Chapter 2 THE SILENT WATCHER

Chapter 2

The first light of dawn broke over the horizon, casting long shadows across the estate grounds. Aria Stone stood in the wide, arched windows of her room, her breath fogging the glass as she watched the sky stretch from indigo to pale violet. A quiet stillness hung in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves from the forest beyond.

She had barely slept. The bed, luxurious and soft, had been both a comfort and a trap. Every time she closed her eyes, the moon's glow seemed to seep through her eyelids, burning her mind with its pull. And the howls-they had continued through the night, each one pulling at her like a tether she couldn't break.

They had to be wolves. She tried to convince herself of that, but deep down, she knew it was something else. Something more.

It was just nerves. She was here to work. To take the photos and leave.

The sound of footsteps in the hall snapped her back to the present. She moved away from the window just as the door to her room creaked open. Lucien Thorn stood there, his expression unreadable. His presence filled the doorway, like the house itself had summoned him.

"Time to get to work," he said flatly, his tone detached, as if this were nothing more than a casual inconvenience.

Aria nodded, swallowing the unease that churned in her stomach. She had prepared herself for his coldness. After all, he was a billionaire recluse, a man of mystery. But standing here, mere feet away from him, she realized how much his presence commanded the space. His eyes, those steely gray eyes, seemed to pierce through her, like he could see straight into her thoughts.

"I've arranged for a guide to show you around the estate. There's much to photograph," he continued, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He moved with a grace that seemed almost unnatural, as if the weight of the mansion itself didn't exist for him.

"I'm not here for a tour," Aria replied, trying to steady her nerves. "I'm here for the project. The photos."

Lucien's lips twitched, just slightly, as if her words had amused him. "The estate is a part of the project, Miss Stone. The place you're in, the people who live here, and... what they've built. It all matters."

She didn't like the way he said "people who live here." She wondered who he meant. There was no sign of anyone else in the house, just the occasional echo of footsteps and murmurs in the distance.

Before she could ask, Lucien turned, his footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floor. "Follow me."

She hesitated for a moment, but the growing sense of urgency in his tone pushed her forward. She had been hired to document the Thorn Estate-its history, its strange allure, and its enigmatic owner. What she hadn't expected was to feel like a pawn in a game whose rules were kept hidden from her.

She followed Lucien down the winding hallway, the walls lined with portraits and relics of another time. The house seemed to breathe around her, ancient and alive with stories waiting to be told. But the more she looked, the more she felt the presence of something-or someone-watching her.

The first stop was the library.

It was a grand room, stretching up two stories with shelves upon shelves of books. Some looked centuries old, their leather spines cracked with age. Others were newer, neatly arranged, though the air in the room held a heavy stillness.

Lucien didn't pause to admire the books or even glance at them. He moved past them as though he'd seen them a thousand times before. But Aria couldn't help herself. She wandered to one of the bookshelves and ran her fingers along the spines. Her eyes lingered on a large, leather-bound tome at the far end, its cover embossed with strange symbols.

"Curious about the collection?" Lucien's voice cut through the silence.

Aria turned to face him. "What is this?"

"Family history," he said simply, his gaze flickering to the book she had been drawn to. "You won't find it in any public records."

Before she could ask more, he had already crossed the room to a large window overlooking the estate grounds. His back was turned to her, but she felt his eyes on her, like a shadow pressing down on her every movement.

"Today, you'll start at the garden," Lucien continued, his voice carrying the weight of command. "The west garden. It's the one with the most history."

"History?" Aria raised an eyebrow. "What kind of history?"

He didn't answer immediately, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. "You'll find out soon enough."

With that, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving her to follow in his wake. She could feel the chill of the room long after he had left it, as if the walls themselves were closing in on her.

Outside, the air was crisp, and the sky had turned a pale shade of blue. Aria followed Lucien through the expansive grounds of the estate, which seemed to stretch on forever. The garden was vast, filled with manicured hedges, statues draped in ivy, and towering trees that reached toward the sky like guardians of an ancient secret.

But it was the centerpiece of the garden that caught her attention-a large, marble fountain, its water still and stagnant, as if frozen in time. Around it, the ground was littered with petals, their colors faded and brittle.

Lucien stopped at the fountain, his gaze fixed on the water as if lost in thought. Aria felt the urge to speak, but something in the air-an unspoken warning-stilled her tongue.

"The garden has been here for centuries," he said quietly. "My family has always kept it in perfect condition. No one disturbs it. Not even the animals."

Aria glanced around, trying to make sense of his words. The garden was beautiful, but there was an underlying sadness to it, a weight that seemed to press down on the land.

"Why?" she asked, her voice tentative.

Lucien turned to face her. "Because this garden is the heart of the curse that haunts this place. The curse that has haunted my family for generations."

Aria's breath caught in her throat. "The curse?"

He nodded slowly, his expression darkening. "It's not just a tale. It's the truth. And it's why you're here."

She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. "What do you mean?"

Lucien's gaze drifted to the horizon, where the moon hung, still visible even in the daylight, casting a pale light over the estate. "You're here to document the curse, Miss Stone. Not just the house. Not just the family. The curse."

Aria's heart began to race as the weight of his words settled over her. The howls she had heard, the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, the inexplicable connection she felt to this place-it all suddenly made sense. But it also made everything much more dangerous.

"Why me?" she whispered, unable to keep the question from escaping.

Lucien turned to face her fully, his expression unreadable. "Because you're the one who will break it."

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