Soraya's POV
The moment we stepped inside the castle's grand entrance, I could feel it—the subtle shift in the air, the weight of eyes on me. Servants lined the hallway, bowing their heads respectfully… but not to me. Their gazes slid past me as though I were nothing more than a shadow trailing behind Ethan.
Not that I expected much. I was only his assistant, flown here under the guise of work. But the painful part wasn't the way the others dismissed me—it was the way he did.
Ethan walked a step ahead, his broad shoulders commanding presence, his voice calm and authoritative as he greeted them. Not once did he glance back at me. Not once did he acknowledge I was even there.
And after seeing the way his expression shifted at the sight of that woman—Lila—I felt something I shouldn't. A sharp sting in my chest, like jealousy clawing its way through me. They seemed to have a history, one deep enough to stir something in him.
I hated that I cared. I shouldn't. I was just his PA. That's all.
But the thought lingered, traitorous and heavy. Am I in love with him?
No. Impossible. I can't even imagine it.
"Take her to her room," Ethan's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
Just like that. No glance in my direction, no second look. Cold. Detached.
"Yes, Your Highness," the servant answered, bowing deeply before motioning for me to follow.
We walked down another hallway and up a grand spiral staircase. Despite my hurt, I couldn't help but stare. The castle was unlike anything I had ever seen. Towering arches, golden chandeliers that sparkled like captured stars, paintings so lifelike they seemed to watch me as I passed. Every corner breathed history and wealth.
When the servant pushed open a tall door and stepped aside, my breath hitched.
The room was… breathtaking.
Floor-to-ceiling windows spilled late evening sunlight reflection across silk sheets and polished wood. The balcony overlooked endless gardens. A carved mirror stood in the corner, and the faint scent of roses lingered in the air.
For a moment, my earlier worries vanished. For a moment, I forgot the ache in my chest and simply stared, wide-eyed, at the beauty around me.
"This will be your chamber, miss," the servant said softly, bowing before leaving me to my thoughts.
And I stood there alone, in a room fit for a queen, yet feeling more discarded than ever.
I dropped my bag on the velvet armchair and slowly ran my fingers across the embroidered sheets, the silk slipping coolly under my touch. Everything here felt unreal, like a dream spun from another world.
I trailed along the room, pausing at the carved wardrobe, the golden-framed mirror, the delicate chandelier that glittered like falling stars. Whoever had designed this chamber had built it for royalty, not for a mere assistant.
But it was the balcony that drew me the most.
I pushed the glass doors open and stepped outside, the evening air brushing softly against my skin. From here, the castle's gardens stretched endlessly, their hedges casting long shadows beneath the fading orange glow of the sky. Lanterns were just beginning to flicker to life along the stone paths, their warm light chasing away the dusk.
Beyond the gardens, the faint shimmer of a lake caught the last traces of sunlight, glistening like liquid gold.
I leaned against the railing, allowing myself to breathe. For once, I wanted to forget the coldness in Ethan's voice, the hollow in my chest, and just enjoy the view.
But then...
I stiffened.
Across the courtyard, from one of the high windows in the distance, stood a figure. A woman.
Even from this distance, I recognized her. Lila.
The same woman Ethan had looked at with something unspoken in his eyes.
She was staring directly at me.
Her gaze was sharp, burning, and though I couldn't hear her voice, I felt the accusation in her silence. Her eyes glowed—not literally, but with such fire that I almost took a step back. As if my presence here was an offense, as if I were an intruder in her world.
For a long moment, neither of us moved. Her face was unreadable, but her stare was cutting straight through me.
Then, without warning, she shut the curtains with a swift, final motion.
I blinked, breath caught in my throat.
What was that for? Why look at me like that?
Unease crawled along my skin, an itch I couldn't shake. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling smaller despite the grandeur of the balcony.
She hated me. I didn't know why, but I could feel it in her eyes.
And worse, a part of me wondered—did Ethan know? Did he care?
I lingered on the balcony longer than I should have, arms folded against the cool brush of the evening air. My eyes couldn't let go of that fleeting image—the girl, Lila, staring at me from across the castle. There had been something sharp in her gaze, a fire I didn't understand. One second her eyes were on me, piercing, almost accusing… and the next, she drew the curtains shut as though she hadn't been there at all.
Why did it bother me so much? Why should it matter if she and Ethan shared a history? He was my boss—distant, commanding, untouchable. And yet, the way he hadn't regarded me earlier, the way he seemed to fold himself back into her presence like she was someone familiar, someone who belonged… it stung more than I wanted to admit.
I shook the thought off with a small, frustrated sigh and turned back inside. The room's beauty swallowed me again—the carved furniture, the soft golden drapes, the elegance. For a moment, I let myself drift into its comfort.
Reaching for my phone, I remembered Maya. I hadn't seen her when I stopped at the mall earlier to grab my bag. Mr. James had said she'd stepped out for lunch, and then everything—the flight, Ethan, the castle, her—had swept my mind so completely that I forgot to even check on her.
The screen lit up, and my stomach sank. Missed calls. Messages. Some sent hours ago. Guilt washed over me, heavy and sour. Maya must have been worried sick.
I pressed the call button, only to hear silence. No bars. I frowned, stepped closer to the window, then walked around the room, lifting the phone high, searching for even a flicker of service. Nothing. Just silence and my own heartbeat pounding too loud in my chest.
A soft knock broke my concentration.
The door creaked open, and a servant girl, barely older than eighteen, curtsied lightly.
"Ma'am, the dinner is ready. They're expecting you downstairs."
Her words sent a jolt through me, tightening my chest. The restless pulse of my wolf stirred uneasily, warning me of something I couldn't name. My palms felt clammy, and for a moment I almost wished I could lock the door and stay hidden. Dinner suddenly felt less like a meal and more like walking into a room full of strangers where I didn't belong.
"I'll be downstairs soon," I replied.
She nodded and slipped away as quietly as she had come.
I looked back at my phone, the empty bars mocking me. With a quick exhale, I typed a message to Maya anyway, hoping and praying it would eventually reach her: I'm sorry. I'll explain everything soon. Please don't worry.
I placed the phone on the desk, pressing my palms against its cool surface. The guilt tightened in my chest, the helplessness of not being able to reach her, of being here in this gilded, secretive place where nothing felt certain.
For the first time since arriving, I hated all of it—the distance, the secrets, the looks I didn't understand. I hated that I was here, and Maya was out there, possibly worried, and I couldn't do a thing.
And worst of all… I hated that a stranger's eyes, burning from a shadowed window, haunted me still.