s if she were privy to a secret that no one else was aware of. She let the silence hang, allowing the discomfort to grow like a slow-building storm cloud that threatened

st as if burned. "Tori," he said with

dn't come up- not once in their conversation, n

kind of smile that carried a thousand sharp edges. "That's no

rom one to ano

g against marble with practiced elegance. "Since when

he help build? She looked at Connel

- head to toe and smirked. "I don't need formal introductions to know

stif

t me? I'm his past. The part he would rather sweep under the rug." S

stepping closer,his voice

ays convenient to forget, like Vienna," she added, her eyes now loc

r. She turned sharply towards Connel, her eyes flying to his face with a mix of concern and cu

out the world around him. His eyes were fixed at some point in front of him, h

r fingers from his neck down to his waist seductively. Connel gra

want?" He a

innocently. "I need a place to stay and your guest house has al

in immediately.

much I despise those places." Tori said, she leaned bac

silenc

d slowly. "You can stay in the guest house. But

orious. "Of course, I wouldn't drea

earlier, guess we'll go out for lunch some other time," he said, taking a seat across from Ariel. Ariel's e

prepare everything for her." Connel said to Wat

e last time. "You seem nice. I hope you're not the type t

bore into her soul. There was something unsettling about Tori,

fume lingering like smoke and her voice still ringing

t. Guilt? The word echoed in her mind, guilt was not an emotion she associated with him, not even when

softly. She leaned forward, her eyes lock

ozen in a mask of indifference. Ariel's eyes never left Connel's face, her gaze burning with an intensity that seemed

mes before, but today, it felt different. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions, she needed to clear her head. She tu

Ariel's heart skipped a beat as she approached the piano. She hadn't played in years, but the sight of the instru

that filled the air. The music was like a balm to her soul, soothing her worries and calming her min

nctively over the keys. The room faded away, and all that was left was the music. A faint sound caught her attention, but she didn't register

on said, his voice filled with e

Ariel said smiling. "

interest. "I'll have to tell Master

?" She asked finally, her

el's ex-girlfriend," Watso

time?" She asked her curiosity

everyone thought they'd get married till

seem nice."

aster Connel had a strange relationship,even thou

iel said, her voice barely over a whis

t was like a warning. A warning not to dig into it, Ariel raised an eyebrow, her eyes locked on Watson's. S

racing with questions. What happened in Vienna? And

loneliness. She was stuck in this huge mansion with a man she b

rmoil that was brewing inside her. Ariel's fingers m

fading away into silence. Ariel's chest was h

She felt drawn back to the beginning anytime she thought s