Chapter 6 SIX

The estate was too quiet.

No laughter, no footsteps-just the sound of distant water dripping somewhere deep within the stone bones of the place. Emilia stood in the middle of her new bedroom, unsure if she should sit, cry, or run.

It was beautiful. Of course it was. Every piece of furniture looked like it belonged in a palace. The four-poster bed was draped in sheer curtains, the sheets untouched. A grand mirror leaned against one wall, reflecting a woman she barely recognized.

Her suitcase sat untouched on the chair. Someone had already unpacked it for her.

Control. Even in the little things.

She wandered down the hallway barefoot, the silk of her wedding dress trailing behind like a ghost. The hallways were dimly lit, lined with portraits of people who looked both royal and ruthless. One frame was empty, the canvas slashed.

She found a library first. Floor-to-ceiling shelves, all locked behind glass. Another symbol of what she couldn't touch.

Then-she heard it.

Piano.

Soft. Hesitant. A melody that didn't belong to this house. It was fragile, like someone was playing with one hand while the other held back grief.

Emilia followed the sound down a narrow corridor that ended in a small music room.

And there he was.

Luca.

Back turned, sitting at the piano. Jacket off, sleeves rolled. Nothing like the cold statue he was at the ceremony. He didn't see her right away.

The melody stumbled, then stopped.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he said without turning.

"It was beautiful," she replied softly.

He finally looked at her. There was no anger, just a hint of vulnerability quickly shuttered away.

"I thought you'd lock yourself in your room," he said.

"I tried. The silence was louder."

A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips. "This house doesn't know how to welcome anyone. Least of all a stranger."

"I'm not a stranger. I'm your wife."

"Only on paper."

Emilia stepped closer, drawn despite herself. "Do you always play when no one's around?"

He looked down at the keys. "It's the only time I feel human."

She didn't answer. She didn't need to. In that moment, something shifted-subtle, quiet.

Not love.

But a crack in the wall.

A place where something might grow.