Chapter 9
1111 Words
Morning sunlight slowly filled the bedroom through the half-open curtains.
Elena stirred softly against the bed before slowly opening her eyes.
For a few seconds, she simply stared blankly at the ceiling.
“Oh my god...” she groaned softly.
Then—
Last night suddenly came rushing back into her mind.
The living room. Her tears. Ryder holding her in his arms.
Elena’s eyes widened instantly before she quickly buried her face into the pillow.
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
“Why did I tell him all that...?”
The embarrassment alone almost made her want to disappear.
And the worst part?
She cried in front of him.
Elena let out another muffled groan before pulling the blanket over her face completely.
“So embarrassing…”
After spending several minutes mentally suffering alone, Elena finally forced herself to get out of bed.
Carefully, she fixed her hair before quietly heading downstairs.
The mansion looked calmer during the daytime.
Bright sunlight reflected against the marble floors while the workers and maids moved quietly around the house.
But strangely…
Ryder wasn’t there.
Neither was Luca.
Elena looked around awkwardly before approaching one of the maids nearby.
“Umm…excuse me...” she asked softly. “Where are Ryder and Luca?”
The maid lowered her head politely.
“Young Master Ryder left earlier this morning, miss Elena.”
“And young Master Luca is currently at the company.”
Elena slowly nodded.
For some reason, the mansion suddenly felt much bigger without them around.
After breakfast, Elena quietly sat near the large window in the living room, staring outside absentmindedly.
That was when another maid suddenly approached her while carrying several shopping bags.
“Miss Elena,” the maid said politely. “Young master Ryder prepared this for you.”
Elena blinked in confusion.
“For me...?”
The maid nodded before placing the bags carefully onto the couch. Inside were neatly folded clothes, shoes, and several other things she might need.
Elena froze slightly.
He bought all this…for her?
Before she could process the strange warmth spreading inside her chest, the maid spoke again.
“Young Master Ryder also asked me to tell you something,”
Elena looked up.
“He said you should stay inside the mansion for now.” The maid hesitated slightly before continuing. “If you want to go anywhere, please wait until his return.”
The atmosphere instantly felt heavier after hearing that.
Elena lowered her gaze slowly.
Somehow…
It sounded less like a request.
And more like Ryder was trying to protect her from something.
__
Meanwhile…
Inside one of the tallest buildings in the city, Luca calmly stepped into his private office after finishing his morning meeting.
The moment the door closed behind him, the cold expression on his face slowly disappeared.
Without wasting another second, Luca walked toward his desk before opening one of the drawers quietly.
Inside lay the old photograph from last night.
His sharp eyes immediately landed on the little girl standing beside the two young boys beneath the rain.
Slowly, Luca placed the photograph beside another file containing Elena’s information.
Then he compared them carefully.
Silence filled the room.
The resemblance was undeniable.
Same eyes. Same smile.
Even the small details felt painfully familiar.
Luca leaned back slightly against his chair, his expression growing darker.
“Impossible…” he muttered quietly.
Yet no matter how many times he looked at the photograph—
The girl in the picture looked exactly like Elena.
For the first time in years, uneasiness slowly crept into Luca’s chest.
Then finally, he reached for his phone.
A few seconds later, someone answered from the other line.
“Find everything about Elena,” Luca ordered calmly.
His voice remained cold.
“I want her full background.” A dangerous silence followed before Luca added quietly—
“Including her family.”
__
After the maid left, Elena quietly wandered around the mansion alone.
The house was still unbelievably huge.
Too quiet.
Too cold.
Even with the sunlight shining through the windows, the mansion somehow still felt empty.
As Elena slowly walked past the main hallway, her eyes suddenly landed on a massive family portrait hanging against the wall.
She stopped walking instantly.
Inside the portrait stood a younger version of Luca and Ryder beside an elegant couple.
But the moment Elena’s eyes landed on the woman standing beside them—
Her breath caught.
The woman looked familiar.
Too familiar.
Elena slowly stepped closer toward the painting, her brows furrowing in confusion.
Why did she look so familiar...?
A strange feeling twisted inside her chest as she continued staring at the woman’s gentle smile.
Fragments of blurry memories flashed briefly through her mind again.
Rain. Laughter. A warm voice calling someone’s name.
Elena immediately held her head lightly.
“Miss Elena?” one of the maids nearby noticed her expression and quickly approached.
“Are you alright?”
Elena slowly nodded before hesitating slightly.
“The woman in this portrait…” she asked softly while pointing toward Ryder and Luca’s mother. “Who is she?”
Before the maid could answer—
The front door suddenly opened.
Elena immediately turned around.
Ryder had returned.
He walked inside carrying several paper bags in one hand while casually loosening the sleeves of his black shirt with the other.
The moment his eyes landed on Elena, his expression softened slightly.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked calmly. “Feeling better?”
For some reason, Elena immediately forgot the portrait behind her.
“Y-yeah...” she answered awkwardly.
Ryder walked past her toward the living room before placing the bags onto the table.
“I brought food...”
The smell alone instantly filled the room.
Elena slowly followed him from behind.
For a moment, the atmosphere felt strangely normal.
Almost peaceful.
As Ryder unpacked the food casually, Elena suddenly remembered something from last night.
Her cheeks instantly warmed again.
“…did I cry that badly last night?” she asked carefully.
Ryder paused for a second before glancing at her.
Then—
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
“Bad enough to give me a headache.”
Elena’s eyes widened immediately.
“Oh my god…”
Embarrassment flooded her face again while Ryder let out a quiet chuckle under his breath.
“I’m sorry...” she muttered while hiding her face slightly.
Surprisingly, Ryder didn’t tease her further.
Instead, he quietly handed her a drink before sitting down across from her.
And somehow…
As the conversation between them slowly continued, Elena completely forgot about the strange familiarity she felt toward the family portrait earlier.
To be continued
- Writer
