Chapter 9
1040 Words
Lora’s POV
I thought leaving the hospital would bring relief only that I didn’t realize I was walking straight into something far worse.
The nurse’s voice faded in and out as she went over discharge instructions I barely heard. Something about rest, medications and coming back if the pain worsened.
I nodded when I was supposed to, signed where they pointed, and kept my hands still in my lap so no one would notice how tightly they were clenched.
“It’s a superficial injury,” the doctor said, his tone calm and professional. “You’ll need to avoid unnecessary strain for a few days.”
“I understand,” I replied.
Before I could say anything else, Drake stepped forward.
“She’ll be resting,” he said, his voice firm, leaving no room for discussion.
The doctor nodded immediately. “Of course, Mr. Grayson.”
That was it.
No questions directed at me. No decisions left for me to make. Everything moved around me, as if my presence was optional.
I swallowed the quiet discomfort rising in my chest.
By the time we stepped out of the room, everything had already been arranged. The paperwork handled. The staff dismissed. The path cleared.
Drake didn’t look at me as we walked, but I could feel it anyway. That same quiet attention that had followed me since he walked in earlier.
I kept my gaze forward, matching his pace, careful not to move too quickly, careful not to draw attention to anything that didn’t need to be seen.
We reached the car without a word. The door was already opened, he gestured for me to get it and I did.
The leather seat felt colder than I expected as I settled into it. I adjusted slightly, careful of my side.
The door shut and a moment later, he was beside me.
Silence filled the space between us almost instantly.
The car began to move.
I turned my head toward the window, watching the city blur past in streaks of light and motion. People moved freely on the sidewalks, unaware of anything beyond their own lives.
For a brief second, I envied them.
They probably have no pressures, expectations or secrets pressing against their ribs like something waiting to break free.
I inhaled slowly, trying to steady myself.
Don’t think too much.
Don’t react.
Just stay calm.
The movement of the car was smooth, steady, but my body felt the total opposite. A faint unease stirred low in my stomach, subtle at first, then sharper when I shifted slightly in my seat.
I stilled immediately.
Not now.
My fingers tightened faintly against the fabric of my dress before I forced them to relax.
Beside me, Drake reached forward, adjusting the air slightly.
“Too warm?” he asked.
His tone was calm, almost casual.
I shook my head. “No.” I lied.
He didn’t push. But when I glanced at him briefly, his gaze was already on me.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, but it wasn’t empty. It felt filled with things unsaid. Questions that hadn’t been asked yet. Answers I wasn’t ready to give.
Then the car slowed and I watched quietly as the gate iron bars that separated the world outside from whatever waited within, opened.
The car moved forward and just like that, I crossed into a space that didn’t feel like it belonged to me.
The driveway stretched ahead, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and soft lights that illuminated the path. Everything was too precise.
The mansion stood at the end of it all. I heaved a sigh as it occurred to me again that this was where I was supposed to live…..for a year.
The car came to a stop.
Before I could reach for the handle, Drake was already out. The door on my side opened, and he stood there, waiting.
I hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing my hand in his.
He helped me out, steadying me with a firm grip that lingered just long enough to remind me that I wasn’t doing any of this on my own.
Or by choice.
I straightened, adjusting the fabric of my dress slightly.
That was when I noticed them.
The staff lined up neatly at the entrance, standing in quiet attention as we approached.
My steps slowed instinctively but Drake’s didn’t.
“This is my wife,” he said simply as we reached them.
I wondered why he didn’t introduce me to them the first day he had brought me home.
“Welcome, Mrs. Grayson.”
The greeting came in unison.
The title settled over me like something heavy.
Mrs. Grayson.
I forced a small nod, unsure of what else I was supposed to do.
Their eyes didn’t linger on me for long. Most of them shifted their attention back to Drake almost immediately, waiting for instruction or direction.
And that was when it settled in. Here, I wasn’t seen because of who I was, I was seen because of him.
Drake’s hand brushed lightly against my back, guiding me forward.
“Inside,” he said.
The doors opened before we reached them.
My footsteps felt louder than they should have as we walked further in.
And then, I felt it….a sensation I couldn’t explain. Like I was being watched.
I slowed slightly.
Then I noticed a change in Dante’s posture. It was subtle and barely noticeable. Yet it was enough to tell me that whatever I was feeling… he had already noticed it too.
Before I could question it, a voice broke through the silence.
“Welcome back home.”
I turned.
Vivian stood at the center of the room as if she had always been there.
She was perfectly dressed and looked composed. A smile resting on her lips that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Her gaze moved over me slowly, taking in every detail, every flaw, every weakness.
And in that moment, I understood something without needing it to be said.
I wasn’t welcome here.
“Welcome back home,” she repeated sweetly.
But the look in her eyes told me something else entirely.
I had just walked into a place that was already waiting to destroy me.
- Writer
