Chapter 2 - The marble room
The tension in the sprawling mansion was suffocating. By evening, Juliet was instructed to assist Ethan with his evening routine. She stepped into the massive marble bathroom, the air already thick with warm steam. The soft amber glow from the wall sconces reflected off the polished stone, creating a stark, cinematic contrast of light and dark.
Juliet’s hands trembled. She had cared for many patients, but none with the intimidating, brooding aura of Ethan Bennett. He sat silently in his wheelchair, his dark eyes tracking her every movement. He didn't offer a word of comfort, nor did he make it easy for her. He simply waited, testing her resolve.
Swallowing her nerves, Juliet stepped closer. Her rosy fingers reached out, carefully grasping the first button of his dress shirt. She kept her eyes focused on her task, painfully aware of his intense gaze on her face. She undid the first button, then the second. The steam curled around them in the quiet room.
As she pushed the crisp white fabric aside, her breath hitched. Just below his collarbone, stark against his fair skin, was a distinct, dark crescent-shaped birthmark. But that wasn’t what made her heart stop.
Resting right above it, hanging from the old silver chain around his neck, was a heavy, intricately carved pendant. Juliet froze in absolute shock. The air in her lungs vanished. Her eyes widened, her pupils dilating as she stared at the tarnished metal.
Her legs suddenly gave out. The world tilted, and Juliet collapsed onto the cold marble floor, her flat shoes slipping on the wet stone. She caught herself on her hands, her chest heaving as she stared up at the necklace in pure, unfiltered disbelief.
Ethan reacted instantly. He leaned sharply forward in his wheelchair, the cold indifference wiping from his face, replaced by genuine, alarmed concern. His strong hand reached down toward her.
“What happened?” he demanded sharply, his voice echoing off the marble.
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Juliet stared at the chain, her vision blurring with sudden tears. Her face had lost all its color. She looked up slowly, meeting Ethan’s confused gaze.
“That necklace…” Juliet’s voice was a shaking, barely audible whisper. “That necklace belonged to the man who disappeared twenty years ago.”
