CHAPTER EIGHT – The Forbidden Room
526 Words
The sun was warm on Elena’s skin as she finished her quiet breakfast in the sunroom. She hadn’t seen Leonardo all morning, and no one had come to speak to her. After sitting alone for a while, she stood and decided to explore a bit. The house was huge—every hallway looked like something out of a dream.
Her soft slippers made no sound as she walked down one long corridor. The further she went, the quieter it got. She turned a corner and found a wooden door slightly open. Curiosity tugged at her.
She stepped inside.
The room wasn't fully lit, most of the curtains were drawn. It was different, so different from the other rooms of the estate—no gold, no luxury. Just soft colors, a few old books, and a piano tucked into one corner. A delicate perfume hung in the air, though faint, like a memory trying to fade.
Elena moved further in, her fingers brushing the top of a cabinet. Then she saw it—a small golden locket lying open on a side table. Inside was a photo, but before she could make out the details—
“What are you doing here?”
She heard his voice so low but sharp, it could slice through anything. Elena spun around.
Leonardo stood in the doorway.
His expression was cold. His dark eyes didn’t hold the warmth they sometimes had. His jaw was tight, his whole body stiff. He was angry
“I'm sorry,” she stuttered. “I didn’t mean to— I was just looking around— I saw the door open and just walked in.”
“You don’t belong here.” His voice was harsher now, louder. That went straight to her heart
“I didn’t know— I'm sorry ”
“You shouldn’t be here,” he yelled more angrily, stepping inside. His presence filled the room like a storm.
Elena stepped back quickly, her heart pounding, she was afraid. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again, barely able to speak.
He walked past her and picked up the locket, slamming it shut before putting it in his pocket. “Get out,” he said without looking at her.
She didn't need to be told twice. Elena rushed out, her hands shaking.
She never stopped walking until she reached her room and closed the door behind her, how she found her way back to her room in this maze of a house was a miracle. Her breath came fast. Her chest felt tight. She had never seen him like that before—so angry, so cold.
She sat on her bed, her fingers gripping her skirt as tightly as they could as if looking for assurance. It wasn’t just fear. It was something deeper and she couldn’t find a word for it—like she had crossed into a part of him that was locked away for a reason.
She didn’t understand what she had done wrong or how bad it was.
But she finally understood that there were parts of this house… and parts of her husband… that were dangerous to touch.
- Writer
