Carena: I stood before the imposing black mansion, scanning my surroundings as the security guard phoned the lady inside to inform her of my arrival. He assessed me while conversing with her.“Feel free to enter,” he ended the call and gestured for me to step inside. I had chosen a simple white dress paired with old boots from my highschool days.Inside the pack, numerous changes had taken place. The atmosphere was different, charged with an air of mystery and uncertainty. Neighbors were not very keen on meeting each other anymore. Everybody kept to themselves but the gossips would circle the entire pack in seconds.I leisurely made my way into the foyer, greeted by an aura of darkness reminiscent of a haunted mansion. The foyer offered a gloomy welcome, with shadows dancing around the dimly lit space. The big chandelier hanging down the ceiling gave me ick. It was huge, making me wonder if it would fall on me.Guided by a maid, I followed her to a living room tucked away beside the
Carena:"Alright, so you should begin with fixing up his sheets," the maid kept rambling on while I felt frozen in place. I couldn't even sense my heartbeat at that moment. It wasn't that I was upset because he was disabled, but rather due to the lack of transparency."Wait a moment!" I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and grasp the reality."Yes?" The maid rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest."What's going on? I mean—I need to go home. I'm not feeling well," I stammered, feeling like a fool. But at that moment, I couldn't even respond like a decent person. All I could think about was my family deceiving me, just like the other half of my family had."You're supposed to start working today. He has another maid, but she isn't coming today, so you have to stay," she pouted, though in reality, she was trying to appear cute. She seemed annoyed that it was taking so much time to get to work."Then I need a break," I couldn't stay put. I had this u
Carena: "Just one last bite," I held the spoon up to his lips and fed him the liquid food with much difficulty. He could barely open his mouth and would tremble miserably when he did."Now the medicine," I muttered, holding up the liquid in a syringe and then making him swallow it. His mouth would only open an inch, and whenever it did, his face would contort to one side."Are you aware of what's going on?" I asked as I stayed seated beside his bed."Okay! Blink twice if yes and once if no," I leaned in closer, engaging in a tense stare into his eyes. "Do you know I am going to be your wife in a week?" I asked, noticing that he blinked twice."There you go! That's not bad. See, we can communicate like that," I smiled until a sudden memory struck me. It was an odd thought, but it reminded me of my ex falling sick. He would become so grumpy, and I remember having to stay awake beside him. Even if he caught me blinking from sleep, he would groan and get upset with me.He used to find it
Carena:I returned home after finishing my shift and pressed my uniform for the next day. Heading downstairs to join my family, even though I wasn't planning to eat dinner. I simply craved their company, longing not to feel alone.The words spoken by Lord Rennick had left me deeply unsettled. I didn't know how I would fulfill his wishes."So, how was your first day?" my dad inquired, happily munching on his food. Tonight, my sister had prepared lasagna, and it looked mouthwatering. I couldn't resist grabbing a plate and digging in. Due to the royal protocols, I couldn't eat as freely as I usually do. I had to restrict myself to small portions, taking tiny bites, and leaving most of it untouched, mimicking their eating habits."It was strange," I sighed, taking a bite and savoring the taste. Even their food lacked flavor, no spices whatsoever."Strange? You must have been puzzled by their luxurious lifestyle," Maanya chimed in."No! It's just... they're peculiar," I struggled to find t
Carena: "I'm too happy to be mad at you right now," Lord Rennick said, leading me outside where he'd been scolding me about miscommunication with Sawyer. He said I might have mixed up the number of blinks I'd made him do earlier and taken it the wrong way. He also mentioned that I had hurt Ginny's feelings and advised me to be more careful from now on.However, I could sense his mood was a bit milder, probably because he was glad to finally communicate with his son. But that happiness depended on whether his grandson was honest with his words. I felt betrayed by how he treated me."Now, go take care of him and apologize to Ginny when you see her again tomorrow," Lord Rennick muttered under his breath. Before leaving, he added, "Don't tire my grandson with the blinking game. It's a blessing that we found a way to communicate with him, but it shouldn't be overused."Throughout this conversation, I simply kept my head down and nodded. I didn't even mention Sawyer's lie. But it did make
Carena:"I can't believe you keep on lying to us," Lord Rennick erupted, throwing another tantrum upon finding me guilty of deceit. I was innocent, it was his grandson who was a liar but who would believe me?"I'm not lying," I murmured, keeping my head down, unable to express my frustration to Lord Rennick."Then what's going on? Are you suggesting that you're not adept at the method of communication you've chosen for my grandson?" he spat, slamming his fist on the table and demanding eye contact.I flinched at the sudden rise in his voice."I'm sorry, I'll try to be more cautious from now on," I sighed, feeling exasperated that I continually found myself in trouble because of Sawyer. This time, there was no way I would accept his excuse.He had claimed not to understand the rules last time, but this time, he had heard me vent my frustrations, yet he still lied in front of his grandfather."Are you attempting to avoid intimacy with the alpha king?" as he posed that question, I found
Carena:He leaned in, getting his face so close that I could smell his minty fresh breath.In those few seconds, I decided what needed to be done. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back, swiftly getting out of the chair.Once I was on my feet, I watched him stand up from the chair and come after me to have a word with me."I was--," the moment he spoke up, I smacked him hard across his face, silencing him thoroughly.He gazed at the ground before straightening his posture and glaring at me. He towered over me so much that I felt tiny in front of him, even though I stood at 5 feet 6."Just because I laughed with you and helped you with your studies, you thought I'd be willing to let you stick your tongue in my mouth?" I yelled at him, causing him to clench his fists and jaw.If looks could kill, he would've devoured me right then and there."You're a disgusting creep for hitting on your brother's soon-to-be wife," I hissed, while he stood tall with narrowed eyes.It would'v
Carena:"The doctor said he's all right now," Lady Jane told Lord Rennick, her hands constantly fidgeting.Lord Rennick had been in a huff since we found Sawyer in that state in the bedroom.Lord Rennick had been shooting me angry glares all along, and I stood before him, head bowed.The moment Lady Jane moved aside, I faced Lord Rennick. I sensed it was time for him to have a talk with me. I kept my head down even as I could feel Sawyer’s step siblings watching me too.“You show up, and this happens. What's the point of having you around if you can't even look after him?” he bellowed at me, silencing everyone as his voice rose.“I was just doing my job—,” I hesitated to respond, but he cut me off, exhaling sharply through his nostrils."Huh! Then why were you nowhere to be found when we discovered him on the floor?" he continued in his aggressive tone."Because I had briefly stepped out to get him food and medicine," that was it. The more I looked down, the more I felt like a culprit