The Scott house late at night. Catherine can't sleep because she's too restless. She chooses to look around the mansion.
Catherine couldn't sleep. Isabelle's accusations from earlier that day were coming back to her, making her feel even worse. Was she starting to like Liam? She was both excited and scared by the idea. She couldn't afford to get too emotionally attached. Her goal was to stay alive and safe, not to fall in love with a billionaire who had a lot of problems in the past.
Tossing and turning in her bed, she finally gave up on sleep. The silence of the mansion weighed in on her, heightening her uneasiness. She needed to do something, anything, to distract herself.
Deciding on a late-night expedition, she crept out of bed and discreetly opened her door. The hallway was dimly illuminated, sending long, frightening shadows over the walls. She tiptoed down the corridor, her senses on high alert.
As she walked, she noticed a small light emerging from behind a door down the hall — Liam's study. Curiosity piqued, she hesitated, then cautiously approached the door.
Peeking through the opening, she saw Liam sitting at his desk, his face lighted by the illumination of a computer screen. He was surrounded by mounds of files, his brow wrinkled in concentration. He seemed fatigued, burdened by something heavy.
She felt a sense of sympathy for him. He was more than just a chilly, scary billionaire. He was a man grappling with grief and responsibilities.
Suddenly, Liam reached for a tumbler of amber liquid on his desk and took a hefty drink. It was whiskey, she realized. He was drinking alone, late at night, attempting to bury his emotions.
She studied him for a few more minutes, then gently departed, feeling a curious mix of feelings - pity, attraction, and a developing sense of protectiveness.
Catherine finds a hidden entrance under a bookshelf in the library.
Deciding to explore another portion of the mansion, Catherine made her way back to the library. The room was dark and silent, the books throwing long shadows on the floor.
She ran her fingers along the spines of the books, her mind still racing with memories of Liam. What was he working on so late at night? What secrets was he hiding?
As she approached the end of a bookshelf, her fingers brushed against something unexpected — a small, almost undetectable button tucked beneath the spine of a book.
Curiosity overcoming her better judgment, she touched the button.
With a deep rumble, the bookcase opened inward, revealing a dark and narrow corridor. Catherine gasped, her pulse pumping with excitement and dread. A secret passage? In the Scott mansion?
What was she going to do.
Her curiosity got the best of her. She had to find out what was within.
Taking a deep breath, she moved into the hallway.
The hallway was dark and dirty, the air dense with the aroma of old paper and forgotten objects. She scrambled for her phone, using the illumination to illuminate her way.
The path twisted and curved, sending her deeper into the mansion's dark recesses. She felt like she was in a spy movie.
Finally, the path opened into a small, hidden room. The room was modestly equipped, with a desk, a chair, and a solitary bookshelf. On the desk stood a dusty old diary.
Catherine hesitated, then reached for the diary. It was bound in leather, the pages yellowed with age. She opened it gingerly, her pulse racing with eagerness.
The diary was written in a beautiful, looping handwriting. As she continued to read, she realized it was a personal journal, written by Liam's late wife, Elizabeth.
Catherine reads Elizabeth's diary and uncovers a disturbing secret. Someone knocks on the door.
The diary entries revealed a side of Elizabeth that Catherine hadn't imagined. She had always imagined Elizabeth was the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect lady.
But the diary revealed a different story. Elizabeth was unhappy, locked in a loveless marriage. She felt strangled by Liam's control and secluded from the world.
She wrote of her loneliness, her worries, and her yearning desire for escape. She also wrote about a hidden love affair.
Catherine gasped, her eyes widening in amazement. Elizabeth, the perfect wife, has been having an affair?
The diary entries hinted to the identity of Elizabeth's lover, although the name was never clearly disclosed. Catherine pulled together the evidence, recognizing that it was someone close to Liam.
Someone he trusted.
Suddenly, a loud knock resonated through the secret area. Catherine jumped, her heart rushing into her throat.
"Who's there?" she muttered, her voice shaking.
"Lena? Is that you?" Liam's voice called from the other side of the hallway.
Catherine froze, her mind whirling. How did he know she was here? What was she going to do?
Liam confronts Catherine in the hidden room. He demands to know what she's doing.
Panic flooded through Catherine as she scrambled to hide the diary. She slid it beneath the desk, hoping Liam wouldn't see it.
The bookshelves swung open, and Liam walked into the room, his face a mask of wrath.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice low and threatening. "What is going on, Lena?"
Catherine swallowed hard, attempting to keep her composure. "I… I was just exploring," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to intrude."
Liam's eyes furrowed, his gaze sweeping over the room. "Don't lie to me," he continued, his voice tightening. "What were you looking for?"
Catherine hesitated, then decided to tell him the truth. "I found this hidden passage," she remarked. "I was curious."
Liam's expression relaxed slightly. "This passage is off-limits," he continued, his voice still stern. "It's private."
"I didn't know," Catherine responded, her voice begging. "I'm sorry."
Liam went closer to her, his eyes probing hers. "What were you doing in here?" he repeated, but with a somewhat gentler tone.
Catherine looked down, avoiding his stare. She couldn't tell him about the diary. Not yet.
"I was just curious," she whispered. "I didn't find anything."
Liam didn't believe her. She could see it in his eyes.
He stretched out and grabbed her arm, his grip surprisingly firm. "Tell me the truth, Lena," he whispered, his voice low and gruff. "What did you find?"
The connection sent a bolt of heat through her body. His face was inches away, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin.
"I… I can't tell you," she said, her voice shaking.
Liam's gaze clouded, his grip tightening on her arm. "You will tell me," he continued, his voice dangerously low. "Or you'll regret it."
Lois spies on Catherine and Liam, watching their strong interaction.
Unbeknownst to Catherine and Liam, Lois was observing them from a distance. She had followed Catherine inside the library, interested about what she was up to.
She observed Catherine enter the hidden passage and then saw Liam follow her. She watched their tense confrontation, her eyes wide with interest and distrust.
She didn't comprehend what was happening, but she sensed something major was going on. And she was determined to find out what it was.
As Liam and Catherine faced one other in the concealed room, their secrets hanging in the air, Lois softly slipped away, determined to find the truth. What would Catherine do? Would she divulge Elizabeth's secrets? And what would Lois do with the knowledge she had gathered?