CHAPTER 2: BEHIND CLOSE DOORS

“You are here because you serve a purpose. Do not mistake convenience for care.”

Sofia steps across the threshold of the penthouse. The front door closes behind her with a soft click that sounds like a lock engaging. She stands in the entryway holding her suitcase, taking in the space without moving her head.

Daniel walks past her without slowing down. He places his briefcase on a console table and turns to face her. He gestures toward the hallway to his right.

“West suite is yours,” he says. “East suite is mine. The living room, dining area, and kitchen are shared spaces. You may use the gym and the terrace whenever you wish, but if I am there, you should ask before joining me.” Sofia almost roll her eyes.

Sofia sets her suitcase down beside her feet. She looks at the large windows that span the entire wall. She knows that expensive things do not equal safety.

“What are the rules for visitors?” she asks. “Can my father come here? Can I have friends over?”

Daniel shakes his head immediately. “No visitors without my approval. This arrangement works best when people believe we are private. The fewer people who come here, the fewer questions we have to answer.”

“So I am isolated here,” Sofia says. “I am hidden away until you need me to stand beside you for a photo or an event.”

“I did not say hidden,” Daniel says. “I said private. There is a difference. You may leave whenever you wish. You may go to see your father. You may go anywhere you like. But you do not bring anyone here without my permission.”

Sofia nods. She picks up her suitcase again. She does not ask him to help her carry it. She knows he will not offer anyway.

“Which way to the west suite?” she asks.

Daniel points down the hallway on the left. “Last door on the right. There is a key inside the lock. You will find a second key in the drawer of the bedside table. Keep it with you. I will not be opening your door for you.”

“Understood,” Sofia says.

She walks down the hallway. She counts the doors as she passes them. There are three doors on each side before she reaches hers. She wonders what lies behind the other doors. She wonders if one of them belongs to someone else.

She unlocks the door and steps inside. The room is large and furnished. The bed is made. The closet is empty. The bathroom is fully stocked with towels and basic toiletries, but nothing that feels personal.

She opens her suitcase and begins putting her things away. She takes her time.

When she is finished, she sits on the edge of the bed. The mattress is too soft. It does not feel like hers. She looks around the room. It is perfect, but it feels like a hotel room that she will eventually have to check out of.

She hears movement in the hallway. She hears Daniel’s door open and close. She hears his footsteps walk toward the living room.

She hears him speak to someone on the phone. His voice is low, so she cannot make out the words.

She stands up and walks to the door. She does not open it. She presses her ear lightly against the wood. She tries to listen without being obvious.

The conversation does not last long. She hears him say “I will call you later.” Then there is silence. She steps back from the door. She feels foolish for trying to eavesdrop. She tells herself that what he does in his own time is none of her business.

A few minutes later, there is a knock on her door. Daniel stands there holding a small stack of documents. He holds them out to her without stepping inside.

“These are the details for the events next week,” he says. “There are three dinners and one press conference. You need to know who will be there and what will be discussed. I have highlighted the names you should remember.”

Sofia takes the papers. She glances at the top page. “Will you be going with me to all of these?”

“Yes,” he says. “We appear together. We present a united front. That is the whole point of this arrangement.”

“Am I allowed to say anything or do I just stand there and look pretty?” she asks.

Daniel looks at her. His expression does not change. “You may speak when spoken to. You may answer questions about your family or your background. You do not discuss my business. You do not give opinions on deals or strategies. If you do not know what to say, stay quiet and look at me.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Sofia says. “And what do I do if someone asks us about our private life? If they ask why we live in separate suites?”

“People assume things,” he says. “They assume we are busy. They assume we have different schedules. We do not volunteer information. If they ask directly, we say we prefer separate spaces for work. That is acceptable to most people.”

“And if they do not accept that?” Sofia asks.

“Then we handle it together,” Daniel says. “We do not contradict each other. We do not look uncertain. If we look like we are on the same page, people will believe whatever we tell them.”

Sofia nods. She looks down at the papers in her hands. “Is that all?”

“For now,” he says. “Dinner will be served at seven. We eat in the dining room. We do not eat in our suites. It looks better if staff sees us together.”

“Staff?” Sofia asks. “How many people work here?”

