Chapter 5 The Past Repeats ‎

Georgia didn't sleep.

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‎She lay in the enormous bed, staring up at the ceiling, her hands resting on the cool sheet. The silence of the mansion was deafening. Just stillness and her thoughts, echoing too loudly in her head.

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Every tick of the clock on the wall reminded her that this wasn't a nightmare she could wake up from.

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‎She was Liam's, at least on paper.

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‎The ache in her chest didn't fade. No matter how many times she closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was somewhere else, sleep never came.

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‎When the first faint rays of dawn crept through the windows, she finally got up.

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‎Her legs felt heavy as she moved to the closet and pulled out a midnight-blue dress. It was simple, elegant, and safe. No lace. No softness. She didn't want to look like a woman in love. She wasn't.

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‎She didn't bother with makeup. Let Liam see the shadows under her eyes, the tired curve of her lips, the truth. Let him see how hollow she felt inside.

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‎She brushed her hair back, tied it into a loose bun, and stepped out of the bedroom.

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‎The house was quiet, still blanketed in morning silence. Marble floors greeted her with a chill through her bare feet. She padded down the long hallway, past tall mirrors and empty vases.

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‎She reached the main floor, where a housekeeper she hadn't met yet stood in the kitchen. The woman looked professional, dressed in a crisp uniform, her hair pinned up neatly.

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‎"Good morning, ma'am," the housekeeper said politely, her voice careful and soft. "Mr. Patel left early for work."

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‎Of course he did.

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‎"He said you should take time to familiarize yourself with the house. If you need anything, I'll be nearby."

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‎Georgia nodded, forcing a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you."

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‎She sat at the long dining table and accepted a plate of scrambled eggs and toast the woman served her. But every bite tasted like dust. She wasn't hungry. Her stomach was tight with tension.

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‎She barely finished half the plate before standing.

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‎The housekeeper didn't say anything. Just quietly cleared the dishes while Georgia wandered off.

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‎The house was massive, almost cold in its beauty.

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‎Each hallway was like a maze, filled with gleaming surfaces and expensive furniture that felt more like display pieces than items meant to be used. The walls were decorated with abstract art, sharp lines and muted colors. There were no family photos.

‎She moved from room to room, trying to make sense of the space she was supposed to live in. A sitting room with white couches too perfect to touch. A home office with shelves of untouched books. A gym. A guest room. Everything in perfect order. Everything neat. Everything empty.

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‎She paused when she entered the library.

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‎The room was beautiful tall wooden shelves stretching all the way to the ceiling, lined with books organized by size and color.

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‎She walked slowly along the shelves, letting her fingers drift across the spines of the books. Many looked unread, their covers uncreased and untouched.

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‎But one thing caught her eye.

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‎A small, framed photo sitting alone on the far shelf.

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‎It stood out in this house of cold surfaces and business-like order. She stepped closer, curious.

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‎The picture was of Liam. He looked younger, softer. He wore a navy blue shirt, his smile unguarded and real in a way she hadn't seen since she arrived.

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‎Beside him stood a woman.

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‎She was beautiful, elegant and confident, with her hand tucked into the crook of Liam's arm. Her smile was bright. Her eyes seemed to glow with affection.

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‎Georgia stared at the photo for a long time.

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‎She didn't recognize the woman. But there was something oddly familiar about her face. Something that tugged at the edges of her memory, like a name she couldn't quite remember.

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‎She reached out and gently picked up the frame, studying it closer.

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‎That's when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

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‎She jumped slightly, startled by the sudden vibration.

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‎Pulling it out, she saw the name flash on the screen.

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‎Daddy.

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‎Her chest tightened. She hadn't spoken to him since the wedding. She hesitated for a moment before pressing answer.

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‎"Dad?" she said softly.

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‎"Georgia," he breathed. His voice was weak, even more fragile than the last time she'd heard it. "Are you... settled?"

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‎If you could call this settled.

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‎"Yes" she lied. "I'm fine."

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‎There was a pause. She could hear the wheeze in his breath.

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‎"I'm sorry" he said quietly. "I never wanted this for you."

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‎"I know." She closed her eyes, swallowing the lump rising in her throat. "It's done now."

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‎"You're stronger than you think," he whispered. "Don't let him break you."

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‎Her eyes stung.

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‎They spoke for a few more minutes, just soft, gentle words. Empty reassurances. Words that couldn't change what had already happened. She didn't tell him how lonely the mansion felt. She didn't tell him about the cold ceremony or the silence that followed. She didn't have the heart to.

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‎When she finally hung up, the quiet returned, louder than before.

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‎She looked down at the phone for a moment, wishing she could rewind time. Back to when things were simpler. Back before everything had fallen apart.

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‎She turned back to the picture on her hand.

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‎She wondered what ghosts haunted Liam that he keep this single memory in a house where nothing felt personal.

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‎Who was she?

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‎Why did Liam keep this one photo in a house where everything else felt so carefully impersonal?

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‎A memory? A ghost?

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‎She wondered if the woman was someone Liam had loved. Or lost.

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‎Why else keep it here, alone in the library?

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‎With a soft exhale, Georgia gently set the frame back on the shelf.

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‎Her fingers lingered for a moment before she pulled away.

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‎She left the library.

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‎As she walked the halls again, she couldn't shake the strange heaviness in her chest.

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‎The past.

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‎But long after she left the library, she couldn't shake the feeling that the past she didn't understand was already repeating itself.

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‎There was something about that photo, about the way Liam looked in it, that felt like a story she wasn't meant to see. A truth buried beneath the layers of his cold exterior.

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‎And somehow, deep in her bones, Georgia had a feeling that whatever that past was... it wasn't done with him yet.

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‎And if it wasn't done with him, it wasn't done with her either.

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‎She had stepped into his world thinking she was simply paying a debt.

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‎But maybe... maybe she had walked into something much deeper.

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‎Something dangerous.

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‎Something already repeating itself.

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