The dinner table was quiet. Her father hadn’t joined her tonight, an absence she welcomed with relief.
Recently he had insisted on having at least one meal at the dining room and Ayra has designated that time to dinner.
Usually, it was a silent and uncomfortable affair but tonight both he and Lisbeth were blessedly absent.
Lucian’s men, stationed in the shadows of the room, observed her silently as she picked at her meal.
Her appetite was gone, the tension in her chest rendering the savory dishes bland and lifeless.
Her hand brushed against the paper hidden in her pocket. She had carried it all day, its weight more mental than physical.
She knew she needed help, but was reluctant to accept it.
The serving maid entered quietly - a different girl from the one that afternoon - her presence going disregarded by anyone else.
Ayra glanced up and caught her eye. The woman hardly reacted and placed a fresh plate on the table, a thin layer of steam curling from the baked dessert in its center.
Ayra’s heart raced. She forced herself to remain calm, lifting her fork to take a slow, deliberate bite.
She chewed slowly, counting to five in her head before putting the fork down. Her hand, trembling slightly, reached into her pocket and slipped out the folded paper.
Sliding it across the table as discreetly as she could, Ayra muttered, “Take this.”
The maid’s hands were quick. In a blink, the paper was gone, replaced by a small, slim object that the maid dropped quickly into Ayra’s lap.
“Napkin, miss?” the maid asked.
Ayra nodded and the woman pulled out a napkin, sliding something quickly into it.
“There’s also something else for you—don’t open it here,” she murmured without moving her lips.
The maid didn’t linger. She retrieved Ayra’s empty plate and turned to leave.
Ayra glanced down, careful to hide her reaction. Tucked beneath the pristine white napkin lay a folded A4-size paper and a cheap, black cellphone no larger than her palm.
Her fingers brushed against the items, her mind racing as she slipped them into the inner pocket of her gown.
She felt the steady gaze of Lucian’s men on her back as she resumed eating, her movement deliberate and lethargic like it usually was.
By the time dinner was over, Ayra’s pulse was erratic. It wasn’t until she returned to her room, the door locking behind her with a quiet click, that she let herself breathe and collapsed to the floor.
More than her father's anger, she feared what Lucian would do if he suspected she was rebelling.
She retrieved the phone and the paper, sitting on the edge of her bed as she examined them under the soft glow of her bedside lamp.
The phone was simple and outdated, with no features beyond the basic call and text functions. She opened the folded paper next, her breath hitching as she studied it.
It was an aerial photograph, clearly taken from a drone or plane. The image depicted a sprawling estate surrounded by dense trees, its architecture modern but imposing.
Blue dots were spread around the picture and at first glance there was seemingly no rhyme to them.
On the flip side of the paper was a series of letters and numbers. At first glance, Ayra recognized it as a simple cipher she had learnt from her aunt.
The instructions were clear enough. She had to call Eleanor, and she had to do it soon. However common sense told her to wait until midnight to ensure nobody discovered her.
Ayra exhaled.
---
The hours crawled by as Ayra sat on her bed, staring at the phone. The mansion was quiet.
The kind of oppressive silence that made every creak of the floorboards sound deafening. She waited until the phone showed half-past one, her nerves frayed and her patience thin.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed the power button. The phone vibrated faintly as it turned on, the screen lighting up with a plain interface.
No texts, no contacts, just a keypad waiting for her to use.
She decided the coded message a second time, and dialed the number written on the folded paper, her fingers trembling with each press of a button.
It rang once, twice, three times before a voice answered.
“Hello?”
It was Eleanor.
“It’s me,” Ayra whispered, careful not to alert the guards standing just beyond her door. “I got your message.”
There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a soft exhale. “Good. Did anyone see you?”
“No,” Ayra said. “I don’t think so.”
“Good, good,” Eleanor repeated. “Listen carefully. You don’t have much time, and neither do I.”
Ayra gripped the phone tighter, her heart pounding in her chest.
“The photograph I sent you is the planned wedding venue,” Eleanor explained. “It is known as the Gardene L'Villais.
The blue dots represent the guard positions during the event. I will send you more detailed information on how to avoid them later.”
