It was a sinner's suicide for anyone to work at Coopers Incorporation. It was no surprise that people aimed to stray far from the Devil known as Mr Elijah Cooper.
Cold, demanding, and rough, he ruled over everything with an iron grip and a calculati...
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Nora's P.O.V
I woke up to a soft knock at the door. For a moment, I forgot where I was—the unfamiliar room, the oversized bed, the heavy silence pressing against my ears. It felt strange sleeping in a new place, even stranger knowing I had no choice. Blinking away the haze of sleep, I sat up, stretching my stiff limbs before getting up to answer the door.
It was Fredrik.
“What would you like for lunch?” he asked, his voice polite but neutral.
I stared at him for a second, surprised. I didn’t expect them to ask. I assumed they’d just serve whatever they wanted.
“Noodles would be fine,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Then, a sudden thought struck me. “Where’s my sister?”
“She’s with Elijah.”
I stiffened. Elijah? He’s home? And with Nina? My stomach twisted.
Fredrik offered a small, unreadable smile before leaving. Ignoring the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine, I quickly tied my hair into a bun, grabbed my cardigan, and headed straight to Nina’s room. But the bed was empty. The room was empty.
Where the hell are they?
Elijah never allows anyone into his room. That much I knew. Which meant Nina wasn’t there. But then where—
Laughter.
I froze. It was faint but clear—Nina’s laughter. Light, carefree. Coming from downstairs.
Following the sound, I navigated through the massive house, feeling like an outsider in a maze. Finally, I reached a set of glass doors leading to the back garden. I had been here before, but never this far. I stepped out, inhaling the crisp air, and my eyes widened.
The garden stretched endlessly, its beauty almost unreal. String lights cast a golden glow over the stone pathway. A private pond shimmered under the soft illumination, koi fish gliding beneath the water’s surface like living brushstrokes of color.
And there they were.
Nina stood at the edge of the pond, mesmerized. Elijah sat a short distance away, holding Bruno in his arms. The dog, usually energetic, was strangely calm, nestled against him as if he belonged there. They were talking—laughing.
I hesitated.
Nina never spoke to strangers so easily. And Elijah? He wasn’t irritated, wasn’t cold—just… present. Engaged.
