Chapter 25 I dare you

Chapter 25 I dare you
Lilith’s POV
I spent the next three hours hunched over the documents until my eyes began to blur with fatigue. There was nothing exciting about the family tree or the house layout but still, I was forced to read it like my next breath depended on it.
When I couldn’t bear it anymore, we had dinner and then I had to continue right after, determined to memorize even to the last bits of it.
Jayden went to his study room not long after, leaving me to memorize the layout of the Lark home. I suspected he was working from home because I was still yet to settle in fully.
With Ariel’s case settled and my worries slightly lifted, I became dizzy after a while and when I couldn’t hold it anymore, I pushed the documents to the side and called it a night. And for the first time in days, I slept well, without my heart pounding like I was in trouble.
By morning, I was up early to start from right where I stopped. After glancing through it one more time, I decided to take a little tour around the house because I was bored and Jayden was busy with work.
After changing into some shorts and a t-shirt, I slipped out of the room and closed the door softly behind me. The hallway was long and silent, without a single maid in sight.
I walked to a section of the mansion I had never been to before and the first door I opened was a library that stretched up two floors, filled with books that looked like they had never been opened. I let out a squeal as I took all of it in. I loved books and Ariel loved them even more. As my eyes grazed over the full shelves, I could already see Ariel hunched over in a corner, completely lost in her own little world.
Further down, I discovered a music room with a grand piano in the center of the room, lying untouched. I didn’t know anything about pianos so I slid out of the room and continued my journey.
I wandered toward the west wing, passing a lot of closed doors. I pushed some of them open but they had nothing interesting, just guest rooms that nobody used. Seeing nothing worth looking at, I planned on going back to the library to burn my day but then, a huge door carved differently from the rest caught my eye.
I pressed my ears against the door but heard nothing. Something inside of me yelled for me to turn back but then curiosity got the better of me and without thinking, I pushed the door open.
The room inside was dark with the curtains drawn tight. It smelled stale, like no one had been here for a very long time. I stepped inside as I tried to adjust to the dim light in the room. It wasn’t like the other rooms. This was packed with boxes arranged in a corner, with sheets covering what looked like furniture.
The other rooms I had entered or peeked into were all clean but this room was full of dust. It was obvious that even the maids didn’t come here to clean. Or were they not allowed?
I walked over to a small table and saw a framed photograph that was covered in dust. I cautiously picked it up and wiped the glass with my thumb. It was a picture of a young boy, maybe ten years old, standing next to a woman who had the same sharp, intense eyes as Jayden. They were standing in front of a much smaller house that looked to be very old. The boy was smiling widely as he held his mom’s hands. When I stared deeper, I noticed a man was in the background, hunched over as if he was wiping dust off his shoes.
My gaze returned to the woman’s warm eyes. She was happy. No, they were happy.
"What the hell are you doing in here?"
I jumped, nearly dropping the frame as I spun around in fright at the sudden voice.
Jayden stood in the doorway, his silhouette blocking out the light from the hall. I couldn’t see his face clearly but from his voice and stance, I knew he was angry.
Very angry.
"I was just... taking a walk," I stammered, quickly setting the photo back down on the table. "I didn't mean to intrude."
“You read the fucking contract, didn’t you?” He asked, his voice cold.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Answer me!” He snapped, making me jump.
“I did,” I replied, swallowing hard.
“So, why are you here?”
“I was just taking a walk. I didn’t mean to intrude, I swear it,” I pleaded.
Jayden’s gaze fell on the photograph and for a split second, I saw a flash of pain cross his face before his cold unreadable expression was back on, leaving me to wonder if I had imagined it. Then, his gaze drifted to my face, then back to the frame.
“That was all I touched, I promise. You can check for yourself.”
He walked into the room and went to the table where the frame was laying face up. He reached out and turned the frame face down on the table, before looking coldly into my eyes once more.
"This room is off-limits," he said, his voice flat. He looked less angry now but still angry. I could tell he was trying to control his temper.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I was just restless and decided to take a walk," I said as I tried to step past him, but he blocked my path.
"You were supposed to be studying the Larks," he reminded me. "Instead, you're poking around in things that don't concern you. Do you really enjoy pissing me off? Or are you just dumb to tell when things are off-limits?"
His insults made me frown. “I am not stupid, Jayden,” I gritted out. “I just needed to step out of the room for a walk, that's all.”
“Celine wouldn’t stress me so much. She knows her place all too well,” he spat, as if blaming me for her disappearance. “She definitely wouldn’t wander around the house, going to places where she’s clearly not wanted.”
Now, I was done cowering in fear. I already apologized but he still chose to take things out of proportion. He enjoyed seeing me hurt with his words but this time, I wasn’t going to let it slide. Not that I ever did, but still.
“If I annoy you so much, why are you here with me? I saved your ass by getting married to you instead of Celine and yet, all I hear all day is her name,” I snapped. “So tell me, where is she? In your pocket? Under your thumb?”
Jayden’s eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to my mouth for a lingering moment that made my breath hitch.
“Say that again, Lilith, I dare you,” he growled.