The Missing Bride’s Mystery

Inside The House

Zoe’s POV

The realization hurt more than it should have . I walked toward the large window beside the bed and looked outside. Rain still covered the dark grounds of the mansion. Security lights glowed across the property, making it impossible to not notice the cameras placed around the estate.

The cameras were literally everywhere. Near the gates, along the walls,even outside the hallways upstairs. This place was being watched constantly.I stepped away from the window. The room suddenly felt like a cage covered in expensive decorations

I couldn’t think straight so I decided to unpack my small bag.Compared to everything inside the mansion, my belongings looked embarrassingly cheap. A few clothes,old shoes,my mother's photograph.That was all I really owned.

I picked up the photo frame carefully and stared at my mother’s smiling face. Guilt slowly filled me again.Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

A sudden sound interrupted my thoughts.It was a door slamming somewhere downstairs.Then different voices. The voice was low,sharp and angry. I frowned slightly and moved towards my bedroom door. At first, I told myself to ignore it. This house clearly had secrets, and getting involved too early sounded dangerous.

But I was so curious. I opened the door carefully and stepped into the hallway.The voices became clearer. I heard David’s voice and the other voice sounded unfamiliar. I moved quietly towards the staircase before stopping near the shadows upstairs. In the large living room, David stood facing another man dressed in a grey suit. The tension between them was obvious immediately.

“You should’ve informed me before bringing her here,” the man said angrily.

David’s expression stayed cold. “I don’t need your permission.”

“This is reckless even for you.”

“She signed the contract.”

The man ran a frustrated hand through his hair before lowering his voice.

“And what happens if she discovers the truth?”

The room suddenly became silent.

My heartbeat quickened instantly. Truth?

I leaned slightly closer without thinking.

Then David spoke.

“She won’t.”

The confidence in his voice sent chills through my body. Because he did not sound hopeful, he sounded really certain.

I quickly stepped back from the staircase, my heart pounding so loudly I was afraid they would hear it downstairs. My breathing became fast as David’s words repeated inside my head.“She won’t.”

What truth was he talking about?And why did it sound like something I was never supposed to discover?

For a moment, I thought about returning to my room immediately, but the voices downstairs continued.Curiosity pulled me back towards the staircase. Carefully, I looked down again.

The man in the grey suit looked tensed now, unlike David who still appeared completely calm.

“This situation is already dangerous,” the man said quietly. “The board is suspicious enough.”

David poured himself another drink before answering.“I’ll handle the board.”

“And Ethan Blake?”At the mention of that name, David’s expression hardened slightly.

“He’s becoming a problem,” the man continued. “He’s still investigating the disappearance.”

Disappearance?

My stomach tightened immediately.They were talking about the missing bride.David finally looked irritated for the first time that night.

“Ethan only knows fragments,” he said coldly. “Nothing more.”

“That’s still enough to damage the company if he speaks publicly.” I could feel fear slowly growing inside me. This was bigger than I thought.

The contract marriage suddenly felt less like an arrangement and more like stepping into the middle of something dangerous.Before I could move away again, the floor beneath my foot creaked softly.

The sound echoed through the quiet hallway,My eyes widened.

Downstairs, both men looked up instantly, straight towards me. For one terrifying second, nobody moved.Then David slowly placed his glass down.His grey eyes locked onto mine with a calmness that somehow felt more frightening than anger.

“Come downstairs, Zoe.”