Chapter 4 The First Night
997 Words
The mansion was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence that helped someone sleep, but the kind that made every tiny sound seem dangerous.
Amara lay on the enormous bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was larger than the apartment she had rented for years.
Soft cream-coloured walls, elegant furniture, sparkling chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows made it look like
something from a luxury magazine.
The mattress was so soft she should have fallen asleep the moment she lay down. Instead, she couldn't close her eyes.
Everything she tried, she saw shattered glass exploding across Alexander's office.
She heard the gunshots.
She remembered the terror in her own scream.
Then Claire's words echoed through her mind.
“Every woman who has loved Alexander Knight ends up ruined.”
Amara pulled the duvet closer around herself.
“What have I gotten myself into?” she whispered.
She climbed out of bed and walked towards the window.
Outside, the estate stretched endlessly into the darkness.
Bright security lights illuminated the gardens, while armed guards patrolled the grounds with trained dogs.
Security cameras turned slowly from side to side.
From the outside, the mansion looked impossible to break into. But appearances could be deceiving.
After everything that had happened today, Amara no longer believed that expensive walls could keep danger away.
She wrapped her arms around herself.
Somewhere in the city, her father was sleeping in a hospital bed, completely unaware that his daughter had married a
billonaire to save his life.
She wondered what he would say if he discovered the truth.
A sudden gust of wind pushed against the window.
She sighed.
Maybe tomorrow will make more sense.
Maybe..
Click..
The tiny sound froze her where she stood.
She slowly turned her head.
The bedroom door had moved.
Just slightly.
Her pulse quickened.
Perhaps it was only the wind.
She stared at the door.It moved again.
Very slowly, the polished handle turned by itself.
The door creaked open.
A shadow slipped inside her room.
Amara's heart hammered against her ribs.
“Who's there?” she called, trying to sound brave.
Silence.
The figure remained still.
She couldn't make out a face.
Only darkness.
Her breathing became uneven.
“I asked who you are!”
The figure suddenly rushed towards her.
Before she could scream, a gloved hand clamped firmly over her mouth.
Her eyes widened with terror.
She struggled, but the stranger was stronger.
“Quiet.”
The voice was low.
Male.
Definitely not Alexander's.
“If you want to stay alive,” the stranger whispered close to her ear." Leave this house before it's too late.”
Amara stopped struggling.
The words chilled her more than the hand over her mouth.
Who was he?
How had he entered the mansion guarded by dozens of armed men?
The stranger slowly released her.
She spun around instantly.
But the room was empty.
The bedroom door swung gently.
The hallway beyond deserted.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Nothing.
It was as if the mysterious visitor had vanished into thin air.
Amara hurried to the doorway and looked in both directions.
The corridor stretched endlessly beneath expensive paintings and glowing wall lamps.
There wasn't a single person in sight.
Her heart was still racing when another voice broke the silence.
“Amara.”
She gasped and turned sharply.
Alexander stood at the opposite end of the hallway.
His dark eyes immediately searched her frightened face before scanning every corner of the room behind her.
He walked towards her.
“What happened?”
Amara opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Should she tell him?
What if the stranger had been telling the truth?
What if Alexander wasn't the victim.. But the reason everyone here was in danger?
“I… “she began uncertainly.
“I thought I heard someone.”
Alexander looked around carefully.
His expression didn't change.
“This estate has the most advanced security system in the country.”
His voice was calm.
“No one enters this house without my permission."
Amara felt her stomach tighten.
She knew what she had experienced.
The stranger's hand had been real.
His warning had been real.
Someone had been standing only inches away from her.
Alexander stepped into the room.
Without another word, he inspected the windows.
Then the balcony.
Then the wardrobe.
Finally, his eyes settled on the bedroom door.
Something caught his attention.
He crouched slowly on the polished wooden floor, barely visible beneath the light, was a muddy footprint.
Fresh.
Alexander's expression darkened.
He reached into his jacket and quietly pulled out a black handgun.
Amara stared in disbelief.
“You carry a gun?”
“I carry it because I have to.”
He stood,h his eyes never leaving the hallway.
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“Stay behind me.”
For the first time since meeting him, Amara saw genuine concern on his face.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for her.
And something warm tugged at heart.
He took a slow step towards the open doorway.
Then another.
The mansion was silent once more.
Too silent
Suddenly..
A loud crash echoed from somewhere ddownstais.
Glass shattered.
A woman screamed.
Alexander's face changed instantly.
“Lock this door,” he ordered.
“What about you? Amara quipped.
“I'm going to find out who's inside my house.”
He disappeared into the corridor before she could stop him.
Amara stood frozen, staring after him.
Every instinct told her to lock the door and stay hidden.
But another part of her needed answers.
Against her better judgement, she stepped quietly into the hallway.
As she reached the top of the grand staircase, she looked down into the entrance hall.
Her blood ran cold.
A man entirely dressed in black stood below
His face was hidden beneath a hood.
In one hand, he held a pistol.
In the other…
He held a photograph.
It was a photograph of Amara.
The stranger looked up slowly
Their eyes met.
Then he smiled.
- Writer
