Dinner at the Sterling mansion had always been an extravagant affair, a performance where each family member played their role.
Aria took her seat across from Marcus Sterling, her father, keeping her gaze lowered just enough to appear meek. She had to be careful.
Marcus glanced at her from behind his wine glass. "Didn't think you'd return, Aria."
She hesitated, then smiled hesitantly. "I missed home."
Evie snickered, her tone saccharine. "We missed you too, sister."
Aria said nothing. She let them assume she was still the same.
After dinner, she climbed the stairs, only to stop cold. Her bedroom door was open. And inside—
Evie sat gracefully on the bed that had once been hers, a smug smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, Aria," Evie sighed dramatically. "Did no one tell you? This is my room now. You wouldn't ask me to leave, would you? You know my health—I can't pack this."
Aria's lips curled into a slow smile. "Oh, you need some help, right? You can always call a maid or two."
Aria closed the door behind her, the weight of the encounter with Evie still heavy on her mind. She had no intention of letting Evie or Freya think they had the upper hand. She would play the part of the naive daughter for now.
The familiar, grand hallways of the mansion stretched before her, and she took a moment to compose herself. She had to stay in character. Weak. Vulnerable. Helpless. She had learned how to wear this mask in her past life—how to make them believe she was easily controlled.
Her fingers lightly brushed against the wooden banister as she moved down the hallway, her eyes searching for something to anchor her in the present. It all felt like déjà vu. Nothing had changed in this house—except for her.
She found her way to the library, a room that always seemed to calm her. It was one of the few places in the mansion where she had ever felt like herself, though that had long since passed. She needed to be alone, to think.
But before she could settle into one of the chairs by the window, the sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
Marcus appeared at the door. He had a pleasant, measured smile on his face, but there was something in his eyes—something calculating.
"Aria," he greeted her, his voice low but smooth. "I'm glad to see you've decided to return. Freya and I were just discussing your place in the house."
Aria smiled softly, but her eyes stayed guarded. "I'm glad to be back," she replied, keeping her tone modest and polite, just like before. Don't let him see any difference.
Marcus studied her for a moment, his gaze lingering on her features as though he were trying to see past the mask she wore. But all he saw was the same girl. The one who had been easy to control.
"I trust you'll adjust quickly," he said, his smile widening slightly. "We'll make sure things go smoothly, of course. Your mother's business, the one she left behind, will need your attention."
Aria nodded, forcing herself to appear uncertain. "Of course, Father. I'll do what's expected of me."
Marcus looked at her with something akin to amusement. "I'm sure you will. We'll give you some time to settle in."
"Thank you," Aria murmured, her voice soft, making no effort to hide her modesty.
Marcus nodded once, satisfied. "Good. Don't forget, Aria, this family is not what it used to be. We're stronger now. We have everything under control."
Aria smiled again, this time a little more softly, though the words he spoke burned inside her. He had no idea what she was truly capable of.
He didn't stay long. With a final, calculating glance, he turned and left the room, the echo of his footsteps fading into the distance.
The moment he was gone, Aria allowed herself to breathe. He still thought she was just a naïve, docile girl. It was exactly what she wanted. Let them think she was harmless. Let them think they still had control.
---
That evening, after a lavish dinner, Aria found herself wandering the halls of the mansion again, aimlessly—just like before. She could feel the weight of the past on her shoulders, but she couldn't allow herself to show it. She had to keep up the charade.
As she walked past Evie's room, she paused. The door was slightly open, and through the crack, she could hear the soft sound of giggles. Evie's voice, that familiar, mocking tone, was unmistakable.
Curiosity gnawed at Aria, and she inched closer to the door, careful not to make a sound.
"I thought she'd be smarter this time," Evie's voice floated out, her words sharp and cutting. "But I guess she's still the same. Easily fooled. Clueless."
Freya's voice followed, soft but venomous. "She'll learn her place soon enough. She always does."
Aria's heart clenched at the sound of their voices. So they thought she was still the same, huh? Still weak. Still clueless.
She stepped back, retreating down the hall. Let them think that. It would only make the day she revealed her true self all the more satisfying.
---
Later that night, Aria sat in the solitude of her room, the silence enveloping her like a blanket. She stared out the window, watching as the clouds shifted across the sky, hiding the stars. The feeling of confinement was suffocating.
She would break free from this—just not yet
But for now, she kept her thoughts to herself, retreating deeper into the role they expected her