Chapter 4 Silk-lined Lies

• ELARA
• The scream jolted me awake.
• I sat up in bed, clutching the sheets to my chest, my heart thudding in my ears. For a second, I thought I’d dreamed it, but then I heard voices—loud, angry, echoing up the grand staircase. Boots pounded against the marble floor, doors slammed, and someone shouted, “Get her out of here!”
• I slid out of bed, my bare feet cold against the polished floor. I moved toward the door, my hands trembling as I reached for the handle. The noise was louder now—men barking orders, the clatter of something heavy being dragged across the floor.
• I cracked the door open and peeked into the hall.
• What I saw made my stomach turn to ice.
• Two of Mateo’s men were hauling a black body bag down the corridor, its shape unmistakably human. One man’s gloved hand gripped the zipper as it slid closed with a sickening sound.
• “Oh God,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my mouth.
• The men didn’t see me, but I stepped back instinctively, hiding in the shadow of the doorway as they carried the bag out of sight.
• “Don’t let anyone see,” one of them muttered.
• “I’m not blind,” the other snapped.
• I pressed my back to the wall and forced myself to breathe slowly, quietly, so no one would hear me.
• Then a voice sliced through the chaos, low and furious.
• “Clear this out now.”
• Mateo.
• I shut the door quickly and stumbled back, my legs weak. My hands shook as I clutched the edge of the vanity table. I had no idea what was happening—only that someone was dead.
• And I was trapped here.
• ---
• The knock on my door was sharp and unexpected.
• I jumped, my breath catching. “Yes?”
• The door opened, and one of the guards stepped inside. He was tall and broad, his face as hard as stone.
• “Mr. Navarro wants everyone downstairs,” he said. “Now.”
• I swallowed. “Why?”
• “Just go.”
• I grabbed my robe and tied it tightly around me as I followed him down the staircase. The mansion felt colder than usual, the shadows darker. The guards I passed in the hallway barely looked at me, their expressions grim.
• The dining room was already crowded when I stepped inside. The household staff lined up against one wall, eyes wide and frightened. Guards stood like statues near the door.
• And at the head of the room, Mateo.
• He was dressed in black, his hands in his pockets, his jaw tight. The usual cold indifference in his expression was gone, replaced by something much darker.
• He glanced at me briefly as I entered, but his gaze softened for just a second before he turned away.
• “Something happened last night,” he said, his voice low but carrying across the room. “Lucy is dead.”
• A ripple of shock moved through the room. A maid gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth.
• I stared at Mateo, frozen. Lucy. She had been here just two nights ago, draped across his lap, laughing in my face like I was furniture. I had hated her in a quiet, useless way… but now she was gone.
• Mateo’s gaze swept over the staff like a blade. “If anyone knows anything, now is the time to speak.”
• No one moved.
• He let the silence stretch, and it was unbearable. I stood at the back of the room, my hands knotted together, my heart hammering so hard I thought I might be sick.
• Finally, Mateo stepped forward, his expression unreadable. “I don’t care if you’re a cook or a guard or one of my oldest men. If I find out someone in this house betrayed me, I will bury you myself. Are we clear?”
• “Yes, boss,” the staff murmured in unison.
• I swallowed hard and lowered my head, afraid to meet his eyes.
• “Everyone can go,” he said after a moment. “Elara—stay.”
• My stomach dropped.
• The others filed out quickly, their footsteps echoing down the hall. When the last door shut, I stood alone with Mateo, unsure where to look.
• He crossed the room slowly, his steps deliberate, until he was standing in front of me. He wasn’t close enough to touch me, but close enough that I could feel the weight of his presence.
• “Are you scared?” he asked quietly.
• I blinked up at him, startled. “Yes,” I whispered.
• His eyes searched mine. “Good.”
• I flinched at the coldness in his tone, but he reached out unexpectedly and brushed a loose strand of hair from my face. The touch was gentle, almost protective.
• “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he said, his voice softer now. “But you should be afraid of whoever did this.”
• I nodded quickly, even though my throat felt tight. “I—I don’t know anything,” I said. “I swear.”
• “I know,” he said simply.
• The certainty in his voice made me blink. He didn’t suspect me at all.
• He stepped back, his expression hardening again. “Stay in your room today. I don’t want you wandering around the house while I deal with this.”
• “Yes, Mateo,” I said softly.
• ---
• Back in my room, I locked the door and pressed my forehead against it, my body trembling.
• I didn’t know how long I stood there before I moved. My feet carried me across the room to the vanity. I pulled the top drawer open, my hands fumbling as I pushed aside hairpins and folded scarves.
• At the very back, hidden beneath the silk lining, my fingers brushed against something small and hard.
• I hesitated.
• Then I pulled it out.
• A single diamond earring.
• Gianna’s.
• I stared at it in my palm, my breath shallow. It felt heavier than it should, a glittering reminder of what had happened last night.
• I closed my hand around it, my nails digging into my skin.
• No one knew it was there.
• And no one ever would.
• I slipped it back beneath the lining and shut the drawer, my hands shaking. Then I sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped my arms around myself, rocking slightly as the weight of the silence se
• ttled over me.
• I was scared.
• I was trapped.
• And if I wanted to survive in this house, I would have to stay small.
• Invisible.