Aria's pov
He kissed me like he wanted to forget me. His lips were cold, his hands rough. My heart raced, but I could not pull away. The night was quiet, Only the rain touched the windows, tapping soft and sad.
"Tell me you love me" I whispered.
Damien's eyes looked dark, almost empty. "Love", he said slowly, "Is just a promise people break."
He stepped back, his face hard. "Because promises are easy to make when nobody knows the truth".
My heart burned. "What truth."
He didn't answer. He turned, grabbed his coat and walked out. The door slammed, making the chandelier shake.
Tears rolled down my face. I tried to breathe, but the air felt heavy, like the house was holding me still. I could feel the walls listening.
The lights blinked once. Then again, I thought it was my eyes playing tricks. But the lights flickered, slow and deep. The air felt thick, and for a second, I could swear the shadows had on the wall shifted, just a little, like they were turning to look at me.
When I woke up, the house was too quiet again. It always felt like the walls were holding their breath. The big clock in the hall went tick, tick, tick, a countdown that made my heart race, and my body shiver.
My husband, Damien, had already gone. He always left before sunrise. Sometimes I wondered if he was just being punctual or if he was running, maybe he felt what I felt. His side of the bed was cold. I touched it anyway, just to be sure he was really gone. I pulled the curtains open. The garden looked pretty, with perfect green grass and red roses. But nothing here was real. The smiles, the laughter, the love, it was all fake.
The walls were full of portraits of the Wolfe family. But have never seen damien's mother own neither do I know how she looks like. Curiously I asked the housekeeper Maria then she said there was a portrait of her there but years ago, the portrait fell and broke.
Sometimes, when I walk by the hallway at night, I hear soft footsteps. Like someone still walks there. This house keeps secrets. I can feel them breathing. When I went downstairs, Maria was already there, putting breakfast on the table. She never said much, but her eyes always looked like they were hiding something."Good morning," I said, trying to sound happy. She nodded. "Morning, Mrs. Wolfe. The master left early again."
"Of course he did," I said, forcing a smile. She poured my tea, The spoon hit the cup again and again. Clink. Clink. The sound echoed in the quiet kitchen. Then I saw it. A note on the table. Damien never leaves notes.
It said:
"Stay out of the west wing."
That was all. No good morning. No reason. My heart started beating faster. Why the west wing?
Just then, I thought I saw someone move past the doorway fast, Like a shadow. I looked around, but the hall was empty. I tried to eat breakfast, but I couldn't. The note sat there, staring at me. Stay out of the west wing. The words kept spinning in my head.
After breakfast, I started walking around the house. The sunlight made the floor shine like glass. Everything looked perfect, but it felt wrong. The air smelled like perfume and dust. When I passed the big staircase, I stopped. One of the family portraits looked different. It used to be a painting of Damien and Julian when they were little. But now it was a photo of me smiling.
Except my eyes were scratched out.
I gasped. My hands started to shake. Who would do that?
Maria came up behind me and scared me so much I almost screamed.
"Are you all right, Mrs. Wolfe?"
I pointed at the photo. "That wasn't like this before."
She looked at it and frowned. "The walls remember what we forget," she said softly, then walked away.
I didn't know what she meant, but it made me feel colder inside.
Later that day, the power went off. I felt a change in the atmosphere then the lights came back. I remembered my secret book that must not be seen by anyone in the house. My journal! I ran upstairs to where I had kept it. Lo and behold it wasn't there. I stood frozen for a second then I began to search for it. I searched everywhere, behind the mirror but it was gone.
Someone had been in my room. Someone had touched my things.
I sat on the bed, hugging my knees. "You're not crazy, Aria," I whispered to myself. "You're not."
Then my phone rang. It was Harper, my best friend. "Aria," she said, her voice shaky. "I think something's wrong. Your dad's company is in trouble. There's talk about fraud and missing money."
I blinked fast. "What are you saying?"
"Be careful," she said. "Don't trust anyone in that house."
Then the line cut.
I stared at my reflection in the window. The glass was shaking a little from the wind. For a moment, I saw another face behind mine. A man's face, Blue eyes Watching me.
When I turned, no one was there.
I couldn't sleep that night. I kept hearing footsteps from the west wing, Soft and slow. Sometimes I heard whispers, like people talking far away. I tried to stay in bed, but the voices, the whispers drew me like a spell. I lit a candle and walked down the hallway. The floor creaked under my feet. The air was cold, almost heavy.
The west wing door was open a little, I pushed it. It made a long, groaning sound. Inside, everything was covered with white sheets. The furniture looked like ghosts standing still. Then I saw something on the floor, A photo album.I picked it up, Inside were old pictures of Damien, Julian, and their mother. On the last page, there was a photo of my dad and Damien shaking hands. Behind them, a paper read Marriage Agreement.
The candle flickered and went out. The room went dark.
I heard breathing behind me. Slow, deep breathing.
"Who's there?" I whispered.
No answer.
I turned slowly, A shape moved in the dark. I stepped back and my hand hit something hard. The wall felt strange, Hollow. I pushed and a small panel opened. Inside was a velvet box. My hands were shaking as I opened it. Inside was a silver key and a small note.
It said:
"Don't trust the one who smiles."
Before I could move, the candle lit by itself again. I screamed and ran out, dropping the box. I didn't stop until I reached my room. I locked the door and sat on the floor, breathing hard. The house was alive, I could feel it watching me.
Outside, rain hit the windows hard. I picked up a book, trying to calm down, but then there were three slow knocks at my door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
I opened it a little, Nobody was there. Only a wet footprint on the floor, Too big to be mine. I shut the door quickly.
The next morning, Maria didn't come to make breakfast. Damien didn't come home either. The house felt emptier than ever. I went outside for some air. The garden looked pale, The roses were dying. Then I saw something shining near the pond.
It was Maria's necklace.
I picked it up. My chest tightened.
Where is she?