---
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a gruff voice, tightening his grip on her hands. Sophie shivered lightly out of fear, her face scrunching in pain. She knew his hold would leave a mark on her skin.
"I heard strange noises, so I came in," she replied softly, her voice calm but low. The wind from the open window blew her dark hair across her face. Her lacy nightwear, which barely reached the middle of her thighs, did little to cover her ample curves. She shifted uncomfortably, feeling the cold air on her exposed skin. Realizing how little she was wearing, she pulled her gown down to cover more of her legs.
He noticed her discomfort, his eyes lingering for a brief moment on her outfit before quickly looking away.
"Get out," he barked, his voice louder than before, though strangely familiar to her.
"You're running a temperature," she observed, noticing sweat dripping from his forehead down his neck.
"I'm fine. Leave," he repeated, but his words lacked the conviction of before. He pressed a hand to his head, clearly in pain.
"You're obviously not fine," Sophie replied, taking in his pale complexion under the dim light from the bedside lamp, the only source of illumination in the room.
"I said I'm fine. Get Sandra," he groaned, his voice weaker. He clutched his head, the pain clearly intensifying.
Sophie sighed and stood, but as she moved, she noticed he still held onto her clothes, his head resting against the pillow, his face scrunched up in agony. She hesitated for a moment before reaching for the bell next to the bed. She pressed it, summoning the house attendants.
Within moments, Treyond, the butler, rushed into the room. "Young master, you called?" he said, bowing his head as he entered. When he raised his eyes, he was startled to hear a female voice respond instead of his master's. His confusion deepened—his master had never brought any woman home before. This was not going to end well if the young madam found out.
"Treyond, please fetch Madam Sandra. He's running a fever and asked for her," Sophie explained.
Treyond's eyes widened when he realized it was Sophie speaking. His confusion deepened, but he quickly bowed his head again, still unable to see much in the dim light, only the silhouette of his master on the bed and the woman sitting beside him.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, quickly leaving the room.
A short while later, Madam Sandra arrived, her expression calm but concerned. Sophie and Treyond stood by the bed, watching as Sandra worked. She prepared a "special herbal drink," as she called it, and gave it to the man to drink. Afterward, his temperature gradually began to drop, and he soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.
"It's nothing too serious. He should be fine now," Sandra said softly, breaking the silence in the room.
Sophie's eyes stayed on the man, watching him breathe steadily as he slept. "I thought he had stopped having nightmares," Sandra murmured, almost to herself.
"He has nightmares often?" Sophie asked, still looking at the man.
"Oh yes. It was much worse when he was a child, especially after his mother passed away. He couldn't sleep for nights, and it started affecting his mental health. We had to send him to a facility for children with trauma," Sandra explained, her voice distant as if recalling an old memory.
"Oh, that poor boy… he's been through so much," Sandra added, brushing a hand through his thick, black hair, now damp with sweat.
Sophie continued to stare, her confusion growing.
"His mother passed away?" she asked, trying to piece things together. Though she felt some empathy for the pain he must have endured, she still didn't know who this man was.
"Yes, it's not a secret. The daughter-in-law of the Collens passed away when her son was only thirteen," Sandra replied, her voice low.
Sophie's eyes widened in shock. "The Collens?" she asked, disbelief flooding her thoughts. Her confusion only deepened.
"What is going on?" she screamed inwardly. None of this made sense. Who was this man? Why had she never heard of him?
Sandra, noticing Sophie's distress, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, dear? You've been asking some strange questions lately. You should get some rest. The events of tonight must have taken a toll on you."
Without waiting for a response, Sandra turned and left the room, leaving Sophie alone with her thoughts.
Sophie stood frozen in place, staring at the man sleeping soundly on the bed. His face remained hidden, cloaked in shadows, just like before. She had been so close to him but still had no idea who he was. The shadows seemed to protect his identity, preventing her from getting even a glimpse of his features.
She had never met this man beforehand nor seen him in the mansion and she was so sure if that . But why was he here? Why had he asked for Sandra, and why had Sandra acted as though this was a normal occurrence? None of it made sense.
The Collens. The name echoed in her mind. It was a name everyone knew, but she had never associated it with this man.
Her confusion grew, the unanswered questions swirling in her mind, refusing to settle. As she left the room and headed back to her own, her thoughts raced uncontrollably. Who was this man? Why had he come here? And what connection did he have to the Collens?
And most importantly what was he doing in Mr Shane's room?
The more Sophie thought about it, the more unsettled she became. She had a nagging feeling that there was more to the story than anyone was letting on,what was the connection, had she missed something ?
As she finally lay down in her bed, pulling the blankets up around her, the man's shadowed figure haunted her thoughts. She hadn't seen his face—she didn't even know his name. But something about him lingered in her mind, a mystery she couldn't shake.
Who was he? And why did she feel like his presence would change everything?
As sleep slowly overtook her, Sophie's mind remained restless, turning over the night's events again and again. No answers came—only more questions. And the man, still faceless in her memory, became an enigma she couldn't ignore.