Masked Vows

Scene: Caspian Mansion | Morning | Dining Hall

Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting soft golden rays over the sleek,

modern breakfast table. It looked like something from a lifestyle magazine—perfect,

polished, and cold.

Just like him.

Nevaeh sat at one end of the long table, nervously stirring her untouched tea. She wore a

soft cream robe and minimal jewelry, a far cry from the heavy bridal look of last night. She

looked young, delicate—out of place in this mansion made of stone, glass, and silence.

The air shifted.

He entered.

Artemis Caspian. The man with a name more feared than respected in the corporate world.

Billionaire CEO. Ruthless in boardrooms. Untouchable in life.

And now… her husband.

Still in his black suit, he looked sharp. Controlled. But she noticed the faint scar on his

jawline. Barely visible. Just like his emotions.

Nevaeh: “Good morning…”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he sat across from her, his eyes scanning her face once—brief,

intense, unreadable.

Nevaeh bit her lip. “I… I wanted to thank you. For last night. You could’ve just walked away

after the wedding ceremony, but—”

Artemis (flatly): “There’s no need for thanks.”

Nevaeh: “Still, I—”

Artemis: “This marriage has rules. Stick to them.”

She blinked.

Artemis: “Rule one: Do not enter my study or private quarters. Ever.

Rule two: We will maintain separate rooms.

Rule three: No questions about my past.

And rule four…”

His voice dropped slightly—low and almost possessive.

“…Don’t get too close.”

Nevaeh looked away, her heart aching. “What if I break the rules?”

He smirked—cold, dark, dangerous. “Then I’ll remind you why they exist.”

Her tea turned bitter in her mouth.

Scene: Later | Mansion Library

Nevaeh wandered the endless halls, trying to understand the man she was married to. Every

corner of the mansion held secrets. But the library—lined with dusty books and faded

memories—felt like a space that had once been lived in… before the ice took over.

A small photo frame caught her eye on the top shelf.

She pulled it down.

It was cracked. The photo old.

Two boys. One older. One younger. Both bruised, yet smiling. Holding hands.

There was handwriting on the back:

Artemis & A— (the rest was smudged).

She frowned.

Nevaeh: He had a brother?

Scene: Artemis’s Office | Nightfall

“You’re already breaking rules,” Artemis said as she stepped inside.

Nevaeh: “You didn’t lock the door.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Nevaeh: “I found a photo. You… had a brother, didn’t you?”

His face turned to stone.

Artemis: “That’s none of your concern.”

Nevaeh: “You’re my husband. Your life is my concern.”

Artemis stood abruptly, slamming his glass onto the desk. “Don’t try to get close to me,

Nevaeh! I’m not the boy you remember. That boy died the night everything burned!”

Her eyes welled up, but she didn’t flinch.

Nevaeh: “Then let me meet the man who rose from the ashes.”

He froze.

Nevaeh’s voice was soft now, barely a whisper.

“I don’t care how broken you are, Artemis. I just want the truth.”

For the first time, his cold demeanor cracked.

Just slightly.

He stepped toward her, his voice low and dangerous. “If I give you the truth… it will destroy

you.”

Nevaeh looked up at him, undeterred. “Then let it. But at least don’t lie to me behind that

mask.”

His hand reached out—hovered near her face—then pulled back, clenched into a fist.

Artemis: “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

Nevaeh: “Then show me.”

Their eyes locked—pain, desire, unspoken promises and broken ones.

The air between them burned with tension.

But he turned away again, walking into the shadows.

Artemis: “Go to your room, Nevaeh. Before I forget to be gentle.”

Scene: Nevaeh’s Room | Midnight

She couldn’t sleep.

The photo lay on her pillow. The same eyes. The same smile. Artemis had once known love.

Family. Joy.

What happened to turn that boy into a masked man?

She placed the photo beside her, pulled the sheets over herself, and whispered:

Nevaeh: “I’ll bring you back… Artemis. Even if you push me away every time.”

Outside her door, unnoticed, he stood in the dark hallway.

Listening.

Protecting.

But not ready to love.

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