The new beginning
1568 Words
The celebration had finally come to an end.
The last of the guests had departed, and the grand ballroom slowly emptied as staff quietly cleared away the remaining flowers and decorations.
Outside...
The valet remained beside a black sedan.
His brows furrowed.
Mr. Lawrence Alexander's car was still there.
He checked the time again before taking out his phone.
A few minutes later...
The study door opened after a light knock.
"Sir."
Thiago looked up from the document in his hand.
The valet stepped inside before lowering his head respectfully.
"Mr. Lawrence's vehicle is still at the reception venue."
Thiago's expression remained unchanged.
"He never came back for it."
Silence.
The valet continued.
"We tried reaching him several times."
"No answer."
Another brief silence followed.
Then Thiago calmly closed the file before him.
"I'll handle it."
The valet nodded.
"Should we inform Mrs. Adebayo?"
"No."
His answer came without hesitation.
"Not until we know what's happened."
"Yes, sir."
After the valet left...
Thiago picked up his phone.
"Ismael."
"Sir."
"I need every available team."
A brief pause.
"Find Lawrence Alexander."
"Immediately."
"I understand."
The call ended.
For a moment...
Thiago remained standing before quietly slipping the phone back into his pocket.
Then...
He walked toward the bedroom.
The bedroom door opened quietly.
Soft golden light from the bedside lamps filled the room.
Anabelle had already removed the heavier pieces of her bridal jewelry. Her hair, once carefully styled for the ceremony, now fell naturally over her shoulders.
She looked up as Thiago entered.
"Everything alright?"
He loosened the cuff of his sleeve.
"Yes."
She studied him for a brief moment.
There was nothing unusual about his expression.
Calm.
Collected.
Exactly as it had been throughout the day.
He walked toward the wardrobe and removed another set of bedding.
Anabelle watched him.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm making sure you're comfortable."
He placed a pillow and a neatly folded blanket on the sofa by the window.
Her eyes lingered on them before returning to him.
"You don't have to do that."
"I know."
His voice was even.
"But trust isn't built in a day."
The room grew quiet.
For the first time since the wedding...
Neither of them felt the need to fill the silence.
Anabelle lowered her gaze.
The day had been overwhelming.
From the ceremony...
To seeing her father again...
To becoming Mrs. Adebayo.
Everything had happened so quickly that she had barely had time to breathe.
"Get some rest," Thiago said.
"We leave the rest for tomorrow."
She gave a small nod.
"Good night."
"Good night."
Thiago switched off the main lights, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp.
Outside...
The mansion settled into silence.
Inside...
Two people who had become husband and wife only hours earlier drifted into a peaceful night...
Unaware that somewhere else...
A very different night had just begun.
Morning sunlight spilled gently through the floor-to-ceiling curtains.
Anabelle stirred before slowly opening her eyes.
For a brief moment...
She simply lay there.
Then the events of yesterday returned.
The wedding.
Her father.
The vows.
She was no longer Anabelle Alexander.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Mrs. Adebayo?"
The title made her pause.
It still felt unfamiliar.
She slipped out of bed and opened the door.
Clara stood outside, dressed neatly in her usual uniform.
"Good morning, ma'am."
"Good morning."
Clara smiled politely.
"Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes."
"I've also been asked to show you around the household afterwards."
Anabelle nodded.
"Thank you."
Thirty minutes later...
The dining room was quiet.
Thiago had already finished reading the morning reports placed beside his coffee.
He looked up as Anabelle entered.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
She took her seat across from him.
Breakfast passed comfortably.
There was no awkwardness.
No pressure to force conversation.
Just an unexpected sense of ease.
When they finished...
Thiago stood.
"I'll be in the study."
He gave Clara a brief glance.
"Go ahead."
"Yes, sir."
Clara led Anabelle through one of the long corridors.
"The household runs on a fixed schedule," she explained.
"The kitchen prepares the weekly menu every Sunday."
She pointed toward another hallway.
"The guest suites are on this side."
"The household accounts are reviewed at the end of every month."
As they continued walking...
Staff members they passed stopped briefly.
"Good morning, Mrs. Adebayo."
"Good morning, ma'am."
Anabelle acknowledged each greeting with a gentle nod.
The title still sounded unfamiliar...
But with every step...
It became just a little more real.
By the time Clara finished...
They had returned to the main sitting room.
"If there's anything you need, ma'am," Clara said, "please let me know."
"Thank you, Clara."
Clara gave a small bow before quietly excusing herself.
Anabelle remained where she was.
