The ride to the Williams estate was unlike the sort Ethan and Christiana had experienced before. Crunching through the city with power yet silent, the sleek black car offered an elevated experience. Christiana by the window followed with wide eyes every street light, every skyscraper. She kept her hands pressed against the glass as a child seeing the world for the very first time.
Aaron sat beside her with an unreadable look. His hand rested on hers, calmly steadying her excitement. He was not awed by the bright lights or the genuine leather seats. No, his mind was elsewhere. He knew this kind of comfort could be dangerous. It was a sort of thing that lured people into forgetting themselves.
Behind them sat Sophia, watching him, with her chin in her palm. She had never known a man who used silence as a shield. Around town, most boys she knew would crave attention, carry loud voices, and try to impress. But Ethan... Ethan was different. His magnetism was more potent than any words ever could have been.
Her gaze drifted to Christiana's glowing smile, and irritation stirred inside her chest. Why does he only look at her like that? Why not me?
When the car finally slowed, Christiana gasped. The Williams mansion stood tall against the night sky, bathed in golden lights. Its marble columns stretched upward, and fountains danced at the entrance. The gate opened smoothly, and the car drove inside as though the world belonged to it.
"Welcome home," Mrs. Williams said warmly as the doors opened.
Christiana stepped out, her mouth falling open. She clutched Ethan's arm. "Ethan… it's like a castle."
Ethan's eyes swept the sprawling estate. The trimmed gardens, the polished floors, the endless hallways visible through the glass doors, it was nothing like the orphanage. Yet he didn't smile. "Don't get too carried away," he murmured. "This isn't really ours."
Inside, servants lined the hallway, bowing respectfully. A chandelier hung above like a crystal crown, scattering light across the polished floors. Christiana's footsteps echoed with awe, while Ethan's were heavy, cautious.
Walking beside him, she sneaked glances at him, until words nearly came from her lips; pride thus withheld her. She was not used to chasing attention , attention usually chased after her.
To dinner: a long table overwhelmed by more food-having plates than Ethan and Christiana could ever remember being served by in their very lives-ever more. Roasted meats, fresh bread, shining-down-with-sweetness fruits, the aroma of bittersweet soup.
"Eat, my dears," Mrs. Williams encouraged.
Christiana stood in a moment of hesitation before she gave in to the hunger stronger than courtesy. On the other hand, Ethan stayed upright, his fork untouched.
Sophia leaned on him. Her voice dropped low. "Don't you like the food?"
Ethan glanced briefly at her before returning his gaze to the table. "It's not about the food.
Her brows furrowed. "Then what is it?"
He said nothing more.
Sophia nipped her lip, angrily. She was invisible, the first time in her life, and she did not like it.
Later in the night, when the family was about to retire to sleep, Christiana sneaked into the lavish bedroom allocated to her and Ethan. She turned around slowly and was laughing. "Ethan, can you believe this? It is a larger bed than we had at the orphanage!
Ethan was at the door, and looked on her swinging in the lamplight. His lips were smiling... a faintly, but truly, small smile. As long as you are happy, Christiana, said he in a low voice.
What they did not realize is that Sophia was in the hallway, peeping through the crack of the door. Her fists are clasped on her sides.
No, no, said her heart, her heart. I can never allow him to stare at her. Instead, one day he will look at me.