CHAPTER 3

The hushed silence of the greenhouse enveloped everything like a gentle lullaby. Under the diffuse moonlight and the discreet lapping of rain against the windows, Mélodie moved among the lush plants. Her light dress caressed the leaves as she passed, and her bare feet brushed the stone floor. She seemed to float in this secret universe, hidden from view, sheltered from the world. Matthieu, standing at the entrance, contemplated her. He didn't understand why he had followed her, but something about her drew him, irresistibly. It wasn't just her grace, but also the melancholy he read in her eyes. Like a silent cry for help. And suddenly, the light returned, flooding the greenhouse with a soft brightness. Mélodie looked up, surprised, and met his gaze. She hadn't expected to see him there.

"You... followed me?" she asked hesitantly.

"I think so," he murmured, stepping forward.

"Or maybe you led me here."

She looked away, embarrassed, and began to twirl a flower stem between her fingers.

"This place is my refuge," she said. "Here, I don't need to smile to look good."

"And yet, you smile more sincerely here than you have all evening," he replied, smiling himself.

She gave a quiet laugh, almost surprised. He approached slowly, reached out, and grasped her wrist with infinite delicacy.

"You're different. And it shows."

Mélodie's heart sank. She wanted to reply, but words failed her. So she spun slowly around, letting the folds of her dress fly, and went back to dancing among the flowers, as if to forget the moment. Matthieu, fascinated, couldn't take his eyes off her.

"You dance as if you want to disappear," he said softly.

"No... as if I wanted to be seen at last."

On the other side, in the shadow of a bay window, Isabelle Darnay watched the scene. A troubled glint in her eyes, she seemed both tender and concerned. She knew how to recognize a budding bond, even in silence. Meanwhile, Aline, irritated by her sister's prolonged absence, searched everywhere.

"Where has she gone again?" she asked curtly.

"She must be in the living room," Isabelle replied, without taking her eyes off the greenhouse. But already, outside, the rain was starting up again. Mélodie, taken by surprise, burst out laughing. Matthieu held out his hand.

"Come on, we're going to get wet!

" They ran together through the aisles, laughing like two children, splashed by the water and the moment. They had barely entered the manor's hall when a sharp slap tore through the air. Clara Valt, her face hard, had just slapped her daughter.

"Have you lost your mind? Do you want to steal the spotlight from your sister?!" she cried.

Matthieu took a step forward, shocked, but Clara didn't stop. "Do you think a smile will be enough to erase your condition? You must remain inconspicuous, as always!" Mélodie remained frozen, trembling. And that's when Aline appeared, her eyes shining with anger.

"Do you really think you can attract everyone's attention? You're just a shadow, Mélodie. A mistake. A stain on our name!"

Matthieu intervened, furious. "Stop!" That's enough now! Everyone turned to him. His voice had cracked like a clap of thunder.

"Do you realize what you're saying? She doesn't deserve this. She deserves to be respected, at least once in her life."

Clara took a step back, surprised. Aline, on the other hand, clenched her fists, defeated. Mélodie, with tears in her eyes, looked at Matthieu with silent gratitude. In the tumult of hearts, a silence fell. He had just broken something. Perhaps a habit. Perhaps an unspoken law. But above all, he had just offered Mélodie something precious: his voice.

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