Understanding dawned on Ayra. Since she could not flee from the mansion, with it being too guarded, her only other option was to flee from the wedding.
"How did you get your hands on this?" Ayra asked, stupefied.
"I have my ways," her aunt chuckled.
“But, on the other hand, how would I pull it off?” Ayra asked. “I can’t even leave my room without being watched and I doubt that would change much even during the wedding.”
Eleanor’s voice softened, but it lost none of its urgency. “There is a way. I'll send you more details over the next few days. Just trust me, understand?”
“Yes,” Ayra said, though the word felt like a lie. She was going to flee her wedding. Risque.
“One more thing,” Eleanor added, her tone growing serious. “Lucian is not like the others. Be careful around him.”
Ayra frowned, her grip on the phone tightening. “What do you mean?”
“Of course, you already know, but I have to stress that he is… dangerous,” Eleanor said, hesitating for the first time.
“More than you realize. If you think for a second that he doesn’t already suspect something, you’re underestimating him far too much.”
Ayra’s stomach churned.
She’d always known Lucian wasn’t an ordinary man, but the way Eleanor spoke made her feel as though she was walking into a trap she couldn’t even see. It sent shivers down her spine.
“If Lucian is so dangerous, Aunt, then why are you even helping me?” Ayra asked suddenly, the question slipping out before she could stop herself.
There was a long pause on the other end, so long that Ayra thought the call had dropped. Then Eleanor spoke, her voice softer than before.
“Because I could not help your mother,” she said simply.
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Ayra’s throat tightened, her mind racing with questions she didn’t dare ask. She did not think she wanted to know the answer to those questions.
“Once the call is dropped, this cellphone will self-destruct. Drop it into the toilet and flush immediately I end the call. Understand?" Her aunt said.
"What? Self-destruct?" Ayra asked, confused.
"Ayra, toilet. Now," Eleanor pressed. "We can't have our call traced, understand?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Ayra blurted out, making her way to the toilet.
"Okay. Take care."
The line went dead, and Ayra scrambled to punt the phone into the toilet.
It sparked dangerously as it met the water, smoking ominously, and Ayra immediately pulled the handle and flushed it down.
The hours slipped by like sand through her fingers. Her isolation was suffocating as always, yet she clung to the small lifeline Eleanor had given her. Her aunt’s messages arrived sporadically, their delivery concealed in the meticulous work of the maid. A folded napkin, a hollowed-out bread roll, a ribbon tied too tightly around a gift - her messages came in the details, as it were, and Ayra simply had to admire the woman's level of innovation. Eleanor’s plans for the escape were detailed and intricate in their design. She had secured a safehouse - somewhere Ayra could be hidden for a while once she made her escape. It was an ostentatious villa in the middle of the city, but Eleanor and Ayra both agreed that it was best to hide right beneath their noses until Ayra could leave the city entirely. The city’s roads were mapped, the hidden back alleys and lesser-known paths highlighted on a series of papers Eleanor had sent. Ayra had made sure to burn them all - they were just there
Ferdinand leaned on the balcony, staring out at the setting sun, a lit cigar between his fingers. The door behind him opened and his sister stepped through. She observed him for a while before coming to rest her elbows on the railing too. Ferdinand offered her a cigar pack and she picked out a stick. "Light me," she requested and her brother flicked open a lighter and lit the cigar for her. "Congrats Ferdy," Eleanor said, her lips working around the cigar in her mouth. "Ayra is getting married in two days."Ferdinand sighed and took a drag."My little girl," he whispered. "To get her together with The Director himself, Ferdy, I wonder how you did it.""We all have our ways," Ferdinand said with a chuckle. "You have an idea of what you are doing to her, don't you?""Wouldn't you do the same?" Ferdinand asked. "No, I wouldn't," Eleanor answered. Her brother chuckled. "That is why you would never have children, Eleanor.""Don't need them. They're a hassle to take care of."Ferdina
