The strange thing about sleeping in a room larger than your entire apartment was that your body refused to trust it.
I woke up three times during the night.
The first because the bed was too soft.
The second because the silence felt unnatural.
The third was because, for one blissfully confused moment, I forgot where I was.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Cream colored curtains shifted softly beside towering windows while pale morning sunlight stretched across polished floors.
Then reality returned.
Valmere estate.
Contract.
Elara.
Adrian.
Right.
Fantastic.
I stared upward for a long moment before dragging myself out of bed.
The room still felt absurdly large.
Back at Tessa’s apartment, if one person opened a cabinet too hard, the entire place heard about it.
Here?
I was reasonably sure people could vanish for days.
I walked toward the wardrobe absentmindedly.
Then stopped.
My hand froze on the handle.
No.
Absolutely not.
Slowly, I opened it.
And stared.
Clothes.
Rows of them.
Neatly arranged.
Blouses.
Dresses.
Trousers.
Shoes.
Accessories.
Everything was organised carefully by colour, like someone had hired professionalism itself.
For several seconds, I simply stared.
Then I picked up a blouse.
Cream.
Soft fabric.
Elegant.
I looked at the size.
And immediately my stomach dropped.
Because it fit.
Not approximately.
Not close enough.
Exactly.
I checked another.
Same thing.
Then shoes.
Same.
No.
No, no, no.
A cold sensation crawled slowly up my spine.
Normal people did not have experiences like this.
I stood there holding a shoe while my brain attempted several different forms of panic.
Then there was a knock.
“Miss Bennett.”
Adrian.
Of course.
I opened the door slowly.
He looked the same as always.
Perfect suit.
Composed expression.
Human emotional range approximately equivalent to expensive marble.
“Good morning.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You knew my shoe size.”
Silence.
Adrian blinked once.
Then,
“Breakfast is downstairs.”
I stared.
“You knew.”
“Breakfast, Miss Bennett.”
And then he walked away.
Coward.
Absolute coward.
Breakfast somehow made things worse.
Because the dining room looked like something old money families used to discuss inheritances and ruin lives quietly.
Long table.
Massive windows.
Fresh flowers.
Enough food to feed small villages.
I sat across from Adrian while trying not to look intimidated by orange juice.
An impressive personal achievement.
For several minutes, only silence existed.
“You’ll attend school today.”
Random.
I looked up immediately.
“What?”
Adrian continued reading something on a tablet.
“Your academic history aligns closely enough with Elara’s.”
“…still disturbing.”
No response.
I stared.
“Wait.”
I put down my fork.
“People know me.”
“Not extensively.”
“Tessa knows me.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
I frowned.
“You keep saying things that sound reassuring before immediately making them concerning.”
He looked up calmly.
“Continue your routine.”
Routine.
Interesting words.
Because absolutely nothing felt routine anymore.
***
The black car rolled through the gates nearly an hour later.
I sat stiffly in the backseat, looking out the window while anxiety twisted steadily inside my stomach.
The clothes fit perfectly.
That annoyed me.
Dark fitted trousers.
Simple cream blouse.
Black shoes.
Nothing flashy.
Yet somehow I felt painfully aware of every detail.
Because for once…
I wasn’t worrying if my shoes looked worn.
Or if someone noticed fraying fabric.
Or if I looked like a scholarship student who barely managed.
The realisation felt strangely uncomfortable.
Like wearing someone else’s confidence.
Twenty minutes later, the car slowed.
Then stopped.
St.
Aureline University stood ahead exactly as always.
Students moved between buildings.
People laughed.
Someone ran toward class carrying books.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
Until I stepped out of the car.
Silence didn’t happen completely.
Just little pieces of it.
Nearby conversations paused.
Heads turned.
Whispers.
I felt them immediately.
Not because people stared at expensive cars.
Because people stared at me stepping out of one.
Loan student Liora Bennett.
Cafe-worker Liora Bennett.
That girl?
No.
No chance.
I suddenly missed invisibility.
Several students glanced toward me openly.
One girl near the entrance blinked twice.
A guy nearly walked into a bench while staring.
Excellent.
Wonderful.
Exactly what every emotionally exhausted person wanted before class.
I started walking faster.
Wrong decision.
Because whispers followed.
Not loudly.
Softly.
Like wind carrying things not intended for your ears.
