Chapter 54 NOT THE SAME ANYMORE
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
GENERAL POV
The house no longer felt like home.
The moment she stepped inside, she felt it. The air was heavy, unfamiliar, stripped of warmth.
Almost five years had passed since Sally died, yet the mansion still carried the weight of her absence. Whatever beauty it once held had been dismantled piece by piece. Nothing suggested happiness anymore. No laughter echoed. No warmth lingered. Only silence and shadows remained.
She paused just inside the entrance, her gaze drifting slowly across the vast space.
So much had changed.
And so much had stayed painfully the same.
She knew whose fault it was.
Hers.
If she had acted differently. If she had stayed. If she had protected Sally the way a mother should. Maybe things would have ended differently. But regret was a luxury the Dravens could not afford. Tears were weakness, and weakness was never displayed outside these walls.
She swallowed the ache rising in her chest.
I just pray Micky is not being raised in this place, she thought quietly.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
Eliana walked in with effortless grace, tall and striking, her presence impossible to ignore. She was slender, elegant, pulling her roll box behind her like someone who belonged wherever she went. She was the kind of woman who survived under any circumstances. Beautiful, confident, wealthy, powerful. She carried herself with certainty, the kind that came from knowing the world often bent in her favor.
Eliana looked around the house and smiled slowly.
Dark, she thought. Just the way she liked it.
This house matched her taste. This was the kind of man she wanted. The kind she had been trained to attract. And she was sure of one thing.
Kane Draven would not be an exception.
Maids lined up instantly as they noticed their arrival, heads bowed in practiced respect.
“Welcome, Mrs Draven,” Nanny said, hurrying forward before pulling her into a brief embrace.
“Nanny,” she replied, her tone calm
“It’s been a while,” she said softly, leaning closer. “What happened here?”
Nanny hesitated, then lowered her voice. “It’s a long story, ma.”
She nodded slowly.
“Come, let me take you in,” Nanny added. “You won’t be staying here. You’ll be at the other mansion.”
“Where is Mr Draven?” Eliana asked abruptly, her tone sharp and impatient.
Nanny glanced at her briefly. “He’s in his room.”
“And his injuries?” Kane’s mother asked, her voice gentler now.
“They’re still there,” Nanny replied. “But you know him. He never speaks about the pain he carries inside.”
Kane’s mother sighed.
Just as they turned to leave, footsteps approached from the opposite corridor.
Kane walked in.
He moved with authority, his posture straight, his expression unreadable. Even injured, even burdened, he carried himself like a man carved from stone. His presence shifted the atmosphere instantly. The air tightened. Attention followed him naturally.
He was still Kane Draven. Still commanding. Still devastatingly handsome.
He did not slow down.
He walked past them without a glance, without a greeting, without even acknowledging their presence. His focus was fixed ahead, his strides purposeful, as though he was racing against something unseen.
Eliana watched him closely.
And she smiled.
This was exactly what she meant by aura. This cold indifference. This untouchable energy. These were the kind of men she had been molded to conquer. Men who believed they were unreachable.
She would enjoy this.
Kane’s mother released a soft sigh.
“He’s in a hurry, my dear,” she said, attempting to soften the moment. “I’m sure he’ll acknowledge us later.”
She turned slightly, forcing a small smile.
“Let’s go,” she added. “I’m sure Micky will be excited to see you.”
Samantha had been warned.
Stay out of sight.
No wandering, no mistakes.
Visitors were around, and she was a mutate. She was not meant to be seen, not meant to exist openly in front of guests. That was the rule. That was her place.
So she stayed back.
She stood near the window, peeping through the curtains quietly, careful not to draw attention. Her heart skipped when she saw them arrive. When she saw her.
Eliana.
The woman was breathtaking.
Samantha inhaled sharply, her fingers gripping the curtain tightly. Eliana’s beauty was not gentle. It was bold. Commanding. The kind that announced itself without apology.
So this is her, Samantha thought.
A cold wave of fear washed through her.
What would happen to her when Kane chose Eliana?
She knew the answer.
She would be reassigned. Passed to another member of the house. Sent deeper into the sanctuary. Punished. Forgotten. Reduced to nothing more than property again.
The thought made her chest tighten.
She moved away from the window slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. Her mind raced with images she tried desperately to push away. She had survived so much already. Pain. Humiliation. Silence.