Rosalie:

I stared silently at the beautiful two-storey house in front of me while the car engine slowly quieted behind us.

For a long moment, my brain genuinely refused to process what I was looking at.

The house stood nestled beside the coziest little bookstore I had ever seen. Its walls were colored in warm brown, and large glass windows faced the quiet street while flower boxes overflowing with tiny white blossoms decorated the lower windowsills. The entire street itself looked almost unreal - lined with tall wisteria trees whose violet blossoms swayed gently in the cold wind, their petals occasionally drifting down like soft rain across the stone pavement below.

One particularly large wisteria tree stood right beside the house with its long flowering branches curved partly over the balcony on the second floor, making the entire place look like something out of a dream.

The place looked warm, safe, beautiful... just like a home.

The realization made my chest tighten painfully. I quickly looked around the peaceful street, assuming this must simply be the neighborhood we had arrived in and my actual house would be somewhere nearby.

But then I watched Aria walk directly toward the two-storey house. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket, unlocked the front door casually, then turned back toward me with a smile and motioned for me to follow her inside.

Wait.

It surely not-

"This one?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Aria blinked innocently. "Yes?"

I stared at her. Then at the house. Then back at her again. My heart started beating strangely. Because no matter how much I tried to prepare myself, I still hadn’t expected this.

I knew Eiden and Zaiden wouldn’t throw me somewhere terrible to live. But this? This felt far too beautiful and expensive. And far too perfect for someone like me.

I stepped inside slowly, almost afraid the place would disappear if I moved too quickly.

The entrance hallway immediately opened into the coziest living room imaginable. Warm neutral colors filled the space while soft lighting glowed gently from elegant wall lamps. A black L-shaped couch sat facing a fireplace built into the far wall, and beside it stood tall bookshelves already partially stocked with books. The living room connected openly to a modern kitchen with polished counters and dark wooden cabinets that somehow still managed to look warm instead of cold.

Everything smelled faintly new - fresh wood, clean linen, and flowers.

There was even a small bathroom on the ground floor, along with a neat little storage closet beneath the staircase. Meanwhile the stairs themselves led upward toward the first floor where two rooms awaited.

The main bedroom nearly stole my breath completely.

A large bed sat beside floor-length windows draped with soft curtains while warm golden lighting filled the room. The bedding looked incredibly soft - the exact same luxurious quality I had gotten used to at Eiden’s villa. There was an adjoining bathroom attached to the room, elegant and spacious enough to belong in some luxury hotel rather than a private home.

And then there was the balcony.

The moment I stepped onto it, cool wind immediately brushed against my face while the hanging branches of the nearby wisteria tree swayed softly near the railing. From there I could see the entire peaceful street below, the bookstore next door, and distant mountains partially hidden behind gathering storm clouds.

It was painfully beautiful.

The second room upstairs was slightly smaller but equally cozy, already furnished with a desk, shelves, and a single bed.

I walked through the house almost numbly afterward, struggling to process everything. Because every single detail had clearly been prepared thoughtfully.

The kitchen cabinets were stocked. The refrigerator was completely filled with groceries and water. Fresh towels and toiletries rested neatly in the bathroom. Every appliance looked brand new. Even the laundry room had supplies already arranged properly.

And in the center of the living room table sat a vase filled with blue tulips.

My favorite.

I stopped walking. And then slowly, I turned toward Aria with wide eyes. "Did you do all this?"

Honestly, I could believe it if she had. Aria was thoughtful enough. But to my surprise, she immediately shook her head.

"No," she replied honestly. "Master Thorn came personally yesterday after the renovation was completed."

My breath caught.

"He handled most of the furnishing himself," she continued casually, completely unaware of the effect her words were having on me. "He also stocked the kitchen and the bathroom, and checked all the appliances personally."

For several seconds, I genuinely didn’t know what to say. My chest felt strangely warm because somehow none of this surprised me either. This was exactly the kind of person Eiden was, quietly thoughtful and gentle in ways that felt almost dangerous. He’s the type to remember details no one else noticed. The type to personally prepare a home for someone even after already saving their life.

And the worst part? I already missed him.

The realization hit me so suddenly that I almost physically recoiled from it. It had barely been an hour since we left his villa, and yet the house already felt emptier without him there.

I quickly shook the thought away before it could settle deeper inside me. This was because of the mate bond. It had to be. Nothing more.

I turned toward the front door instead where the driver was now unloading the cartons and bags Eiden had sent with me earlier. Within minutes, nearly half the living room became crowded with neatly stacked boxes.

Daily necessities, he had said. But looking at the mountain currently occupying my living room, I seriously questioned his definition of daily necessities.

Once everything had been brought inside, the driver gave a respectful nod before excusing himself and leaving quietly.

Then Aria checked the time on her phone and let out a small gasp. "Oh no, I need to leave before the rain starts," she said quickly while grabbing her bag.

I blinked. "You are leaving already?"

She nodded apologetically. "I have my part-time job this afternoon."

Before I could say anything else, she hurried toward the front door, slipping her shoes back on quickly. But just before leaving, she turned back toward me with a warm smile. "Call me if you need anything, okay? I’ll come back later tonight so we can have dinner together."

Then she was already halfway outside.

I stared after her in confusion. Call her? How exactly was I supposed to do that? I didn’t even have her phone number. Or a phone.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when my attention shifted toward the only large duffle bag sitting among the cardboard cartons.

Curious, I walked over slowly and crouched beside it before pulling it open carefully. The first thing I saw inside was an envelope. My name was written across it in such an elegant handwriting that I immediately knew it’s from Eiden. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

And right beneath the letter... was a brand-new phone box.