THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW
Shein watches from the foyer as they come down the stairs. Their hands are linked, their shoulders close enough that she can almost feel the space between them shrinking. Her fists clench tight, nails digging into her palms until pain cuts through the heat rising in her face.
This is what he chose over me? A blind woman? She had pictured his wife as someone polished, someone with money and name to match his own. Instead he guides this girl like she is glass he fears might crack.
"Is this some kind of joke? What the hell is wrong with you?" Shein's voice slices through the quiet, sharp as broken porcelain.
Sera's brow draws together. She cannot see the rage on Shein's face, but she feels it in the air—thick, bitter, heavy enough to press against her skin. Lucian's hand tightens on her shoulder; they are still halfway up the stairs, and the room has gone cold.
"Do not test me, Shein." His voice is low, even—but she hears the edge of steel underneath. She is the last person he wants to face today.
"Argh! Fuck you!" Shein screams, then spins and storms away. Her footsteps pound against marble until they fade, and only then does fear flicker across her face.
Sera's mouth falls open. Every word has cut clear through the silence, and her mind races too fast to catch up.
"Married? Did I hear that right?" The words slip out before she can stop them. She grips his arm, her fingers tight as wire, her heart thudding against her ribs. "Lucian! Did she really say you married me? How could she say such a thing?"
The angry stranger had shocked her enough. But this—married—feels impossible. Please let it be a mistake.
Lucian says nothing. He only shifts his grip, guiding her forward. "Let us get down. This is not safe up here." But she stands firm, her feet planted on the step.
Even blind, she can feel his eyes on her—heavy, unwavering, like a weight on her skin.
"Do not change the subject. I am asking you properly, Lucian." She swallows hard, her voice steady despite the flutter in her stomach. "What was she talking about? There is no one else blind here. She must have meant me. Married—how is that possible?"
She needs answers. This is not something she can set aside, not when the other woman's fury felt so real.
"Lucian!" Desperation sharpens her tone.
He clicks his tongue, frustration clear. "Fine. Just be quiet and stay calm. I will explain once we are downstairs."
Sera bites her lip, helplessness washing over her. If she could see, she would have fled the stairs long ago. Instead she lets him lead her down, her mind spinning with every worst thought she can name. Please let me be wrong. Please let this be a bad joke.
"Where is my grandmother?" Lucian asks a maid as they settle at the dining table. Sera sits beside him, her hands folded in her lap, still waiting.
"Ma'am left early, sir. She had a spa appointment scheduled." The maid speaks politely, then hesitates when he asks more.
"And that woman? Where did she go?"
Sera's ears prick up—he means Shein.
"Sh-She left in a hurry, sir. She looked angry."
The maid's footsteps fade, leaving the room quiet enough to hear the hum of the refrigerator.
"I will feed you. Open your mouth when I tell you to." Lucian's voice pulls her from her thoughts.
Sera shakes her head. "I can do it myself."
"Are you sure?" He cuts her off, and she falls silent—she knows he is right.
She sighs deep. "If I rely on you, what happens when you leave? Or when you grow tired of pretending you want to help me?" She holds out her right hand. "Just give me the spoon. Tell me if I hold it backwards. I will learn to do it right."
A small smirk touches his lips as he hands her the utensil. She turns it over, her fingers tracing its shape and weight. He leans back in his chair, arms crossed, watching her carefully.
She lifts the spoon—upside down.
"Wrong way, Sera."
His voice is deep, rough, and it makes her breath catch. She nods and adjusts her grip, waiting until the silence tells her she has it right.
She brings the spoon to her mouth slowly, but stew dribbles down her cheek. She reaches to wipe it away, but Lucian moves faster—his thumb brushes her skin, and before she can react, he licks the sauce from his finger.
"H-Hey! I could have cleaned that myself!" She protests, warmth rising to her face. He does not realize what he has done until she speaks.
What the fuck is wrong with me? He thinks, his eyes fixed on her. No one has ever affected him like this. Every small movement, every soft sound she makes pulls him closer. He cannot explain it, and that scares him.
He spends nearly thirty minutes showing her how to find her place at the table, how to hold her utensils, even how to navigate to the upstairs bathroom. But his secretary calls just as he is about to teach her more, cutting his plans short. He walks her back to her room and helps her sit on the bed.
"I have to go now." His voice is softer than usual. "I will buy whatever you need. I am arranging for a therapist to help with your recovery."
Sera only nods, still waiting for the answer she asked for.
"Aren't you going to answer my question?" She says quietly. She had not heard him move toward the door.
Silence stretches between them, and she lets out a long breath.
"Right. You move like a ninja." She mutters—she has never once heard his footsteps.
She sits in the quiet, lost in thought, ready to lie down when she hears the door click shut. Someone has come in.
"Lucian? Did you forget something? Or are you finally going to tell me?" She teases, hoping it is him.
But the voice that answers is cold, familiar.
"What a massive disappointment." Shein stands beside the bed, staring down at the woman Lucian married. She watches Sera tense—she clearly recognizes the voice.
"Y-You are the woman from earlier?" Sera asks, and irritation spikes hot in Shein's chest.
She paces the room, her eyes scanning every surface. The space is nicer than the guest room she was given. Of course he would give her the better room.
"I had such high hopes." Shein's voice drips with disdain. "I thought he had replaced me with someone important. Someone beautiful. Instead you are just… nothing."
Her anger boils over, sharp and raw. "You think you can steal what is mine? A girl with nothing to her name—blind and worthless—trying to take my place?"
Sera flinches as Shein shouts, but stays quiet, hoping to learn something from the outburst. Before she can speak, a handbag flies through the air and hits her square in the face. She lets out a soft cry, but Shein does not care—rage has pulled her under.
She lunges forward, grabbing Sera's hair, ready to pull hard—but a sharp kick to her chest sends her stumbling back.
"Ouch! God—" Shein gasps, clutching her chest, staring at Sera in shock.
"Did you just kick me?!" Shein demands.
"Me?! You broke into my room, threw a bag at me, and tried to pull my hair!" Sera shoots back, her voice firm. "What did I ever do to you? I do not even know you!"
"Everything! You are why I am stuck here again. You are blind and a liar!"
Sera has had enough. She shouts back, her voice ringing with frustration. "Why are you yelling at me? Who are you to treat me like this? I told you—I do not know what you are talking about. I signed an agreement for care, not a marriage contract!" She pants, out of breath. "And another thing—are you his girlfriend or something? Is that why you are so mad?!"
Shein stares, stunned by Sera's fire. She opens her mouth to scream again—but the door swings open. Lucian stands there, his face set in a hard, cold line.
Shein's blood runs cold, her face paling as she meets his gaze.
"L-Lucian…" She stammers, her voice shaking.