Chapter 9: Dinner without Jed
1258 Words
The evening settled quietly over the mansion.
The soft glow of the sunset filtered through the tall glass windows, casting warm shades of orange and gold across the spacious living room. The house staff moved quietly through the hallways as they prepared dinner, their footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floors.
Ava stood near the large window in her bedroom, watching the sky slowly darken.
She had spent most of the afternoon outside in the garden, trying to clear her mind after the awkward moment with Jed in the sitting room earlier. Even now, she could still remember the brief contact of his hands steadying her.
It had only lasted a second.
Yet it had left her feeling strangely unsettled.
She pressed her lips together slightly and turned away from the window.
A gentle knock came from the door.
“Come in,” Ava said.
One of the housemaids stepped inside respectfully.
“Madam, Mr. Leo called earlier,” the maid said.
Ava’s attention shifted immediately.
“Did he say when he’ll be home?”
The maid hesitated slightly before answering.
“He said he will not be returning tonight. He has an important meeting that will continue late into the night.”
Ava felt a familiar feeling settle quietly in her chest.
Disappointment.
But she quickly hid it.
“I see,” she replied calmly.
“He asked us to inform you.”
“Thank you.”
The maid nodded politely before leaving the room.
Once the door closed again, the room felt unusually quiet.
Ava sighed softly and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Leo not coming home wasn’t surprising.
It had happened many times before.
Still, a small part of her had hoped he might return early tonight.
She shook her head slightly.
“There’s no point thinking about it,” she murmured to herself.
After freshening up, Ava finally made her way downstairs for dinner.
The dining room lights were already on, illuminating the long elegant table set neatly with plates and silverware.
But as she entered, she realized something immediately.
Someone was already there.
Jed sat comfortably at the table, scrolling through his phone while waiting.
When he noticed her, he looked up.
“Good evening.”
Ava paused briefly before walking further into the room.
“Good evening.”
She sat down across from him, keeping a polite distance.
“I heard Leo won’t be home tonight,” Jed said casually.
Ava nodded.
“Yes. He has work.”
Jed hummed softly but didn’t comment further.
The staff soon began serving dinner.
For a few minutes, the room remained quiet except for the soft clinking of cutlery against plates.
Ava focused on her meal, hoping the silence would continue.
But Jed wasn’t someone who enjoyed long silences.
“So,” he said after a while, leaning slightly back in his chair.
“What were you like before you married Leo?”
Ava looked up, surprised by the sudden question.
“What do you mean?”
Jed shrugged lightly.
“I mean before this house, before all these responsibilities. What was your life like?”
Ava hesitated.
No one had asked her that question in a long time.
She set her fork down slowly.
“I was studying in college when I met Leo.”
“That I know,” Jed replied. “But what about before that?”
Ava thought quietly for a moment.
“I lived a fairly simple life,” she said eventually.
“My family isn’t wealthy like Leo’s. My parents valued education a lot, so they encouraged me to focus on my studies.”
Jed listened carefully.
“And you did?”
“Yes.”
She smiled faintly.
“I spent most of my time reading. Books were always my escape.”
“That explains the library,” Jed said with a small grin.
Ava almost smiled.
“What about friends?” he asked.
“I had a few,” Ava replied.
“But after marriage, people slowly drift apart.”
Jed studied her expression carefully.
“And are you happy now?”
The question came again.
Just like it had in the garden earlier.
Ava lowered her gaze to her plate.
“Marriage is not always about happiness,” she said quietly.
“It’s about responsibility.”
Jed didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.
“But that’s not what I asked.”
Ava sighed softly.
“You ask too many questions.”
Jed smiled slightly.
“That’s because you give very careful answers.”
The faint humor in his voice made Ava shake her head.
“You’re very observant.”
“I try to be.”
For a brief moment, silence settled between them again.
Then Jed spoke.
“You know, Leo wasn’t always this serious.”
Ava looked up with interest.
“He wasn’t?”
Jed chuckled softly.
“No. When we were younger, he could actually be quite funny.”
“That’s hard to imagine.”
“I know.”
Jed leaned back slightly.
“But life changed him.”
Ava listened quietly as Jed continued speaking.
“After our parents passed away, he suddenly had the responsibility of running the company. He barely had time to think about anything else.”
Ava felt a small wave of sympathy.
She had known Leo carried a lot of responsibility.
But hearing it from Jed made the picture clearer.
“Still,” Jed added thoughtfully, “that doesn’t mean he should forget the people around him.”
Ava didn’t respond.
Instead, she focused on finishing her meal.
Jed noticed the slight tension in her expression.
“Sorry,” he said lightly.
“I probably shouldn’t speak about my brother like that.”
Ava shook her head slightly.
“It’s fine.”
But the truth was, his words had touched something she usually tried to ignore.
After dinner finished, the staff began clearing the table.
Ava stood up.
“I should go upstairs.”
“Already?” Jed asked.
“Yes.”
But as she turned to leave, Jed spoke again.
“Ava.”
She paused.
“You seem less lonely when you’re talking,” he said calmly.
The statement caught her off guard.
“I’m not lonely,” she replied quickly.
Jed didn’t argue.
Instead, he simply smiled slightly.
“Alright.”
Ava walked toward the staircase, but his words followed her in her mind.
You seem less lonely when you’re talking.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced back briefly.
Jed was still standing in the dining room, watching her.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Then Ava quickly turned and walked toward her bedroom.
Later that night, she lay in bed staring at the window again.
The mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
Leo still hadn’t returned.
And strangely enough, the conversation with Jed lingered in her thoughts longer than she expected.
Downstairs, Jed stood by the large window in the living room, looking out into the dark garden.
He crossed his arms thoughtfully.
Ava was much more complicated than he first assumed.
She tried very hard to hide her feelings.
But the more she tried, the more obvious they became.
Jed sighed softly.
“This house is going to become very interesting,” he murmured.
Because tonight had confirmed something he was slowly beginning to realize.
Ava wasn’t just someone he was curious about anymore.
And if things continued the way they were going…
their quiet dinners might soon become far more dangerous than either of them expected.
- Writer
