Chapter 4: Whispers Behind Locked Doors
Aria drifted through the Xian estate like a shadow.
The marble floors gleamed beneath her bare feet, echoing softly with each step. The silence wasn't peaceful—it was too deep, too polished, like it had been carefully constructed to keep secrets hidden.
She had explored much of the mansion over the past two days—the library with its untouched first editions, the sunroom with its velvet chaise lounges, and the infinity pool that glittered like it belonged in a film. But the place didn't feel like home.
It felt like a stage. And she, a silent actress.
She turned a corner in the east wing and paused in front of a door she hadn't noticed before. It was no different than the others—tall, paneled, with a brass handle polished to a shine. But something about it made her chest tighten.
She reached for the handle.
It didn't turn.
Locked.
Her gaze dropped to the baseboard. Barely visible, but there were fine scrape marks in the wood. Someone opened this door often.
Aria knelt, pretending to adjust her slipper, and traced her fingers across the scratches. Something about the room tugged at her curiosity, even though every instinct warned her not to pry.
"Curious already, Madam Xian?"
The voice made her jump.
She turned quickly to find Nathaniel, Elias's assistant, standing a few paces behind her. Impeccably dressed, hands clasped behind his back, he wore the faintest smile—polite, practiced.
"I was just exploring," Aria said, standing with as much grace as she could muster.
His gaze lingered on the locked door. "That room is off-limits."
She met his eyes. "Why?"
A pause. Then a smile that didn't touch his eyes.
"Because some parts of the past are better left undisturbed. Especially his."
Her heart skipped. "It's Elias's room?"
Nathaniel's expression didn't change. "Let's just say it's a part of the estate he doesn't like to share."
"Is it a study? A bedroom?"
He tilted his head slightly. "Does it matter?"
Aria opened her mouth, then closed it. The conversation was laced with a warning.
"May I ask you something?" she said instead.
Nathaniel gestured for her to continue.
"What kind of man is he?" she asked. "Before the contracts and business... what kind of person is Elias Xian?"
For a moment, the assistant said nothing.
Then: "He's a man who learned long ago that emotions are liabilities. And that trust is more dangerous than betrayal."
The air between them shifted. He gave a small bow. "If you'll excuse me, Madam Xian."
He turned and left with the same measured elegance he arrived with, leaving Aria standing alone.
She looked back at the locked door.
Something about it pulled at her—like a breath trapped behind it, waiting to be heard. She didn't know what secrets Elias was hiding behind that door, but one thing was certain:
This house wasn't silent because it was empty.
It was silent because someone had decided long ago that silence was safer than the truth.