The morning sunlight filtered through the heavy drapes of Ayra’s room, bathing the space in a dull, golden glow. The first rays of dawn painted the sky in muted gold and pink, but, unsurprisingly, the beauty of the morning was lost on Ayra. She awoke with a knot in her stomach, the weight of what lay ahead pressing heavily on her chest. Today was her wedding day.She had thought it would be more... Joyful. Oh, she certainly was shivering, but not from anticipation or joy - she was nervous. So very nervous. Although she couldn’t afford to falter now, the nerves were just part of the day. See, Ayra had spent sleepless nights piecing together a plan, but all those nights had served to tell her that there was very little she could do to manage how things panned out. She was going to have to go with the flow and improvise on the fly - which she absolutely DREADED - and now, with her escape just hours away, there was no turning back.And there was also Lisbeth's visit last night plagui
The sunlight poured through the mansion's grand windows, casting a pale glow across the marble floors. The day had arrived, and the house thrummed with activity while Ayra whiled away the time in her room. Not quite the scenario she'd pictured for her wedding. The knock calling her out came sooner than she expected.“Miss Ayra, it’s time,” someone announced from the other side of the door.Ayra opened it to find a familiar face - the woman who had been working as Eleanor’s contact. The woman’s gaze flicked briefly to the hallway behind her before she stepped inside and shut the door.“Miss Ayra,” the maid whispered, her voice low but steady. “We need to act quickly. Please sit down.”Ayra obeyed, sitting on the edge of her bed as the maid knelt before her.From under her apron, she pulled out a roll of beige fabric and a small black case. She motioned for Ayra to lift the sheer silk gown she wore.Ayra hesitated but complied, her heart hammering in her chest as the maid efficiently
“It won’t take long,” she added, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions within her.“Very well,” the lead maid said after a pause. “We’ll wait just outside. Let us know when you’re ready.”The group filed out, leaving Ayra alone in the dressing room. The door clicked shut, and she let out a shaky breath.She didn’t have much time.She turned quickly to the wardrobe, her fingers trembling as she unlatched the hidden compartment. Ayra pulled out the plain blouse and trousers Eleanor had mentioned and tossed it onto the chair alongside the earpiece. The first attempt to remove the wedding dress was futile; the corset was too tight, the layers of fabric tangled and unyielding. Frustration surged through her as she yanked at the delicate stitching, tearing through the lace with sharp, deliberate movements.“Damn this dress,” she hissed under her breath, the ripping sounds oddly satisfying. She hated the dumb color scheme anyway. Icy whitish blue and gold was her preferred color
Minutes earlier...Lisbeth’s reaction was immediate as well as rather explosive. The moment she realized Ayra had slipped away, a cold, simmering rage bubbled beneath her skin. She'd known this would happen. It still didn't stop her from being annoyed when it did. The room was quiet, save for the faint murmur of guests outside the venue. Lisbeth’s sharp gaze swept over the scene, her mind racing to piece together what had happened. HOW it had happened. She came up with nothing. “You lot,” she called sharply, turning to the gaggle of servants at the door. “Tell me; who was the last person in this room before she disappeared?”The maid stammered, her face pale. “J-just the team helping her dress, ma’am. I don’t know what happened after that. She asked for some time alone, and, well, we -”“Time alone?” Lisbeth spat. “And what? None of you dimwits thought to question that? Of course she needed time alone - time to escape! What did I tell you?! Weren't my instructions clear enough?! An
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her voice quiet.“You’ve always been too intense when it comes to Ayra,” Ferdinand said, his tone almost fatherly. “I needed to ensure this was handled with precision, not the brute force you would have preferred.”Lisbeth could not argue with that. "So, what now?" She asked. Ferdinand chuckled. "Now, we hunt down Ayra."As if on cue, Lisbeth’s phone rang in her pocket. She retrieved it with and her brows knitted together when she saw Sarah’s name flash across the screen. She answered, putting the phone on speaker.“Sarah, what do you have?” Lisbeth asked. On the other end of the line, Sarah hesitated, her voice uncertain. “Lisbeth, Ayra called me just a minute ago. She asked after the tickets I told you she'd asked me to help her book.”“What did you say?” Lisbeth interrupted. "She called you? Now?""Yeah, I just got off the phone with her. Said she would call me again and I should get the train ticket ready for her."“The train ticket. Did y
