The Empty Grave
1201 Words
Chapter 2- The Empty Grave
The rain had slowed to a slight drizzle by the time I had reached the grave again.
Yet the cold in my chest had only grown heavier.
Workers stood around the open grave with nervous expressions, whispering among themselves like they had just witnessed something unnatural.
The coffin lid rested against the side of the pit.
Empty.
Completely empty.
My jaw tightened.
For three years I had visited this grave believing the woman I loved was buried beneath the marble stone.
Now there was nothing there.
Marcus stood beside me, his usually calm expression hardened with suspicion.
“Sir,” Marcus said quietly. “The Cemetery manager insists the coffin has never been moved.”
My dark gaze remained fixed on the empty space.
“That's impossible.”
The manager hurried forward, wiping rain from his forehead.
“I swear, Mr. Draven. No one has opened this grave since the funeral.”
My voice is dangerously low.
“And yet the body is gone.”
The man swallowed.
“We only discovered it this morning when maintenance workers were replacing the marble lining. The coffin was sealed, but…”
“But empty,” I finished coldly
A suffocating silence settled over the cemetery.
My mind raced.
Three years ago I had personally identified Aurelia's body after the car crash.
The police confirmed it.
The funeral happened.
The burial happened.
Everything had been real.
So how could the grave be empty?
Marcus leaned closer.
“Sir… about the woman at the gate.”
My eyes darkened instantly.
Eliora.
Her face flashed through my mind again.
The resemblance wasn't just similar.
It was identical.
Every feature.
Every expression.
Even the scar beneath her eyebrow.
I turned sharply.
“Find everything about her.”
Marcus didn't hesitate.
“Already started.”
“I want to know where she lives, where she works, who she talks to, and who put her in that hospital after the crash.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
I glanced once more at the empty coffin.
A terrible thought crept into my mind.
“What if Aurelia had never been buried here?”
“What if she had been alive all this time?”
My chest tightened painfully.
No.
Impossible.
And yet…
I turned towards Marcus again.
“Bring her to the mansion.”
Marcus blinked slightly
“Sir?”
“I want her where I can see her.”
Marcus studied my expression.
“You think she might really be…”
I cut him off immediately
“I think someone is lying.”
My voice turned ice cold
“And I'm going to find out who.”
The front doors of the mansion opened as I stepped outside.
I hadn't changed since the cemetery.
Still wearing the same dark suit.
The black car had just pulled up.
Rainwater still clung to the gravel driveway, reflecting the pale afternoon light.
Marcus stepped out of the driver's seat first before opening the back door.
Eliora stepped out slowly.
For a moment, she didn't even notice me.
Her eyes were fixed in the mansion.
Wide, curious and stunned.
She slowly turned her head taking in the massive stone walls.
Massive iron gates.
Perfectly trimmed gardens.
“Does he live alone in this entire place?” She asked quietly.
Marcus didn't answer.
I watched her carefully.
Even the way she looked felt familiar.
Aurelia had done the exact same thing the first day she stepped into this estate after our marriage.
The memory tightened something in my chest.
Finally, she noticed me standing near the entrance.
Her expression changed instantly.
Caution replaced curiosity.
I walked towards her slowly.
“You came.”
She crossed her arms.
“I didn't have much of a choice.”
Marcus moved back silently, giving us space.
Up close the resemblance was even more unsettling.
It wasn't just similar.
It was identical.
“You're staring again,” she said suddenly.
My gaze narrowed slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“That staring thing,” she said, shifting uncomfortably. “You were doing it at the cemetery too.”
I ignored the comment.
“Come inside.”
“Creepy billionaire.” She muttered
She hesitated before walking past me into the mansion.
The sound of her footsteps echoed softly across the marble floor.
Her head tilted as she looked around.
Marble floors.
Crystal chandeliers.
Grand staircases.
Elegant paintings covering the walls.
She stopped in the center of the hall.
“This place is… insane.”
I gestured toward the sitting room.
“Sit.”
She remained standing.
“I'd rather stand.”
“Stubborn.”
“That was something Aurelia used to do.”
I watched her for a moment before speaking.
“You said you have memory issues.”
Her expression shifted slightly.
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
She leaned against the arm of the couch.
“I lost my memories after an accident.”
My voice remained calm.
“What accident?”
“A car crash,” she said. “Three years ago.”
“Three years.”
“The same year Aurelia died.”
My fingers curled slowly at my side.
“And before that?”
She shook her head.
“I don't remember anything.”
“No family?”
“No.”
“No past?”
“Nothing useful,” she admitted
“Tell me about your accident.”
She frowned.
“I already told you.”
“I want details.”
She hesitated.
“I woke up in a hospital three years ago. The doctor told me I survived a car crash but suffered memory loss.”
“Which hospital?”
“I don't remember.”
“Which doctor?”
“I told you I don't remember!”
Frustration crept into her voice.
Then I asked the question again.
“Have you ever heard of the name Aurelia Draven?”
She frowned slightly.
“You keep asking that name,” she said slowly. “Who is she?”
My jaw tightened.
“She was my wife.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh.”
I continued calmly.
“She died in a car crash three years ago.”
She shifted awkwardly.
“I'm sorry.”
“You shouldn't be.”
She frowned.
“Why not?”
I looked directly at her.
“Because the grave we buried her in is empty.”
Her eyes widened.
The words hung in the air.
“What?”
“This morning the cemetery opened her grave.”
I paused.
“The coffin was empty.”
She stared at me.
“You're joking.”
“I don't joke.”
Her breathing became uneven.
“And you think… what exactly?”
I stepped closer.
“I think that the woman standing in front of me…”
She moved back immediately.
“No way!”
Marcus suddenly entered the room.
“Sir.”
I didn't take my eyes off her.
“Yes.”
“The background check you asked for.”
That made my attention snap toward him.
“You got it?”
Marcus handed me a tablet.
“Yes, sir.”
I opened it slowly.
“What!?” I muttered slowly.
- Writer
