chapter five
671 Words
The First Night
The massive front doors of the Carter mansion opened.
A line of neatly dressed servants stood on both sides of the entrance.
The moment Ethan and Maya stepped inside, everyone bowed.
"Welcome home, Mr. Carter."
"Welcome home, Mrs. Carter."
Mrs. Carter.
The title echoed in Maya's mind.
It didn't feel real.
She wasn't Mrs. Carter.
She was only pretending.
Ethan handed his car keys to the butler.
"Thomas."
"Yes, sir."
"Prepare the east wing. My wife will be staying there."
The butler looked surprised for a brief second but quickly nodded.
"Right away, sir."
Maya noticed the servants exchanging subtle glances.
It seemed unusual.
Very unusual.
---
As they walked deeper into the mansion, Maya couldn't stop looking around.
Paintings worth millions decorated the walls.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the marble floors.
Fresh flowers filled every corner with a delicate fragrance.
It felt less like a home and more like a palace.
"You can stop pretending."
Ethan's voice broke the silence.
Maya looked at him.
"Pretending?"
"To be impressed."
"You've been here before."
"Oh..."
She forced an awkward smile.
"I guess today everything feels... different."
Ethan said nothing.
But he filed away another inconsistency.
---
Thomas returned with a respectful bow.
"Sir, dinner is ready."
"I'll eat later."
Ethan replied.
He turned to Maya.
"You should eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"That wasn't a question."
His calm but firm tone caught her off guard.
She nodded.
"Okay."
---
The dining room was enormous.
A table that could seat twenty people stood in the center.
Yet only Maya sat there.
The servants served course after course.
Soup.
Steak.
Fresh bread.
Dessert.
She barely touched any of it.
A middle-aged housekeeper approached her kindly.
"My name is Margaret."
"If you need anything, you may ask me."
"Thank you."
Margaret smiled warmly.
"I've worked here for over twenty years."
"It's nice to finally have a lady of the house."
Maya's smile faded.
"If only you knew..."
---
Meanwhile...
Ethan stood in his study, staring at an old photograph.
It showed him and Sophia during their engagement party.
He compared it to the woman downstairs.
"They have the same face..."
He murmured.
"But not the same eyes."
His phone buzzed.
It was Ryan.
Ryan: So... how's married life?
Ethan replied with only four words.
Ethan: Something is very wrong.
---
Later that night...
Margaret led Maya upstairs.
"This is the master bedroom."
Maya stopped in her tracks.
"Our bedroom?"
"Yes, Mrs. Carter."
Her face turned bright red.
She had completely forgotten.
They were husband and wife.
Which meant...
They were expected to share a room.
Before she could panic further, Ethan appeared behind them.
"Margaret."
"Yes, sir?"
"Prepare the guest room."
Margaret blinked in surprise.
"The guest room?"
"My wife will sleep there."
Maya looked at Ethan, confused.
He met her gaze.
"We barely know each other."
"I don't believe in pretending more than necessary."
Relief washed over Maya.
"Thank you."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Ethan noticed.
Sophia would never have thanked him for something she considered her right.
Another difference.
Another question.
---
An hour later...
Maya changed into a simple cotton nightdress and sat on the edge of the guest bed.
She couldn't sleep.
Her phone remained silent.
No calls.
No messages.
No sign of Sophia.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Where are you?"
"What happened?"
She hugged her knees.
"I'm scared..."
---
At the same moment...
Ethan stood outside the guest room.
He had come to ask one simple question.
But before knocking...
He heard quiet sobbing from inside.
He froze.
Sophia never cried.
Not like this.
He stood there for a long moment.
Then quietly walked away without knocking.
Back in his room, he poured himself a glass of water and looked out the window.
His instincts had never failed him.
And tonight, they were telling him one thing.
The woman sleeping under his roof...
Was hiding the biggest secret of her life.
He just didn't know...
How close he already was to discovering it.
- Writer
