Chapter 4

At the staircase on the other side, a maid came rushing over, hugging a set of fine silk bedding. Waiting for her was the butler with a face like thunder. "What are you doing? The humidity's been awful these days. Why hasn't the clean bedding been sent to Mr. Cassian's room yet?" the butler barked, eyebrows drawn in anger. The maid muttered under her breath, "He's been coming back pretty late lately... I thought I'd switch out the other rooms first... and this used to be Mrs. Evans's job..." The butler's expression got even darker. "Mrs. Evans?! Are you trying to get yourself fired? If the matriarch hears this, you're finished!" The maid paled and hurried to explain. "S-sorry, I wasn't thinking! I won't mention her again!" Waving her off impatiently, the butler said, "Just go. Now." The maid quickly nodded and rushed upstairs. The Bennett estate was huge, and after winding around several turns, the maid finally pushed open a bedroom door. She changed the bedding quickly and soon stepped out. Once she was gone, Sabrina emerged from around the corner. Her gaze lingered on the closed door, and her brows furrowed slightly before she walked up and gave the handle a twist. It wasn't locked. The suite was spacious and elegantly decorated, but standing there, Sabrina felt a sudden tightness in her chest-like she was a bird trapped in a cage, stifled and alone. There were no wedding photos. Not a single picture, actually. Hard to tell whether they'd been thrown out or never taken at all. She moved into the study and was taken aback. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined the walls, packed with books of all kinds-geography, philosophy, business, economics. It had the vibe of a small private library. Running her fingers along the spines, something tugged at her heartstrings. Had there been a time when she too would spend hours in front of shelves like these, just trying to pass the empty moments? After a while, something tucked away in the most hidden corner of the shelf caught her eye-old cookbooks, fluffy romance novels. She knelt down, flipping through them, when her eyes suddenly lit up. Buried deep was a worn black notebook. The cover was scuffed by time. She opened it. Neatly written on the first page: "The rain is pouring, thunder's loud. I thought I'd be scared, but I guess I've gotten used to being alone. I wonder where he is tonight... if he's even sleeping." Sabrina flipped a few more pages. "It's been nearly a month since I last saw him... I'm trying hard to learn how to make his favorite red velvet cake. Maybe I can surprise him when he comes back..." Reading through these plain but heartfelt snippets, something heavy settled on her chest. She tried to keep going, but realized the second half of the diary had been neatly torn out. Her fingers brushed the frayed edges, puzzled. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the room. The door opened, and in walked a tall man, a black trench coat slung over his arm. The mist outside was thick, and a fine layer of water clung to his short, coarse hair. He hung the coat on the stand. As he undid two buttons on his shirt, he suddenly froze. His sharply defined brows furrowed slightly. Eyes scanning the room like a hawk, Cassian's gaze landed on the bookshelf nearby, and he strode over. The computer looked untouched. Papers and files were still where he left them. He ran his hand slowly across the edge of the desk, pausing, deep in thought. Suddenly, he turned and went straight to the bedroom, pushing the door open. The room was noticeably empty. He narrowed his eyes, spun around, and quickly exited. His gaze locked on the far door, which was slightly ajar. His sharp eyes grew even colder, a quiet storm brewing behind them.