chapter 6 the shadow returns
600 Words
Anna barely slept. Every creak of the mansion, every whisper of wind against the windows kept her wide awake, her body rigid on the far edge of the bed. She could feel him even when he didn’t touch her—the weight of his presence, the quiet strength that filled the room like smoke.
And when morning came, he was gone.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, trying to shake the strange heaviness in her chest. Maybe it was relief. Maybe it was disappointment. She didn’t want to think about it.
Slipping into the robe the maid had left, Anna padded through the hallways, her bare feet silent against the marble floor. She was starving and anxious, a miserable combination that twisted her stomach into knots.
The dining room was already set—crystal glasses, silver cutlery gleaming in the morning light. David sat at the head of the table, black coffee in hand, his phone face-down beside him.
But he wasn’t alone.
A man she didn’t recognize sat opposite him, dressed in casual elegance. He had a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and an air of effortless confidence that made her skin prickle.
“Anna,” David said, his voice calm but edged with something she couldn’t name. “Join us.”
Her feet felt heavy as she crossed the room and slid into the chair he pulled out for her. Her pulse spiked when his hand brushed her shoulder—a fleeting touch, but enough to send a shiver racing down her spine.
“This is Marcus Hale,” David said. “An old acquaintance.”
Marcus’s smile widened. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Scott-to-be. You’re even lovelier than the headlines.”
Anna forced a polite smile, her fingers curling in her lap. “Thank you.”
“Quite the whirlwind romance,” Marcus continued, his tone light, conversational. “Marriage, power, a fairytale ending. Almost makes me believe in love again.”
Anna’s stomach tightened. Something in his voice didn’t sound like admiration. It sounded like… mockery.
David’s expression didn’t change, but the steel in his gaze sharpened. “What do you want, Marcus?”
Marcus shrugged lightly, his smile never faltering. “Nothing much. Just… catching up with an old friend.” His eyes slid back to Anna, glinting with something she couldn’t decipher. “Though I have to admit, I didn’t expect to find you so… domesticated.”
David’s jaw flexed. “Leave her out of this.”
The shift in his voice—low, dangerous—sent a shiver racing down Anna’s spine.
Marcus tilted his head, still smiling. “Protective now, are we? That’s new.” He leaned back, fingers drumming lazily on the table. “Tell me, David… do you still wake up at night? Thinking about him?”
The air froze.
Anna’s breath hitched. Him? Who?
David’s face remained impassive, but his grip on the coffee cup whitened his knuckles. “This conversation is over.”
Marcus stood slowly, his smile turning razor-sharp. “Of course. But if you ever want the truth…” He slipped a card onto the table, his voice dropping low, meant only for David.
“Your best friend didn’t die the way you think.”
And then he was gone, leaving silence heavy enough to crush her lungs.
Anna stared at David, her heart thundering. “David… what was that about?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the card, his face carved from stone.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a growl.
“Breakfast is over
- Writer
