Caelen POV
The car pulled away from the chapel in silence. Aldric's phone lit his face in blue-white light as his thumbs moved across the screen. Business is always a business.
I leaned my forehead against the window and watched the city slip by. There was the convenience store where I used to work, the bus stop I'd waited at so many times, and the café where Mira and I dreamed over cheap coffee.
It was all slipping away.
As we approached, the gates opened on their own. The fountain appeared first, water spraying from marble dolphins. Then I saw the mansion, three stories of cream-colored stone, its windows shining in the afternoon sun, empty and unreadable.
The car stopped.
Aldric's phone disappeared into his pocket. "I have calls to make. Dinner is at seven."
Then he was gone.
***
My room looked different in the afternoon light.
My small suitcase rested on the luggage rack, looking out of place. Someone had unpacked it while we were at the ceremony. My laptop was on the desk, my toiletries were in the bathroom, and my clothes were in the closet.
I opened the closet slowly.
The closet was full of clothes I didn't recognize: tailored slacks, cashmere sweaters, and suits in dark colors. Everything looked expensive, perfectly pressed, and made to fit me.
My old jeans and t-shirts were pushed into one corner, looking worn next to the designer clothes.
I took out a pale blue button-down shirt. The fabric was smooth and soft. The price tag was still on it, costing more than a month's groceries.
My wedding clothes felt wrong now, like a reminder of who I used to be. In the mirror, I barely recognized myself, trying to fit in here.
Maybe that was the point.
***
I tried to find my way around the house, thinking back to yesterday's tour. Without Sebastian, finding the library was harder. I took three wrong turns before I saw the carved doors.
Inside, books covered the walls, their leather spines stamped with gold. I took one down, and it creaked when I opened it.
I felt a wave of guilt. I put the book back carefully, just as I'd found it.
Even the books here seemed like they weren't meant to be read.
A maid appeared in the doorway of another room, startling us both.
"Oh! I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know you were-"
"No, it's fine," I said quickly. "I'm Caelen. What's your name?"
She hesitated. "Mary, sir."
"Nice to meet you, Mary."
"Of course, sir." She gave a small curtsy and disappeared before I could say anything else.
Standing alone in this beautiful room, I felt more lonely and overwhelmed than I ever had in the hospital, even among strangers. I truly felt lost.
***
I retreated to my room and checked my phone.
Mira had texted twice.
Hey, how's your mom doing? Haven't heard from you in days.
Getting worried. Call me when you can?
What could I tell her? That I got married to save my mother's life? That I was living in a mansion where even the staff saw me as a visitor, an outsider in my own story? The weight of it all made my stomach twist with both relief and despair.
Mom's stable. Surgery went well. Still processing everything. I'll call soon, promise.
Her reply came immediately: Thank god. Love you. Here, when you're ready to talk.
Love you too.
My throat tightened as I put the phone down, feeling the burden of another lie. Still, I held on to a bit of strength, trying to stay resilient.
***
At 6:55, I found the formal dining room. The table was set for two, with one place at the head and one halfway down the side.
At 7:12, Aldric entered. He'd changed into dark slacks and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up. His expression was unreadable.
"Caelen."
"Aldric."
We ate soup in silence, then moved on to fish.
"I leave for Monaco tomorrow," he said abruptly. "Racing event. I'll be gone for a week."
He would be gone for seven days. We had only been married for less than twelve hours.
"I see."
"Sebastian has my contact information for emergencies." He cut his fish with surgical precision. "My study remains locked. If press contacts you, refer them to my publicity team."
"And in private?" I asked quietly.
His jaw tightened. "In private, we maintain boundaries. This is a business arrangement, Caelen. We both must remember that."
His words stung.
"Don't worry," I said, setting down my napkin carefully. "I won't forget what this is. A transaction, very simple, and very clear."
He looked surprised for a moment.
"I didn't mean-"
"It's fine. You're right. We should keep things professional." I stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm not very hungry. Have a safe trip to Monaco."
I left the room before I started to cry.
"Caelen."
I paused but didn't turn around.
We stood in silence.
"Enjoy your dinner," I said quietly, then left.
***
Halfway up the stairs, I heard voices.
Two maids in a side hallway.
"Did you see him at dinner? Sitting there like a kicked dog while the master ignored him."
A bitter laugh. "Same as the others."
I held onto the banister.
"What others?"
I held the banister tightly as a cold wave of shame and anger hit me. Hearing about Dion and the others, I felt a stab of fear. Was I just another temporary guest, like them? The thought made my stomach clench, and I looked away, feeling more alone than ever.
"But they're married."
"On paper, sweetheart. You don't fall in love with Aldric Fenmore. You take what he offers and leave before he destroys you. That's what happened to Dion."
"Who's Dion?"
"The last one who mattered. Lasted almost two years. We all thought maybe... but the master broke it off without warning. Poor thing fell apart. Took him two years to put himself back together."
Their voices faded.
I stood frozen, feeling like just another temporary guest. The last one who mattered.
***
I walked up the rest of the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the one before.
By the time I got to my room, I was already crying.
I locked the door and curled up on the soft bed, crying quietly into expensive pillows that smelled like nothing and no one.
Mom is safe, I reminded myself as I cried. She's healthy, and that's what matters.
I can do this. Six months, a year, two years, however long it takes. I can survive being alone.
My phone buzzed, but I ignored it and pressed my face deeper into the pillow. Mira thought I was just dealing with hospital stress. She didn't know I had given up two years of my life, married a stranger, and was crying on my wedding night in a mansion that felt empty.
I couldn't tell her. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Outside, the sun set over the Fenmore Estate, turning the sky orange and gold, but I couldn't see it through my tears.
Inside, I cried myself to sleep in a beautiful room that didn't feel like home, wearing clothes that weren't mine, living a life that didn't belong to me.
Tomorrow, Aldric would leave for Monaco.
And I would be alone in this mansion, trying to understand what it meant to be married to someone who felt like a ghost.
