The dining room fell silent as soon as Ryan was escorted out. Only the faint clinking of cutlery echoed throughout the vast mansion. Nora remained seated exactly where Steven had instructed her to sit. Her fingers rested restlessly in her lap while her eyes remained cast downward. She didn’t dare look at him again. Steven, on the other hand, calmly continued eating. Every movement was so graceful. Each cut of his steak was made slowly and deliberately. It was as if Ryan had never burst into the mansion. As if the desperate plea from just moments ago meant absolutely nothing. To Steven, that plea truly meant nothing at all. Nora swallowed hard. Her appetite had long since vanished, but she forced herself to finish every bite because Steven had ordered her to do so. She no longer dared to disobey him. A few minutes passed… Steven finally placed his fork and knife neatly beside his plate before wiping his lips with a napkin. Only then did he lift his gaze t

“Miss Nora… breakfast is ready.” A soft knock echoed against the wooden door. It made Nora wake up from her sleep. Nora slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times as the morning sunlight streamed through the small window in the servants’ quarters. She didn’t know where she was. Then reality brought her back to her senses. She was no longer Mrs. Hawthorne. She had spent the night in the smallest room in Steven’s grand house. Her chest felt tight, and realized her situation right now was hurting her. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the plain white blanket covering her legs. Just yesterday… she had begged Steven to let her stay. Now she finally understood. Staying close to him… didn’t mean staying by his side. Not even changed Steven's mind. It meant watching him treat her like a complete stranger. Nora quietly wiped the dried tears from her cheeks before standing up. “I deserve this…” She whispered to herself. No one answered. A few mi