𝒫𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒

Chapter 5

Eleanor woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. The remnants of a nightmare clung to her thoughts, vivid and unsettling. In the darkness of her room, the shadows seemed to dance menacingly on the walls. She had dreamt of her aunt's harsh face, of being dragged away and suffocating under the weight of the past. The anxiety and fear from the nightmare lingered, making her restless.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table—it was around 2:30 a.m. The house was quiet, save for the distant hum of the villa's systems. Feeling parched and hoping to clear her mind, Eleanor decided to get a glass of water. She slipped out of bed, carefully navigating her way through the darkened room and into the hallway.

The grand hallways of the villa seemed even more imposing at night, their opulence now cast in eerie shadows. Eleanor walked cautiously down the stairs, her footsteps echoing softly in the silence. She made her way to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and took a few sips, hoping it would help soothe her frazzled nerves.

As she turned to head back upstairs, she noticed a faint sliver of light coming from underneath the door of Alessio's office. It was strange to see any light at this hour. Eleanor hesitated for a moment, curiosity mingling with her unease. She took a few tentative steps toward the office door, her bare feet barely making a sound on the marble floor.

Suddenly, she heard a muffled voice from within the office. The voice was firm and commanding. "Stop."

Eleanor froze, her hand gripping the railing as her breath caught in her throat. The sound of the voice was unmistakable—deep and authoritative, yet laced with an edge of anger. She couldn't make out the full conversation, but the tone was sharp and intense.

Her heart began to race again, not from the remnants of her nightmare but from the unexpected tension in the air. She glanced at the closed door, conflicted between her desire to understand what was happening and the fear of overstepping boundaries.

A moment later, the door to the office creaked open slightly, revealing a sliver of the room beyond. Eleanor's eyes widened as she saw Alessio standing with a man she didn't recognize. The man was leaning against a desk, his posture tense and defiant, while Alessio's expression was a mix of frustration and cold determination.

Eleanor's instinct was to retreat, but she remained rooted in place, watching from the shadows. Alessio's voice was now more measured but still stern. "I've told you before. If you can't follow instructions, there will be consequences. I won't tolerate any further mistakes."

The man in the office nodded stiffly, his face shadowed but clearly marked by stress. "Understood," he muttered, his voice low.

Before Eleanor could process more, Alessio's gaze flicked toward the door, and he seemed to sense her presence. He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of her silhouette.

"What are you doing here?" Alessio's voice cut through the silence, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Eleanor's breath caught in her throat, and she took a hesitant step back, clutching her glass of water like a lifeline. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I just... had a nightmare and needed some water."

Alessio's expression softened slightly, though his eyes remained watchful. "Go back to bed," he said, his voice now calm but firm. "This is not a place for you to be at this hour. Get some rest."

Eleanor nodded quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry."

She turned and hurried back up the stairs, her heart still pounding. The encounter had left her more unsettled than before, but she tried to shake off the fear and confusion as she returned to her room. As she settled back into bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that there were many more layers to the world she had been thrust into, and that understanding them might be far more complicated than she had anticipated.