Chapter 4

There was nothing festive about my wedding night at the Valerius estate.

The butler, Albert, was a kind old man. He said to me respectfully, "Madam, your room is the first on the left on the third floor. Please get some rest."

"Thank you, Albert," I said, exhausted.

The day had been a whirlwind, and my mind was a mess.

Walking on the thick, soft carpet, I felt like I was floating.

When I got to the third floor, I pushed open a door, not even noticing I'd gone to the right instead of the left.

I gave the room a quick glance. It was sparse, decorated in a cold black and white. Nothing special.

I didn't think much of it. I quickly washed up, changed into a slip dress, and buried myself in the bed, which smelled faintly of fir trees.

The scent was surprisingly calming, and I fell asleep almost instantly.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I felt something was wrong.

The fir scent in the air grew stronger, accompanied by a heavy, dangerous presence.

I felt a hot, cold gaze locked on me. Then, a cold, rough finger slowly traced my neck.

The finger moved down my collarbone, a sign of deadly danger.

I snapped my eyes open.

In the moonlight, a handsome face was hovering above me.

Caspian was wearing a half-open black shirt, the muscles of his chest faintly visible. He was looking down at me.

"Ah—!" I gasped, instinctively trying to back away, but I was already at the edge of the bed.

"Why are you in my bed?" Caspian's voice was low and raspy, laced with a dangerous edge.

His fingers tightened on my chin. "Alessia, did you forget what I said today? Or… are you that desperate to climb into my bed and secure your position?"

"No! I'm not!" I shook my head frantically, stammering, "The butler said… he said the left, I went to the wrong room! I really did!"

"The wrong room?" He sneered, leaning closer, his warm breath on my face. "What a pathetic excuse."

"I'm not lying! I'll leave right now!"

Desperate to prove myself, I tried to push myself up.

But my foot got tangled in the sheets, and I lost my balance. Instead of escaping, I fell forward, right into Caspian.

We both tumbled onto the soft, massive bed.

Not only did I fall on top of him, but my lips crashed into his.

I stared, wide-eyed. Time seemed to stop.

His lips were cool, but the moment they touched mine, it was like a jolt of electricity shot down my spine.

Caspian's pupils constricted, and the hand on my waist tightened.

I snapped back to reality, terrified. With a strength I didn't know I had, I shoved him away and scrambled off the bed.

I didn't even bother with shoes. I fled barefoot, like a spooked rabbit, back to my own room.

Only after I locked the door did I lean against it, gasping for air, my heart pounding in my chest.

Thinking about that "kiss," I was mortified and terrified.

Oh God, was he going to kill me tomorrow?

The next morning, I woke up in a daze as sunlight streamed into the room.

When I went downstairs, Albert had already prepared a lavish breakfast for me.

"The master left early for family business, Madam," Albert said with a smile.

Hearing Caspian was gone, the tension I'd held all night finally eased.

After last night's disaster, I had no idea how I was going to face him.

After breakfast, I wandered aimlessly through the huge mansion.

As I passed through a dim hallway on the first floor, a half-open door to a side room caught my eye.

I gently pushed it open and saw a grand piano standing silently in the corner.

As if possessed, I walked over and lifted the white sheet covering it.

A perfect black B?sendorfer was revealed. It reminded me of how my mother used to gently teach me on a piano just like this.

A wave of sadness washed over me. I slowly sat down, my fingers trembling as they touched the cool keys.

Dong—

A clear note echoed in the empty room.

I closed my eyes and let my fingers fly across the keys. I started playing the Chopin nocturne my mother had taught me.

The music, at first hesitant, grew fluid and passionate.

I felt like I was back in the days when my mother was alive, back in an afternoon filled with sunshine and music.

Tears streamed down my face, splashing onto the black and white keys.

I was completely lost in my own world until the final note slowly faded.

I slowly opened my eyes, about to wipe my tears, when I felt an undeniable presence behind me.

I whipped my head around.

Caspian had returned at some point.

He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. For the first time, his cold green eyes weren't filled with indifference or mockery. Instead, they held a look I couldn't quite decipher.

I jumped, scrambling to my feet and wringing my hands. "I'm sorry, Mr. Valerius. I didn't mean to touch your things, I just…"

I expected him to yell at me, to punish me, just like my father and stepmother would have.

But Caspian just slowly straightened up and walked toward me.

He looked at my red-rimmed eyes and was silent for a long moment.

"Not bad," he murmured, his voice a low rumble.