Flames of passion
img img Flames of passion img Chapter 3 A house of secrets
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Chapter 6 The servant's quarters img
Chapter 7 The broken prince img
Chapter 8 The first spark img
Chapter 9 The memory mirror img
Chapter 10 The garden of whispers img
Chapter 11 His touch img
Chapter 12 The revelation img
Chapter 13 The key img
Chapter 14 The First Bride img
Chapter 15 Between worlds img
Chapter 16 Hellbound img
Chapter 17 Bone and light img
Chapter 18 Blood and rebirth img
Chapter 19 Heir of the flame img
Chapter 20 Child of the flame img
Chapter 21 Whispers img
Chapter 22 First Threat img
Chapter 23 The Gathering Storm img
Chapter 24 Embers in the Sky img
Chapter 25 Bloody betrayal img
Chapter 26 The voice within img
Chapter 27 Arrival of the council img
Chapter 28 The first trial img
Chapter 29 Trial of Blood img
Chapter 30 The Final trial img
Chapter 31 Beginning of the fire war img
Chapter 32 Crown of fire img
Chapter 33 In flames img
Chapter 34 The book img
Chapter 35 A Storm of Memory img
Chapter 36 The last soulbinder img
Chapter 37 The summit img
Chapter 38 Trial of the Twin Flame img
Chapter 39 Reborn img
Chapter 40 Cradle of Storms img
Chapter 41 The Forgotten Temple img
Chapter 42 Unleashed img
Chapter 43 Echoes of the queen img
Chapter 44 A lover from the past img
Chapter 45 Fire Between Us img
Chapter 46 Ashes img
Chapter 47 Wrath img
Chapter 48 The last stand img
Chapter 49 Bloodline and Betrayal img
Chapter 50 The frost king img
Chapter 51 Throne of ice and fire img
Chapter 52 The chains beneath Frostvale img
Chapter 53 War of Crowns img
Chapter 54 The rise of the king of the sky img
Chapter 55 The clash img
Chapter 56 Queen for a reason img
Chapter 57 Birth in the fading realm img
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Chapter 3 A house of secrets

Melody's first official day in the mansion began before sunrise.

By the time the first bell rang through the east corridor, she was already dressed in her black-and-white uniform, her hair tied into a neat bun, her hands trembling slightly from nerves. The early morning chill slipped through the window cracks, but she barely noticed. Her focus was on doing everything right - perfectly, quietly, invisibly.

The mansion had rules, and rules in a place like this weren't just suggestions - they were survival.

Downstairs, the servant's kitchen buzzed with motion. Cooks chopped vegetables in rhythmic unison, maids ran trays up and down stairs, and the scent of coffee mixed with freshly baked bread filled the air. It should have felt warm. It didn't.

Mrs. Grant stood in the center like a conductor of an invisible orchestra.

"You're on the east wing," she said to Melody without looking up. "Start with the floors. Then the windows. You'll learn the rotation by the week's end - or you'll be replaced."

Melody swallowed her fear and nodded

Later That Morning

As Melody scrubbed the floors of the east hallway - her knees aching against the hard tile - she couldn't help but glance at the gold-framed portraits lining the walls. The Calloways. Elegant. Distant. Always watching.

"Careful where your eyes wander, new girl," came a voice behind her.

She turned to see Lillian - a senior maid with sharp cheekbones and a sharper tongue - leaning against the wall with a smug smirk.

"Too much curiosity gets you reassigned. Or worse." Lillian tossed a cloth at her feet. "You missed a spot."

Melody bit her tongue. There was no point in replying. Not yet.

But as Lillian walked away, Melody caught her whispering to another maid. A quiet laugh. A nod toward the grand staircase.

"She'll last a week," one of them said

The Forbidden Wing

That afternoon, while delivering clean linens, Melody passed by the western hall - a corridor draped in deep red velvet, lined with heavy double doors. One door stood slightly open. Inside was a grand room with bookshelves stretching to the ceiling and a desk carved from dark oak.

She knew she shouldn't, but something compelled her.

She took one quiet step closer and peeked inside.

Adrian was there.

Not at the piano this time - but at the window, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a glass of something dark. He stared out into the garden, his jaw set in a way that made her heart flutter.

He hadn't seen her.

But just as she turned to leave, the floor creaked beneath her.

His eyes snapped toward the door. Icy blue, sharp like glass. "Who's there?"

Melody froze.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was just passing. I didn't mean to intrude."

He studied her for a moment. Silent. Then, "Don't let it happen again."

His tone was emotionless, but his eyes lingered a second longer than they should have. Like he was trying to remember something. Or someone.

Melody fled before he could say more.

Back in Her Room

That night, Melody sat on the edge of her cot, still shaken from the encounter. Adrian Calloway was cold, yes - but not cruel. There was something deeper beneath his sharpness. A loneliness. A sadness he carried like a second skin.

            
            

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