Chapter 3 Whispers in the dark

Zara's POV

The Martins mansion was beautiful in daylight, but at night, it became something else entirely. Shadows seemed to stretch longer in the hallways, as though the house itself carried the weight of secrets whispered within its walls. I pulled my robe tighter around my body, my steps soundless against the marble as I padded through the corridor.

I hadn't meant to leave my room. But sleep had become impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Leon's words echoing in my mind: "She won't last the year."

The memory wrapped around my chest like a vice. What did he mean? Did he intend to annul our marriage? Or... something worse?

My eyes flicked to the west wing as I passed. I had been warned twice not to enter it, but the carved wooden doors seemed to breathe with a life of their own, almost daring me to step closer. The air here felt heavier, colder, as though the mansion itself wanted me gone.

A faint sound, like a door clicking shut, snapped my thoughts.

I froze, my heart hammering.

Slowly, I turned toward the sound. The corridor was empty, but I caught the faint glimmer of light spilling from under a door at the far end. A study, perhaps? Curiosity overpowered fear, and before I could stop myself, I crept forward.

I pressed my ear to the door. Voices. Low, muffled, unmistakably male.

"...if she finds out-"

"She won't. She's just a girl. Keep her distracted."

"And Leon?"

"Leon knows his role. Don't forget what's at stake."

My blood ran cold. They were talking about me.

The doorknob twisted suddenly from the inside. I jerked back, nearly tripping over the hem of my robe. I darted around the corner and pressed myself into the shadows, barely breathing as the door opened.

Two men emerged, dressed in suits, their conversation hushed. I recognized neither of them, but the glint of a cufflink caught my eye-engraved with the same initials I had seen before: A.M.

My chest tightened. Who was A.M.?

When they disappeared down the hallway, I dared to exhale. I backed away, ready to retreat to my room, when a voice behind me cut through the silence.

"You shouldn't be wandering around at night."

I spun, my hand flying to my chest. Leon stood there, his dark eyes unreadable, his posture casual but laced with steel.

"I... ...couldn't sleep," I stammered.

His gaze flicked toward the corridor where the men had gone, then back to me. "Curiosity is dangerous here, Zara." His voice was low, measured, the kind of tone that sent shivers racing down my spine.

"Then tell me," I whispered, summoning courage I didn't know I had. "What's in this house that I'm not supposed to see?"

For the briefest moment, his mask slipped. Something raw, almost painful, flickered in his expression. Then it was gone.

"You married me to pay your family's debt," he said coldly. "Not to ask questions. Remember that."

He stepped closer, close enough that I caught the faint scent of his cologne-woodsy, expensive, intoxicating. His nearness set my pulse racing, though I hated myself for it.

"You don't frighten me," I whispered, though my voice trembled.

He leaned in, his lips so close to my ear... I felt the heat of his breath. "You should."

My knees nearly buckled, torn between fear and something else I dared not name. Before I could reply, he brushed past me, his shoulder grazing mine in a deliberate, electrifying touch.

I remained rooted in place long after he was gone, my heart a wild drum in my chest.

He was hiding something. The entire mansion was. And I would find out what... even if it meant tearing open the very secret that bound us together.