I shut the door quietly, and my hands were still gripping the door handles. The words I just heard were heavy in my mind.

She belongs here now.

Belong. Like I was a thing. Like a that has been delivered.

I walked back down the hallway, and each step felt heavy. My head was spinning. I was trying to convince myself that I'd misheard, that maybe he was on a business call. Maybe the “she” wasn't even me. But deep down I knew. In Asher World, “belonging” doesn't mean safety, it means control.

I got to my room and walked straight to the balcony. The night air was colder now. Far ahead, the city was alive, and I could only see lights and moving cars, I was far away from my own world.

I wrapped my arms around my body, trying to calm down the emptiness I was feeling inside. How long am I going to pretend before I lose myself completely? Every time he calls me ‘Elena’ it takes a piece out of me, but I can’t stop this act. Not yet.

After a while of admiring the city, I went back inside, closing the balcony door behind me. My room felt too perfect, too lonely maybe because of how big it was. I sat at the edge of the bed, my hands going smoothly on the bed sheet, and the clock on the wall was ticking softly.

I picked up my phone, and my fingers hovered over the nurse's number without dialing it. I already called once this night. If I call again, my voice might break and I don't want that to happen. Not now.

So I just put the phone down and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. My mind was thinking about so many things at the same time. But slowly I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up a little bit too late, and a cup of coffee was on the table by the side of my bed. I put on a robe, held my cup, and walked over to the balcony to admire what this part of the city would look like during the day.

A knock pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I answered.

“Breakfast will be served in the dining hall, ma’am,” the housekeeper announced politely.

I nodded, murmuring a soft thank you before following the path she was leading me to. The mansion was even more intimidating in daylight. Every room, every corner I passed looked so different from the house I grew up in, and also perfect. The house looked as if it were designed for a magazine photoshoot.

The dining hall looked so large, and the table was so long. Asher was already seated at the table, a newspaper in one hand, coffee in the other. He didn't look up when I entered, but the chair on his right was already set up for me.

A young woman, I assume a maid by her outfit I didn't see yesterday, pulled out a chair for me to sit on. Which I did. The table was lined with players of foods— eggs, toast, fruits, bacon, pancakes but I didn't have any appetite at all.

“You're late,” Asher said calmly, still not looking at me.

“I came as soon as I was called,” I replied softly

He turned one page of his newspaper. “Then they called you too late.”

My lips parted. I wasn't late. I came as soon as the housekeeper told me. But arguing with him won't change anything, I rolled my eyes. Fighting him was useless.

He folded the newspaper and kept it aside. “There is a charity gala being held tomorrow. You'll be coming with me.”

“Okay,” I replied softly.

“You'll dress appropriately. You'll smile when I need you to smile. I expect you to talk only when necessary. And also—” he paused. “I don't want another….. Misunderstanding like last night.”

I looked at him even though he was just staring at his newspaper. “There wasn't a—-”

He looked up, his eyes staring into mine. “Do you understand me, Elena?”

I nodded, forcing a smile. “Of course.”

His eyes stayed on me for a few seconds. “Good. I don't want another scene like last night. Stay away from men from your past, they don't concern you any longer.”

Though his tone was calm, his words still hurt. I clasped my hands together under the table. I didn't want him to see how much it hurt.

“I understand,” I said.

His gaze lingered for a moment before he took a sip of his coffee and returned to reading the newspaper. Breakfast passed with just the scraping of cutlery between us. I took a little bit of food but I barely ate it.

When he did I shed his coffee, he rose, buttoned his suit jacket like he was dismissing an employee. “ I'll be at the office most of the day. The housekeeper will show you around the house if you wish.”

And just like that, he turned and left.

After eating I stayed seated for a while, staring at the empty chair he left behind. It was strange how someone could sit so close but still feel so far away at the same time.

Later in the afternoon, after the housekeeper offered a tour, I found myself wandering alone instead. The house was too big, too quiet. My footsteps echoed against the marble floor as I passed one perfect room after another— sitting rooms with untouched couches, chandeliers that sparkled too brightly, art I couldn't understand.

Everything was beautiful. Everything was lifeless.

I stopped by a window, watching the garden below. A gardener trimmed roses.

I thought of my father. I wondered if he knew I had married Asher and how the marriage was draining me out, what would he do if he finds out I went against him. What if I just run back to my father?

I blinked away the thought. I couldn't afford it. My father's life meant more than mine.

As I was about to leave my eyes landed on a narrow hallway I hadn't noticed before. It was darker, quieter, almost hidden. I hesitated before stepping towards it.

At the very end was a closed door. Something about it felt different from the rest of the house, less perfect, and looked forgotten. My fingers hovered over the cold handle and I slowly turned it.

The door creaked open.

Inside, dust floated in the air, and cobwebs were everywhere. It looked like no one had been here for years. The curtains were half-opened which made the room look dim. There wasn't much furniture, just a covered armchair. But in the cabinet, a single photograph stood framed in silver.

I stepped closer, brushing the dust away from the frame carefully. It was a picture of a young woman. Her hair was dark, falling in soft waves like mine, her smile gentle but sad. I didn't recognize her, but something about her expression unsettled me.

Why was this room locked away? Why keep a photograph here, hidden like a secret?

I placed my hands on the frame again. Who was she?

The longer I stared, the more unsettled I felt. There was no name on the frame, no clue, just her face staring back at me as though she knew I didn't belong here. Something was hunting about her, as if she had once been part of this house….. Part of Asher.

A sudden sound from downstairs. I think. Made me jump. I quickly stepped back from the frame and went outside, closing the door as quietly as I could. I feel like I just trespassed into someone else's secret.

Back in my room, I sank into the comfort of my bed, my heart still racing. I couldn't stop thinking about that woman in the picture. Who was she to Asher?

I pressed my hand to my chest and whispered to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?”