Echoes Behind the Smile

The estate was glowing with light that evening. Lanterns were hung across the courtyard, flowers lined the long table, and the sound of laughter drifted into the night air.

It wasn’t just dinner tonight — it was a celebration.

Larson had managed to close a massive deal for his medical research center, Heluria had just announced a new project with Jackson, and Vincent and Julia were teasing everyone about their upcoming trip abroad. Even Julian and Liya were relaxed, sipping wine as Archer cracked rare jokes that made Alina laugh until her eyes shone.

The house felt alive.

And she was there, seated quietly at the edge of the long table, smiling faintly as she watched them. To anyone else, she looked serene — the younger sister soaking in the joy of her reunited family.

But inside her mind, plans were already moving like chess pieces.

Somewhere across the city, her team was finishing what she had started last night — dismantling the rival clan’s network, erasing any threat before it could touch her family again.

“Your smile looks different tonight,” Riyan’s voice cut through her thoughts.

She blinked, startled, and turned to find him standing beside her chair, holding two glasses of wine.

“Different?” she asked lightly, raising a brow.

He crouched slightly so that only she could hear. “It’s softer. Almost… relieved. Like you’ve already won a battle no one else knows about.”

For a heartbeat, she froze — just long enough for him to catch the flicker in her eyes — before she smirked faintly. “Or maybe I’m just happy to be home.”

Riyan didn’t reply. But his gaze lingered on her for a little too long before he finally handed her the glass.

The night carried on with games, jokes, and teasing. Vincent dragged her into the courtyard to play their old strategy game, Larson grilled Archer about wedding plans, and Heluria tried to get her to sing like she used to.

But every so often, Riyan would catch her slipping away — just for a minute. To the balcony. To the empty hall. To the window where the moonlight touched her face as if she was waiting for something.

And when she thought no one was watching, the softness of her smile would vanish, replaced by something sharper, colder.

Later that night, when everyone had gone to bed, Riyan stayed behind in the courtyard.

The wind was quiet, carrying the faint scent of rain.

He glanced up at the estate’s roof — and for just a second, he saw a shadow move.

A single figure, hooded, leapt silently from one side to the other before disappearing entirely.

His chest tightened.

He didn’t know why, but deep down, he was sure — that shadow wasn’t a stranger.

It was her.

And for some reason, instead of fear, the thought made something darkly protective stir inside him.

He smiled faintly to himself.

“Whatever you’re hiding,” he murmured under his breath, “I’ll find it. And when I do, I’m not letting you go.”

Above, in her room, she stood by the window, looking down at him.