"Caelan?"
The man sitting at the piano was Caelan. He rose from the bench and walked toward me, his steps calm, his gaze sharp under the dim light. His shadow stretched long across the marble floor, as if something older and darker lurked behind his form.
"Did my piano playing disturb your sleep, Sierra?" he asked, his voice deep and gentle, though for some reason, it carried a tone that made it feel like he already knew my answer.
I shook my head slowly, still not fully believing what I was seeing. "It didn't disturb me… but I felt like… I could feel the sorrow in that song."
He stopped right in front of me. His silver eyes looked darker tonight, as if hiding something unexplainable.
"It was beautiful," I said softly, trying to break the tension between us. For some reason, his gaze always made me feel awkward and uneasy—a strange, fluttering sensation I couldn’t quite shake.
"Yes. It was a song someone used to love," Caelan replied.
His tone was flat, but there was something behind his words that made my heart beat faster. Someone? Who? A lover? Someone from his past?
I looked down, trying to suppress the curiosity clawing at me. "Someone… important?"
"Very important," he said shortly. "But time has a way of erasing many things… even memories."
I looked up and searched his face. This time, I caught a glimpse—just a flicker—of pain behind the calm mask he always wore. Just a glimpse. But enough to make me realize that Caelan was carrying something heavy inside him. And once again, it unsettled me. A strange discomfort.
"Then why do you still play it?" I asked.
He turned back toward the piano and walked over. His fingers hovered above the keys, gently touching but not pressing down. "Maybe because it’s the only thing I have left of her," he whispered.
I stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say. But in the silence, I realized something—I wanted to know more about this man. Not just who he was, but why he was the way he was. Why this house felt so empty. Why everything about him was wrapped in mystery and quiet dread.
Caelan looked at me again. "It’s getting late. You should get some sleep, Sierra. Oh, and your belongings have been collected from your previous place. They’re downstairs. Tomorrow morning, the staff will move everything to your room."
I stared at him, pausing. "So… all my things have been moved already?"
He nodded slightly. "Yes. As I told you before, I just wanted to make sure everything was secure."
I took a breath, trying to shake the vague discomfort creeping into me. "All right."
"Also, a private doctor will be arriving tomorrow to monitor your pregnancy and overall health while you're here," Caelan added.
"Wait—A private doctor? I can still go to a hospital for regular checkups, can’t I?" I objected. The idea didn’t sit right with me.
"I know. I just want to ensure everything is taken care of. That’s why the doctor will come here directly. But if you prefer going to a hospital, I’ve already chosen the best one for you," he said calmly.
"How convenient. You’ve arranged everything for me, haven’t you? Mr. Caelan, I’m only carrying your child—not your prisoner. Are you doing all this so I won’t leave your grand estate?"
"I didn’t mean it that way. You’re not a prisoner here, Sierra. In fact, you’re a very important part of this house. I mean… you’re carrying my child. I’m only trying to do what’s best," he replied. "I won’t stop you if you want to go out, shop, or travel. But I’d prefer if you didn’t go alone."
He was incredibly possessive. Was it because he was concerned about my pregnancy? Or was there another reason?
"Fine," I replied quietly. "But I can still decide when and where I want to go, right?"
Caelan looked at me for a long moment before finally answering, "Of course. As long as it doesn’t put you—or our child—in danger."
His voice was calm, but there was a quiet weight behind his words. I met his gaze, trying to read his expression—flawless and impenetrable.
"I’ll head back to my room," I said at last.
He nodded. "Sleep well, Sierra."
I stepped back and gently closed the door. But even after returning to my room, sleep didn’t come easily. His words, his gaze, that haunting music—it all swirled together in my mind, refusing to settle.
Why did everything feel so familiar?
I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"You’re a very important part of this house."
That line kept echoing in my mind.
My phone rang. It was Ronan. Dozens of missed calls.
"What does he want now?" I muttered, grabbing the phone to read the message from the man who was still, technically, my husband.
“Where are you, Sierra? Why aren’t you at the apartment? Where the hell are you hiding now?”
“Did you run off with that man—Caelan?”
That last message from Ronan made my chest tighten. I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back the sudden flare of anger.
You don’t get to ask. Not after everything you’ve done.
I placed the phone back on the table without replying. But the unease inside me only grew stronger. Was Ronan looking for me out of panic—or was he afraid of something else?
I closed my eyes, trying to silence the storm in my head. But my thoughts drifted back to that piano melody, to Caelan’s eyes, and to the words that kept echoing in my mind.
"You’re a very important part of this house."
This house felt like a luxurious prison. Every corner too perfect, too silent, too eerie. As if it were hiding countless secrets.
I pulled the blanket up to my chin. But the cold still seeped into my bones. Not from the temperature—but from something else. Something unseen, yet undeniably real.
I didn’t know when I finally drifted off.
But when I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in my room.
The night sky was a dull gray. Fog clung low to the ground, swallowing everything in its path, leaving behind only vague silhouettes in the darkness. I stood in a long corridor, its walls made of old, moss-covered stone. My footsteps echoed with each step, as if this place hadn’t been touched by a living soul in years.
At the end of the corridor, I saw someone standing with his back to me.
A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing a long, dark coat. His hair was messy, but his body remained completely still, like a statue.
I tried to speak, but my throat tightened. No words came out.
Something compelled me to walk toward him—slowly, step by step.
But the closer I tried to get, the farther away he seemed.
I finally stopped, simply staring at his back.
And then, a strange sound filled the corridor. It was the piano again—the same melody Caelan had played earlier.
But now it felt slower… heavier… like it had been pulled from the deepest corners of a broken soul.
The man tilted his head slightly toward me.
"Why did you come only now?" he asked, without turning, his voice distorted—like an echo rippling through water.
***
Aksara