The mansion felt quieter than usual, though Alexa knew it was the kind of silence that carried weight. It was a kind of silence that always listened. After leaving Aaron happily distracted in his room with his wooden soldiers and tiny battle maps, she slipped down the hall, her steps were careful, deliberate, until the polished oak doors opened onto the veranda.
The veranda stretched like a bridge between the mansion and the wide lawns, its railings cool beneath her fingertips. There, leaning casually as though he belonged to the calm of the morning, was Noah. His posture was easy, but his eyes were sharp, unreadable—shifted the moment they caught hers.
"You signaled me earlier," Noah murmured, not bothering to disguise his suspicion. "What was that about?"
Alexa glanced over her shoulder before she instinctively stepped closer. "You heard them too, didn't you? Those voices above the garden… Someone in this house is working against Marcus. Against Aaron."
For the first time, Noah's easy grin faltered for a minute. "I thought it was just the wind carrying servants' chatter. But you… you're saying it's real."
"It wasn't chatter," Alexa said firmly, lowering her voice to a whisper. Her silver-gray eyes narrowed, replaying every word in her mind. "'If we move too soon, he'll be ready. The marks are already set.' They weren't talking about Marcus. They were talking about Aaron."
At the mention of the boy's name, Noah stiffened. "The heir." His tone dropped, cautious. "If that's true, then it's bigger than some household discontent. It means someone's pulling strings from outside. You realize what this implies, Alexa? That someone inside this house is feeding them information."
Her gaze hardened. "Exactly. And that someone almost noticed me listening. If Aaron hadn't interrupted, I might've…" She broke off, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. I know now. Aaron isn't just being targeted randomly. He's marked."
Noah straightened, crossing his arms. "And Marcus? Have you told him?"
Alexa's lips pressed into a thin line. The thought of Marcus's sharp eyes and cold interrogations flashed in her mind. His constant suspicion of her… his almost-trust. "Not yet. He'll demand proof. And if I don't have it…" she trailed off, looking out at the rolling fields. "Then his suspicion turns on me. Again."
Noah exhaled through his nose, studying her. "So what's your plan?"
Alexa's hands clenched against the railing, the cold iron digging into her skin grounding her focus. For a moment, her pale hair caught in the breeze, haloing her face like frostfire. She inhaled slowly.
"My plan…" she began, her voice low, steady, the kind of tone that carried conviction. "Is to find out who's after Aaron. No matter what. No matter who it is. Even if it's someone he—" She paused, jaw tightening. "…someone Marcus trusts."
Noah's eyes flickered with unease at the steel in her voice, but he didn't argue. He only gave a faint nod, as though silently agreeing to watch her back.
The camera of the scene almost seemed to pull away then, leaving Alexa framed against the vast lawn, her vow lingering in the air like a storm waiting to break.
Scene 2: What If she isn't here for Aaron?
The study was dim, as its heavy curtains drew against the daylight. The faint smell of ink and parchment hung in the air, mingled with Marcus's cologne and the bitter edge of coffee cooling on the desk. He stood behind it, posture rigid, eyes trained on the documents before him though his mind wandered elsewhere.
Marcus, for some reason was home without anyone noticing and managed to slip into his study. He decided to stay a while and wrap his head together about things, before he heard it.
The creak of the door cut through his concentration. Marcus didn't look up immediately—he didn't need to, because only one person entered his study without being summoned.
"Nina," he said flatly.
She stopped at the entrance and dared not to look Marcus in the eye.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice slicing off the calm facade she wore.
"I came to talk to you about something," she replied trying to play innocent lamb. "I haven't decided your fate concerning what you did to Alexa." He said, a wicked smirk tugging his lips. The kind that made a shiver run through her spine.
"I know but what I want to tell you now is important" she said, with certainty laced in her voice.
"Enter" he commanded, his eyes barely looking at her.
"Sit" he said, which she did after standing in front of him a while.
Nina smiled faintly and sat across from him, her silk dress whispering against the leather chair. "Marcus, I've been meaning to speak with you… about Alexa."
Marcus's eyes sharpened, though he leaned back slightly, masking his interest. "What about her?"
"That's what I'm asking you," Nina said smoothly, folding her hands in her lap. "Don't you find it strange? Ever since that girl arrived, the mansion has been… unsettled. Attacks, intruders, threats. Coincidence? Perhaps. But don't we both know coincidences are rare in our world?"
Marcus's fingers drummed once against the desk before he stilled them. "You think she's behind it?"
"I think," Nina replied, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "that her presence has brought danger with it. And you, Marcus… you're a man who calculates risk better than anyone I know." She leaned forward, eyes burning. "Would you really gamble your heir's safety on the word of a stranger?"
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Marcus's gaze was unreadable, though his jaw tightened ever so slightly.
"She's no stranger to Aaron," he said finally, his tone softer than he intended.
Nina's eyes narrowed, just slightly, but she disguised it with a light laugh. "Oh yes, Aaron. He seems to adore her. And why not? She's young, pretty, attentive—exactly the type to win a child's trust quickly." She paused, then tilted her head. "But you and I both know appearances are… deceiving. Don't you remember how easily people smiled to your late wife's face, only to scheme behind her back? Alexa could be doing the same. Only worse."
Marcus's eyes darkened at the mention of Rosalina. The memory was a scar that never quite faded. "Careful, Nina." His voice was low, warning.
But Nina only gave a delicate shrug, lips curving into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm only saying what you already suspect, Marcus. I see it in your eyes. You're watching her. Questioning her. And why wouldn't you? Attacks erupt the moment she enters this household. Intruders know their way inside as if guided. And now…" she leaned forward, her whisper cutting like glass, "now Aaron is marked. Do you not see the pattern?"
Marcus didn't answer immediately. His gaze slid away, fixed on the dying fire in the hearth. His silence was heavy, contemplative.
Nina's smile widened. She knew when her words struck. Rising slowly, she walked around his desk, close enough that her perfume lingered in the air between them. Her voice dropped to a soft, intimate murmur near his ear.
"Marcus… ask yourself this. What if she isn't here for Aaron at all?"
The words lingered like smoke, wrapping around his thoughts, leaving him staring at nothing with a storm behind his eyes.