Chapter 4: Familiar yet unfamiliar
1090 Words
Chapter 4: Familiar yet unfamiliar
Maria's POV
"They're exactly where they belong." I froze, my smile disappearing at the sound of that voice.
That voice was slow, calm and unfamiliar
"...Who's there?"
I was met with nothing but silence, I slowly turned, no one was there, the office was empty.
My breathing quickened.
"I'm imagining things..."
"You've been doing that quite often these days."
This time, the voice came from behind the bookshelf, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
When a tall man stepped into view as though he had always been there.
Fair skin, dirty blond hair and golden eyes that seemed almost unnatural beneath the morning light, he had a face that would make other males feel inferior.
His tailored black suit looked spotless despite the dust of the renovated office.
He casually brushed invisible dust from one of the books before placing it back on the shelf.
"You know..." he said, his fingers lingering on the spine of the book, "people spend their lives rearranging shelves..."
He paused as he looked towards me, his gaze focused on me making me feel like he was a hunter looking at his prey then he averted his gaze before continuing
"...never realizing it is the library itself that changes."
I stared at him before mastering the courage to ask
"...Who are you?"
Instead of answering, he picked up another book.
"If a bird forgets where it built its first nest..." Before closing the book gently."...does the forest forget?"
I could not hold it back again. "I don't have time for riddles, leave my office or I'm calling security" I said sternly, my number one rule was ‘never allow the enemy to sense your fear’
"I knew you'll say that” He replied with a faint smile before he let out a chuckle
"And yet..."He reached inside his coat "...here you are."
He suddenly placed an old parchment on my desk.
The parchment bore an ancient, unbroken seal, a seal looking familiar yet unfamiliar. My heartbeat quickened at the sight of that parchment, the alarms in my head went off
"What is this?" I asked staring deep into his golden pupils while he stared back not for once averting his gaze from me
"A choice."
I quickly unfolded the parchment. As I skimmed the elegant handwriting, my blood ran cold.
Marriage Contract.
My gaze snapped back to him.
"...You expect me to marry you?"I said with rage.
"I expect nothing." he replied slowly with an amused smile on his lips
"You've mistaken me for someone else."
"I never make that mistake."
My hands tightened around the contract as it drowned to me, this voice sounded similar to the one that echoed through the speaker, the day of the Fire.
"It was you." I said to him, I was sure it had to be him he's the only one that can pull off this stunt
His expression remained unreadable
"The fire."
"The voice."
"You're been behind all of this."
For several seconds...
Neither of us spoke.
Finally...
Carlos smiled.
"The truth is a curious thing." He said as he slowly stepped closer.
"...while refusing to answer the one that matters."
I narrowed my eyes as he closed the distance between us, making me lean backwards
"So you're not denying it."
"I'm not confirming it either."I could feel his breathe on my neck
He suddenly turned towards the windows overlooking Madrid.
"The contract remains valid for seven days."
"If it remains unsigned..."
He looked over his shoulder.
"...the past has a habit of introducing itself."
Before I could move—
He was gone,the office door had never opened.
The room fell deathly silent.
Only the contract remained.
——
My trembling hands reached for my phone, that feeling of fear slowly creeped in, I needed answers, why does that old seal look like my family seal. Who should I call ?
Dad?
No answer.
I frowned, that wasn't unusual,mum and dad often disappeared for royal matters without notice.
She called again, nothing. Something is wrong. It has been 5months since they left.
I could not help but sigh, lets try mum's line, and it wait straight to voicemail
"They'll call back."
An hour passed, then another. Nothing.
No calls no messages
For the first time...
Unease settled deep inside my chest.
I pressed the intercom
"Leo."
His voice answered almost instantly.
"Yes, Miss Cermen?"
"I need you to locate my parents." I gave my orders something is not right
"You think something's wrong?" Leo asked a little worried after my parents are his and Sofia's godparents
"I don't know."I replied before letting out a soft sigh.
“And that's exactly what worries me" I muttered to myself deep in thought mum, dad please be fine
——
*Three days later
Every report returned the same answer
No sightings.
No convoy.
No communication.
No trace.
I stared silently at the city beyond my office windows.
Who am I going to ask ? What am I going to do? Dear lord. It has been three days since I met Carlos Ivanov and he placed the contract before me.
I reached for my phone as it dawned on me that there was one person who may
I scrolled through my contacts before pressing Call.
Lady Isabella Cermen.
My father's elder sister.
The call connected after only one ring.
"...Maria."
"Aunt Isabella."
"I've been trying to reach Father and Mother, but I can't connect to any of their lines” I said slowly before asking "Do you have any explanation for their disappearance ” I waited patiently for her reply
"There is."She responded slowly
And I immediately straightened my posture
"You know where they are?"
A long silence followed.
When Isabella finally spoke...
Her voice carried neither fear nor surprise.
Only certainty.
"The contract."
I looked down at the parchment lying on her desk.
"...What about it?”
"Sign it." Aunt Isabella said, with an authoritative tune, that statement came as a command to me, but how did know about it
My eyes widened after she said that
"Aunty …Excuse me?"
"Sign the contract Maria, everything else....will make sense afterwards."
The line went dead.
I remained frozen, staring at the ancient parchment as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the Madrid skyline.
For the first time since the photographs arrived...
I realized this was never about blackmail,It was about something much older, something that the family has been expecting.
At that moment I realised that I've been kept in the dark for so long.
- Writer
