In the bathroom, while I was scrubbing my body and admiring the aesthetics of the luxurious space, I heard a voice.
"Miss Aurora, are you in there?" the voice whispered gently, followed by a soft knock on the bathroom door.
"Who is it?" I asked, slightly startled. Who would dare approach Levi's private chambers this early in the morning?
This was no ordinary home, It was a castle nestled deep in the heart of Paris. I had only been here for a week, yet I already understood the atmosphere. Everyone treaded carefully around Levi. He was a man of power, the kind of man people whispered about behind closed doors. Cold. Calculated. Dangerous.
"It's me. Sara," the voice called again.
Sara. One of the few maids Levi had assigned to me personally. She was the only one I felt I could breathe freely around.
Before I could respond, another voice joined hers.
"Sir Levi sent us to get you ready for the wedding ceremony," the second maid said, her tone more assertive.
My heart jumped. I wrapped the towel tighter around my body and stepped out, steam following in my wake. My gaze landed on something I hadn't expected.
"Wow…" I breathed.
There it was. The gown.
Long, elegant, and breathtaking. It shimmered under the morning light like it had been stitched with stars. The fabric was rich, delicate, and alive with sparkles. Just standing near it made me feel as if I had stepped into someone else's life.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" the second maid asked, snapping me out of my daze.
I nodded. "I am."
They led me to a chair in front of a grand mirror. Without delay, they began brushing, combing, and styling. Another maid entered with a tray of makeup, and the air quickly filled with a sweet, luxurious scent.
The transformation happened like a dream. One minute, I was a bare-faced girl still struggling to understand her new reality. The next, I was a glowing bride. My skin flawless, my lips a soft rose, my eyes lined with subtle gold.
"Oh my! You look so beautiful," Sara said softly.
"You were made for this," the second maid added, adjusting a curl near my temple.
I didn't respond. I only stared at the mirror, stunned. I looked like the kind of woman little girls read about in fairy tales. The kind who gets swept off her feet and into a world of ballrooms and castles.
They helped me into the gown. It slid over my skin like silk, hugging me in all the right places. The lights overhead made it glow like it had a life of its own. The final touch was a pair of diamond earrings—delicate and cold against my skin.
Moments later, I was escorted to the grand hall. My heels clicked softly against the marble floor. The towering doors opened wide, and a wave of quiet fell over the crowd. The priest cleared his throat and announced my arrival.
My heart thudded as I took slow steps down the aisle.
And there he was.
Levi.
Tall. Immaculate. Dressed in a dark suit tailored to perfection. He stood at the end of the aisle like a statue carved from ice and shadows. His eyes never left mine, intense and unreadable. There was no smile, no warmth. Only that magnetic pull that always made it hard to breathe when he was near.
My comforter. I had once dared to think of him that way.
If only I had known…
If only I had known I was taking steps into hell in the name of marriage.
We exchanged vows, surrounded by people dressed in wealth. Some clapped. Some only watched, their faces unreadable, their eyes sharp. Levi's best man, Lucas, gave a brief toast. Sam, his assistant, joined him to get drinks.
And then, in a strange blur, it happened.
The lights flickered.
A sudden hush spread across the hall.
A gust of cold wind swept through the grand room, but no windows had opened. I looked around. Something had shifted. Something I couldn't name.
And then… I saw her.
Among the guests. A woman in a black velvet dress, standing still while everyone else moved. Her lips were blood red, and her eyes shimmered with a kind of knowing. Her gaze locked with mine, and something inside me tightened. Then words muttered from her lips
"Don't, Don't do it"
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't move.
She looked familiar. Her voice, or something about her presence reminded me of the nightmares I could never fully remember. Her lips moved slowly, as if whispering words only I could hear.
And then—It hit me.
Not physically.
But the memory. A flash. A sensation. Something I had never felt before,like a part of me rising to the surface without permission.
I gasped.
Just like that… everything snapped back. The music played. The guests resumed dancing. The lights steadied.
As if nothing had happened.
As if no one else had seen her.
I stood there, stunned, as the world returned to its perfect illusion. My pulse raced. My chest ached. But no one else seemed to notice.
Sara. no, the second maid, now known as Cleo. came up to me, smiling like the moment hadn't shattered me inside.
"Come sit," she said cheerfully. "Let's enjoy the rest of your day."
I obeyed, but my mind was spinning. I sat beside them quietly, barely hearing their laughter, their whispers. My eyes kept wandering back to the crowd. Searching. But the woman was gone.
I was still dangling in thoughts, trying to piece everything together, when two strangers approached.
"Hello, dear," the woman said, her voice smooth and honeyed.
She stood beside a man who oozed the same wealth and grace. Her yellow gown shimmered like gold, and the necklace on her neck looked too heavy for anything but royalty.
"Hello," I replied, trying to match her elegance.
"I'm Lila," she said with a poised smile. "And this is my husband, Frank."
"We're relatives of Levi's," Frank added. "You can address us as Aunt and Uncle."
I gave a polite nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Aurora."
They both smiled, but something shifted behind Aunt Lila's eyes. Her smile stayed, but the warmth in it died.
"Isn't it… ironic how you survived?" she asked, her voice like silk stretched over thorns.
I blinked. "Survived what?" I asked cautiously.
Franks held her hands and whispered words into her ear.
I couldn't hear them well
But I could swear that it sounded like "she doesn't know"
Then she tilted her head, almost amused. "Oh, nothing, dear. Just thinking out loud."
But the way she said it...
It sent chills down my spine.
And what was it I was supposed to know but didn't ..?
Their smiles lingered a little too long. Then they moved away, disappearing back into the crowd as smoothly as they had arrived.
And that scared me the most.
Not the ceremony.
Not the woman in the black dress.
Not even the eerie shift that no one seemed to notice.
It was how everyone went back to pretending—smiling, dancing, sipping champagne like nothing had happened. Like the cracks in the glass weren't there at all.
Something in me felt like
This.... this was only the beginning.