line in the dark

The night air clung to my skin as I stepped into the mansion, my heels echoing softly against the marble floor. The clock on the wall blinked 11:04 p.m.

Late. But for the first time since my rebirth, I didn’t feel guilty.

The parlor lights were off, yet I sensed him before I saw him. That heavy, suffocating presence cold, dominant, and familiar. My steps slowed.

Then his voice cut through the darkness.

“Where are you coming from?”

William sat on the single couch, his long legs stretched forward, elbows resting on his knees. His face was shadowed, but his silver eyes glinted sharply in the dim light, locked onto me like a predator who had been waiting patiently for its prey.

I stopped walking.

In my past life, my heart would have raced. I would have lowered my head, apologized, explained myself endlessly only to be ignored or misunderstood.

But this was my second life. I met his gaze calmly.

“I went out.”

Silence fell between us, thick and uncomfortable.

“With who?” he asked, his tone deceptively mild.

I almost laughed.

In my previous life, he never cared where I went. Never asked. Never waited up for me. He only noticed me when Selena cried or pointed an accusing finger.

I took off my coat slowly and placed it on the chair. “That’s not your concern,” I replied evenly.

William straightened slightly. “You’re my wife.”

I turned fully to face him now, my eyes cold and unwavering.

“And you are my husband only by name,” I said. “We agreed on boundaries.”

His brows furrowed, clearly not expecting resistance. I walked past him, heading toward the staircase, but his voice stopped me again.

“You come home smelling like alcohol, in the middle of the night, and you think I won’t ask questions?”

I paused, one hand resting on the banister.

“I met my childhood friend, Damian” I said without turning back. “Someone who knew me before I became a pawn in this family’s games.”

That caught his attention.

“You drank with a man?” His voice sharpened.

I finally looked at him then, truly looked at him, and smiled a calm, fearless smile.

“William Miller,” I said slowly, “you don’t interfere in my business, and I don’t interfere in yours.”

The words stunned him. In the dim light, I saw his jaw tighten.

“I don’t recall giving you permission—”

“I don’t need your permission,” I interrupted.

The parlor went dead silent.

I could feel it the shift in power, subtle but undeniable. In my past life, I had been obedient, quiet, desperate for his affection. Now, I stood tall, unafraid of his authority or his coldness.

“You sit here questioning me,” I continued, “yet you leave the house every night without explanation. You believe lies without proof. You choose my stepsister over me at every turn.”

His eyes darkened.

“So don’t start acting like a concerned husband now.”

For a moment, I thought he would lash out. His aura flared, the Alpha in him pressing forward instinctively. But I didn’t flinch.

Instead, something else flickered across his face.

Confusion. “You’ve changed,” he said quietly. “Yes,” I replied. “I have.”

I climbed the stairs, each step steady, my back straight. I didn’t rush. I didn’t look back.

Behind me, William remained seated in the darkness, his eyes following me until I disappeared down the hallway.

Inside my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, finally allowing myself to breathe.

My heart pounded not from fear, but from exhilaration.

This time, I would not beg for love.

This time, I would not die at the bottom of the stairs, abandoned and forgotten.

I walked to the mirror and stared at my reflection the same face, the same body, but a different soul.

“Not this time,” I whispered.

From now on, they would play by my rules.

And William Miller?