It was impractical to search the entire city for her, Ayra knew. But if she really did disappear without a trace then it would merely be a matter of minutes before she was caught and dragged back. Hence she had set up for her father two leads - Marcy and Sarah. The train tickets from Sarah would ensure he directed manpower that way given that the chances of her taking the train was practically fifty fifty. Marcy was a done deal, and perhaps he would suspect aunt Eleanor too and waste his efforts on her. That would give her the opportunity to strike out on her own and actually have a chance at fleeing. With their minds so fixated on the decoys she had set up and trying to see if they had ignored any other, she would run for the hills and have a pretty good headstart. It was rather clever, but Ayra did not quite come up with it in her own. Her mother had to take credit for the general idea. She had taught Ayra much. At the moment, Ayra sat in the dimly lit corner of a café, a cup
The silence gnawed at Ayra.For all her careful orchestration—for the balcony appearances with tousled hair and artful smudges of lipstick, for the planted photographs handed to Nico, for the media blitz that followed—Lucian had yet to respond. No message. No confrontation. No fury.No presence.Ayra wandered through the silent halls of the manor like a ghost in her own haunting. It had been two days since she fed the flames of the scandal herself, tipping the scales and watching Lucian’s pristine, untouchable image buckle under the weight of betrayal. It had spread like wildfire—first, the hushed reveal of their secret marriage, then the carefully timed photos of her supposed affair with Leon. The media had eaten it up, ravenous for every scandalous morsel.The silence that followed was not relief.It was strange, like waiting for an earthquake after watching the ground crack beneath her feet. She expected retaliation, the burn of his fury, maybe even for Lucian to return and demand
He set the envelope down, fingers tightening against the edges. "You’re playing a dangerous game," he murmured.Ayra tilted her head. "Am I?"He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back, assessing her with a careful, measured look. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"She smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "That’s for Lucian to figure out, isn’t it?"A beat of silence. Then:"You want me to do something with this."Ayra reached for her wine glass again, swirling the liquid absently. "I want it to be known," she said simply. "I want the world to talk."Nico exhaled, setting the envelope down as if it were something poisonous. "You do realize that if I take this to him, you’ll regret it?"Ayra’s gaze sharpened."I’ll regret nothing," she said quietly.Another silence stretched between them.Finally, Nico let out a slow, resigned breath. "You really don’t care if he burns everything down over this, do you? And by the way, it's practically impossible for him
She told herself it was necessary, what she was doing.But in the past few days, something inside her twisted in ways she couldn’t quite name.It was easy enough to play the role, to smirk when she needed to, to let her fingers trail over the stem of a wine glass as if she had all the time in the world. But every time she stepped onto that balcony, feigning the remnants of an intimate encounter, a part of her coiled tight in discomfort.Lucian had done nothing but let her fester in silence, leaving her with no choice but to force his hand. She needed him to react—to do something. If he wanted to play the game of indifference, she would break that facade piece by piece.And yet, she hated that it had come to this.That she had to use someone else just to make herself seen.At night, when the estate was quiet, she would stand by the mirror in her room, staring at her own reflection as if it held the answers.What did she expect Lucian to do?What did she want him to do?She wasn’t sure a
Ayra led Leon into her chambers with steady steps, her fingers brushing against his arm in a way that suggested intimacy. Yet as she stepped over the threshold, a quiet revulsion coiled deep in her stomach.The thought of him here—of his presence in this space—left a bitter taste in her mouth.Still, she had to see this through.She glanced at the walls, at the high corners of the ceiling. She suspected Lucian had placed surveillance somewhere in the house. That would explain his silence—his patience. He’s waiting for proof. Waiting to see if she would really go through with it.Fine.If he needed proof, she would give it to him.Leon, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her, exhaled a slow breath as he stepped into the room. "You know," he murmured, turning to face her, "I wasn’t expecting this tonight."She forced a small smile. "Change of plans."He studied her for a moment, his gaze dark, his amusement barely concealed. "And here I thought you enjoyed the chase.""I do." She cros
