CHAPTER THREE
1203 Words
It was about a week after the discussion, and tonight was the night Evelyne would finally meet Willard’s parents.
She had just finished the final touches on her makeup, looking absolutely stunning in a black knee-length dress that hugged her curves, her long black hair straightened to perfection.
She turned to Willard, who was struggling to knot his tie.
"How do I look?" she asked with a bright smile.
He turned to her, his eyes widening in amazement. For a few seconds, he was speechless, then, like his body moved on its own, he walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Perfect," he whispered.
She smiled, her eyes falling on the poor job he had done with his tie. She began to fix it for him, while he simply watched her, worry etched across his features.
A few hours later, after getting ready and driving off, Willard came to a stop in front of a massive mansion, the biggest Evelyne had ever seen. The gates alone looked like they touched the sky, and the towering walls added to the overwhelming size.
But something about the house made her feel uneasy. Maybe it was the large statues of unknown creatures at the entrance... or maybe the eerie silence that surrounded it.
Willard noticed her nervousness and placed his hand on hers.
"Hey, we can literally just cancel this whole thing and go home and eat popcorn," he offered.
She rolled her eyes.
"I'm fine, and we are doing this," she said firmly.
He groaned, throwing his head back slightly, then looked at her.
"Fine."
The large gates opened, and he drove inside. The space within the compound was big enough to build a hundred more mansions.
He parked the car and got out, walking over to her side to open the door and help her out. She looked up at the grand entrance where several butlers stood in a neat line, waiting for them.
Willard took her hand and led her inside as the butlers greeted them in unison.
The inside of the house was even grander, golden statues, a massive spiral staircase, and several chandeliers made entirely of diamonds lit up the space, making it seem like something out of a fairytale.
He led her into the dining room, where food was laid out across a long table that took up nearly half the room. Sitting at the head of the table was a man in his late fifties, well put together, elegant. Beside him was a beautiful woman, with long blonde hair and a warm smile.
Willard squeezed Evelyne’s hand as they sat across from the woman.
"Ah, Willard, you finally decided to visit. We almost thought you forgot about us," the woman said, her voice sweet but carrying an edge.
"I tried... trust me," he muttered, his eyes momentarily turning cold,something Evelyne had never seen before.
"And this must be Evelyne," the woman continued, turning to Evelyne with a smile.
"Good evening. It's lovely to meet you. You must be Willard's mom, Fiona," Evelyne said politely.
Fiona nodded. "I am. And this is my husband, Michael," she said, motioning to the man at the head of the table, who had been quietly observing.
Evelyne nodded respectfully.
"So, you and Willard are together," Fiona said, her tone light. "It’s surprising. He always had a habit of getting with several girls, but never introduced any of them to us."
Evelyne shot Willard a side glare, while he quickly looked away, suddenly fascinated with everything else in the room.
"But never mind that, dear. Tell me about yourself," Fiona added, smiling.
Evelyne hesitated for a moment. She had expected this question, but at the moment, she wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, she forced herself to speak.
"Well, I'm not sure exactly where I'm from but I've lived in Hamilton. I'm an orphan, my parents died in a house fire when I was very young, I'm an aspiring author; I have a book published and I'm currently working on more."
Fiona's gaze softened.
"I'm very sorry for your loss, dear. I'm glad you were able to keep going. That must have been very hard."
Evelyne looked down at the table and nodded quietly.
The dinner continued, and eventually, Evelyne excused herself to find the bathroom.
She walked down a long hallway, following Fiona’s directions. The hall was lined with paintings, each one grander than the last. As she passed several doors, one caught her attention, it was slightly open.
She knew she should mind her business... but curiosity got the better of her.
Peeking inside, she found a dark room, illuminated only by the moonlight filtering in through a large window.
Slowly, Evelyne stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. It was filled with books and strange paintings.
One in particular drew her attention, a massive painting of complete darkness.
It looked like someone had simply thrown black paint onto a canvas... but there was something so strangely alluring about it, she couldn’t look away.
She moved closer to the painting, almost hypnotized, when suddenly she felt it, the heavy, suffocating presence of someone behind her.
Evelyne froze.
The air around her grew thick, almost suffocating. The shadows in the room seemed to shift, twisting, as if they were alive. Evelyne’s heart raced as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.
The room seemed colder now, the darkness pressing in on her, and then she heard it, the slow, deliberate sound of footsteps. They were soft, but deliberate, like he was in no rush. He was savoring the moment.
She turned slowly, her breath caught in her throat.
He was standing there, just inside the door. His face was barely visible in the dim light, but she could see the outline of his figure, tall, broad-shouldered, a silhouette framed by shadows.
His eyes were dark and they stared at her with an intensity that made her stomach churn. His lips barely parted, but there was no smile, only a coldness that felt like ice on her skin.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The oppressive silence made his presence feel even more suffocating.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The silence was broken only by the faintest sound of Evelyne’s breathing, each one shallow and quick. He didn’t move any closer, but his gaze never left hers, cold and calculating.
And then, with no warning, he stepped back, his eyes still fixed on her. He didn’t say a word.
He simply turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, heart pounding, unable to move.
Evelyne stood frozen, her mind racing, but her body paralyzed with fear. Who was that? The tension in the room was suffocating, and she didn't know why she was terrified but her gut told her to be
Her heart pounded as she turned to leave, but just before she reached the door, she heard his voice.
"Get out."
The words were calm, too calm. But there was an unmistakable threat behind them, a coldness that sent a chill through her entire body.
And just like that, he was gone.
- Writer
