Maria.

"Who is she?" I asked immediately, the moment I snapped out of my daze, my eyes fixed on Noah as if his answer would somehow calm the uneasiness rising within me.

He hesitated, just for a second but I noticed.

"She... she isn’t that important," he finally said, his tone slightly off as he bent down to my level, his gaze softening as if trying to distract me from the question entirely. "Let me carry you to your room first," he added, reaching out without waiting for my response.

Before I could protest, he lifted me effortlessly into his arms, holding me in a bridal style as though nothing had just happened.

But my mind didn’t let it go, not even for a second.

She isn’t important?

I didn’t believe that, not even for one bit.

From the way she had spoken... the authority in her voice... the way Noah had actually stopped everything to respond to her, it was obvious.

She wasn’t just someone, If anything, it looked like she had him wrapped tightly around her fingers.

Or worse...

Like he was the one answering to her.

The thought made something twist uncomfortably in my chest.

Noah carried me all the way to my room in silence, the earlier lightness between us completely gone, replaced by something heavier... something I couldn’t quite name.

Once inside, he placed me gently on the bed and for a brief moment, I thought he would stay.

Explain.

Reassure me.

But instead, he turned to leave.

"Noah..." I called quickly, stopping him before he could take another step.

He paused.

I swallowed lightly before speaking again.

"Can’t I follow you to the study?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound softer than I felt, trying to build up a pitiful expression to match it. "I want to stay around you," I added, hoping he would give in like he always did.

But this time...He didn’t.

"You can’t, Maria," he said firmly.

And just like that, my expression fell, as a frown settled on my face instantly.

"Just stay here," he continued, not giving me room to argue. "I’ll be back."

Then, he left.

Just like that.

I sat there, completely dumbfounded because ever since I arrived here, Noah had never refused me anything.

And now, because of her...he did.

A strange unease crept into my chest, slowly spreading, making it hard to sit still.

I waited.

Minutes passed but the feeling didn’t go away, if anything, it only got stronger. And before I could talk myself out of it, I stood up.

My feet moved on their own, carrying me out of the room, down the corridor.

There was only one place on my mind—His study.

As I approached the door, my steps slowed, my movements becoming more cautious, quiet and careful.

I tiptoed the last few steps, my heart beating slightly faster as I leaned closer, just enough to hear whatever they were saying inside, as I peeked from a tiny hole through the door.

"No, Noah, there is no way I’m going to let you marry her."

The woman’s voice was firm, unyielding, cutting through the air like a blade. She paused just long enough for the weight of her words to settle before continuing, her tone sharpening.

"Aside from the fact that your father and my father arranged our marriage... have you forgotten the pact we made to each other seven years ago? Before you went to that damn cursed academy?"

Seven years ago?

They have known each other for that long?

A thick silence followed, heavy and suffocating.

"I... Sonia, listen..." Noah began, but even his voice betrayed him. It cracked slightly, strained under pressure. "All that was in the past. Things have changed. And... my father is....dead."

"Dead?" Sonia echoed, her brows lifting, though her composure barely faltered. Then, slowly, almost deliberately, her lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Dead?" She took a step forward, her gaze locking onto him with unsettling calm. "But I have the signed document, Noah," she continued, her voice low but laced with certainty. "The one sealed with your father’s blood fingerprint."

The words landed like a verdict.

"You..." Noah tried again, but whatever he wanted to say seemed to collapse before it could fully form. His jaw tightened, frustration flickering across his face. "Look here, Sonia," he forced out at last, his tone hardening as if clinging to resolve. "I don’t care about some documents. I love Maria, and I am going to marry her."

For a moment, Sonia said nothing.

Then she chuckled.

It wasn’t loud, but it was enough, soft, amused, and deeply unsettling.

"Well," she said, tilting her head slightly, "that would be after you marry me."

Her laughter followed, light and almost playful, as though she had just made a harmless joke instead of something that tightened the air around them.

"You see, Noah..." she continued, her voice dropping, turning smooth, too smooth. "I don’t mind you taking her in as a concubine."

What?

The word struck me like a slap.

A concubine?

My breath hitched, my chest tightening as disbelief quickly gave way to anger. There was no way—no possible way—I would ever accept something like that. The mere thought of it burned through me, humiliating and infuriating all at once.

And Noah...

Noah was definitely not marrying another woman after me.

My hands curled into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I struggled to keep myself still. The urge to burst into the room, to confront her, to demand how she could even suggest such a thing, it pulsed through me.

But I didn’t move. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

I couldn’t.

Not yet.

"What do you think?" Sonia asked, her tone almost casual, as though she were discussing something trivial instead of turning lives upside down.

Her question hung in the air.

And I stood frozen outside, just beyond the door, my heart pounding loudly in my ears, waiting, dreading for Noah’s reply.