Chapter 6: The warning
804 Words
Elowen read the note again.
You should leave.
She turned it over, hoping there would be something written on the back.
Nothing.
Her eyes moved around the room.
Who had left it?
Clara?
One of the guards?
Someone else?
She quickly folded the paper and slipped it into the pocket of her robe.
A knock came at the door.
Elowen's heart jumped.
“Who is it?”
“It's me.”
Clara.
Elowen opened the door.
Clara stood outside with a worried expression.
“Are you alright?”
Elowen studied her face.
“Did you leave something in my room?”
Clara frowned.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Elowen hesitated.
She wanted to show her the note.
Instead, she stepped aside.
“Never mind.”
Clara walked in.
“Mr. Moretti asked me to tell you that lunch will be served downstairs.”
“Okay.”
Clara turned to leave.
“Clara.”
She stopped.
“Yes?”
“Do you know why I shouldn't go into the west wing?”
Clara's face changed immediately.
“I wouldn't ask that if I were you.”
“Why?”
“Because some things are better left alone.”
“That doesn't answer my question.”
Clara lowered her voice.
“Mrs. Moretti, please.”
Before Elowen could ask anything else, Clara walked out.
Elowen stared after her.
Everyone in this house knew something.
And apparently, she was the only person who didn't.
She changed quickly and went downstairs.
The dining room was enormous.
Cassian was already seated at the head of the table, reading something on his tablet.
He didn't look up when she entered.
“You're late.”
Elowen pulled out a chair.
“I didn't know we had an appointment.”
His eyes lifted.
“You should have told me about the note.”
Her hand froze.
“What note?”
Cassian put the tablet down.
“The one you found in your room.”
Elowen's heartbeat increased.
“How do you know about it?”
“I know everything that happens in my house.”
She stared at him.
“Then you know who left it?”
“No.”
“You're lying.”
Cassian's expression remained calm.
“If I knew, the person wouldn't still be in this house.”
That shut her up.
He picked up his glass.
“Give it to me.”
Elowen hesitated.
“Why?”
“So I can find out who wrote it.”
She pulled the note from her pocket and handed it over.
Cassian read it.
His jaw tightened.
Only for a second.
But Elowen noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You definitely reacted.”
“I said nothing.”
She leaned forward.
“Cassian.”
His eyes met hers.
“What?”
“Why does everyone keep telling me to leave?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, he folded the note and placed it beside him.
“Because you're new here.”
“That doesn't explain anything.”
“It doesn't have to.”
Elowen sighed.
“You're impossible.”
“I've been called worse.”
Before she could respond, the dining room doors opened.
A man walked in.
Elowen recognized him immediately.
Cassian's cousin.
The same man who had looked at her strangely the night before.
He stopped when he saw her.
Then his eyes moved to Cassian.
“We need to talk.”
Cassian didn't move.
“Talk.”
“Privately.”
“No.”
The man's jaw tightened.
“Cassian.”
“I said talk.”
He glanced at Elowen.
“It's about her.”
Elowen's stomach tightened.
Cassian noticed.
“Say it.”
The man hesitated.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“There was another message.”
Cassian's expression darkened.
“From who?”
“We don't know.”
“What does it say?”
The man looked at Elowen.
Then back at Cassian.
“It says…”
He stopped.
“What?”
The man swallowed.
“She's not the woman you think she is.”
Silence filled the room.
Elowen slowly looked at Cassian.
For the first time, she saw something she hadn't seen before.
Uncertainty.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Something much harder to understand.
Cassian stood.
“Leave.”
His cousin frowned.
“Cassian—”
“Now.”
The man walked out.
Elowen remained seated.
She looked at Cassian.
“What does that mean?”
Cassian said nothing.
“Cassian.”
He picked up the note from the table.
Then he looked directly at her.
“I don't know.”
It was the first time he had admitted not knowing something.
That scared Elowen so much.
Because if Cassian Moretti didn't know who had entered his life...
then neither of them knew exactly who they had married.
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