The Secret of the Alpha

t. The servants, usually discreet, seemed to glide from one task to another with unusual nervousness, murmuring in low voices in the corridors. Élodie,

ention. The tone was low, but the words had that particular cadence of a conversation that one did not w

ans. If anyone finds o

an elegant brunette whose first name she only knew-Lila-was there, standing in front of Victor, her arms crossed. Her eyes shone wi

areful," she finally answered,

time his voice was too low for Elodie to make out the words. She felt her heart ra

enough to feel safe. When the footsteps came closer, she turned and hurried up the stairs, trying to appear nonchalant. When she reached the upper floor, she glanced over the rai

d: "If anyone finds out..." Find out what, exactly? Lila. It was obvious that this woman was not a simple empl

it was Lila who caught her eye. She served the dishes with mechanical elegance, but there was something more in her movements, a sort

" Victor remarked, b

k, looked up. "Jus

. Still, she felt his gaze follow her longer than it should have, as if he suspected so

noise that old houses make, nor the murmurs of servants finishing their chores. It was a muffled, almost hushed

seemed narrower than usual, as if the walls themselves were tightening their grip on her. Arriving in front of the librar

using thousands of volumes that seemed to watch her silently. A faint glow came from the lamp a

been moved, leaving empty spaces on the shelves. She approached the desk, her fingers brushing the polished wooden surface. Nothin

nothing but the door, slightly ajar. Her breath was short, her hear

called, her voice ech

m her nervousness. Maybe she had just imagined all this. Or maybe

om what she couldn't name. The entire house seemed to conspire against her, every wal

ge was happening in this mansion. And if she wanted to