THREE
327 Words
Chapter 3 – The Wall Within the Heart
The next morning, Althea woke up in a grand, luxurious room that felt nothing like her own. Soft curtains swayed with the morning breeze, yet they offered no comfort to the heaviness weighing on her chest. Beside the bed lay a collection of elegant clothes, carefully chosen by a personal stylist—garments she never desired, never even dreamed of wearing.
Each fabric felt like a shackle. She was nothing more than decoration, a jewel displayed for society’s eyes.
When she went down to the dining hall, she found Xavier busy with his laptop. He didn’t even lift his gaze as she entered.
“Sit down. They’ve prepared breakfast,” he said, his tone colder than the morning air.
She sat quietly, the distance between them painfully clear despite sitting face-to-face. Only the clinking of silverware and the rustle of contract papers filled the silence.
“Xavier…” she gathered her courage, “how long do we have to keep this up?”
He paused for a moment but didn’t look at her. “Until the agreement ends.”
Each word struck her heart. No warmth. No hope.
But before the pain could fully consume her, Xavier’s next words broke through the cold mask he wore—unexpected, almost out of place.
“If you want to stay, you need to learn to be strong. Don’t let them get to you. Remember—here in my world, weakness is the most dangerous sin.”
Althea blinked, her lips parted in surprise. She couldn’t tell if it was a warning or a form of protection. Yet deep inside, she sensed something stronger:
That no matter how high the wall Xavier had built around himself, there was still a faint trace of a door she might dare to open.
And for the first time, a dangerous thought crossed her mind:
What if, beyond this contract, she began to fall for him?
- Writer
