Chapter 3: The Stranger in the Attic
534 Words
Chapter 3: The Stranger in the Attic
The attic, already dim and secretive, felt even smaller now that Lily wasn’t alone. Adrian Cross stood dripping near her window, brushing soaked strands of hair from his forehead. His presence seemed out of place, like a painting hung in the wrong gallery—too sharp, too real for the faded world Lily lived in.
She blinked. "You broke into my house."
"Technically, I climbed," he said, shrugging out of his wet coat. "There’s a trellis with suspiciously climbable vines. But if it helps, I came to see someone else. Didn’t expect to meet you."
"Who were you looking for?"
"Your father. He’s in business with people who’ve tangled with mine. But I wasn’t keen on dealing with the suits tonight. I wandered. Heard music. And then I saw light up here. Curiosity, I guess."
Lily stared, unsure whether to believe him. He didn’t seem dangerous—just…intriguing.
"You don’t seem like the kind who wanders into attics," she said.
"You don’t seem like the kind who lives in one."
The words stung, but his tone was gentle, not mocking.
Lily crossed her arms. "Why are you really here?"
Adrian took a breath. "Look—I saw you weeks ago. At the Vestral Holdings meeting. You were with Frederick. You looked like someone trapped in a glass cage. Tonight, I had to know who you were."
Lily’s heart skipped.
"You’re making it sound like a fairy tale," she murmured.
"Or a horror story," he said. "Depends who’s writing it."
She smirked despite herself. "So what now? You crash my attic and disappear into the night?"
"Only if you ask me to. But… I’m a good listener. If you ever want to talk."
Something in his tone melted her defenses. She hadn’t spoken freely in months. Not to anyone who wasn’t cruel or manipulative. Adrian felt different. Safe. Real.
So she told him a little—about her mother, her cold father, the marriage she never chose. She didn’t mention the letters. Not yet.
He listened, leaning against the wooden beam, his brows furrowed in quiet outrage. "They treat you like property. Like a pawn. That’s not a family. That’s a prison."
"It doesn’t matter," Lily said. "The wedding is set. My father already signed the agreement."
Adrian’s eyes sharpened. "An agreement signed under coercion isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on."
Before she could respond, a loud knock echoed from downstairs, followed by footsteps.
"They’re coming," she whispered. "You have to go."
Adrian nodded. He slipped toward the window but paused. "Take this," he said, handing her a slim card. "It’s got my private number. Call me. If you need help, or if you just want someone to talk to who isn’t trying to break you."
Then he was gone.
Lily hid the card under the floorboard with her mother’s letters, heart pounding.
Marjorie’s voice echoed up the stairs. "Lily? Are you still awake?"
"Coming!" she called.
She pulled on her robe and went downstairs. But inside her, something had shifted. For the first time in months, she didn’t feel alone.
And for the
first time in her life, she had a choice.
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*(Chapter 4 continues...)*
- Writer
