Chapter 14: Cold Welcome

The next morning, Lucille woke up early and got dressed. She sat on the bed, her heart heavy and her fingers twitching. Five years, not five days. It felt like such a long time. Edward hated her. She had even challenged him in court, saying painful words to him. He would likely make her serve him brutally.

The door opened, and her brother walked in, fully dressed. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded.

She stood up and let out a deep breath. Louis wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest.

"It will pass. We’ll keep in touch. Remember everything I told you," he whispered.

Her tears fell uncontrollably, and she didn’t try to hold them back. "I’m hurting deeply, brother," she sobbed, her voice shaky.

Since that night at the party, she had kept everything inside, showing only a calm face, but now, for the first time, she let herself be vulnerable.

"I know. Please stay strong," Louis said, his voice rough from his own unshed tears.

After a while, she pulled away from his embrace and wiped her eyes. "I’m ready," she said, giving him a nod.

Louis kissed her forehead, then picked up her packed cloth bag. Together, they left the room.

Just as they were about to leave, her mother, who had been about to enter the room, saw them. "This is who we are. It’s not new," she said, hugging Lucille tightly and covering her face with kisses.

"Be good, Mom. Don’t worry about me. I’ll always be fine," Lucille said softly to her mother.

Outside the house, Brian, Louis’ friend, was waiting. The moment he saw Lucille, he hurried over and gave her a warm hug.

"We’re all in this together, okay?" he whispered before pulling back from the embrace.

As they walked down the path, other omegas began to step out of their homes, one by one. Before long, a large crowd was following behind them, all heading toward the bus station. Their support made Lucille smile, and she promised herself she wouldn’t let them down. When they arrived at the bus station, Lucille, Louis, and Brian boarded the bus.

The crowd didn’t disperse right away. They waited until the bus was in motion, all waving their hands at her. It was such a beautiful sight. Lucille waved back until they were no longer in sight.

"You’re not alone," Louis whispered, pulling a warm smile from Lucille.

They rode in silence until they arrived in the city. After getting off the bus, they used the address she’d been given to find the house where she would serve. It was far from the bus station, but thankfully, Brian helped Louis with the fare.

"We’re here," the cab driver announced.

They paid the driver, unlocked the door, and stepped out.

The gates to Edward's mansion appeared in front of them. Lucille stood at the doorway, holding her brother's hand tightly.

Louis moved forward, rang the bell on the gate, and stepped back, clutching the cloth bag firmly.

Lucille felt a heavy sadness in her chest. Her journey had started, and she didn’t know what fate had in store for her.

A servant appeared in the doorway, her eyes avoiding Lucille’s and nervously glancing to the side. Like Lucille, she was an omega, but she was following orders from her boss, Edward.

“You’re here,” the servant mumbled, taking the bags from Louis’ hands.

“Follow me,” she said coldly, nodding at Louis and Brian.

Lucille quickly hugged the two men and waved as she stepped through the gate.

Once she was safely inside, Louis and Brian turned to leave.

The hallway seemed endless. The stone floors were cold beneath Lucille’s feet, despite having her shoes on. And the walls lined with portraits of men and women who she felt looked down on her. She was nothing to them, other than a shadow passing through their halls.

How could Edward live alone in such magnificent house? Oh! She forgot! He was the only son of The High Councilor. Wealth, lived with them.

If Edward had allowed things to work out between them, this could have been her home, enjoying happy moments with him, carrying his pups, and giving birth to them. But the difference in their social status wouldn’t let her have such a peaceful life.

They reached a door at the end of the hall. A door came into view.

“This is where you’ll stay,” the servant said, turning to face her finally. There was no sympathy, no apology. Just a flat, detached tone. “There’s a list of rules in the room. Don’t disobey them.”

Lucille understood that the omega was following strict orders, so she didn’t take her cold attitude personally.

The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit room. The bed was simple, the walls bare. A small desk, a single chair, and a nightstand with a plain vase of wilted flowers completed the sparse furnishings.

Lucille stood in the doorway, feeling a sense of relief. The room wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. It was better than her room in the Downland Pack, though it lacked warmth.

She stepped inside, feeling the chill of the room seep into her bones. She set her bags down on the bed and scanned the space, a quiet bitterness starting to rise in her chest.

This was the home of the man she was fated to be with. But he had brought her nothing but pain. And now, he wasn’t here because she had a choice or because he loved her, but because she was there to serve him, because she had broken their bond, and now this was her punishment.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the servant was gone, and the door clicked shut behind her.

Lucille took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking hands. She let the silence wash over her, then slowly sank down onto the edge of the bed. There were no tears. She wouldn’t cry. She had done enough crying.

She glanced around the room again and touched the mattress, it was soft. Thankfully, he hadn’t made her sleep on the bare floor.

Then her gaze landed on the paper with typed words, lying on the desk. It must be the list of rules the omega girl had mentioned. She would look at it, but not now.

She let out a deep sigh and slowly laid down on the bed. But as soon as her back touched the soft mattress, the door swung open, making her jump upright.

"Get your useless ass off that bed!" an older woman barked, her fiery eyes burning into Lucille.