The game unfolded slowly, piece by piece, each move carefully placed on the board.It started with simple meetings—casual, almost meaningless to an outsider. Ayra and Leon continued their rendezvous in high-end cafés, lounges with dim lighting, and restaurants tucked away in discreet corners of the city. They never once met at the same place twice. That alone was enough to stir whispers among those who paid attention.She ensured Lucian’s men saw them. She played her part well, letting moments linger, leaning in a fraction closer than necessary despite the roiling in her gut, letting a smirk or a laugh escape at the right moments. There was no real intimacy, but to anyone watching, it didn’t matter. The illusion had begun to take root.And then, she took the next step.She invited Leon to the house.It was a slow escalation, deliberate in every way.The game unfolded over two weeks, methodical and deliberate. Ayra knew the power of suggestion, the weight of unspoken words, and the way
The message came just before dinner.Leon: Had a great time chatting today. Wouldn’t mind another round—this time, somewhere quieter?Ayra sat back on the plush sofa of her sitting room, twirling the phone in her fingers. She had been expecting him to reach out. Encouraging it, even. Yet, staring at the message, she hesitated. The line between playing a game and getting caught in it was dangerously thin.But Lucian had yet to react to anything she’d done. Not the staff replacement, not the disorder she’d caused in the estate, not even her blatant attempts to provoke him. He remained distant, untouchable, as though she didn’t even exist. It burned.Maybe this would be the thing to get under his skin.She typed her response carefully.Ayra: I wouldn’t mind that. Where do you suggest?His reply came within moments.Leon: I know a private lounge near the East District. Great wine, even better company.She smiled faintly. He was charming, smooth. Just enough to make this easier.Ayra: Send
The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the city as Ayra stepped out of the car, the sleek black vehicle blending seamlessly with the polished luxury of the district. The streets here were lined with designer boutiques, private lounges, and high-end cafés—places that oozed exclusivity, where only the elite could afford to linger. It was the kind of setting she had been raised in for the later part of her life, yet now, standing before one of the finest cafés in the city, she felt strangely like an outsider.The café, Bellaria, was known for its privacy and refinement. It wasn’t a place for loud conversation or rushed meetings; here, the rich came to drink imported coffee, discuss business, and subtly flaunt their power. It was exactly the kind of place Lucian would be seen in.That was part of the reason she had come.Ayra pushed open the glass door, a small bell chiming above her head. Inside, the space was decorated in dark wood and gold, the air rich with the scent of roasted co
Nico stepped into Lucian’s office, the weight of his report pressing down on him. The room was dimly lit, the glow of the evening cityscape filtering through the large windows behind the man seated at the desk. Lucian didn’t look up immediately, his attention fixed on the documents before him, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood.“Speak,” Lucian said, his voice low, controlled.Nico took a slow breath before delivering the news. “It’s about Ayra.”Lucian’s fingers stilled. He finally looked up, his expression unreadable. “What did she do now?”“She’s replaced the staff.”Silence.Lucian leaned back in his chair, studying Nico with an eerie calm. “Come again?”Nico’s jaw tightened. “She fired the entire estate staff. Threw them out and replaced them with her own people. None of the original staff are left. Worse, they refuse to return.”Lucian’s gaze snapped up. “Refuse?”Nico hesitated, then nodded. “They’re scared, boss.”Lucian scoffed, leaning back in his cha
By the time the dust settled, the house was eerily quiet.The last of the protesting staff had been escorted off the premises, their voices still ringing in Ayra’s ears.The replacement staff stood awkwardly near the foyer, waiting for orders. But Ayra had none to give.She should have felt victorious.She had made her statement. She had taken control.But all she felt was exhaustion.The butler was the only one who hadn’t been forcibly removed. He still stood by the staircase, arms clasped behind his back. Unlike the others, he hadn’t fought. He hadn’t shouted.And that made him all the more annoying.Ayra met his gaze, a strange tension hanging between them.“You’re still here,” she observed.“I am,” he replied.“I told you to leave.”“You told them to leave,” he said with an insipid little look on his eye. “But you did not fire me.”Ayra exhaled through her nose. “Do you really think Lucian would let me? Would he be happy if I did so?”The butler smiled slightly, but it was devoid o