Jade crossed her arms as Daniel stepped closer, his eyes sharper than usual but not cold—just unreadable.
She tilted her chin. "You heard everything, didn't you?"
Daniel didn't answer right away. He reached for a glass on the table, took a sip, then spoke—his tone low.
"I don't like sharing what's mine."
Jade blinked. *"Excuse me?"*
He met her gaze head-on. "I let it slide once or twice, he's your best friend, fine. But don't act like you don't know what you're becoming to me, Jade."
Her breath caught for a second. She tried to laugh it off.
"Oh? And what exactly am I becoming?"
Daniel leaned in, voice velvet.
"Mine."
Jade's heart did an Olympic-level flip.
She blinked, cleared her throat, then said with a smirk, "That's not how contracts work, Mr. Ooman. You should reread yours."
He chuckled, brushing past her shoulder, but stopped halfway.
"Pack your things. Tomorrow, we're leaving the city."
Jade turned to him, confused. "Where are we going?"
"To my hometown. To meet my parents."
She stared, stunned.
"Seriously? Now? Just like that?"
Daniel nodded, almost too casually.
"My mother's already furious I didn't tell her I had a fiancée. Might as well throw you into the lion's den and calm her down."
"Oh great. I'm a peace offering now."
"A beautiful one," he said, lips twitching.
Jade rolled her eyes.
"What if your mother doesn't like me?"
Daniel looked her straight in the eyes.
"Then that'll be her problem. Because I do."
Her heart skipped again—but as always, she masked it with a scoff.
"Well, I better pack my sassiest outfit then."
"Don't worry," he said over his shoulder, heading upstairs. "You're already perfectly dressed for chaos."
.
.
.
Jade and Daniel were already on the plane, by the next morning, they were seated in the back of a sleek black car heading toward Daniel's hometown.
The scenery outside passed by in a blur, but Jade wasn't paying attention to any of it. Her thoughts were tangled elsewhere. That door.
That mysterious door in the penthouse.
Just remembering it made her temples ache again. The pain had been so sudden, so intense… and those visions—so vivid, so real. A woman's voice screaming, betrayal, fire, and a name that still echoed in her mind… Vesperis
She rubbed her forehead gently, trying to shake the image. Should she tell Daniel? Would he believe her? Or worse, would he think she was losing her mind?
She glanced sideways at him. He looked calm, eyes focused on the view ahead, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside her.
"Should I tell him?" she thought, biting her lip. "Or should I wait...?"
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but her thoughts were anything but peaceful.
The black luxury car glided smoothly down the highway, the city lights fading behind them, replaced by the endless green of countryside roads. Jade sat beside Daniel, arms crossed, sunglasses hiding her expression—but he could tell she was deep in thought.
Daniel glanced at her, a subtle smirk on his lips. "You're awfully quiet for someone about to meet the infamous Ooman parents."
She removed her sunglasses slowly, arching an eyebrow. "Infamous?"
He chuckled, eyes focused on the road. "My mother, especially. She doesn't like surprises… and well, bringing a fiancée home unannounced? Let's just say, she's already called me three times this morning."
Jade leaned her head back with a dramatic sigh. "Great. So I'm going to be fed to the lions."
Daniel turned to her briefly. "You'll be fine. You're the first woman I've ever introduced to them. That alone puts you on a throne."
She blinked. "Wait, the first?"
He nodded once. "And probably the last."
Jade's heart skipped. He said it so casually, yet something in his voice… possessive, final. She didn't know if it was the tension, the moving car, or his words—but her chest tightened.
But then her thoughts drives back again to those mysterious visions , she stayed silent again.
Daniel glanced at her, noticing how quiet she'd become again as if something was worrying her.
"We'll be staying the weekend," he said casually, breaking the silence.
Jade blinked. "The whole weekend?"
He nodded. "Yes. My mother insisted. She wants to get to know you properly, and believe me, when she insists… no one argues."
Jade gave a dry chuckle, trying to mask her unease. "Great. No pressure at all."
Daniel smirked. "Don't worry. Just be yourself."
Jade raised a brow. "You mean the elegant, well-mannered fiancée you've been training me to be for the past two weeks?"
He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, amused. "Exactly. You're doing great, by the way."
She rolled her eyes, then turned to look out the window again—but the weight in her chest didn't lift.
She didn't know why, but something told her that this trip might not just be about meeting the family.
It felt deeper. Like something was pulling her toward the truth.
.
.
As the car pulled into a long, winding driveway surrounded by manicured gardens and towering ancient trees, Jade's jaw almost dropped.
Daniel's family estate looked like something out of a fantasy novel.
The mansion stood proudly at the top of a gentle hill, its grand architecture blending old-world charm with modern elegance. Cream-colored stone walls climbed high into the sky, wrapped in delicate ivy. Huge windows reflected the golden morning sun, and at the entrance, a fountain danced gracefully in the middle of a marble courtyard.
It was... breathtaking.
"Are your parents royalty or something?" Jade muttered under her breath.
Daniel smirked. "Not officially. But don't let the place intimidate you. They're just people."
*Just people?* Jade thought. *People who live in a literal castle.*
The car stopped in front of the grand entrance. Two staff members opened the doors in perfect sync, bowing slightly as they welcomed them.
As Jade stepped out, her heels clicked against the marble, and she took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart.
Daniel leaned close and whispered, "Ready to meet the people who'll secretly interrogate you with smiles on their face"
Jade snorted. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The heavy double doors opened slowly… and there they were—Mr. and Mrs. Ooman—standing at the top of the stairs, poised, graceful, and already watching her like hawks.
As Jade stepped through the grand entrance, an unexpected wave of dizziness hit her like a storm.
Her vision blurred, and just like that morning at the mysterious door in Daniel's penthouse, a searing migraine gripped her skull. Her breath caught in her throat.
And then… she heard it.
A voice. Soft. Echoing. Almost otherworldly.
*"You're here… You're here…"*
It wasn't spoken aloud. It echoed in her mind—gentle, haunting, and impossibly real.
"Daniel…" she whispered, her voice faint and trembling.
Everything spun. Her knees gave way.
"Daniel—!"
But before he could catch her, Jade collapsed into his arms. Unconscious.
The entire entrance hall fell into a hush. Daniel knelt down, holding her tightly, his amber eyes darkening with something unreadable.
He looked up at his parents, at the staff, at the walls of the home he grew up in—and suddenly, something cold passed through his gaze.
"Call the doctor," he ordered, his voice sharper than ever. "Now."
But deep down… he feared it wasn't just physical.