The day had already begun without her.
Voices moved quietly through the penthouse.
Soft footsteps. Low instructions.
The distant clink of glass against polished surfaces.
Everything was in motion. Everything was functioning. Everything was… controlled.
Malissa stood at the edge of the room, unmoving. Watching. It was strange.
How easily the world adjusted.
Yesterday, her life had shifted completely.
Everything she knew, gone.
Everything she had built, taken out of her hands.
And yet, Nothing here had changed.
The staff moved as they always did.
The air remained calm. The walls remained silent.
As if her existence made no difference at all.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
She didn't belong here.
That thought had come before.
But now, it felt different. Not like rejection.
Like confinement.
She turned slowly and walked toward the balcony.
The glass doors slid open with ease.
Cool air brushed against her skin.
Below, Pacifica Heights stretched endlessly.
Cars moved in smooth, uninterrupted lines.
Buildings stood tall and distant.
The ocean lay quiet beyond it all.
From here, everything looked simple. Ordered.
Predictable. But she knew better.
Her grip tightened slightly against the railing.
There was nothing predictable about her life anymore.
Behind her, a soft knock came.
"Miss Malissa."
She turned.
A house staff stood at the doorway.
"Breakfast is ready."
Malissa nodded faintly.
"I'll be there."
The staff left without another word.
Everything here ran on quiet precision.
No hesitation. No delay.
She stepped back inside. Closed the doors. And followed.
The dining area was already set.
Alexander sat at the table. Composed. Still.
As if nothing had changed.
He glanced up briefly as she entered.
"Sit."
It wasn't a request. Malissa took her seat.
The table between them felt wider than it was.
Breakfast was served immediately.
Plates placed. Water poured.
Movements smooth and practiced.
Then, silence.
Malissa picked up her fork. But didn't eat.
Her appetite had disappeared somewhere between yesterday and now.
Across from her, Alexander ate without pause.
Measured. Unbothered.
As if the world outside didn't exist.
As if her life hadn't just collapsed into his.
"You're quieter than usual."
His voice cut through the silence.
Malissa looked up.
"I'm fine."
The answer came automatically.
Alexander watched her for a second longer than necessary. Then returned to his meal.
He didn't press. And somehow, that felt worse.
After breakfast, she returned to her room.
The door closed softly behind her.
Silence again. But this silence, didn't feel calm. It felt heavy.
Her phone rested on the table. Still.
For a moment, she didn't touch it.
She already knew what she would find.
But her hand moved anyway.
The screen lit up. Notifications flooded instantly. Tags. Mentions. Messages.
She hesitated, then opened one. A video. Her.
Standing beside Alexander. Slowed down. Zoomed in. Analyzed.
@XanderLove12: [She looks nervous.]
@CelebCritics: [She's not from his circle.]
@Onlyfans: [Body language says this isn't fake.]
Her thumb moved. Another post.
@BlackRose: [Trying to identify her background.]
@lifeOfaChef: [Possible workplace: Aurora Publishing?]
@Silicone: [Someone confirm.]
Her breath slowed. Another.
@Bunny123: [I think I found her school.]
@Sunshine7: [Wait.. no records.]
@Ghost111: [That's weird.]
Her fingers stilled. That word again. Weird.
Not normal. Not expected. She locked the phone. Placed it face down.
As if that would make it stop. But it didn't.
Because the noise wasn't just on the screen anymore.
It was everywhere. In her thoughts.
In her chest. In the space around her.
She moved toward her desk.
Her sketchbook sat where she had left it.
Familiar. Safe. She opened it.
Flipped to a blank page. Picked up a pencil.
Her hand hovered. Nothing came. No ideas.
No lines. No direction. Just, stillness.
Her grip tightened slightly.
Then she set the pencil down.
Even this was slipping away.
Her phone rang.
The sound broke through the silence sharply.
Malissa turned. For a second, she didn't move.
Then she reached for it. Unknown number.
Her chest tightened faintly. She answered.
"Hello?"
"Miss Fisher? This is St. Mary's Hospital."
Her posture straightened immediately.
"Yes… yes, I'm here."
"We're calling regarding your mother."
Her grip tightened around the phone.
"What happened?"
There was a brief pause.
"Nothing urgent," the nurse said calmly. "But her condition requires closer monitoring. The doctor would like you to visit when you can."
Malissa exhaled slowly.
Not urgent. But not nothing.
"I understand," she said. "I'll come."
The call ended. She lowered the phone slowly.
Her thoughts didn't settle. Closer monitoring.
That meant something had changed.
Even if they didn't say it. Her fingers curled slightly. She needed to go.
Malissa stepped out of her room slowly, her phone still in her hand.
The hallway was quiet. Too quiet. For a moment, she thought she was alone.
Then she saw him.
Alexander stood a few steps away speaking briefly with one of the staffs. His posture relaxed, his presence filled the space effortlessly.
The moment the staff stepped away, his gaze shifted. And landed on her. It wasn't sudden. It wasn't sharp. But deliberate.
Malissa paused.
Something in her expression must've given her away, because his eyes lingered a fraction longer than usual.
"You look different."
The words were simple. But they landed.
Malissa straightened slightly.
"I just got a call from the hospital." She didn't plan to say it. It just came out.
Alexander's gaze remained steady.
"And?"
"They want me to come in," she said. "It's not urgent."
There was a pause. But something in her tone, didn't match her words. Alexander noticed.
"Then go." his voice calm.
Malissa blinked faintly. "I will."
She expected him to say more, to ask more. But he didn't.
He turned slightly as if the conversation was already over. Then he stopped.
"Take the car"
Malissa looked at him. "I can manage."
His gaze returned to her. Sharp.
"You don't need to manage everything." The words were quiet. Firm. Not comfort. Not softness. But something else. Control, care. Both.
Malissa hesitated. She nodded.
"Okay."