The mansion was peaceful.
Almost...
Too peaceful.
She walked toward one of the tall windows overlooking the gardens.
For the first time in what felt like forever...
There was nothing demanding her attention.
No deadlines.
No fashion house.
No wedding preparations.
No chaos.
She folded her arms.
"I'm already bored."
A quiet voice came from behind her.
"That didn't take long."
She turned.
Thiago had just stepped into the room.
A faint smile threatened to appear on her lips.
"I wasn't expecting the mansion to be this... quiet."
"It usually is."
He stopped beside her, his hands resting casually in his pockets.
After a brief silence, Anabelle spoke again.
"I've been thinking."
Thiago looked at her.
"I don't want to spend my days doing nothing."
He waited.
"I want to work."
Without hesitation, he answered,
"No."
She blinked.
"No?"
"You've had enough responsibilities these past few weeks."
"I know."
Her voice remained calm.
"But staying idle isn't for me."
Their eyes met.
Neither raised their voice.
Neither looked away.
Finally...
Thiago spoke.
"You'll work."
Anabelle frowned slightly.
"I will?"
He gave a single nod.
"But not today."
She looked at him, curiosity replacing her earlier boredom.
Before she could ask another question...
He said,
"First..."
"Where would you like to go for our honeymoon?"
The question caught her completely off guard.
For a moment...
She simply stared at him.
"You... want me to choose?"
Thiago's expression remained as composed as ever.
"You're my wife."
"It should be our decision."
The words settled quietly between them.
For the first time...
Anabelle realized that Thiago wasn't making decisions for her.
He was making room for her to make them with him.
Anabelle held his gaze for another moment.
Then...
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I'll have to think about it."
"Take your time."
There was no urgency in his voice.
No expectation.
He simply accepted her answer.
A light knock interrupted the moment.
"Sir."
Ismael stood at the entrance.
"I apologize for interrupting."
Thiago looked toward him.
"What is it?"
"A document requires your signature."
Thiago nodded once.
"I'll be there."
Ismael inclined his head before leaving.
Thiago looked back at Anabelle.
"I'll be in the study."
She nodded.
"I'll see you later."
He gave a slight nod before walking away.
Anabelle remained where she was for a few seconds.
Then she looked out through the window again.
A honeymoon.
She hadn't even thought that far ahead.
Everything had happened so quickly that she'd barely had time to accept becoming Mrs. Adebayo.
Now...
She was expected to decide where they would begin their first journey together.
She let out a quiet breath.
"So much has changed..."
Outside...
The gardens swayed gently beneath the morning breeze.
Inside the study...
Thiago closed the door behind him.
The warmth that had briefly softened his expression disappeared.
Ismael was already waiting.
"The teams have begun searching."
Thiago nodded.
"Any leads?"
"Not yet."
A brief silence settled between them.
Then Thiago spoke.
"Keep the search quiet."
"Especially from Mrs. Adebayo."
"Yes, sir."
Thiago turned toward the window.
His eyes fixed on the distance.
Somewhere...
Lawrence Alexander had vanished.
And until he knew why...
No one—not even Anabelle—would hear a word about it.
Darkness.
A dull ache spread through Lawrence's head before he slowly regained consciousness.
His vision remained blurred.
For a few seconds...
He couldn't remember where he was.
Then he tried to move.
His wrists refused.
Rope.
He looked down.
Both hands were tightly bound to the chair.
The room was dimly lit.
Concrete walls.
A single metal table.
Nothing else.
The sound of footsteps echoed from outside.
The heavy door creaked open.
Two men walked in.
Neither spoke immediately.
One of them placed a small recorder on the table.
The other pulled up a chair and sat opposite Lawrence.
Silence lingered.
Then...
"Where's the video?"
Lawrence looked at him without answering.
The man repeated himself.
"The last copy."
Lawrence remained silent.
A sharp punch landed across his face.
His head turned with the impact.
Blood gathered at the corner of his lip.
He slowly looked back.
"I don't have it."
The room fell quiet.
The two men exchanged a glance.
The one standing by the door finally spoke.
"We searched him."
"Nothing."
The seated man leaned forward.
"Then where is it?"
Lawrence met his eyes.
"I don't know."
Another silence.
This time...
Longer.
The seated man stood.
"Keep him alive."
"We'll ask again."
The two men walked out.
The heavy door slammed shut behind them.
Lawrence lowered his head.
His breathing was uneven.
But despite everything...
He had told them the truth.
The video...
Wasn't with him anymore.
- Writer