“Two housekeepers, one chef, one driver. They all know the rules about privacy. They do not ask questions. They do not speak to the press. But that does not mean you should be careless with what you say around them.”

“I understand,” Sofia says.

Daniel turns to walk away. He stops after two steps and looks back at her. He seems to hesitate for a moment, like he is deciding whether to say something else.

“Dress appropriately tonight,” he says. “Nothing fancy. Just neat.”

He walks away before she can reply. She closes the door again. She looks at the clock on the wall. It is only four in the afternoon. She has three hours before dinner.

She sits down on the bed again and starts reading the documents. She memorizes the names. She reads the talking points. She makes notes in the margins. She does not want to look unprepared when she stands beside him.

When it is time, she changes into a simple dress. She does not wear too much makeup. She does not do anything special with her hair. She walks down the hallway to the dining room at exactly seven o’clock.

Daniel is already there. He is sitting at the head of the table. There are two place settings. The food is already on the table. He does not stand up when she walks in.

“Sit,” he says.

She sits across from him. The chef walks in and pours water into their glasses. Then he leaves the room and closes the door. They are alone.

They eat in silence for several minutes. The food is good, but Sofia barely tastes it. She keeps her eyes on her plate. She does not know what to say. She does not know if she is supposed to say anything at all.

“How is your father?” Daniel asks suddenly.

Sofia looks up. “He is better. He is resting. He is grateful for what you are doing.”

Daniel nods. He takes a sip of water. “Tell him not to be too grateful yet. The work is not done. The company still has a long way to go before it is stable.”

“I know,” Sofia says. “I am fully aware of what is at stake.”

“Good,” he says. “Then you understand why I cannot be soft about any of this. One mistake could ruin everything for all of us.”

“I am not going to make mistakes,” she says. “I did not sign this contract to fail.”

Daniel puts his fork down. He looks at her directly across the table. His gaze is steady and intense.

“People make mistakes even when they do not mean to,” he says. “Sometimes they get attached. Sometimes they forget the rules. Sometimes they start believing the lie.”

“Is that what you are afraid of?” Sofia asks. “That I will start believing this is real?”

“I am warning you,” he says. “That is different from being afraid.”

Sofia puts her fork down too. She meets his gaze without backing down. “If you are not afraid, then why do you sound so defensive?”

Daniel does not answer immediately. He picks up his fork again and continues eating. He changes the subject like she never spoke.

“Tomorrow morning we have breakfast at six thirty,” he says. “Then we go to the office together. We will walk in together so people see us. You will have your own desk in the outer office. You will answer emails and review documents. You will not be in my private office unless I ask you to come in.”

“Am I your assistant now?” she asks.

“You are my wife on paper. That means you have a role to play in the business too. I do not waste space or resources. You will be useful while you are here," Sofia laughed in disbelief, almost amused.

“I never asked to be useless,” she says.

“Then we should not have any problems,” he says.

They finish the meal in silence again. When they are done, Daniel stands up. He wipes his mouth with a napkin and places it beside his plate.

“I have work to do in my study,” he says. “Do not disturb me before ten o’clock. Unless there is an emergency, do not knock on that door.”

“What counts as an emergency?” she asks.

“If you have to ask, it is not an emergency,” he says.

He walks out of the dining room. He goes down the hallway toward the east suite. She hears his study door close. Then she hears the lock click.

Sofia sits alone at the table for a while longer. The plates are still there. The food is mostly eaten.

She stands up and carries her own plate to the kitchen. She knows the staff will clean it in the morning, but she does not like leaving it there.

She walks back down the hallway to her suite. She passes a closed door that she has not noticed before. It is between his suite and the living room. She stops for a moment. She looks at the handle. It is locked.

She walks past it to her own room. She closes the door and locks it. She sits on the bed and looks at the ceiling. Sofia thinks about the locked door, about the phone call. She thinks about the way he looked at her when he said people start believing the lie.

She picks up her phone. There are no new messages. No one has contacted her since she arrived. She puts the phone down on the bedside table and then she turns off the main light. The room is dim now, lit only by the lamp on the side table.

She lies back on the bed. She stares at the ceiling and tries to sleep, but her mind will not rest. She keeps thinking about the locked door between his suite and the living room. She keeps wondering what is inside that he does not want her to see.

If there was nothing to hide, then why are there so many locks in a home that is supposed to be shared?