Chapter 3: The Fragile Thread
1097 Words
The mornings were always quiet in the house, but today, the silence felt heavier, almost suffocating. Ellie stirred beneath the thick duvet, her gaze fixated on the golden light slipping through the gaps in the curtains. The soft glow might have brought warmth to any other home, but here, it only accentuated the coldness that surrounded her.
She stretched out, her hand brushing the empty space beside her in the bed. Liam hadn’t been there last night, just as he hadn’t been for the past few nights. If she was honest with herself, he was barely ever there.
Ellie swung her legs out of bed, her feet touching the cool hardwood floor as she sat up. The vastness of the room felt even more pronounced in the quiet of the early morning. The luxury that once overwhelmed her now felt more like a gilded cage—beautiful, but isolating.
After dressing, she wandered downstairs, her fingers trailing along the smooth railing of the grand staircase. The house was immaculate as always, the work of a dedicated staff who moved like ghosts, never seen but always ensuring everything was perfect. It was a far cry from the chaotic life she had known before, back in her family’s home, where love and arguments collided, leaving a mess of emotions behind.
But here, everything was polished. Controlled. Even the people.
As Ellie approached the kitchen, she noticed a soft murmur of voices coming from inside. She hesitated, standing just outside the door. Liam’s voice. She could recognize it anywhere. Low, commanding, but with an edge of impatience. She leaned closer, catching snippets of his conversation.
“…I don’t care how long it takes. Make sure the contract goes through. No delays.”
There was a brief pause, and then Liam’s tone shifted slightly, more measured. “I’ll be at the office for most of the day. Ensure the delivery arrives on time.”
Ellie heard the sound of footsteps approaching and quickly stepped back, retreating to the shadowed edge of the hallway just as Liam emerged from the kitchen, his phone in hand. He didn’t notice her as he passed, too absorbed in his call. The sharp cut of his suit and the rigidness of his posture were just more reminders of the man she was married to—a man of business, of control, of secrets.
She waited until his footsteps faded before entering the kitchen. The staff greeted her with polite smiles, but Ellie could feel the shift in the atmosphere. They were professional, but they always seemed to keep a certain distance from her, as though unsure of how to behave around the new Mrs. Temple.
She grabbed a cup of coffee and retreated to the small sunroom that overlooked the garden. It was one of the few places in the mansion where she felt some semblance of peace. The sprawling gardens beyond the glass were meticulously maintained, every hedge and flowerbed arranged with precision. Yet, even in its beauty, there was something sterile about it—like everything in this house, it lacked warmth, spontaneity.
As she sat there, sipping her coffee, Ellie’s mind wandered back to the previous night. The image of Liam sitting at the piano, his fingers dancing over the keys, kept returning to her. It had been a side of him she hadn’t expected—vulnerable, almost human. She’d seen him lost in the music, unaware of her watching, and for a brief moment, she had felt something shift between them.
But that moment had passed quickly, swallowed by the walls Liam had built around himself.
Ellie wasn’t sure how to break through those walls, or if she even could. Their marriage was a farce, a transaction. She had accepted that from the beginning, but still, there was a part of her that longed for more. She wanted to know him, understand the man behind the cold exterior. Yet, every time she got close, he shut her out.
A knock at the doorframe interrupted her thoughts. Ellie looked up to see Mrs. Collins, the housekeeper, standing there with her usual reserved expression.
“Mrs. Temple, would you like anything else this morning?” she asked, her hands clasped neatly in front of her apron.
Ellie shook her head. “No, thank you, Mrs. Collins. I’m fine.”
The housekeeper nodded but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking toward the garden before returning to Ellie. “The garden is lovely this time of year. If you ever wish to take a walk, the staff would be happy to assist you.”
Ellie smiled faintly, appreciating the gesture. “Thank you. Maybe I will.”
Mrs. Collins gave a small nod before retreating, leaving Ellie alone with her thoughts once again.
The hours passed slowly that day. Liam didn’t return for lunch, and by the time evening fell, Ellie found herself alone at the dinner table. The polished silverware and the ornate table settings only made the emptiness more glaring.
She pushed her food around her plate, her appetite gone. It wasn’t until later, when the house was shrouded in darkness and the rest of the staff had retired, that Ellie heard the faint sound of the front door opening.
Liam had returned.
For a moment, she considered going to him, trying to strike up a conversation or ask about his day. But then she remembered the way he had brushed her off that morning, the way he always seemed to keep her at arm’s length.
Instead, Ellie remained in the sunroom, the soft glow of the table lamp the only light in the room. She listened to his footsteps, heard him move through the house, and then… silence.
He hadn’t come looking for her. Not that she had expected him to.
With a deep sigh, Ellie leaned back in her chair, staring out at the darkened garden. The fragile thread that connected them was barely there, and each day, it felt like it was fraying more. She wanted to understand Liam, but he kept himself so tightly wound that she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to untangle the mess of emotions beneath the surface.
As the clock ticked away the minutes, Ellie made a quiet resolution. She wasn’t going to give up. Not yet. There was something in Liam—something she had seen in that brief, vulnerable moment at the piano. If she could just reach that part of him, maybe things would be different.
But for now, all she could do was wait.
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