Chapter 3
693 Words
The cry of a rooster shattered the fragile silence of dawn.
Pale sunlight spilled through the curtains, crawling across the tangled sheets until it reached Elora’s face. Her eyes opened slowly, but there was no peace in them.
Only exhaustion.
Only fear.
Beside her, Windsor stirred awake with a quiet breath.
“Good morning, honey,” he murmured, voice thick with sleep.
Then a faint smile touched his lips.
“Last night was… unforgettable.”
Elora smiled back automatically.
A practiced smile.
Empty.
Because inside her chest, panic was already spreading.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
Windsor sat up slowly, looking strangely relaxed for the first time since their marriage began. Like some invisible battle inside him had finally settled.
And that terrified her.
“I’ve decided something,” he said casually. “I’m changing your surname on all your documents.”
Elora stiffened.
“And after that,” he continued, “we’ll leave for our honeymoon.”
The word hit her instantly.
“Honeymoon?” she repeated, sharper than intended. “Why would we need one?”
Windsor glanced at her, mildly surprised.
“This marriage was arranged,” Elora said quickly, her voice tightening. “We barely know each other. So why are you acting like this is real?”
The room fell silent.
Heavy.
Tense.
Windsor stood from the bed, sunlight cutting across his face. For a second, he looked less like a husband and more like a man making a decision he couldn’t take back.
“You’re right,” he said quietly. “This marriage began as a contract.”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“I offered the Matthew family a deal.”
Elora’s stomach tightened.
“And in return…” his voice lowered, “they handed me a daughter.”
The words sliced through her.
Not because they were cruel.
Because they were true.
She looked away quickly.
“We could still end this,” Windsor continued.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
For one dangerous second, hope slipped into her chest.
But then,
“But I don’t want to.”
The hope shattered immediately.
Windsor walked toward her slowly.
Measured.
Certain.
“From the moment we met,” he said, “something about you stayed in my head.”
Elora’s breath caught.
No.
That wasn’t possible.
“You spilled a drink on me at the party,” he continued. “Then handed me your handkerchief while everyone else stood frozen.”
His eyes locked onto hers.
“And somehow, you were the only person in that room who looked at me without fear.”
Elora’s pulse became uneven.
“These past weeks,” Windsor said softly, “I kept telling myself this marriage was business, temporary,simple.”
A bitter smile crossed his face.
“But every day with you made that lie harder to believe.”
He stopped directly in front of her.
“Elora,” he whispered, “make room for me in your heart.”
Her throat tightened painfully.
“Even a small space is enough.”
Then came the words she never expected.
“I love you.”
The world seemed to stop breathing.
Elora stared at him silently while her thoughts spiraled into chaos.
Love?
How could he love her?
He wasn’t supposed to marry her.
He was supposed to marry Matilda.
So why did he sound so certain?
Why did he look at her like she was the person he had been searching for all along?
“This doesn’t make sense,” she whispered.
But Windsor only stepped closer.
“You don’t have to believe me yet,” he said quietly.
His expression softened but somehow, that softness felt more dangerous than coldness ever had.
“I’ll prove it to you.”
The promise settled heavily between them.
Not comforting.
Not romantic.
Terrifying.
Because suddenly, Elora realized something far worse than Windsor loving her.
His memories didn’t match reality.
He believed she loved him that's why she helped him that night.
Either Windsor had been deceived from the beginning
Or he’s inlove with her.
Elora’s chest tightened as a darker thought crept in.
If Windsor truly believed she was the woman from the party…
- Writer
