Novelas de Rita writes

Seraphine's POVI froze.My hand was still wrapped around the door's edge, the locket open in my palm, the symbol staring back at me like it knew exactly how much trouble I was in.I turned around slowly.Caelum stood a few feet away, dressed down from earlier, no jacket, sleeves pushed up to his forearms. His expression wasn't angry. It wasn't anything I could easily name, which somehow made it worse."Lady Seraphine," he said. "It's late.""I couldn't sleep," I said. "I went for a walk.""Toward a locked door in the oldest part of the east wing." He tilted his head slightly. "That's a very specific walk."I closed my fist around the locket, hiding it against my palm."I got lost," I said. "You know this is a new house and there are lots of corridors."He stepped closer and I stepped back a bit avoiding his gaze. His eyes dropped to my closed hand for half a second before they came back up to my face."You're a terrible liar," he said."No I wasn't lying”I muttered.Something flicker

Seraphine's POVThe room Caelum had given me was nothing like my room back at the Vale manor.My room at home was cold. Stone walls, a small window that let in more wind than light, a bed that had never quite felt like it belonged to me. I had spent years making it bearable rather than comfortable, filling the shelves with books and covering the floor with rugs I had bought myself because nobody else thought to.This room was warm.I stood in the middle of it for a moment after the maid closed the door behind her.Then I crossed to the window, sat down on the cushioned seat, and pulled off both my gloves.I did it slowly, the way I always did when I was alone and certain nobody was watching. I held both hands out in front of me, palms up, and let the cool air from the window gaps move across my bare skin.Outside, the Ashford gardens were quiet and dark, lit by a row of low iron lanterns along the stone path below.I breathed in.The air here was clean. Sharper than home, with a cool

Caelum's POVI stared at her retreating back.Her heels clicked against the tiles in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each step perfectly measured, her head up, her dark hair moving slightly with each stride.Edward was still on the floor behind me, curled around himself, gasping like a man who had forgotten how breathing worked.I looked at him for a moment. Then I looked back at the corridor where Seraphine had disappeared around the corner.She was stronger than I had expected. And I had expected quite a lot."Take him to the physician's chambers," I said to the two guards standing nearest to Edward. They moved immediately, getting their hands under his arms and lifting him between them. He was still making that winded, broken sound.I turned and walked in the opposite direction.Riven fell into step beside me before I had made it ten paces. "Did you see what she just did?" he said."Of course I saw it, Riven," I said. "I was standing right there. I'm not blind.""She's dangerous," he s

Seraphine's POVThe car came to a stop and one of the Ashford guards pulled the door open, offering his hand to help me down.I took it carefully, making sure my glove didn't slip, and stepped out onto the stone path.The first thing I noticed was the air. It was different here. Warmer somehow, even though we were well into the cold season, like the ground itself was giving off a quiet heat. The second thing I noticed was the manor.I had grown up hearing my father describe the Ashford estate as a place built on stolen glory, grand because it was paid for with Vale blood and Vale land. I had pictured something cold and arrogant, a big ugly building.I had not pictured this.The manor was beautiful. Genuinely, almost painfully beautiful. Stone walls covered in dark climbing vines, tall windows that caught the afternoon light and threw it back in warm gold sheets, a set of wide front steps flanked by iron lanterns that were already lit even in the middle of the day. The gardens on eithe

Seraphine's POVDinner at the Vale Manor was never a warm affair.It had never been warm, not even when my mother was alive. But back then there had at least been the sound of her voice filling the silence, her laugh bouncing off the stone walls, her habit of sneaking extra bread onto my plate when my father wasn't looking. Now it was just the two of us, sitting at opposite ends of a table that was far too long for two people, eating food that was far too good for a family that had lost almost everything, while the candles burned low and nobody said a word.I liked the silence well enough. It meant I could eat in peace.I stabbed a piece of steak and chewed it properly, the way I always did, and stared at the candle flame at the center of the table while I thought about Lena and Dara sitting on the other side of the garden wall this evening, probably finishing the wine without me and complaining about it."A lady should never chew so loudly."I looked up. My father was watching me fr

Seraphine's POV"Hey! Come back here, you little cunt!"My boots hit the marble floor hard as I ran, my hair flying behind me, my heart pumping with the kind of joy that only came from doing something I wasn't supposed to do. The Vale Manor hallways were long and cold and lit by torches that threw orange shadows on the stone walls, but I knew every single turn in this place. I had memorized them years ago.There were four guards behind me. I could hear their boots, heavy and clumsy compared to mine. Guards. They were my father's guards. Big men in dark uniforms who thought that because they were large, they were fast.They were not fast.I turned a sharp corner, cut through the side passage, and came out near the east staircase. I was almost at the servant's door that led to the outer garden. Twenty more steps and I would be outside. My friends were waiting on the other side of the garden wall. Lena had promised wine and Dara had promised gossip and for one evening I just wanted my

