn't the sharp, scary pain of the hospital in Lyon. It was a strong, steady pain. It was the pain of a new life trying to arrive."Breathe, Naomi," Martha said. She was sitting by my bed, holding my hand. Clara was in the kitchen, boiling water and getting clean cloths ready."It hurts," I whispered."I know, dear. But you are strong. You are a mountain girl now," Martha smiled.I closed my eyes. I didn't think about the pain. I thought about the little boy I had been waiting for. I thought about the first time I would see his face.The hours passed slowly. The sun began to rise over the mountains, turning the sky a soft pink and orange. The rain stopped, leaving the world smelling fresh and clean.And then, with one final push, the room was filled with a new sound.A cry.It was a loud, healthy cry that echoe
Naomi’s POVThe sky was still a bruised purple when my eyes snapped open. I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the man in the brown jacket. I saw Lucas’s cold, dark eyes. I saw the golden cage of the mansion waiting to swallow me whole.I knew I couldn't stay. Not another hour. Not an
The head maid, Maria, stood in the corner with her mouth open. She looked like she had seen a ghost. The maids always hated Valentina. She used to treat them like dirt. But now, they looked confused."You're peeling potatoes?" I asked again."I’ve realized a lot of things while Lucas was in the ho
The helicopter landed with a heavy thud. The doors slid open, and a team of medics in bright orange suits jumped out. They were pushing a stretcher."Lucas!" I screamed, trying to run forward.A security guard held me back. "Stay back, Mrs. Ashford! They need space!"I saw him. For a brief second,
Naomi’s POVThe van ride felt like it lasted forever. My back ached, and my head felt heavy, but I didn't dare sleep for long. Every time the driver pulled over at a rest stop, I pulled my hood lower and looked out the window with a pounding heart. I saw families eating ice cream and truckers drink







