The morning after their wedding night, Lydia wakes up to an unfamiliar silence. Adrian is gone, but his side of the bed is still warm. The scent of him lingers—rich, dark, intoxicating—but instead of comfort, it unsettles her.
Something is off.
Her instincts sharpen when she finds an unsigned letter slipped beneath her door. The message is vague but chilling:
"Trust is the most dangerous illusion, Lydia. Look closer."
Lydia's fingers tremble as she folds the note. It could be a cruel prank… or a warning.
She tells herself she won't let it get to her. But throughout the day, small, almost invisible things start pressing in on her—a hushed conversation ending the moment she steps into the room, a servant flinching when she asks about Adrian, a missing business report she was sure she had placed on her desk.
The worst part? Adrian is acting normal. But isn't that more terrifying?
The idea that he could be hiding something behind that cold, unreadable mask… it festers.
When he finally comes home late at night, she doesn't confront him. Not yet. Instead, she watches him. Analyzes every breath, every glance.
And when he pulls her into his arms, murmuring something deep and low against her ear, she stiffens.
Adrian notices.
His grip tightens—just slightly, but enough. "Lydia?"
She forces a smile, stepping back. "I'm just tired."
Liar.
And Adrian knows it.
But he doesn't push. Not tonight.
The silent war between them has begun.