The first morning in Evermere arrived quietly.
No distant traffic.
No elevators moving between floors.
No muted sounds of staff beginning their day.
Only silence.
The kind that felt unfamiliar after years of city life.
Malissa woke slowly.
For several moments, she remained beneath the blankets staring at the ceiling.
Disoriented.
Then the memories of the previous day returned.
The lockdown announcement.
The drive.
The villa.
Evermere.
A slow breath escaped her.
This wasn't a dream.
The world had changed overnight.
She pushed herself upright and glanced toward the window.
Morning sunlight stretched across the lake beyond the glass.
The view was beautiful.
Peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
For a moment, she considered remaining in bed.
Instead, she forced herself to stand.
Routine still mattered.
Even now.
Especially now.
After showering and dressing, she finally made her way downstairs.
The villa felt enormous in daylight.
Large open spaces.
High ceilings.
Wide windows overlooking the surrounding landscape.
And absolutely no one.
At least...
That was what she assumed.
Until she entered the kitchen.
Alexander was already there.
Of course he was.
He sat at the island counter with a cup of coffee beside him and a tablet resting nearby.
His attention remained fixed on whatever report occupied the screen.
Malissa paused briefly.
"Good morning."
Alexander looked up.
"Good morning."
His response was immediate.
Simple.
Nothing awkward about it.
Which somehow made it slightly awkward anyway.
She moved toward the refrigerator.
Opening it revealed exactly what she expected.
Everything.
Fresh produce.
Bottled water.
Juices.
Bread.
Fruit.
Enough food to sustain several people for weeks.
Mike had clearly taken the preparation seriously.
Or perhaps Alexander had.
She wasn't entirely sure.
"Looks like they stocked half a supermarket in here."
Alexander took another sip of coffee.
"The kitchen was stocked before we arrived."
That made sense.
Nothing involving Alexander Marquez was ever left to chance.
Malissa removed a bottle of water.
"Do you want anything?"
He glanced toward her.
"Coffee is enough."
She nodded.
Exactly the answer she expected.
A brief silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
Just...
New.
No staff moved around them.
No meetings waited downstairs.
No events filled their schedules.
A few minutes later, two slices of toast rested on a plate beside her.
Nothing elaborate.
Just enough to count as breakfast.
She settled onto one of the chairs opposite Alexander.
The city wasn't there to occupy the space between them anymore.
Ever since signing the contract, there was nothing forcing them into the same room.
And yet here they were.
Sharing .
Or whatever this qualified as.
After several minutes, Alexander's phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
His expression didn't change.
But he stood.
"I have work to finish."
Malissa blinked.
Work?
During lockdown?
Then again...
This was Alexander.
She doubted global events would completely stop him from working.
He picked up his coffee.
"Enjoy your breakfast."
And just like that, he disappeared.
Leaving her alone in the kitchen.
Again.
She stared after him for a moment.
Then laughed softly.
Some things, apparently, never changed.
The morning passed quietly.
News channels filled nearly every station.
Movement restrictions.
Travel advisories.
Emergency measures.
Case numbers.
Speculation.
Experts.
Predictions.
Nobody seemed entirely certain what would happen next.
Around midday, her phone rang.
The caller ID displayed a familiar name.
Adrian Cole.
She answered immediately.
"Mr. Cole."
"Good afternoon, Miss Fisher."
His voice sounded calm as always.
Professional.
Steady.
She found herself appreciating that more than usual lately.
"I wanted to provide an update regarding your father's appeal."
Malissa straightened slightly.
Her attention sharpened instantly.
"Has something happened?"
"No."
The answer came quickly.
"Which is good news."
She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"The courts are reducing operations due to the government's restrictions."
Her stomach tightened.
"But your father's appeal remains scheduled."
Relief arrived immediately afterward.
Not complete relief.
But enough.
"You're sure?"
"Nothing is guaranteed in the current environment," Adrian replied honestly.
"However, as of this morning, the date remains active."
