Chapter 7
366words
Grayson Estate felt like a massive tomb, burying all remnants of tenderness between them. They shared a roof but inhabited separate universes.
For Adrian, the cruelest torture was his body's persistent "muscle memory."
One cool evening, he spotted Ella heading to the garden in just a thin shirt. Before he could think, his body moved—grabbing her favorite cashmere shawl from the closet, following her, hand already raised to drape it over her shoulders—
He froze mid-motion.
Ella sensed his presence and turned. She saw his suspended hand holding the shawl. Her eyes flickered with momentary pain he couldn't comprehend. Without a word, she turned away and walked deeper into the darkness.
Adrian stood holding the shawl that still carried her scent, feeling like a fool abandoned by the universe.
Another night, heading to the bathroom, he spotted Ella leaving the study—hand pressed to her forehead, deathly pale. She swayed as if about to collapse.
Before conscious thought, his legs carried him to the kitchen. He prepared hot milk with honey—her nightly ritual—his movements fluid and practiced, as if performed thousands of times.
He brought her the cup, offering it silently.
Ella looked up blankly, then at the milk. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but instead she simply took the cup, drained it in one go, and walked past him without a word.
Her silence cut deeper than any cruel words could have.
He noticed increasingly worrying signs. She grew thinner, her complexion worsened, and several times he caught her leaning against walls, fighting sudden dizzy spells.
He wanted to ask, to show concern, but memories of her coldness in the boardroom strangled his words, transforming them into deeper resentment and self-loathing.
A month passed in silent torment.
That day, Ella's assistant delivered a schedule notification.
"Mr. Grayson, Miss Vance, the Trust Agreement requires your joint attendance at this weekend's end-of-season gala aboard The Poseidon yacht. This will be... the final obligation you must fulfill together during the waiting period."
The last... time.
Adrian read those words, and a strange panic—one that frightened even him—surged within.
He sensed something was about to end forever.
***
