The first night

The Wall Between Us

Episode 3: The First Night

The mansion was too quiet.

Lucy stood in the center of her new room, arms crossed, eyes scanning every detail—the high ceilings, the polished floors, the expensive furniture that felt more like decoration than comfort.

Nothing here felt like home.

It felt like a display.

Like her.

She exhaled slowly and slipped off her heels, placing them neatly by the door. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at the unfamiliar space.

This is temporary.

That’s what Victor said.

She intended to make sure it stayed that way.

---

Across the hall, Victor loosened his tie, his reflection staring back at him through the mirror.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

The merger was secured. The deal was signed. The public image was flawless.

So why…

His grip on the tie tightened slightly.

Why did that moment at the altar linger in his mind?

Lucy’s eyes.

Clear. Steady. Challenging.

Not once had she looked at him like he was above her.

If anything—

She looked at him like an equal.

Victor exhaled sharply and pushed the thought away.

Irrelevant.

---

A knock interrupted the silence.

Victor opened the door to find Roslyn leaning casually against the frame, arms folded, a knowing smile on her face.

“Well,” she said, glancing past him. “How’s married life?”

Victor stepped aside just enough to block her view.

“Say what you came to say.”

Roslyn smirked. “She’s not what you expected, is she?”

Victor didn’t answer.

“That’s dangerous,” she continued, her tone light but observant. “You like control. And she doesn’t look like someone who can be controlled.”

“She won’t be a problem.”

Roslyn tilted her head.

“That’s not what I asked.”

A brief silence passed between them.

Victor’s gaze darkened slightly.

“…She’s irrelevant.”

Roslyn let out a soft laugh.

“You keep saying that,” she said, pushing off the wall. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

---

Lucy stepped out of her room, now dressed in something more comfortable—but still elegant. Effortless.

She wasn’t about to look weak in this house.

As she walked down the hallway, she paused.

Voices.

Victor’s door was slightly open.

“…she’s irrelevant.”

Lucy froze.

Her expression didn’t change.

But something inside her… shifted.

Roslyn’s voice followed, softer, almost amused.

“Then you won’t mind if someone else gets her attention.”

Lucy didn’t stay to hear the rest.

She turned and walked away.

---

The kitchen lights were still on.

Lucy poured herself a glass of water, her movements calm, precise.

Irrelevant.

She took a slow sip.

Of course.

That’s what this was.

A deal.

Nothing more.

So why did it bother her?

---

“Couldn’t sleep?”

Victor’s voice cut through the silence.

Lucy didn’t turn immediately. She set the glass down before facing him.

“I could ask you the same.”

Victor walked in, his presence instantly filling the space.

“I don’t sleep early.”

Lucy leaned lightly against the counter.

“Neither do I.”

A pause.

The air between them felt different now.

Sharper.

---

Victor’s gaze rested on her, more focused than before.

“You shouldn’t be walking around alone.”

Lucy raised a brow.

“Are you worried about me?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Lucy smirked faintly.

“Good. Because I don’t need you to be.”

---

Silence again.

But this time, it wasn’t empty.

It was charged.

---

Victor stepped closer.

Not too close.

But close enough.

“This house has rules,” he said calmly.

Lucy didn’t move.

“So does my life,” she replied.

Their eyes locked.

“Then make sure they don’t clash.”

Lucy let out a soft laugh.

“That sounds like a warning.”

“It is.”

---

Lucy straightened, pushing off the counter.

“Let me make something clear, Victor.”

She stepped closer.

Just like earlier.

Just like the first time they stood like this.

“I didn’t marry you to follow your rules.”

Victor’s gaze lowered slightly, noticing the defiance in every detail—her posture, her tone, the way she refused to step back.

“And I didn’t marry you to argue.”

“Then you chose the wrong person.”

---

A beat.

Then—

Something unexpected.

Victor almost smiled.

Almost.

---

Lucy noticed.

And for a second—

She didn’t know what to do with it.

---

The moment broke as quickly as it came.

Lucy turned away first, grabbing her glass again.

“I’ll stay out of your way,” she said casually. “You stay out of mine.”

Victor watched her carefully.

“That won’t be possible.”

Lucy paused.

“…Why not?”

---

Victor stepped closer again.

Closer than before.

This time, the distance between them was almost nothing.

“Because,” he said quietly, “we’re married.”

Lucy’s breath caught—just slightly.

Annoyingly noticeable.

---

For a second—

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

The tension wasn’t just sharp anymore.

It was… something else.

Something dangerous.

---

Lucy was the first to step back.

Breaking it.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Her voice was steady again.

Controlled.

Victor didn’t stop her.

But his eyes followed her as she walked away.

---

Lucy reached her door, her hand resting on the handle.

She hesitated.

Just for a second.

Then went inside.

---

Victor stood alone in the kitchen.

Silent.

Still.

---

She was supposed to be irrelevant.

So why…

…did he notice everything about her?

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