Three weeks.
The timeline still existed.
The future hadn't disappeared entirely.
"What happens if restrictions become stricter?"
"We adapt."
The confidence in his voice felt reassuring.
"I've already begun preparing for multiple scenarios."
Silence settled briefly between them.
Then he added,
"We haven't come this far to stop now."
Malissa smiled.
"Thank you."
"Take care of yourself, Miss Fisher."
"You too."
The call ended shortly afterward.
Yet the sense of hope lingered.
Small.
Fragile.
But present.
Later that afternoon, she called her father.
The connection took longer than usual.
Eventually, his voice emerged through the line.
"Malissa?"
"Dad."
Relief immediately softened his tone.
"How are you?"
"I'm okay."
"How are things there?"
"Different."
"Different how?"
"We're outside of Pacifica heights for now."
"Somewhere quieter until things settle."
"That's probably for the best."
"Your lawyer called."
That explained it.
"He told me."
A brief silence followed.
Mr. Fisher sighed.
"The world has chosen a strange time for all this."
Malissa laughed softly.
"That's one way to describe it."
His voice grew quieter.
"How is your mother?"
"Safe."
The answer came easily.
Because it was true.
"Alexander spoke with the hospital director."
Another silence.
Longer this time.
When her father finally spoke again, there was something thoughtful beneath his voice.
"That was kind of him."
Malissa didn't immediately respond.
Because she wasn't entirely sure what to say.
Eventually she settled on:
"Yes."
A pause.
Then her father changed the subject.
The conversation drifted elsewhere.
The appeal.
The lockdown.
The uncertainty facing everyone.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing emotional.
Yet when the call finally ended, Malissa felt lighter than before.
Her family was safe.
The appeal still existed.
For now...
That was enough.
The day continued.
Slowly.
Without urgency.
Without appointments.
Without schedules.
It felt strange.
Even time seemed different here.
By evening, additional restrictions had already been announced.
News reports grew more serious.
Several neighbouring cities began implementing emergency measures.
Public gatherings were suspended indefinitely.
Businesses closed.
Schools followed.
The world outside continued shrinking.
Inside the villa, however, everything remained still.
Almost untouched.
As the sun began setting beyond the lake, Malissa wandered toward the living room.
She stopped when she noticed someone already there.
Alexander.
Again.
He sat near one of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A laptop rested on the table beside him.
Several documents were spread nearby.
Working.
Naturally.
He looked up briefly when he noticed her.
Neither seemed particularly surprised anymore.
"Mr. Cole called."
The words left her mouth before she thought about them.
Alexander closed one document.
"The appeal?"
She nodded.
"It's still scheduled."
A small pause followed.
"Good."
That was all he said.
No dramatic speech.
No unnecessary reassurance.
Just one word.
Yet somehow...
It carried weight.
Because Alexander rarely said things he didn't mean.
Malissa found herself smiling slightly.
"Yeah."
Another silence settled between them.
Not awkward this time.
Just quiet.
Comfortable enough to leave alone.
Eventually, Alexander returned to his work.
And Malissa moved toward the opposite side of the room.
Neither feeling particularly compelled to fill the space with conversation.
Outside, evening gradually swallowed the lake.
Darkness spread across the water.
The villa remained warm and illuminated behind its glass walls.
Safe.
Distant.
Removed from the uncertainty gripping the rest of the country.
Later that night, after returning to her room, Malissa stood near the window once more.
The view had already begun feeling familiar.
Which was strange.
Because she'd only been here for a day.
Her gaze drifted toward the dark water below.
The world outside felt far away.
The city.
The hospital.
The court.
Everything.
Yet none of it had disappeared.
It was all still waiting.
Just beyond reach.
Tomorrow would come.
Then another day.
And another after that.
The realization settled quietly inside her.
This wasn't a weekend getaway.
It wasn't a temporary inconvenience.
For the foreseeable future...
This was their life now.
And neither of them knew what to do with that yet.