Chapter 2
Seeing that picture. Stella kept standing in the hospital doorway, plastic bags cutting white lines into her fingers from the weight of the porridge and side dishes. ||
Her heart clenched like someone had wrapped a fit around it and speed. She set the begs down quietly and turned to leave, keeping her fobsteps soft so she wouldn’t disturb their lender morsent.
nack home, she started packing her things. Years of gifts from Adrian, their few photos together, shirts she’d bought him… she sorted through everything, placing each fem carefully into cardboard boxes. ||
When she finished, she went to the study to grab a few of her books, but ocidentally bumped into the bookshelf, triggering same kind of hidden mechanism.
Click. The wall slowly slid open, revealing a secret room.
Stella stood frozen ]]
Inside the secret room, everything related to Paige was arranged with meticulous care–the blue ceramic vase his grandfather had smashed was preced back together, fragment by fragment, with gold painted along the tracks Paire’s od paintings, even though they’d been torn to shreds, were carefully restored and reassembled there was even a paper airplane Paige had made for Adrian when they were kids, the yellowed paper preserved in protective plastic…
Stella examined each item, her fingers trembling slightly. She had no idea when Adrian had rescued these discarded things, or when he’d secretly restored them and hidden them away in this room that no one else knew existed.
On the desk sat a journal, She walked over and opened it–nearly every page was about Page:]
[March 15, 2021. Day 87 since Paige left. Dreamed she was crying about being cold. Wake up and booked a flight to Paris Saw her from a distance–she’s gotten so thin
(Janary 3, 2023, Company party. Someone were a red dress that looked like one of Paige’s Got distracted staring and had too much to drink. After coming home, I mistook Stella for her, ended up sleeping with her… Now grandfather’s forcing me to marry her. Thase myself]]
Lup, made me soup i
to help with the
(August 19, 2005. Paige’s birthday. Snuck over to her apartment and let towers at the door. When I got home. Stella was still u bangovis. She’s always so thoughtful, but I don’t love her. 1
The last entry was from last week: [Finally brought Page home. Seeing her asleep, it’s like my restless heart finally found peace. Tve thought about her almost every single day these past years Stella’s a good person, but I can’t give her love. My heart died a long time ago–buried in that avalanche with my parents
Beading these words, Stella’s vision dowly blurred with tears.]
All these years, even though Paige hadn’t been physically present in Adriarra lire, i was like
sedumver really li
Stella damed the journal shut and stumbled backward, accidentally bumping into a display case–a picture frame crashed to the floor, glass shattering everywhere. She frantically dropped to her knees to pick up the pieces, not even noticing when the shards out her fingers.]
While she scrambled around in a paroc, a cold voice cut through the air behind her. “What the hell are you doing? ||
was Adrian standing in the doorway, his face dark as a storm cloud. His gaze moved from liar face to the broken frame on the floor, his pupils contracting sharply.]
- Sells opened her mouth, but no words came out
Adrian strode over and shoved her adde. Stella wasn’t ready for 10–she crashed hard to the floor, glass shards digging into her pains and knees as blood immediately began to now.
“Who said you could come in here!!” Adrian carefully picked up the broken frame, his voice cold as ice. “Who gave you person to touch any of this?”
Sells had never seen Adrian like this before, brows furrowed, eyes sharp, radiating a terrifying rage. He’d always been polite and gene with her even without love, hed never been cruel
But now, over just thing comected to Paige, he was furious with her.
I’m sorry.” She struggled to get up, her palms burning with pain. “I didn’t mean to-
“Get out.” Adrian didn’t even glance at her bloeding hands, just clutched the frame lightly.“now.“||
At his words, Stella had to lep toward the door, each step feeling like she was walking on knives. At the doorway, she couldn’t help but turn back The frame. I replace ii for you.__*|||
“Dont budiwr.” Adrian’s voice had returned to calm, but his eyes stayed ice cold. “I have someone keep watch. You’re never to come near this room again |
The be pressed a call button on the wall. Two seaty guards appeared at the door almost immediately
“Escort Mrs. Hayes to her room, Adrian ordered. “Get a doctor to treat her wounds
Then Stella was led away.
in her final glimpse before the door closed, she saw Adrian kneeling on the flour, picking up the glass sharda pirce by piece, his movements as gentle as if he were