“…is that—”
“…thought she—”
“…whose car…”
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
I had almost reached the administration building when someone called behind me.
“Miss Bennett!”
I stopped.
Turned.
A woman from financial management approached me, smiling politely.
And immediately, anxiety sat upright inside my chest.
No.
No no.
Please no.
“Good morning,” she said warmly.
I smiled automatically.
Nervously.
“Good morning.”
She adjusted the folders in her arms.
“I just wanted to say congratulations.”
Silence.
My soul exited briefly.
“…sorry?”
“On settling your outstanding tuition balance.”
Pause.
Huge pause.
My smile stayed exactly where it was.
Frozen.
Beautiful.
Artificial.
“I know how difficult situations like that can become.”
My heartbeat slowed.
Then accelerated.
Then I forgot what rhythm meant.
“Oh.”
Chuckle.
Small chuckle.
Normal chuckle.
Definitely not a panic chuckle.
“Yes.”
More smiling.
Less breathing.
The woman smiled kindly.
“Well done.”
Then she walked away.
Just…
walked away.
Leaving me standing there beneath morning sunlight while reality cracked open quietly around me.
Handled.
Of course.
Of course, Adrian handled it.
I stared at nothing for several seconds.
Then my phone rang.
Mum.
Immediately, I answered.
“Mum?”
“Liora!”
Her voice sounded lighter.
Lighter.
I froze.
Because I hadn’t heard that in a while.
Not properly.
“Clara’s home.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?” I responded as calmly as I could.
“They discharged her this morning.”
Silence.
Then,
“And the hospital bills…” she continued slowly, “…someone paid the rest.”
My chest tightened.
No.
No surprise there.
I should stop being surprised.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
And Mum kept talking.
Words kept coming.
Rent mysteriously paid.
Noah’s tuition settled.
And then,
“Your father got work.”
I blinked.
“A driving position.”
Silence.
“Good pay too.”
No.
No,, no, no.
Not possible.
Not all of it.
Not this fast.
“…how?”
“I don’t know.”
Mum laughed softly.
Actually laughed.
“Maybe God finally remembered us.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because I knew.
And somehow I didn’t know.
Because Adrian moved like someone rearranging invisible strings while never showing his hands.
By the time the call ended, my chest felt heavy.
Not relieved.
Not happy.
Just…
heavy.
Because my family sounded happier.
Safer.
And I didn’t know what price had already begun collecting.
“Liora.”
I looked up.
Tessa stood several feet away, holding coffee.
And staring.
Not casually.
Not normally.
Staring.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then,
“…you vanished.”
Straight to the point.
Very Tessa.
I stood slowly.
“Tess—”
“No.”
She crossed her arms.
“No.”
Danger.
Immediate danger.
“You disappeared.”
Pause.
“You won’t explain anything.”
Pause.
“Then, suddenly, mysterious cars start dropping you off?”
I sighed quietly.
“Tessa…”
She looked at me.
Really looked.
Then frowned slightly.
And somehow that hurt more.
Because she noticed.
Not the clothes.
Not the car.
Me.
Something else.
Something different.
We ended up inside the campus café several minutes later.
The place smelled like coffee beans and baked pastries while students crowded tables discussing assignments and pretending deadlines weren’t hunting everyone equally.
Tessa sat across from me quietly.
Too quietly.
Which felt dangerous.
Then finally,
“You’re here.”
Pause.
“…but you’re not here.”
Silence.
And just like that… my chest hurt.
Because I understood exactly what she meant.
I looked down.
“I’m sorry.”
Tessa studied me for several seconds.
Softer,
“Just tell me you’re okay.”
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
And hated myself.
Because I couldn’t.
Not really.
Not anymore.
Later, after leaving the café, we had classes, so we went our separate ways after a heartfelt hug.
After my classes, I walked toward the campus entrance slowly.
Then stopped.
Another black car waited outside.
But Adrian wasn’t there.
Instead, a woman stepped out.
Elegant.
Sharp features.
Dark fitted clothing.
Cold eyes.
Not cruel.
Professional.
Very professional.
She looked at me once.
Twice.
Like I had become paperwork.
Then,
“Miss Bennett?”
I swallowed slowly, walking up to her.
“Yes.”
The woman smiled faintly.
And somehow that felt more concerning.
“We’re here to help you begin your appearance assessment.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then one thought floated calmly through my mind,
What on earth was an appearance assessment?