Chapter 4

“Unexpected Bond”

Chloe was a mystery I wasn’t sure I could solve.

I woke to the soft sunlight streaming through the curtains, golden and warm, but it did little to calm my nerves. Today felt… important. Somehow, I knew I needed to prove I could handle her — not just her lessons or meals, but the fragile trust she cautiously offered.

I found her in the playroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her stuffed rabbit. She didn’t look up when I entered, absorbed in her own little world.

“Morning, Chloe,” I said softly, kneeling down beside her.

She glanced up briefly, then returned her attention to the rabbit. “Morning,” she mumbled.

I bit my lip, deciding to try a small experiment. “Do you want to help me arrange these blocks? Maybe we can build a castle?”

She tilted her head, skeptical. “I don’t know if I like castles.”

I forced a smile. “Then we’ll build a garden instead. A secret garden.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “A secret garden?”

I nodded. “But only you and I can know about it. No one else.”

Her fingers paused mid-block. “Okay,” she whispered.

It wasn’t easy. Chloe was clever, stubborn, and delightfully unpredictable. She knocked over towers, hid pieces under the couch, and even tried to rearrange the blocks into what looked like some sort of trap.

I laughed quietly, trying to mask my frustration. “Well, that’s… one way to build a garden,” I said, carefully picking up the scattered blocks.

Her eyes sparkled, and for the first time, I felt like she was seeing me as… a partner, maybe even a friend.

But the moment was interrupted.

“Lila.”

I froze. Cade stood at the doorway, arms crossed, watching silently.

I swallowed. “Yes, sir?”

He stepped inside, scanning the blocks. “Teaching patience, I see.”

I nodded. “Yes… I think she’s learning.”

His gaze flicked to Chloe. “And you?” he asked, sternly.

Chloe shrank slightly. “I’m… trying,” she muttered.

Cade’s expression softened just a fraction — barely noticeable, but it was there. “Good. Keep at it.”

Then he left, and the room felt impossibly empty, like the tension he carried had lingered long after he walked out.

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After breakfast, I decided to try something bold. I would take Chloe outside. The mansion’s gardens were beautiful, but vast. There were winding paths, hidden nooks, and fountains that glittered like stars in the morning sun.

“Do you want to explore?” I asked gently.

She hesitated. “I… I don’t like surprises.”

I knelt beside her again. “We’ll take it slow. I promise, nothing will scare you.”

Her hand found mine, small and warm. And suddenly, the bond I had hoped for felt… possible.

The gardens were magnificent. Birds chirped softly, fountains sparkled, and flowers bloomed in riotous colors. Chloe ran ahead, laughing quietly, and I followed, feeling a rare sense of calm.

“Catch me if you can!” she called, darting toward a marble statue.

I chased after her, breathless, laughing quietly despite myself. I hadn’t felt joy like this in weeks, not since before the wedding disaster.

But of course, nothing in this mansion was simple.

Victor appeared from the side, emerging silently like a shadow. “Miss Monroe.”

I froze, and Chloe stopped mid-run. “Yes?” I asked, heart pounding.

Victor’s eyes swept over the garden. “Stay close. The perimeter has been cleared, but the estate is not as secure as you might think. Keep Chloe in sight at all times.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “I understand.”

He gave me a sharp, appraising look before disappearing into the trees. My chest tightened. Even in play, the mansion was full of hidden dangers I wasn’t yet aware of.

As we wandered further, Chloe stumbled upon a small fountain and peered into its clear water. “Do you think it’s magic?” she asked.

I crouched beside her. “Maybe. But magic only works if you believe in it.”

She looked at me, her eyes wide. “Do you… believe in magic?”

I hesitated, then smiled. “I… I want to.”

Her hand squeezed mine. That simple gesture felt heavier than any contract, bigger than any mansion. For the first time, I realized that my role wasn’t just caretaker or employee — it was someone Chloe could trust, someone who could help her feel safe in a world that often seemed too big and too scary.

Back inside, Chloe finally relaxed, curling up on the couch with me as we read a story. Her small hand rested on mine, her head tilted against my shoulder. I stroked her curls gently, but the sense of peace was shattered by a sudden noise — a whisper, soft, deliberate, coming from the hallway outside the room.

I froze.

Chloe tensed beside me. “Who’s there?” she whispered.

I shook my head, heart racing. “I don’t know… stay here.”

Cautiously, I crept to the door and peeked out. The hallway was empty, but at the far end, I noticed a folded note on the polished floor. My stomach sank.

I picked it up with trembling hands. The handwriting was elegant, familiar — the same as the warning from yesterday:

“Be careful, Lila. Not everyone here wants you to succeed.”

I crumpled it in my hand, heart pounding. Someone was watching. Someone was plotting. And suddenly, this mansion didn’t feel like a home at all — it felt like a trap.

That night, after Chloe fell asleep, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the moonlight streaming through the window. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and terrified. Yet, for the first time, I felt a spark of determination.

I had survived one day. I had earned Chloe’s tentative trust. And I had glimpsed a strength in myself I didn’t know existed.

But the note… the warning… it lingered in my mind, icy and sharp.

Who in this mansion could possibly want me to fail?

I didn’t know yet.

But I intended to find out.

And I intended to survive.