Chapter twelve

The first day in the mansion is casual. After dinner, we head to bed shortly. I choose to have my own room, and Riven kindly tells me I can use the bathroom next to it. He also mentions he'll be adding a kitchen to the second floor so that I can have my own private space.

He's giving me my freedom.

He doesn't insist that we have breakfast together, so I stay in bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for him to leave the house. When he finally does, I get out of bed and head to the kitchen to check the fridge.

As expected—meat. Everywhere.

I sigh, grabbing an apple and biting into it. As I chew, I check my phone. No messages from my family. The empty screen leaves me wondering—have they even noticed my absence? Or do they hate me for letting my brother take the stage instead of me?

I hope he's okay.

With curiosity nagging at me, I make my way down the stairs to check out Riven's room.