FOUR
592 Words
Chapter 4 – Walls and Secrets
In the days that followed, Althea began to feel the weight of the new world she had stepped into. Every corner of the Madrigal mansion seemed to have watchful eyes—whispers from the maids whenever she passed, and the quiet yet piercing presence of Lea Sandoval, who always lingered nearby as though guarding every move she made.
One afternoon, while Althea was seated in the garden, lost in her thoughts, Lea spoke suddenly, as if she had been reading her mind.
“Life here isn’t easy, Mrs. Madrigal. Being beautiful won’t be enough—you’ll need to be strong.”
Althea blinked in surprise. There was something in Lea’s voice—part warning, part strange tenderness.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked carefully, trying to keep her voice calm.
Lea gave a faint smile, though her eyes remained cold.
“In Xavier’s world, everything is a battle of power. If you don’t learn how to hide your emotions, the role you’re playing will crumble quickly.”
Before Althea could reply, Xavier appeared, his tall frame commanding in a sharp black suit. The air seemed to shift with his presence, colder, heavier.
“Are you ready?” he asked her flatly.
“Ready for what?” Althea asked, slightly startled.
“You’ll be meeting the Madrigal Group board members today. As my wife, you must learn to sit at my side, to smile, to speak when needed—even if your role is only for show. Remember, Althea… it’s all about appearances.”
Her chest tightened, but she nodded. She had no choice.
Later that day, she found herself seated beside Xavier at a long, polished mahogany table. The boardroom was filled with men and women in expensive suits, their stares sharp and assessing. Althea could feel the weight of their gaze—some smiles were polite but false, some filled with doubt, others whispering like poison in the air.
A dignified older woman leaned forward. “So, Mrs. Madrigal… how did you and Xavier meet?”
For a second, Althea froze, her lips parting with no words to follow. Panic bubbled in her chest. But Xavier, calm as ever, cut in before she could falter.
“The details don’t matter,” he said icily. “What matters is that we are together now.”
Beneath the table, his hand gripped hers tightly—not in affection, but in warning. It was as though he was silently telling her: Don’t make a mistake. Don’t give anything away.
When the meeting was over and they returned to the mansion, Althea let out a deep breath she didn’t know she had been holding. She wanted to relax, but Lea appeared once again, a porcelain cup of tea in her hands.
“You carried yourself well today,” Lea remarked, placing the cup before her. “You even managed to pretend convincingly. But remember—Xavier won’t always be there to save you.”
Althea fell silent, her mind spinning. Was Lea an enemy… or an unlikely ally? She couldn’t tell. All she knew was that every day seemed to drag her deeper into a labyrinth of secrets she didn’t yet understand.
And that night, staring out the tall windows of the mansion, Althea asked herself the question that refused to leave her heart: How long can I endure this contract? And how long can I hide the truth—that my heart is slowly falling for a man who may never love me back?
- Writer
