Eira laughed as she pushed herself off the door. She straightened and walked over to the bed before lying on it.
She stayed like that for a few minutes before bolting upright.
Hurriedly, she picked up her phone, went to her contact list, which was almost nonexistent, and dialed Elma’s number.
The first ring didn’t even finish before it was answered.
"Ephyra, dear? Is that you?" Elma’s worried and familiar voice came through the line, thick with relief.
"Yes, Elma, it’s me," Eira responded quickly. "I’m sorry for not calling you. You must have been very worried when I didn’t come back home yesterday."
"Oh, my dear, I was indeed very worried! How are you doing? Are you alright? Did something happen? Where are you? What happened?" The worry and dread in her voice rose higher as Elma thought of various things that could have happened to Ephyra, each image in her head overlapping with Ephyra’s pale body on a hospital bed.
Eira sighed and smiled. "Calm down, Elma. It’s alright. I’m fine, nothing happened to me. And I’m not lying, I swear."
"But... where are you right now? Why didn’t you come back yesterday?"
"Something happened on my way home, and I’m currently somewhere safe. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you when I come back this evening." Eira paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Just keep this between us for now, okay? I don’t want Marianna or Myra to know anything until I’m back."
Elma hesitated for a moment, clearly uneasy, but she trusted Ephyra enough to agree. "Alright, dear. But promise me you’ll be safe. I don’t want anything else happening to you. You’ve been through enough already."
"I promise," Eira reassured, her voice soft but firm. "I’ll be back before dinner. See you soon."
As she ended the call, a knock came from the door, and Eira turned toward it, wondering who it was.
The door opened, and two maids entered, one holding a folded set of clothes and the other holding three boxes stacked on top of each other.
"Excuse us, Miss, but Master Aelion asked us to deliver these to you."
Eira’s eyebrows shot up in mild surprise as she eyed the neatly folded clothes and the pristine boxes in the maids’ hands. Her expression shifted from curiosity to wary skepticism, her lips curling slightly in an almost imperceptible frown. She wasn’t used to receiving gifts, especially not from her husband-to-be.
Eira wanted to laugh. In just a few weeks, her life had changed completely.
Her gaze flicked back to the maids, waiting for an explanation. The maid holding the boxes stepped forward, her voice soft and respectful. "Miss, Master Aelion wanted you to have these. It’s a new school uniform. We also brought you a designer school bag, and these..." She paused, carefully setting down the boxes and lifting the lids to reveal a pair of gleaming, custom-made shoes. "These are luxury platform sneakers from the latest Alexander McQueen collection and custom-made Mary Jane heels, handcrafted to fit your measurements perfectly. There’s also some stationery from the finest brands and a new laptop for your studies." Follow current novels on NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
Eira’s eyes curved slightly, amusement flickering beneath her otherwise calm expression. Luxury goods on the first day. Indifferent or not, he could still spoil anyone as long as he had the means. Crossing her arms, she glanced over the items without touching them, her voice cool. "All this just for school?"
The maid hesitated briefly before offering a small, rehearsed smile. "Yes, Miss. Butler Kali said Master Aelion wanted you to have the best."
Eira tilted her head, her gaze cutting through the maid’s carefully chosen words. She let out a slow breath, then nodded. "Fine. Leave them here."
The maids bowed and quickly exited the room, leaving Eira alone with the expensive array of items laid out before her. For a moment, she simply stared at them.
These gifts weren’t just tokens of kindness. She knew but didn’t care. She would count them as the first set of dowry.
A slow, calculated smile spread across her face as she ran her fingers over the smooth fabric of the uniform. "I will take them. Now that I will become Lyle Aelion’s wife, Ephyra Allen can’t be inferior to any of her schoolmates."
Thirty minutes later, she was on the new laptop and had almost finished setting it up. She was just about to log into the Black Exchange when another knock came, accompanied by a voice.
"Ephyra? It’s Jania."
Eira sighed, glaring at the door, wondering why they couldn’t let her rest.
Eira’s frustration grew as the incessant knocks on her door refused to cease. She closed the laptop, pinching the bridge of her nose, and exhaled sharply. "Come in," she said, her voice calm but laced with irritation.
Jania entered the room, her expression unreadable. She glanced at the array of luxury items laid out across the room before going to sit on one of the armchairs.
"I forgot to ask, did the guys you beat up tell you the name of the person who sent them?"
"Yes, Marcellus. You must have him with you, since you know it was my stepmother who sent him," Ephyra said as she stood up and walked to the side table to pour water for herself.
Jania smiled and nodded. "Yes, we have him here. Do you want to see him?"
Eira paused and slowly turned to Jania. After staring at each other for a few seconds, they both chuckled.
"I would love to," Eira placed the glass of water down on the table. "Lead the way," she said, her voice calm but laced with anticipation.
Jania nodded and walked toward the door, gesturing for Eira to follow. As they stepped into the hallway, the quiet murmurs of the maids faded, replaced by the echo of their footsteps along the marble floor. The path to the underground dungeon was through a hidden entrance, concealed behind an ornate bookshelf in a secluded section of the estate.
As they descended the stairs, the atmosphere shifted. The warmth and elegance of the upper levels were replaced by cold, damp air, the walls narrowing into dark stone corridors. Eira’s lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement dancing on her face as she observed her surroundings. She wasn’t afraid—curiosity buzzed in her mind instead.