Chapter 3
1424 Words
That night, Aluna knocked on the workroom door, but there was no answer. She pushed it open slowly and found Kaanan sitting in his chair, still in his black suit even though it was past midnight.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping by now?” Aluna asked, trying to sound calm.
Kaanan glanced at her briefly, then returned to the documents on his desk. “Go sleep on your own. I still have business.”
The reply pierced her. Always like that cold, curt, making her feel insignificant.
Aluna stepped closer. “Kaanan, aren’t you tired of acting like this? We’re married. You can’t keep treating me like a stranger.”
The man slowly lifted his head, his sharp eyes locking onto hers. “I never asked for this marriage. Same as you.”
Aluna fell silent. The words hurt more than a slap. She wanted to fight back, to scream, but they were too honest to deny.
“Then why don’t you just let me go?” her voice trembled.
Kaanan stubbed out the cigarette he had been smoking and stood. With heavy steps, he approached until only inches separated them. His gaze, as always, was piercing and cold.
“You think it’s that easy to let go of something that’s already mine?” he whispered.
“Go back to your room. Don’t disturb me.”
---
The following days, the house grew more tense. Aluna deliberately avoided Kaanan, wandering in the garden or the kitchen just to escape his sharp eyes. She was still upset about his attitude that night. She had only wanted to make peace with fate and try to live as his wife, but his behavior had killed that intention.
But the conflict finally exploded one afternoon. Aluna had just returned from visiting her father in the hospital. As she entered the house, she saw Kaanan on the phone, his tone sharp.
“Make sure that person never shows up in front of me again!”
Aluna froze at the doorway. “Who?” she asked.
Kaanan ended the call and glanced at her briefly. “Not important.”
“Answer me, Kaanan. Who were you talking about?”
He didn’t reply. He picked up his jacket, as if to leave. But Aluna quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t act like I don’t exist! Do you know how hard this is for me? I’ve lost my freedom, my life, and now you won’t even give me a single answer?”
Kaanan stopped. His fist clenched, his jaw tightened. Slowly, he turned, his gaze cold enough to freeze.
“Aluna,” he said, his voice low but firm.
“You’re not here to ask questions. Your only job is to stay silent and endure.”
Aluna swallowed hard. Tears threatened, but she forced herself to stay strong. “Then I’ll endure it in my own way,” she whispered, turning to leave him standing in the living room.
---
That night, Aluna sat alone on her balcony. The night air chilled her skin, but her heart was colder still. She hated Kaanan, hated the way he made her feel worthless. Yet at the same time, curiosity gnawed at her. Why did his eyes always turn empty whenever he said the word “mine”? What was he hiding?
Before she could calm herself, the house phone rang. A servant brought it to her room. “For you, Mrs Aluna,” he said awkwardly.
Aluna hesitated, but picked it up.
“Hallo Aluna,” the voice was soft, yet enough to shock her. “Don’t you miss me?”
Aluna’s eyes widened. “Indira?”
A small laugh echoed from the other end. “You still know my voice well. I won’t stay away, Aluna. Did you think I’d be afraid of Kaanan’s threats? You’re gravely mistaken. I have a thousand ways to return, and even more painful than before.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Not from you, but from him. You’ll be the perfect doorway. Get ready—the game has only just begun.”
The line went dead.
Aluna stared at the receiver with trembling hands, her body stiff. What was her stepmother planning? She knew Indira never spoke idly.
---
Near midnight, Aluna left her room. She only meant to get a drink from the kitchen, but when she arrived, she saw Kaanan sitting alone at the mini bar, drinking whiskey.
Kaanan noticed her presence but chose silence, pretending not to. Aluna poured herself a glass of water, then walked over to join him.
Both remained quiet, lost in their own thoughts.
“You can’t keep acting like this forever, Kaanan,” Aluna finally broke the silence.
He gave her a sidelong glance, his gaze flat and cold. “Like what?” he asked calmly, then took another sip.
“Like… as if I don’t exist. As if I’m just furniture in this house.” She gritted her teeth, holding back her emotions. “You dragged me into your life, then ignored me. What’s the point of all this?”
Kaanan didn’t answer right away. He set down his glass and walked slowly toward her. His tall frame loomed, forcing her to look up.
“Maybe you forget, Aluna. You’re here not just because of me. You’re here because your father owed the wrong people. I was merely… the solution.”
Aluna choked, pain stabbing her chest. “A solution? By dragging me into a contract marriage? By making me a prisoner?”
His eyes locked onto hers, sharp, then he exhaled. “Better a prisoner in my hands than a corpse in someone else’s.”
The words struck like a blow. Her lips trembled, unable to form a reply. Because beneath Kaanan’s cruelty was a bitter truth she couldn’t deny—her father had nearly lost his life, and Kaanan had stopped it.
But still… her heart couldn’t accept this cold treatment.
“I hate you,” she whispered, almost inaudibly.
Kaanan lowered his gaze slightly, scanning her face. “Then keep hating me. It’ll be easier for you.”
And he walked away, leaving her standing there, eyes burning with unshed tears.
---
The next morning, Aluna woke with a heavy head. Kaanan was already gone. Only his black suit hung neatly in the closet, proof he’d left for the office.
“No surprise,” she muttered. “Always gone first, always avoiding.”
She picked up her phone to call her father, but just as she began dialing, a message arrived. An unknown number.
“Aluna… You still remember my words last night, don’t you?”
Her blood ran cold. Though it was a new number, she knew without doubt—it was Indira.
What was the woman plotting? What game was she preparing? Panic and fear surged inside her.
---
That afternoon, Aluna deliberately waited for Kaanan to return. She wanted to talk—about Indira’s threats. But when he finally arrived, face weary and suit slightly disheveled, every word she had prepared vanished.
“Why are you staring like that?” Kaanan asked coldly, removing his watch.
Aluna stepped closer. “I… I want to talk.”
“If it’s about complaints, save it. I’ve had enough.”
She exhaled sharply. “Why are you always like this? You never want to listen.”
His gaze sharpened. “Because listening to you is the same as opening the door to new problems.”
The words stung. Her tears nearly spilled, but she fought them. “You think I’m a problem?”
Kaanan fell silent. He lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as if holding something back. Then his voice dropped. “I don’t want you to become a problem. That’s all.”
“Enough. Don’t say another word. I’m tired, and I don’t need more trouble.”
“Oh, and tomorrow—you’ll come with me to a company event. No excuses.”
---
Elsewhere, Indira, clad in an elegant red gown, stared at Aluna’s photo on her phone screen. A thin smile curved on her lips.
“So the little girl has grown up. And now she’s the wife of the most powerful man in the city.” Her eyes burned with vengeance.
“Did you think you’d be safe after driving me away, Aluna? I’ll be back. And this time, I’ll take everything you have.”
Her cruel laughter echoed in the luxurious room. The battle had only just begun.
- Writer
