章 8: Questions in the dark

Amelia walked slowly, her footsteps deliberate, as she made her way to her room. Immediately, her mind began to wander back to her encounter with Lily; the words still echoed in her head. "Had fun with our master?" That mocking tone had cut deep, far deeper than Amelia had expected. Lily's voice, so sure, so knowing. it made her feel like an outsider in this strange world of the mansion.

She'd known his company but a little while, yet Lily spoke as if she'd known Enzo for years, as if their connection had been there long before Amelia had stepped foot in the mansion. And that bothered her more than she wanted to admit. It was as if, with one glance, Lily had already dissected her into parts, the cracks well hidden finally exposed.

She reached her door, her fingers lingering on the handle for a moment. The weight of everything, the strangeness in the interaction with Enzo, the coldness in Lily's words, the dangerous attraction stirring inside her-it all felt suffocatingly heavy.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The room was silent; the little light seeping through the curtain fell in soft shadows on the walls. She closed the door behind her with a quiet click, leaning against it for a second. Her heart was still racing from her brief encounter with Enzo, her body tense, as if it would never relax again.

But it wasn't only him. The things Lily had said bothered her-how she seemed to know things she didn't. How Lily had acted as if she were some kind of veteran in the place, talking like she had seen it all and already knew the game's rules. And the more Amelia thought about this, the more she realized that confidence exuded by Lily wasn't mere arrogance at all. It was knowledge.

Why would Lily say such a thing? Had she known Enzo forever? That didn't compute. Amelia had just arrived here. She was new. Enzo had only recently set her to this room and this position as one of his maids. And yet, Lily's words cut through it all to paint a picture of Amelia's being part of this twisted world long before she ever was.

Was there something more to this than she was grasping? Amelia collapsed onto the bed, her mind racing with so many questions. She leaned back in her mind to that moment that had passed-Enzo pulling her close against him, his hold possessive, his presence overwhelming. A dark smile twisted his lips, sending a shiver down her spine, while with the words-""You're mine now""-he might as well have ordered them, a vow binding.

Was she truly his now?

The thought terrified her far more than it excited her. She didn't want to be another possession. She had lost enough in life, and to think of losing herself to someone like Enzo. It made her stomach churn.

But was that really what was happening?

She fisted her hands in annoyance as her mind continued to jump from thought to thought, each one leading to no form of resolution. It was all too much for her head to take in: the mansion and the cold, ruthless master; the way Enzo seemed to own every room he walked into; the way Lily spoke as if she knew him.

And despite everything, despite all of it, a piece of her still couldn't help but be pulled to him-a part of her that seemed to reach, stretch toward Enzo despite all the danger, all the darkness which swirled around him.

Why?

Amelia stood abruptly, pacing the length of the room. She needed a distraction. She couldn't keep thinking about him, not right now. She needed to make sense of what was real, what happened, why Lily acted that way, why Enzo seemed so determined to draw her in.

She walked to the window, staring out into the night. Lights twinkled across the city, a soft glow against the blackness. She heard the faint hum of the outside world but was cocooned here, in her room, in a different world altogether-one where the rules were bent and power played a game of its own.

Enzo's world.

The feel of his touch remained, unwanted reminder of how close he had been. Her body was still humming from the aftershock of his presence, the feeling of his fingers digging into her waist, the press of his body to hers. She had never felt anything like it before. It was wrong, so wrong, but in that very instant, it felt. exhilarating.

Was this what Lily had meant? Was this the game she had been talking about?

Amelia's chest constricted. Non-believer. She absolutely refused to believe that she was just another pawn in Enzo's game, another piece to be moved at his whim. She had lived too much in her life to just take that lying down. She would not be used, not again. She would not let herself fall into that trap.

But then, why did it seem an uphill battle against the pull? Why did every bit of her feel weak, drawn toward him like some moth to a flame?

She bit her lip, her hand gripping the edge of the windowsill as she fought to steady herself. She needed to make sense of all of this, to figure out why Lily had said what she did, why Enzo had treated her the way he did. And most of all, she needed to figure out what kind of game she was playing in.

She heard footsteps outside her door and tensed, but when the knock came, she quickly composed herself. No time for weakness now.

"Come in," she called, her voice steadier than she felt.

The door creaked open, and a familiar face appeared—Lily. Amelia's stomach tightened. What did she want now?

Lily didn't wait for an invitation, stepping into the room with that same smug smile on her face. "You've been thinking about me, haven't you?" she said, her tone mocking but oddly playful.

Amelia frowned, crossing her arms. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice sharp. She wasn't in the mood for more games.

Lily tilted her head, studying her for a moment before replying. "Just checking on my favorite new maid," she said with a shrug. "You seemed a little… tense earlier."

Amelia didn't answer. Instead, she walked toward the door, standing in front of it. "I don't have time for this. Please leave."

Lily's smile faltered slightly, but then she shrugged, as if she didn't care. "Fine. I'll go. But just remember—this place isn't what it seems. And neither is Enzo. You'll figure it out eventually. Maybe sooner than you think."

With that, Lily turned and walked out, leaving Amelia standing by the door, her heart pounding.

Her mind was no clearer than before. In fact, she was more confused than ever. She stared at the empty space where Lily had been standing, and then back at the door that had just closed behind her.

What kind of game was she really playing in??