Sofia's POV:
It felt like I was the only one lost in darkness—because clearly, everyone else knew the person who just walked in.
They weren't shocked by his presence—just surprised to see him today. But me? I was trying to piece together who he was… and also the old woman from earlier.
The guy walked straight to the dining table and stood beside Adam.
"I can see why you never missed me," he said playfully.
I blinked, completely confused and in need of someone to shed some light on all of this.
"Oh my! I'm really sorry. My name is Ryker," he finally said, offering his hand for a handshake.
Before I could reach for it, Adam slapped his hand down jokingly.
I smiled politely. "Nice meeting you too," I said—just so he wouldn't feel awkward.
We were still eating when they arrived, but Adam invited them to join us and asked the cooks to bring more food for the visitors.
Later, we moved to the sitting room. That was when Adam finally decided to explain who the old woman and the guy were.
He started with the old woman.
"That's my grandma. She raised me after I lost my parents," he said and paused.
He looked down, emotion flickering in his eyes. The sadness was clear. I wanted to comfort him, but I stayed quiet and gave him the space to continue.
Then, with a half-smile, he nodded at the guy.
"And that's my childhood friend—Ryker. A very good friend, even though he's annoyingly dramatic."
He laughed, and the others joined in. It didn't feel funny to me, but I played along, forcing a smile. I just wanted this awkward meeting to be over.
"Let's go for a walk, my dear," Grandma suddenly said, taking my hand and pulling me up before I could give a response.
The fresh air was surprisingly calm. It was my first real walk since I arrived here. I never imagined the palace grounds were this massive.
Grandma showed me around until we arrived at a large house. Oddly, the door was built very low to the ground.
"Do you know this place?" she asked, turning to face me.
I blinked in confusion. How would I know? My life had been restricted between the bedroom and dining table.
"Nope," I replied honestly.
She looked surprised. "So, you're just as boring as your husband, huh?" she teased with a smile. "This house is called the Memory Room."
I smiled back, following her as she led me inside.
The house looked like a regular family home, except everything inside was smaller in size.
"This house holds the memories of Adam's father—my only son," she said softly, picking up a small cup from a nearby table.
She set it back down and moved on. I followed.
We stopped by a tiny flower arrangement next to a framed family photo. I picked up the flower—it was small but delicate and beautiful.
"You can keep it if you want," she offered with a warm smile.
I nodded and picked up the family photo next. In the picture, two men stood beside a beautiful young woman holding a child, and another woman sat beside her.
Grandma gently took the frame from me and pointed at each person.
"That's your husband, Adam. That's his father. The man beside him is my husband. And the one sitting beside Adam's mother… is me."
She led me to a quiet corner of the house where a lone photo hung on the wall. A single rose had been placed beneath it—a silent symbol of death.
She rested a hand on my shoulder. "That's Nightshade—Adam's older brother. He died just two weeks after he was born."
Now I understood. That explained Adam's distant, guarded personality. He had grown up alone, without siblings, and likely carried that loneliness deep inside.
Grandma looked at me, her eyes locking with mine as she held my hand.
"Please… don't leave Adam, no matter what."
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. How could I promise something I wasn't even sure was possible? She wouldn't understand even if I explained everything.
"Yes," I lied softly.
"Promise?" she pressed.
I forced a nod. "Yes."
"Good. Tomorrow, I'll show you more places," she said, and we quietly left the Memory Room.
As soon as we stepped into the hallway, Adam approached us with his usual unreadable expression. His face always looked like stone, so I wasn't surprised.
"We need to talk," he said without emotion.
He walked away, expecting me to follow, but I didn't move. He turned around, clearly annoyed, and came back.
Without a word, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me along.
"Let go of my hand," I snapped, trying to pull free.
He ignored me. His personal guard and my maid followed close behind like watch dogs.
When we reached the door to my room, he finally stopped.
"What did you tell my grandmother?" he asked, eyes searching mine.
I looked around, and he quickly dismissed the others.
"Give us space," he said, and they stepped away to a reasonable distance.
"What did you say to her?" he asked again, this time with a hint of worry in his tone.
"Nothing," I replied. "She just showed me around. Can I go in now?"
He held me back gently.
"I was just curious if you told her anything... I didn't mean to question you."
His voice was calmer now—almost soft.
I stared at him for a few seconds before responding. "Okay. Can I go now?"
He let go of my wrist.
I opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind me.
But just as I turned around, I heard his voice through the door.
"He agreed to be your spy."
My eyes widened. I quickly swung the door back open.