Katherine's POV Penelope sighed again, even more dramatic than she was before."Please don't say that to me."Those were Fake concern, fake innocence, pretending to be the best of all. Yet the women immediately comforted her, not me, showing how low they think. Aunt Vivian shook her head, like she was tbd victim and not me."Penelope, everyone knows the truth."I frowned at their display of concern, their dramatic self on show. What truth are they talking about? The older woman continued what she was saying. "You loved Dave so dearly like yourself."My stomach started boiling in anger at their stupidity. "And everyone expected you to marry him not a complete stranger."Penelope lowered her head, using the opportunity to play the victim perfectly."I made mistakes."Aunt Vivian hugged her to herself, to console her like a mother would to a her child."We all do my dear."I couldn't believe what I was watching before me. It felt ridiculous. Then Penelope whispered softly, but I sti

Katherine's POV "Knowing this happened because of you."The words hit hard, as I was not expecting such from her. I know she's mean, but to this extent, rubbing everything on my face so I won't survive the guilt? Penelope noticed immediately that her words worked, so she smiled. Because that was exactly what she wanted, to break me into pieces. What a cruel woman."He saved you from getting killed"She sighed dramatically, adding more exaggeration to it. "Poor Dave."Anger slowly rose inside me as I listened to her speak. "Leave here right now."Her eyes widened, like she wasn't expecting me to stand up for myself against her abuse. "Excuse me?""You heard me right"She laughed softly, pushing me beyond my limit. "I was only stating facts, which you are very much aware of."I stood up again, ready to push her out before end make me run mad."Leave here."The room suddenly became tense, and of course, Penelope's smile vanished.That was the beginning of the interesting part of ou

Katherine's POV Penelope's Return Game"And when you wake up..."My voice broke. "...you can yell at me for getting involved."Still, he said nothing and I smiled sadly. I couldn't think straight, as everything about me was crowded with the thought of him not making it at last. Unable to concentrate, I lowered my head beside his hand as I was already exhausted. Maybe just a few minutes because I found myself taking a nap, but I was startled and I woke up the next second. I glanced up slowly, looked down with my eyes wide open. Dave's fingers had moved, but it was just once, and brely noticeable, but somehow, I saw it. I know what my eyes saw. My heart exploded non stop inside my chest."Dave?"But there was no answer. I sat upright immediately."Dave!"Was I imagining things? Was I hallucinating from lack of sleep? Then suddenly, like a miracle, his fingers twitched again. And this time...I wasn't the only one who saw it. Because the heart monitor beside him suddenly started beepin

Katherine's POV "Know what exactly?"She looked toward Dave, then back at me."Katherine."Her smile widened, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were genuine. "That man is hopelessly gone for you."My heart skipped violently, as that was the least thing I was expecting to hear from her. "What?"Evelyn laughed out loud. "Oh my God."I stared at her, and she stared back at me. Then suddenly laughed harde again."What is it?"I repeated, hoping to get a better response "You really don't see it.""See what exactly?""The way he looks at you."My face heated instantly she mentioned that."Evelyn.""No seriously."She grinned, and I wondered how she was able to pull up that comic side of her in this situation, acting all calm at the same time, when I was almost gobd with panic attack. "The man worships the ground you walk on.""That's ridiculous, and you can't be joking with such.""It isn't."I looked away, because hearing those words felt dangerous, very dangerous to me. My marri

Katherine's POV"Mrs. Laurent, you should get some rest. You have tried already."I looked up immediately, only to see the nurse standing beside the hospital bed give me a sympathetic smile. It was meant to comfort me, as she meant no harm, but I hated that smile.People only gave that smile when something was wrong, and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. When someone was suffering, and they pitied you.And right now, I didn't want pity. All I wanted was for Dave to wake up."I'm fine," I replied quietly, not ready to drag the conversation further.The nurse glanced at the untouched food on the table. "You haven't eaten anything.""I'm not hungry.""You haven't slept either."I looked away from her stare, as that was true. For complete three days, Dave had been unconscious. Three long days without opening his eyes. Three miserable nights of leaving me all alone. Three days of hearing machines beep endlessly like he would never come back again. Three days of staring at h

Almost Killed Katherine's POV "Katherine."I forced a polite smile, trying to act pleased seeing them. "Diana."She looked me over slowly, then laughed. The kind that is very irritating, and annoying at the same time. "I heard you got lucky."My smile disappeared before I knew it. There's no need showing her this side of me that I already buried deep the day I left them for good."What does that mean?""Oh come on. You are not a baby anymore, you should understand this without stress."She waved dismissively like it was nothing. "Let's not pretend, this isn't new anymore."Her voice became louder, now drawing attention of those close to us, exactly as she intended, always wanting to play the victim card. When in real life, she's very horrible. "You married a billionaire and escaped being homeless." Several nearby guests exchanged uncomfortable glances the moment she said that. I felt heat rising inside me, not embarrassment, and honestly, there was nothing I could do then not to