Tied In Silence

Lyra hadn’t left her room since last evening. Not after seeing Elena. Not even for dinner. Victor noticed. He always noticed.

When he entered her room that night, the lights were still on. Of course. He wasn’t surprised. He found her curled up on the bed, lost in sleep. For a second, he just stood there, watching her—watching the way the strands of her wavy hair framed her face, the slow rise and fall of her chest, the peaceful look she wore even in her loneliness. He sighed, turned off the lights, and let her sleep.

Morning came.

“She hasn’t eaten anything, sir,” the maid hesitated as she informed Victor.

His jaw clenched. Without another word, he headed upstairs.

She wasn’t in her bed this time. His eyes flicked across the room until he heard it—the sound of water running in the bathroom.

She was showering.

Victor leaned against the desk, waiting. He scrolled through his phone absentmindedly, barely paying attention to anything on the screen. His focus was elsewhere.

Then, the bathroom door creaked open.

He turned.

And he froze.

She stood there, damp hair cascading in soft waves, droplets of water tracing delicate paths along her skin. She smelled divine—without even wearing perfume. Her lips, naturally red, looked soft and untouched. Her cheeks held a faint flush from the warmth of her bath.

For a moment, he forgot why he was even there.

But her eyes—those damn eyes—were looking at him. Innocent. Hurt. The way she always looked at him.

He forced himself to snap out of it. "Eat."

She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "I'm not hungry," she said stubbornly.

Victor’s jaw tightened. "Sit. Now."

She flinched but stood her ground.

"I said sit and eat your breakfast."

"I said no," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Victor exhaled through his nose. Three. Two—

Before he could say one, she picked up the spoon.

The moment she took a bite, her eyes welled with tears.

She stared at her plate, blinking rapidly to keep them from falling. But Victor noticed. He always noticed.

The next second, his fingers were on her face, his thumbs wiping away her tears. The warmth of his touch made her breath hitch, made her close her eyes for a second longer than necessary.

Another tear slipped down.

Then, in a barely audible voice, she whispered the words that made his world stop.

"Why did you leave me for two years?"

Victor stared at her. Blankly. Wordlessly.

Because for the first time, he didn’t have an answer.

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