The Rules Of Staying
2257 Words
Chapter 2
“Stop…” she gasped, clawing at his hand, her vision blurring.
But he didn’t stop.
His fingers tightened.
Tighter.
The air refused to come.
Her chest burned.
Her lungs screamed.
Lila jerked forward with a sharp inhale.
Her hands flew to her neck.
Nothing.
No one.
Just the empty corridor.
Her heart pounded violently as she dragged in air, her fingers trembling against her skin.
It didn’t happen.
But it could.
Lila couldn’t sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt his hand on her throat again, light, controlled, dangerous. It wasn’t the pressure that haunted her, but the restraint behind it. Elias Harrington hadn’t needed strength to frighten her. He had needed only certainty.
Morning came too quickly. The mansion stirred to life in quiet,careful movements. Staff walked softly through the corridors, their heads lowered, their voices barely above whispers. No one lingered. No one relaxed. Fear lived here, settled into the walls like dust.
Lila adjusted her uniform as she stepped into the hallway. She could feel it immediately, the camera, watching. Always watching. She kept her pace steady, her expression neutral, just like Mama Aduke had warned her.
Keep your head down.
She entered the dining room and stopped.
Elias was already seated.
Still Silently Waiting.
A cup of coffee sat in front of him, untouched. He didn’t turn his head, didn’t move, but she knew he was aware of her. That awareness pressed against her skin like heat.
“You’re late.”
Her chest tightened slightly. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Three minutes,” he replied calmly. “Not a good start.”
Lila stepped forward, steadying her hands. “It won’t happen again.”
“It won’t,” he said, just as calm “Or you won’t stay.”
The words were simple, but the meaning was clear. Nothing in this house came with second chances.
She reached for the coffee pot. “Pour.”
She obeyed quickly, focusing on the small task. The silence stretched between them as she filled his cup, but it wasn’t empty silence. It was heavy, watching, measuring.
Then he spoke again.
“Inhale.”
Her hand paused mid-air. “…sir?”
“Stand closer.”
Her pulse picked up. Slowly, she stepped nearer, until she stood just beside him. Close enough to feel the warmth of his body.
He inhaled deeply.
Once.
Then again.
Longer this time.
“It’s the same,” he murmured, almost to himself.
Lila swallowed. “It’s just a perfume sir…”
“Stop saying that.”
His tone sharpened just enough to cut her off, she fell silent immediately.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table. “People don’t wear memories by accident,” he said. “Not like this.”
A quiet pause followed, then his voice shifted slightly. “What do you want? What is your sim in this house?”
The question caught her off guard. She forced herself to answer carefully. “Stability.”
He hummed softly, unconvinced. “You’ll have rules,” he said. “Break them, and you leave.”
Or worse, she thought.
“Rule one: you don’t lie to me.”
Her throat went dry, but she nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Rule two: when I call you, you come immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Rule three…” He paused, and when he continued, his voice dropped lower. “You wear that scent. Every day.”
Lila’s breath caught. That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t reasonable.
“…sir?”
“You heard me.”
His head tilted slightly toward her. “I want it consistent.”
Not preference, not request.
Control.
“Yes, sir,” she said quietly.
“Good.”
He picked up his coffee and took a slow sip, as if nothing about that exchange had been unusual. Then he spoke again. “Come closer.”
Her pulse spiked, but she obeyed. She stepped around the table and stopped beside him.
“Closer.”
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before moving again. Now she was within reach.
That was her mistake.
His hand moved suddenly, catching her wrist and pulling her down slightly. Not rough, but firm enough to remind her who held control.
“You hesitate too much,” he said quietly.
“I..”
“Confidence,” he cut in. “Even liars need it.”
Her chest tightened at that.
His thumb brushed slowly over her wrist, as if reading her pulse. “You’re nervous.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he said.
The word surprised her.
“It means you understand where you are,” he added. “People who get comfortable here don’t last long.”
A chill ran through her.
Footsteps approached from the hallway. Lila instinctively tried to pull back, and this time Elias released her just as the door opened.
“Cousin.”
Chidi stepped inside.
Lila stiffened immediately. His presence filled the room differently, sharper, more direct, more suspicious. His eyes swept the space before settling on her, lingering in a way that made her skin prickle.
“You’re early,” Elias said.
“I don’t sleep well when something feels off,” Chidi replied. His gaze didn’t leave Lila. “And something feels very off.”
Silence settled again.
Elias took another slow sip of his coffee. “What did you find?”
“Not enough,” Chidi said. “But I will.” A brief pause. “I’d like to start with her.”
Lila’s heartbeat skipped.
Elias didn’t answer immediately, but his fingers stilled slightly on the cup.
“No.”
The refusal was calm, but final.
Chidi frowned. “She’s new. No proper background. No solid references. And now…”
“I said no.”
The tension in the room shifted instantly. Even without sight, Elias commanded it completely.
Chidi’s jaw tightened. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe,” Elias said. “But it’s mine to make.”
A long pause followed. Then Chidi exhaled sharply. “Fine.”
But his eyes returned to Lila, cold and deliberate. “I’ll be watching.”
Then he turned and left.
The door shut behind him, and only then did Lila release the breath she had been holding.
Elias set his cup down with quiet precision. “You attract attention,” he said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” His voice was steady. “Fix it.”
Her hands tightened slightly at her sides. “Yes, sir.”
He leaned back slightly in his chair. “Chidi doesn’t trust easily. He’ll dig. And when he does…” His head turned toward her again. “You better be ready.”
Lila forced her voice to remain steady. “I have nothing to hide.”
The lie came easier this time.
Too easy.
Elias was silent for a moment, as if weighing her words. Then he said, “We’ll see.”
A faint mechanical click echoed from the corner of the room, a camera adjusting.
Watching, recording.
Always present.
“After breakfast,” Elias said, “you’ll come to my study.”
Her stomach dropped slightly. “Sir?”
“I want to test something.”
Her pulse quickened. “What kind of test?”
A pause stretched between them.
Then he answered, quietly, “How well you lie.”
Her breath caught.
Elias stood, his movements smooth and controlled, as if he could see everything perfectly. He walked past her, close enough that his shoulder brushed hers, sending a brief, unwanted shiver through her.
“Don’t be late again,” he said.
Then he left.
Lila stood there for a moment, frozen.
Her heart was still racing.
Her thoughts tangled.
This was already slipping out of control. Too fast. Too dangerous. Too personal.
She exhaled slowly and stepped out into the hallway. The weight returned immediately, the cameras, the silence, the constant pressure of being watched.
But beneath all of it, something else had begun to
grow.
Something worse.
She wasn’t just playing a role anymore.
She was being pulled deeper.
Into his world.
Into his control.
Into something she might not survive.
And what frightened her most.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to escape.
- Writer
