Chapter 40 Chapter 41

Chapter 40 Chapter 41
Vanessa

“I know you didn’t steal it.”

Those words should have made me feel better.

Instead, they made my chest ache.

Because if Alaric knew I was innocent…

Then someone in this house wanted to destroy me.

And we both knew who.

The hallway was finally empty. The servants had disappeared, and the mansion had fallen eerily quiet.

I stood there, still clutching my hands together to stop them from trembling.

Alaric watched me carefully.

I hated that he could probably see right through me.

“Why?” I whispered.

He frowned.

“Why what?”

“Why would someone do this?”

I knew the answer.

I knew.

But I needed to hear him say it.

Needed him to acknowledge it.

A long silence followed.

Then he looked away.

That was answer enough.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

“You know.”

His eyes returned to mine.

“You know who did it.”

His jaw tightened.

I suddenly felt angry.

Furious.

Not because of Emma.

Not because of the grandmother.

Because of him.

“You know and you’re still protecting them.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

The words came out sharper than I intended.

He exhaled slowly.

“You are upset.”

I stared at him.

“Upset?” I repeated. “I was just accused of stealing.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I know.”

“I was humiliated in front of everyone.”

“I know.”

“And somehow that makes you think I’m merely upset?”

Silence.

I felt tears burn my eyes.

I hated tears.

I hated crying.

Especially here.

Especially in front of him.

“I didn’t do anything to them,” I whispered.

For the first time, his expression softened.

Barely.

Just enough to make my chest tighten.

I looked away immediately.

“I didn’t ask to be here.”

Silence.

“I didn’t ask for this marriage. I didn’t ask for this bond. I didn’t ask to be hated.”

My voice cracked.

I swallowed hard.

“I just wanted to save my father.”

The words seemed to hang in the air.

Alaric didn’t move.

Didn’t interrupt.

I laughed weakly.

“I don’t even recognize my own life anymore.”

Another silence.

Then his voice came.

Quiet.

“You should sleep.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“You’ve had a difficult night.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

I had just poured my heart out, and he wanted me to sleep.

“You really are impossible.”

One corner of his mouth twitched.

Not quite a smile.

But close.

I hated that I noticed.

Then his face became serious again.

“Come.”

I frowned.

“Where?”

“Your room.”

I crossed my arms.

“I know where my room is.”

A sigh escaped him.

The sound was so unexpected that I almost smiled.

Almost.

“You are exhausted.”

“I’m angry.”

“That too.”

I blinked.

Then, to my complete horror, a laugh escaped me.

A tiny laugh.

Tiny.

I immediately covered my mouth.

His eyebrows rose slightly.

“You find this amusing?”

“No.”

“You’re smiling.”

“I absolutely am not.”

“You are.”

I glared at him.

His expression remained infuriatingly calm.

Then—

He did something completely unexpected.

He held out his hand.

I stared at it.

Then at him.

“What are you doing?”

“You can barely walk.”

I looked down.

Right.

My ankle.

I had forgotten about it.

I looked back at his hand.

Then at his face.

“You want to help me?”

His expression turned impatient.

“Vanessa.”

I blinked again.

Somehow that single word sounded like he was the one suffering.

I looked at his hand once more.

Then, cautiously, I placed my fingers in his.

The moment our hands touched, something strange happened.

Warmth.

Not physical.

Something deeper.

Like a spark.

I sucked in a breath.

His hand tightened slightly around mine.

His expression changed.

Just for a second.

Then it was gone.

I pretended not to notice.

He pretended not to notice.

And together we began walking.

Well.

I limped.

He slowed his pace.

Which somehow made my heart do something stupid.

The hallway seemed unusually quiet.

Moonlight streamed through the windows.

Everything felt strangely peaceful.

Until—

“How touching.”

I froze.

Alaric’s hand immediately tensed.

Emma.

Of course.

She stood at the end of the corridor.

Wearing a silk robe.

Looking like she had stepped straight out of a nightmare.

Her eyes were fixed on our joined hands.

And she looked furious.

No.

Not furious.

Wounded.

Which somehow made it worse.

I instinctively pulled my hand away.

Big mistake.

Emma noticed.

A strange smile touched her lips.

“You don’t have to stop because of me.”

Nobody spoke.

She looked at Alaric.

Then at me.

Then back at him.

“I didn’t realize you were busy.”

Her voice was soft.

Too soft.

Alaric’s expression hardened.

“Emma.”

She laughed quietly.

“No, it’s alright.”

It clearly wasn’t.

“I should have known where you disappeared to.”

I suddenly wanted to disappear too.

The atmosphere was awful.

Emma’s eyes returned to me.

I felt pinned in place.

“I suppose near-death experiences bring people closer together.”

I frowned.

Near-death?

I sprained my ankle.

I wasn’t dying.

Alaric’s voice cut through the silence.

“Enough.”

She looked at him.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Because he had never spoken to her like that.

Not in front of me.

Interesting.

“Enough?” she repeated softly.

“You should rest.”

Silence.

Then she laughed again.

But this time it sounded brittle.

“I see.”

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Then she looked directly at me.

“I hope you’re feeling better, Vanessa.”

The words sounded kind.

Her eyes didn’t.

I suddenly felt cold.

Very cold.

Then she smiled.

A beautiful, terrifying smile.

And walked away.

I watched her disappear around the corner.

The moment she was gone, I exhaled.

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath.

I looked at Alaric.

He looked… troubled.

Actually troubled.

A strange emotion flickered inside me.

Pity?

No.

Absolutely not.

I was not feeling sorry for this man.

He noticed me staring.

“What?”

I looked away.

“Nothing.”

Silence.

Then:

“You don’t have to be afraid of her.”

I looked back so quickly my neck nearly protested.

“What?”

His expression remained serious.

“I said—”

“I heard you.”

I stared at him.

Afraid?

Was I afraid?

I thought about Emma’s smile.

About the necklace.

About the stable accident.

About the constant sabotage.

A tiny shiver ran through me.

Oh.

Maybe I was.

He saw it.

Of course he did.

His eyes darkened.

Something protective flickered there.

So quickly I almost missed it.

“You are safe here.”

The words were simple.

Yet they made my chest tighten.

I wanted to believe him.

I really did.

But tonight I had learned something important.

I wasn’t safe.

Not really.

Not in this house.

Not in this family.

And maybe not even from fate itself.

I looked up at him.

“You can’t promise that.”

Silence.

His jaw tightened.

“I can.”

“No.”

I shook my head slowly.

“You can’t.”

Neither of us moved.

Moonlight poured through the windows.

The mansion was silent.

And suddenly, standing there with this infuriating man, I felt something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in weeks.

Tired.

I was simply tired.

Tired of fighting.

Tired of pretending to be brave.

Tired of being hated.

My eyes burned.

I blinked quickly.

Unfortunately, Alaric noticed.

Again.

He always noticed.

“Vanessa.”

I hated the gentleness in my name.

Because it made everything worse.

“I’m fine.”

“You are not.”

I looked away.

Then, very softly, he said something I never expected to hear.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time.”

I froze.

The words hit somewhere deep.

Somewhere vulnerable.

I looked at him slowly.

And for the first time in a long time…

I didn’t know what to say.

Neither did he.

So we stood there.

Two people who argued more than they agreed.

Two people who didn’t understand each other.

Two people bound by a fate neither of them had chosen.

And somewhere down the hallway, hidden by the darkness—

A door clicked softly shut.

Neither of us noticed.

But Emma did.

And as she watched us from the shadows, her eyes filled with something dangerous.

She was afraid she might actually lose him.