The mansion finally fell silent after midnight.
For the first time since the charity event began, peace slowly settled across the enormous estate.
The last luxury car had disappeared through the gates nearly thirty minutes ago, and exhausted workers now dragged themselves through the hallways with barely enough energy to speak.
Some cleaned broken glasses from the ballroom floor.
Others carried ruined flower arrangements toward the back exit.
And somewhere upstairs, Vanessa was still loudly complaining about her damaged gown.
"I said imported silk cannot be replaced!" her irritated voice echoed through the second floor hallway.
No one answered her anymore.
Even the servants had grown too tired to pretend interest.
Elena quietly finished stacking silver trays inside the kitchen before finally slipping away toward the servants' quarters.
Her entire body ached.
But exhaustion was not what kept her awake tonight.
It was the archive room.
The photograph.
And the strange reaction Adrian had shown after seeing it.
The memory replayed endlessly inside her head as she entered her small room and closed the door softly behind her.
Rain continued falling outside.
Soft.
Steady.
Cold droplets slid down the dark window beside her bed while distant thunder rolled across the sky.
Elena slowly sat down on the mattress and reached beneath her pillow.
The hidden letter remained there safely.
Carefully, she unfolded it once again beneath the dim bedside lamp.
Do not trust Vivian.
Protect Elena.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the paper.
The message felt heavier every time she read it.
Earlier tonight, Vanessa had casually mentioned Lina while standing inside the archive room.
And Adrian's face had changed immediately afterward.
That alone proved one thing.
Her mother was not forgotten inside this mansion.
No matter how much they pretended otherwise.
Elena leaned back slightly against the wall, her thoughts restless.
Who exactly had her mother been to the Cole family?
Why had Vivian warned people about her?
And why did the mansion itself feel filled with secrets nobody dared mention aloud?
A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts sharply.
Elena froze.
At this hour?
Another knock followed.
Three slow taps against the door.
Elena carefully folded the letter and hid it beneath the pillow again before standing.
"Who is it?"
A familiar deep voice answered from outside.
"Coffee."
Adrian.
Elena blinked in surprise.
For several seconds, she simply stood there staring at the door.
Then she slowly opened it.
Adrian stood outside wearing a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly upward.
His tie was gone now.
His dark hair looked slightly messy, as though he had run his fingers through it too many times tonight.
And despite the calm expression on his face, exhaustion lingered clearly beneath his eyes.
"You want coffee?" Elena asked carefully.
"Yes."
His answer remained short as always.
Elena stepped aside politely.
"I can make some downstairs."
Adrian gave a small nod.
Neither moved immediately.
The hallway remained dim and quiet around them.
Most lights inside the servants' wing had already been turned off.
Only faint golden lamps along the walls illuminated the corridor.
Elena noticed Adrian glance briefly toward the inside of her room before looking away again.
Almost absentmindedly.
Then he spoke.
"You're still awake."
Elena closed the door behind her gently.
"So are you."
Something unreadable flickered briefly across his expression.
Not amusement exactly.
But close.
They walked quietly toward the staircase together afterward.
The mansion felt strangely different this late at night.
Colder.
Still.
Almost haunted.
Their footsteps echoed softly against the polished floors while rain continued tapping outside the windows.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Elena preferred it that way.
Silence made it easier to think.
Easier to observe.
Beside her, Adrian looked distant again.
Lost inside thoughts he clearly had no intention of sharing.
By the time they reached the kitchen, nearly all the staff had already disappeared.
Only one small light remained on near the counter.
Elena moved toward the coffee machine automatically.
"You should probably sleep soon," she said while reaching for a cup.
"I could say the same to you."
Elena ignored the comment.
She focused quietly on preparing the coffee instead.
The soft sound of boiling water filled the silence between them.
Adrian stood nearby with one hand resting inside his pocket.
Watching nothing in particular.
Or perhaps watching everything.
Elena could still remember the expression on his face inside the archive room earlier.
That moment of shock after seeing the photograph.
The memory unsettled her deeply.
Without realizing it, she glanced toward him briefly.
Their eyes met instantly.
Elena looked away first.
"You handled tonight well," Adrian said suddenly.
She paused slightly.
"The charity event?"
"Yes."
Elena continued pouring coffee calmly.
"I mostly carried trays."
"You also stopped Vanessa from firing two workers."
Elena blinked softly.
So he noticed that too.
"She was angry," Elena replied carefully.
"She's always angry."
The answer escaped Adrian so dryly that Elena nearly smiled.
Nearly.
Instead, she placed the cup onto the counter beside him.
Steam rose softly into the air between them.
Adrian picked it up slowly.
"Thank you."
Elena gave a small nod.
Then silence returned once again.
But this time, it felt heavier.
Adrian stared down into the coffee for several seconds before finally speaking again.
"Stay away from the west wing."
Elena's heartbeat slowed instantly.
Her expression remained calm.
"Why?"
Adrian lifted his eyes toward her.
"That part of the mansion holds old things better left untouched."
His voice sounded casual.
But the warning beneath it felt unmistakable.
Elena pretended confusion.
"You mean the storage rooms?"
"And the archive room."
The words settled heavily between them.
Elena forced herself not to react.
"I only went there because Madam Martha mentioned old decorations were stored nearby."
Adrian studied her quietly for a moment.
Like he was deciding whether to believe her.
Then he took another slow sip of coffee.
"The mansion has many stories buried inside it," he said calmly. "Some are dangerous."
Elena frowned slightly.
"Dangerous to who?"
Adrian's gaze lingered on her face briefly before shifting toward the rain-covered windows.
"To anyone curious enough to dig into them."
The answer sent a strange chill through her chest.
Not because of fear.
But because it sounded personal.
Very personal.
Thunder rumbled faintly outside again.
The kitchen lights flickered once.
Adrian finally placed the empty coffee cup onto the counter.
Then he turned toward the doorway.
For a moment, Elena thought the conversation had ended.
But before leaving, Adrian paused slightly.
Without looking back, he said quietly,
"Mind your steps around old wounds, Elena."
Then he walked away.
His footsteps disappeared slowly down the dark hallway afterward.
Leaving Elena standing alone inside the silent kitchen.
Rain continued falling outside the windows.
Her thoughts spiraled endlessly now.
Old wounds.
Old stories.
Old secrets.
Everything inside this mansion seemed connected somehow.
And Adrian clearly knew far more than he admitted.
Elena slowly looked toward the dark corridor where he had disappeared.
Her fingers curled tightly beside her.
Something hidden deep inside the Cole mansion had destroyed her mother years ago.
And whether Adrian wanted it uncovered or not—
Elena intended to find it.