Mr. Grey-Book I

32

**Emilia**

I ran my fingers gently over the photograph. Though faded, it still captured the essence of a beautiful woman and, more strikingly, a genuinely happy Damien. For the first time, I had a face to put to the mysterious Elena. One small piece of the puzzle, at least.

With a last lingering glance, I carefully tucked the photo back into the book and resumed reading, quickly becoming engrossed in the story.

Hours slipped by unnoticed. When I finally looked up, the sun was already setting, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and pink. I'd been so absorbed in the memoir that I'd lost all track of time.

A sudden urge to swim came over me. I gathered my things and headed back to the house, depositing my empty coffee cup in the kitchen sink before going upstairs to change.

As I left my room wrapped in a towel, I collided with a solid chest. Looking up, I found myself face-to-face with Damien.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his tone hovering between concern and suspicion.

"Just for a swim," I replied, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"Why?"

I sighed, exasperated. "Because I'm bored and restless, and swimming sounds fun. If you'll excuse me..." I attempted to sidestep him, but he caught my arm, halting me.

"I don't want you going outside. It's dark and could be dangerous," he said firmly.

I jerked my arm free, bristling at his authoritative tone. "Excuse me, but that's not your call to make. I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

Damien groaned, running a hand through his hair. "What do you want from me, Emilia?" he asked, sounding suddenly weary.

"The truth," I said, my voice softening slightly. "I feel like I'm living in some kind of mystery house, surrounded by secrets and lies. It's suffocating, Damien. I just want to know what's really going on." I paused, searching his face for any reaction, but he simply clenched his jaw and turned away.

"Right," I muttered. "Why do I even bother?" Frustrated, I brushed past him and headed outside to the pool.

The cool water was a welcome relief as I dove in, swimming laps to burn off my pent-up energy and frustration. Eventually, I floated on my back, staring up at the darkening sky, letting the gentle lapping of the water soothe my frayed nerves.

"What do you want to know?" Damien's voice startled me, and I quickly swam to the edge of the pool. Climbing out, I hurried to his side, alarmed by his presence near the water.

"What were you thinking?" I scolded, carefully guiding him to a nearby lounge chair. "You could have gotten hurt!"

Once he was settled, I sat down beside him. "How did you even get out here on your own?"

Ignoring my concerns, he repeated his question. "What do you want to know, Emilia?"

I took a deep breath, considering. "Danish Rob, who is he?" I said softly.

Damien leaned back, his unseeing eyes focused on some distant point. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, tinged with old pain. "When I was six years old, my mother had an affair..."

I leaned in, giving him my full attention, sensing that I was finally about to unravel some of the mysteries that had been haunting me.