The hall was suffocating. Laughter, clinking glasses, murmured conversation—everything blurred into meaningless noise.
Liliana's patience was thinning with each passing second.
She needed air.
Slipping away unnoticed, she pushed open the heavy door leading to the balcony. The cool night air brushed against her skin, starkly contrasting the heat inside. For a moment, she simply breathed, letting the tension ease from her shoulders.
Liliana reaches into her clutch, her fingers brushing against the cold metal of a cigarette case. She tapped one out, lifting it to her lips, but just as she was about to light it—
Unhurried, she turned.
"Follow me?"
The question slipped from her lips the moment she noticed him.
A man stood a few steps away, tall and well-dressed, his posture relaxed with a cigarette between his fingers, watching her.
She didn't recognize him.
Calm, unhurried, as if he belonged in every room he stepped into. The glow of his cigarette cast flickering shadows across sharp features, his gaze unreadable yet intent.
He didn't respond. He didn't deny it.
Instead, he took a slow drag, then reached into his pocket, holding out a lighter.
A small flick. Then a steady flame.
He was offering her a light.
She tilted her head, her lips curving slightly. "Are you offering?"
Instead of taking it, she stepped closer, fingers trailing up his shoulder, barely a touch, just enough to linger.
A slow, teasing smile curling her lips as she leaned in and took the lit cigarette from his fingers, inhaling from it instead.
She exhaled softly, smoke curled between them, the faintest brush of her skin against his.
"How boring," She murmured, voice edged with amusement.
The touch of tobacco mixed with something unfamiliar lingered on her tongue.
The man's lips quirked slightly. "Is that so?"
His gaze lingered on her, dark and unreadable. A deep swallow rolled down his throat.
Inside, the clock chimed the hour.
Liliana lowered her lashes, her fingers grazing his as she returned the cigarette. She leaned in slightly as if whispering a secret.
"The night's almost over," she murmured. "Curfew's on."
Then, just as quickly, she pulled away, turning with an elegant step as if she hadn't just toyed with a flame before she turned and disappeared into the hall.
Nolan leaned his back against the railing, his elbow resting on the cool metal as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke. The ember at the tip of his cigarette flickered briefly before he tapped the ashes off, dismissing it entirely.
His gaze lingered on the spot where she had stood moments ago, her lingering warmth still imprinted in his mind.
Intriguing.
A voice broke through his thoughts. A familiar man approached, his tone laced with curiosity. "Blowing off some steam in the cold air?"
Nolan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he straightened, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve before stepping away from the balcony.
"Something like that," He said lazily before walking past the man and disappearing into the crowd.
The moment Liliana reentered the hall, a sharp voice cut through the chatter.
"Where did you go off to?"
She barely had time to turn before Evelyn Hill stepped in front of her. The third lady of the Hill family, born to her second uncle, carried herself with an air of superiority that never wavered.
Liliana lowered her gaze slightly, smoothing her expression into a docile obedience.
"I saw a cat outside," she said lightly, then gave a soft, apologetic smile. "I couldn't help but pet it."
Evelyn frowned. "A cat?"
"Mhm," she nodded. "A black one."
Evelyn scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "You always have time for nonsense." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel. "We're leaving."
Liliana followed without protest.
The Hill estate was as imposing as ever when they arrived home.
Grand, pristine, and utterly lifeless.
As soon as they stepped out of the car, the butler was already waiting. "The Old Madam is expecting you in the study," he said with a polite bow.
Evelyn hummed in acknowledgment, barely sparing him a glance. "Of course, Come along, Liliana."
Liliana kept her steps measured as they walked through the quiet halls, her cousin's heels clicking against the polished marble.
"Honestly," Evelyn sighed, brushing a stray hair from her shoulder. "You'd think after all these years, they'd stop making us do this."
Liliana merely smiled. "Perhaps it's tradition."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Excuses."
They entered the study, where a few of their other cousins were already seated, brushes poised over inkstones.
"Late again?" One of them, a younger girl, whispered with a smirk.
Evelyn shot her a look. "Liliana was playing with a cat."
There was a soft snicker from another corner of the room.
Liliana paid it no mind, silently taking her seat. A maid placed fresh ink before her, and she dipped her brush into the liquid. The scent was sharp and familiar.
Stroke by stroke, she traced the delicate characters onto the paper, words drilled into her since childhood.
A woman must be virtuous. Graceful in action, meek in words. Loyal in heart.
Her movements were precise and effortless. She had done this too many times.
A presence loomed behind her, She knew without looking.
"Perfectly written." her grandmother observed, her voice even. "As expected."
Liliana placed her brush down and rose, presenting the sheet with both hands. "Thank you, Grandmother."
A single nod. No more, no less.
She turned to leave, pausing only briefly as Evelyn shot her a look—half amused and half irritated.
Liliana lightly smiled before stepping away.
The halls stretched endlessly before her, the quiet pressing in from all sides.
A few cousins remained in the study, their hushed voices blending into the faint murmurs of servants finishing their nightly tasks.
She entered her room in silence.
Unfastened her brooch. Let the layers of her dress slip off her shoulders.
Her reflection in the mirror stared back—calm, composed, and unreadable.
It was a routine.
Day after day.
Night after night.
Liliana's gaze lowered to her hands, faint ink staining her fingertips. She rubbed at it absently before extinguishing the lamp beside her bed.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Tomorrow would be the same.
It always was.