Chapter 10
1465 Words
Lora’s POV
The moment she smiled at me, I knew I had walked into something I wasn’t likely to survive untouched.
It wasn’t the kind of smile meant to welcome. It didn’t reach her eyes, didn’t soften her face. It sat there, perfectly placed, like something she had practiced and polished over years of deception.
I stood at the base of the staircase, my fingers tightening slightly against the fabric of my dress. The house felt different now. The first time I had been here, everything had been overwhelming. The size, the silence, the wealth pressing in from every corner.
Now, it felt like something else entirely.
Like I had stepped into a place where every movement would be watched and judged.
Drake stood beside me, his presence steady, unreadable. His hand rested lightly at my back, not quite touching, but close enough to remind me he was there.
Close enough to remind everyone else too.
Vivian descended the staircase slowly, her heels clicking against the marble with quiet precision. Every step felt deliberate, like she was taking her time to study me.
Her burgundy dress flowed effortlessly around her, elegant and expensive in a way that made my own outfit feel insignificant.
But it wasn’t her appearance that unsettled me.
It was the way she looked at me, like she already knew something I didn’t.
“Has Chloe told her anything?” I wondered.
“Welcome home,” she said softly, her voice smooth, controlled. “Daughter in law.”
The words settled between us, light on the surface but heavy underneath.
I forced a small smile, careful, measured. “Thank you.”
She stopped a few steps away, her gaze moving slowly over me, taking in every detail. From my hair, to my face, to the way I stood too still, like I was trying not to give anything away.
Her eyes lingered for just a second too long.
“You must be exhausted,” she continued. “After everything that happened earlier. Such an unfortunate incident.”
My stomach tightened.
There was something in the way she said it.
“I’m fine,” I said quietly.
“Of course you are.” Her smile deepened slightly. “You seem like a resilient girl.”
Girl.
Not woman. Not equal.
Just something small. Something easy to break.
Drake shifted beside me then, just slightly, but enough to draw attention. His voice, when he spoke, was calm but firm.
“She needs rest.”
Vivian’s eyes flicked to him, the smile never leaving her face. “Naturally. I’m only trying to make her feel welcome.”
Her gaze returned to me.
“And you are welcome here, Lora,” she added softly. “This is your home now.”
The words should have been reassuring.
Instead, they felt like a warning.
Before I could respond, movement behind her caught my attention.
My breath caught before I could stop it.
Chloe.
She appeared at the top of the stairs, her presence just as striking as before. Perfectly styled, perfectly composed, as if nothing in the world could ever touch her.
Her eyes found mine immediately. And she smiled.
“Well,” she said lightly as she made her way down, her gaze never leaving mine. “This is interesting.”
My chest tightened.
Drake’s hand moved slightly, this time resting more firmly against my back. The contact was subtle, but grounding in a way I hadn’t expected.
Chloe reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped beside Vivian, her posture relaxed, confident, like she belonged here in a way I never could.
Her eyes flicked briefly to Drake before returning to me.
“You clean up well,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Heat crept up my neck, but I forced myself to stay still.
“I could say the same,” I replied quietly.
Her lips curved, amused. “Oh, I doubt that.”
Vivian watched the exchange closely, her expression unreadable now, like she was enjoying something she hadn’t even needed to interfere with.
“I didn’t expect you to move on so quickly,” Chloe continued, her voice softer now, almost conversational. “But I suppose everyone copes differently.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Images flashed through my mind before I could stop them. Jackson’s voice. The slap. The cold look in his eyes as he told me I was nothing.
I swallowed, forcing the memories back.
“That part of my life is over,” I said.
Chloe’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Is it?”
Before I could respond, Drake spoke.
“It is.”
His tone didn’t rise, didn’t shift, but there was something final in it. Something that left no room for argument.
Chloe looked at him for a moment, before she smiled again.
“Of course,” she said lightly. “If you say so.”
Vivian let out a soft laugh, the sound delicate but hollow. “Let’s not turn this into something unpleasant on her first day.”
Her gaze returned to me, softer now, almost sympathetic.
“You’ve had quite the introduction already,” she said. “It would be a shame to overwhelm you further.”
I didn’t trust the softness in her voice. Not for a second.
“I appreciate the concern,” I replied carefully.
Her eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary.
Then she stepped closer.
The movement was slow, deliberate. Close enough that I could catch the faint scent of her perfume, something expensive and sharp.
Up close, the warmth in her expression faded.
What replaced it was colder.
“You’ll find that this house has its own rhythm,” she said quietly, her voice low enough that only I could hear. “It’s own expectations.”
My fingers tightened slightly at my sides.
“And it’s best not to disrupt things you don’t fully understand.”
A chill ran through me.
I didn’t move or speak.
Her gaze dropped briefly, just for a second.
To my stomach.
Then back to my eyes.
The breath caught in my throat.
It was subtle. So quick I almost thought I imagined it.
But I hadn’t.
She stepped back then, the smile returning instantly, like nothing had just happened.
“I’ll have your things moved to Drake’s room,” she said smoothly. “It’s only appropriate.”
Drake’s room.
Something about that felt more real than anything else so far.
More binding.
“Thank you,” I said, even though the words felt automatic.
Vivian nodded lightly before turning away, her attention already shifting as if the conversation had ended.
Chloe lingered for a moment longer.
Her eyes met mine again, the amusement gone now, replaced by something different.
“Try not to get too comfortable,” she said softly. “Things change quickly around here.”
Then she turned and followed Vivian without another word leaving silence to settle over the space they left behind.
I exhaled slowly, only then realizing I had been holding my breath.
Drake’s hand was still at my back. But it didn’t ease the unease twisting inside me.
Not after that look.
Not after what she said.
I turned slightly, my voice quieter now. “Does it always feel like this?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t.
Then, “You’ll get used to it.”
I wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. Because I didn’t want to get used to it.
I didn’t want this to feel normal. But something told me I didn’t have a choice.
A staff member approached then, bowing slightly. “Your room is ready, sir.”
Drake nodded once.
“Come,” he said.
I followed him, my steps slower this time, more cautious.
The house suddenly felt less like something I was stepping into. It felt more like something that had already closed around me.
We moved down the hallway in silence, the weight of everything pressing in from all sides.
My thoughts wouldn’t settle.
Vivian’s words.
Chloe’s smile.
The way her eyes had dropped.
My hand moved instinctively, brushing lightly against my stomach before I could stop myself.
We reached the door, and Drake pushed it open without hesitation.
I stepped inside. And the moment I did, I felt it again….. quiet, unsettling certainty.
This wasn’t just a house, it wasn’t even just a family.
It was something else entirely, something far more dangerous.
And as the door closed behind us, one thought settled deep in my chest, heavy and unshakable.
I had just walked into a place where no one was truly what they seemed. And I had no idea how long I could survive it.
- Writer
