Unnamed Marriage

Golden Cage

Alina sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers still clutching the fabric of the wedding gown that felt so foreign against her skin. Her head throbbed, her chest rose and fell irregularly. She tried to regulate her breathing, but each inhale felt heavy, as if the room lacked air.

"What's really happening to me?"

Her eyes stared blankly at the large window overlooking the expansive garden outside. The morning sunlight crept in, creating soft shadows on the marble floor. A gentle breeze rustled, making the maroon velvet curtains move slowly like a faint, ghostly dance.

Alina stood up, her body still slightly trembling. She walked towards the window, pressing the palm of her hand against the cold glass. From here, she could see a stretch of green lawn that looked so meticulously manicured, as if every blade of grass was perfectly arranged. There was a large fountain in the middle of the garden, a statue of a woman pouring water from a jug standing gracefully in its center.

But there was no one outside.

No wandering servants, no sound of vehicles, no signs of life other than the distant chirping of birds.

"I'm like a bird in a cage."

She shivered. What was this? This house was too big, too quiet, too... luxurious for her. Even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined living in a place like this.

Her eyes caught her reflection in the windowpane. The white gown still clung to her body, her long hair slightly disheveled. She looked like a porcelain doll displayed in the window of an expensive shop—beautiful, but fragile and lifeless.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps from outside the room. "Tap... tap... tap..." Calm steps, but full of certainty. She immediately turned around, her breath catching in her throat.

The door opened.

Darren entered, still in his neat black suit. His face was expressionless, but his sharp eyes locked onto Alina's gaze like a predator watching its prey.

"You're awake early," he said in a soft voice, but there was something behind that gentleness that made Alina even more wary.

She swallowed. "I... I couldn't sleep well," she replied, her voice almost a whisper.

Darren smiled faintly. "That's natural. After everything that's happened, your body must still be adjusting."

Alina frowned. "You mean?"

The man didn't answer immediately. He walked closer, then picked up a teacup that had been placed on the bedside table. Calmly, he poured tea into it. "Gulp, gulp, gulp." The warm aroma of chamomile filled the air.

"Drink this. It will help you feel better."

Alina looked at the cup hesitantly. "I... I'm not thirsty."

Darren tilted his head slightly, his expression remained calm, but his eyes held something threatening. "Don't make me repeat myself, Alina."

Alina's breath caught. There was something in the way the man spoke that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. With trembling hands, she took the cup and sipped it slowly.

The tea was sweet. Too sweet.

For a moment, she felt something strange on her tongue, but before she could analyze it further, Darren had taken the cup from her hand and placed it back on the table.

"We're going somewhere today," Darren said suddenly.

Alina lifted her face. "Where?"

The man smiled, but his smile was empty. "To our family home. I want to introduce you to them."

Alina tensed. "But... I don't remember anything about them."

Darren looked at her intently. "Then this is a good opportunity to remember, isn't it?"

Two hours later, Alina was already sitting in a black car that was moving smoothly along a winding road. Tall pine forests loomed on both sides of the road, creating long shadows that danced on the surface of the asphalt. The sky was beginning to cloud over, dark clouds hanging low on the horizon.

She glanced at Darren who was sitting beside her, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead. The man hadn't spoken much during the journey, just silent with an unreadable expression.

"Where are we actually going?" Alina asked, finally mustering the courage to inquire.

Darren didn't answer immediately. He just sighed softly, before finally saying, "To the place where everything began."

Alina's heart beat faster.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll know when we get there."

The house they arrived at was bigger than Alina had imagined. An old building with tall pillars and large windows, like a castle from the Victorian era. Chandeliers glittered from behind the windows, illuminating the long corridor visible from the outside.

However, there was something strange about this house.

The air around this building felt colder than anywhere else. The trees in the front yard swayed in the wind, their branches like gaunt hands reaching out into the air.

Darren opened the car door for her. "Come in."

Alina stepped out carefully. Her shoes touched the gravel on the path, creating a small sound that echoed in the silent air. "Creak... creak..."

As soon as they entered the house, the smell of old wood and jasmine greeted her. The room was so large, with a red-carpeted staircase that divided the room into two sides. Large paintings hung on the walls, portraits of people she didn't recognize.

"Young master has arrived," the voice of an old woman sounded.

Alina turned. An old woman in all black stood near the stairs, her cloudy eyes looking at her with a meaningful gaze.

Darren nodded. "Where are they?"

"In the living room, waiting for you."

Darren turned to Alina. "Let's go."

Alina walked with hesitant steps, her feeling of unease growing. As they passed through a long hallway and entered the living room, her eyes immediately caught the figures sitting inside.

Three people.

An old man with white hair sat in the middle chair. His gaze was sharp, full of judgment. Beside him, a woman in her fifties in an emerald green dress looked at Alina with an expression that was difficult to decipher. And next to her, a younger man, perhaps in his early thirties, sat with his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw set.

They all stared at Alina.

"So, here she is," said the old man finally, his voice heavy and authoritative. "Our family's new bride."

Alina swallowed.

The woman beside the old man smiled faintly. "Very beautiful, Darren. You certainly chose well."

Darren just smiled slightly. "Of course."

But something was wrong.

Alina could feel their gazes as if they were devouring her. As if they knew something she didn't.

And at that moment, the young man at the end of the table narrowed his eyes and said softly, "You really don't remember anything, do you?"

Silence.

Darren immediately turned sharply towards him, but Alina was more focused on her suddenly racing heartbeat.

They knew.

They knew something she didn't know.

At the same time, from the corner of the room, a servant quietly glanced at Alina with a look of fear.

And under her breath, she whispered, "She shouldn't be here..."