Night had already settled fully over the Rodrigo estate by the time Alex finally allowed himself to sit down. The North Wing, now apparently his own private section of the mansion, had grown quiet after the attendants finished arranging the last of the furniture and supplies. A faint golden light from the bedside lamps softened the otherwise intimidating size of the room, giving the space a calm atmosphere that almost made the entire situation feel unreal.
Alex leaned back on the couch in the sitting area and rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly. His body still felt tired from the long day, and a dull nausea lingered somewhere deep in his stomach like a stubborn shadow. He exhaled through his mouth and stared up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking about how absurd the last few weeks had been.
Two weeks ago he had escaped this place.
Now he was back here again, not as a servant but as something far better.
The child growing inside him complicated everything.
