Chapter 4 BEHIND THE VELVET WALLS

CHAPTER 3 – BEHIND THE VELVET WALLS

Morning in the Knight mansion was a different kind of morning that I wasn't familiar with. The air smelled of glossy wood and gardenia, and sun rays gleaming through crystal windows made the house look like it had been chiseled from light itself.

I hurriedly had my shower and dressed quickly in black pencil trousers and a silk blouse before heading downstairs. My first official day as Katherine Knight's assistant. The very thought made my heart quaver.

Katherine was already in her studio, a very large room filled with several mannequins, rolls of various fabrics, and sketches attached in perfect sequence to the wall. She stood by the window, holding a cup of coffee, her reflection piercing through the glass like a queen inspecting her empire.

"Good morning, Rain," she said without looking up. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, ma'am. The room is beautiful."

"Good. Let's begin."

She handed me a pile of folders thicker than my courage. "These are some ideas for the new couture line. Sort them by fabric type and color, then email me a weekly programme of meetings with the production guys. Also, I need a new plan for Paris on my desk before midday."

I blinked. "Paris?"

"We're presenting our next collection at Palais Galliera next month. If you want to witness the real fashion warfare, you'll come."

My heart jumped. Paris. The dream of every designer. "I'd love that."

Her lips curved a bit. "Ambition suits you."

For the next few hours, I worked like my entire existence depended on it. The studio buzzed with the quiet yet intense sounds of creation; tailors whispering over dresses, the soft hum of multiple sewing machines, the "scroop" sound of silk, and the swishing sound of tulle filled my ears.

Katherine was everywhere; decisive, elegant, terrifyingly brilliant. She didn't just make dresses; she sculpted emotion out of every piece of fabric she touched.

By noon, I was worn out but thrilled. I stepped into the corridor to catch my breath. That's when I saw him.

Adrian.

He stood in a corner, looking dashing in a charcoal suit, making a call. His tone was sharp, commanding; the voice of a man used to giving orders that people hastily obeyed.

When he saw me, his expression softened. He ended the call and walked over.

"You survived your first morning," he said.

"Somehow," I smiled, despite myself.

He studied me for a while. "You look different during the day."

I raised an eyebrow. "Less mysterious?"

"More dangerous."

My heart shook. "You know you shouldn't say things like that."

He tilted his head. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because your wife may hear you."

He smiled faintly, but there was something dark behind it. "You will learn one or two things about Katherine soon. She doesn't see people... she owns and uses them."

Before I could say anything, her voice floated out of the studio. "Rain!"

I turned, startled. When I looked back, Adrian had disappeared.

The rest of the day went by slowly, spun into a whirl of fabrics, phone calls, and struggling to meet up with Katherine's impossible deadlines. I had never seen anyone work like Katherine. She moved with purpose and unimaginable energy, her commands precise and absolute.

By evening, she dismissed the staff and called me into her private office. It was the only room that didn't feel alive with beauty. Instead, it had control written all over it. Dark velvet walls, vintage furniture, heirlooms, a massive mirror behind her desk reflecting everything and everyone.

She gestured to me to sit. "How have you found the mansion so far?"

"It's... magnificent."

She crossed her legs gracefully, smiling. "You'll get used to it. This house has its moods. Some say it watches your back."

I tried to laugh, but for some weird reason, the laughter stuck in my throat.

She studied me for a while. "You're a fast learner. I like that. But there's something about you I can't figure out yet."

I forced a polite smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Do," she said lightly. "I see potential in you, Rain. But potential can be disastrous if not well controlled. You understand what I mean?"

I nodded, though I wasn't sure I did.

Her eyes flicked toward the mirror behind me. "Good. Now, before you go, a word of advice. The Knights are always watched. By investors, competitors, the press... even by enemies. Discretion is not a choice; it's survival."

I felt her words hang in the air like perfume long after I left her office.

That night, I relaxed on my balcony, the well-lit city looking like fallen stars. The mansion was quiet, too quiet. My mind drifted to Adrian; his words, his gaze that gave me chills, the heap of unsaid things between us. I had noticed earlier, when I saw him signing a document for Katherine at the studio, that he was left-handed. A discovery that strangely excited me and made me feel more of what I couldn't explain.

I giggled.

Then I saw a shadow downstairs.

A tall figure, moving with precision, slipped into the garden. It was Adrian. He walked towards the fountain, his phone pressed to his left ear. Out of mere curiosity, I guess, I eavesdropped.

"Tonight?" His voice was tense and low. "No. I don't want her to know yet."

I froze.

Was he talking about Katherine? Me?

He looked back suddenly, as if feeling my eyes on him. I hid behind the railing, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, breathing hard. When I dared to bring up my head, he was gone.

The curtains behind me danced with the wind, and for a second, when I saw my reflection on the glass window, the woman who stared back at me was torn between fear and fascination.

I realized I wasn't just residing in the Knight mansion anymore.

I was sinking into it.

And it would swallow me whole if I wasn't careful.