Chapter 2

The clicking sound of me rattling the doorknob caught Ethan's attention.

He had just walked through the front door, holding a takeout bag with warm breakfast. He explained smoothly:

"Lily, the lock isn't broken. The computer in the study is migrating some sensitive company data. I was worried you might accidentally mess with the keyboard while cleaning, so I locked it. The project wraps up this afternoon. I'll take the lock off tonight. Don't worry about it."

Saying this, he gently guided me away from the study door.

"Forget about the lock. Come on, let's eat breakfast."

"Pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, and those special cinnamon rolls you love from the bakery down the street."

I nodded obediently. I didn't look back at the newly installed lock.

But deep down, I knew. There was definitely a secret in that room!

To avoid raising his suspicions, I didn't push him. I sat down and ate breakfast with him, planning to investigate once he left for work.

After breakfast, Ethan left for the office as usual.

As he walked past the balcony, I instinctively looked down to check his shadow.

But the floor was completely empty.

Only then did I notice that the thick blackout curtains had been drawn shut. The only light in the house came from the cold LED spotlights on the ceiling.

I reached out to pull the curtains open, but a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.

Ethan kissed the top of my head gently. His voice was as sweet and doting as ever.

"I'm off to work. I'll pick you up for the grocery run tonight."

Ethan left.

I was left alone in the house. I immediately decided to call a locksmith.

After the call connected, the locksmith dispatcher asked me to send a picture of the lock cylinder so they could send the right technician.

The dispatcher on the other end stayed silent for a long time after receiving the picture. Finally, she spoke hesitantly:

"Ma'am, that's a Grade 1 high-security smart lock. It's very rare for residential use. It's incredibly difficult to install or remove. We only have one technician certified to handle this model, but he's currently at a bank servicing their vault. Can I book you for tomorrow morning?"

"Also, this model has a lockout fail-safe feature. If you try to force it open, the internal mechanism will self-destruct and lock permanently. Please do not try to break it yourself, or even our best tech won't be able to open it."

"Even for our specialist, it will take at least three hours to pick."

I gasped.

Though shocked, I became even more convinced that whatever was locked inside that study was terrifying.

"Okay, book me for tomorrow morning," I agreed and hung up.

I turned on the TV to keep me company while I did the chores.

"Good morning, everyone. Today is May 14th. Welcome to your morning news. First, we have two international updates..."

At noon, Ethan called me.

"Lily, what are you doing?"

"Did you eat lunch? No sneaking snacks instead of real food, okay?"

My hand, which was currently reaching into a bag of potato chips, froze. I let out a guilty laugh.

I quickly changed the subject.

"No, I ate a proper lunch. I'm just relaxing on the couch watching TV."

"What about you? Have you eaten? Why are you calling me at this hour?"

Ethan let out a tired sigh. His voice sounded exhausted.

"My meeting just ended. I'm grabbing a quick sandwich."

"Lily, I don't think I can make the grocery run tonight. I have an online conference at eight, and I need to be in the study. And... I might have to go into the office tomorrow to work overtime too."

Hearing the fatigue in his voice, my heart ached for him.

But at the same time, a wave of relief washed over me. If Ethan had to work tomorrow, I wouldn't have to find an excuse to get him out of the house when the locksmith arrived.

"It's fine, we can go next time. The grocery store isn't going anywhere."

"Go eat your lunch. I'll wait for you at home."

He gave a tender reply and hung up.

I watched the thriller show on TV, but it felt boring.

I could easily guess all the plot twists. It made me drowsy, so I decided to head to the bedroom for a quick afternoon nap.

In my sleep, I felt extremely uncomfortable. I had a persistent feeling that someone was staring at me.

Sticky, damp, and intense.

I slept terribly.

When I finally woke up, my heart was racing. I got up and pulled some ingredients from the freezer to defrost.

I muttered to myself:

"Tonight, I'll make... pasta, steak, and some broccoli."

"Actually, let's skip the broccoli. We had that yesterday."

I typed out the menu on Snapchat and sent it to Ethan, asking if he wanted anything else.

Ethan replied instantly:

*No, that sounds perfect. I'm leaving the office now. Thanks, babe.*

*I haven't had your steak and pasta in forever.*

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