Dee descended the wide marble staircase, still feeling the ghost of Rayyan's smirk from earlier and silently praying her cheeks weren't still pink.
The chandelier above cast shards of light across the polished floor, making everything glitter — except her nerves.
Halfway down, she spotted Haley in the grand sitting room, speaking to a tall man with silver at his temples and a sharp, assessing gaze. His suit was perfectly tailored, but there was something in his stance that said soldier, not socialite.
"Ma'am," Dee said softly as she approached, smoothing her dress.
Haley's eyes lit. "Oh, Dee. Yes — I wanted to introduce you."
She stepped aside, her smile warm. "This is Rayyan's uncle, Richard Zyphrose. Richard, this is Dee."
Richard turned toward her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So you're the young woman I've been hearing about."
"Hopefully… good things?" Dee said, offering her hand.
"Only the best," he replied, his grip firm but not crushing.
The moment their palms touched, something jolted through her — not electricity, but an image.
It was quick, flickering like a bad film reel: Richard standing in a sterile, white-lit room, speaking to men in lab coats. His mouth moved fast, urgent, while the men scribbled notes. Stainless steel counters gleamed behind them.
Dee blinked, and the vision was gone. She was still standing in the sitting room, hand in his, Haley watching with polite curiosity.
"You okay?" Richard asked lightly, releasing her.
"Yes," Dee said quickly, though her pulse had jumped. "Just… felt warm in here for a second."
"Old house," Haley said, waving a hand. "Drafty and stifling all at once."
---
Footsteps sounded behind them. "Uncle Richard?" Rayyan's voice carried from the stairs.
Richard turned, his face softening. "Rayyan."
They shook hands, the brief, masculine clasp of people who'd met before but didn't often linger.
"I didn't know you were here," Rayyan said.
"Dropped in for a short visit," Richard replied smoothly. "Your mother tells me you've been… keeping busy."
"That's one word for it," Rayyan muttered, his eyes flicking toward Dee for the briefest second — just enough to make her roll hers.
They exchanged a few more polite sentences before Richard excused himself to "freshen up" and headed toward the guest hallway.
---
Haley turned back to them. "Now, about where you're staying, Dee… should I prepare the guest room, or are you two—"
"She'll stay in my room," Rayyan cut in smoothly.
Dee's eyebrows shot up. "Actually, ma'am, the guest room is perfectly fine. Really. Perfectly. Fine."
Haley gave them a look that said she absolutely noticed the undercurrent, but simply nodded. "Guest room it is. Come along, I'll show you."
As they walked, Dee glanced over her shoulder at Rayyan. He mouthed coward.
She mouthed back delusional.
---
The guest room was almost absurdly large, with soft cream walls, a bed you could drown in, and windows draped in gauzy curtains that swayed with the night breeze.
"It's beautiful," Dee admitted.
"I'm glad you like it," Haley said, patting her arm. "If you need anything, the bell cord is by the nightstand."
A bell cord. Dee almost laughed. This place really was a maze with Victorian cosplay aspirations.
---
Hours later, the mansion slept. Somewhere in the distance, the grandfather clock ticked like a patient heartbeat.
Dee lay on the massive guest bed, staring at the ceiling.
She'd tried closing her eyes. She'd tried counting backwards from a hundred. She'd even tried thinking about boring things — taxes, root canals, that time in middle school when she had to read a poem out loud and her voice cracked.
None of it worked.
Because every time she blinked, she saw it again. Richard. The lab. The men in coats. The urgency.
She rolled over, punching her pillow. "This is ridiculous," she whispered to herself.
Her mind wandered to Rayyan's room down the hall. Maybe he was awake. Maybe she could just… knock, and casually mention, "Oh hey, your uncle might be running a secret science conspiracy, no big deal."
She sat up. Then flopped back down.
He's probably asleep. And you'll look insane.
---
Somewhere near midnight, the floorboard outside her room creaked.someone knock .Dee get shock what If it's Richard . Dee sat up instantly.
The door opened just enough for Rayyan's head to appear. "You're awake."
"You knocked?" she said, incredulous.
"I'm polite sometimes."
"You're nosy always."
He smirked and stepped in, leaning against the doorframe. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd check if you were busy… talking to your imaginary friends."
"They're not imaginary, they're just… highly selective with their appearances," she said, throwing a pillow at him.
He caught it easily. "So. What's keeping you up?"
Her mouth opened — then closed. This wasn't something she could just blurt. Instead, she settled on, "Your house is creepy at night."
He grinned. "You get used to it."
"Or you go insane."
"Same thing."
They traded quips until the clock chimed one. Eventually, he left with a lazy "Goodnight, coward," and she muttered "Goodnight, ghosty" under her breath.
She wanted to tell him but doesn't know how would he react . Will he believes her?
Still, when she lay back down, the lab image lingered like a shadow behind her eyes.
Sleep didn't find her until nearly dawn.
---