Elena quickly placed the silver key back inside the drawer.
The moment she closed it, the bedroom door opened.
One of the younger maids stepped inside, breathing heavily.
"There you are," the girl whispered nervously. "Madam Martha has been looking for you everywhere."
Elena forced herself to stay calm.
"What happened?"
"The decorators downstairs made another mistake. Madam Vanessa is shouting again."
Of course she was.
Elena picked up the cleaning cloth slowly before walking toward the door.
But just before leaving, her eyes drifted once more toward the bedside drawer.
Archive.
The word remained fixed inside her mind.
The hallway outside was brighter now as workers hurried from one side of the mansion to another preparing for tomorrow's charity event.
Fresh flowers lined the staircase while crystal decorations reflected softly beneath the chandelier lights.
Everything looked elegant.
Perfect.
Like a family with no stains.
Elena quietly followed the maid downstairs.
The moment they entered the main hall, Vanessa's sharp voice filled the air immediately.
"No, move those flowers to the left! How many times must I repeat myself?"
Several workers quickly obeyed.
Vanessa stood near the center of the room wearing an expensive silk robe while event planners surrounded her nervously.
Elena watched silently from the corner.
Vanessa truly enjoyed control.
Every fearful expression around her seemed to satisfy something inside her.
It reminded Elena too much of Vanessa's mother.
The same arrogance.
The same cruelty hidden beneath elegance.
"Elena."
Madam Martha approached carrying folded table linens.
"Take these upstairs to the west guest rooms."
"Yes, Madam Martha."
Elena accepted them quietly.
As she headed back toward the staircase, her thoughts returned once more to the silver key.
An archive room meant records.
And records meant secrets.
If old property documents still existed somewhere inside this mansion, then perhaps the truth about her mother had not completely disappeared after all.
At the top of the staircase, Elena slowed slightly.
The west corridor ahead looked darker and quieter than the rest of the mansion.
Almost abandoned.
Then suddenly—
A door at the far end opened slightly before quickly shutting again.
Elena froze instinctively.
For one brief second, she was certain someone had been watching her.Elena remained still for a moment, her eyes fixed on the closed door at the end of the corridor.
The hallway became silent again.
Only the soft sound of rain tapping against the windows could be heard.
Slowly, Elena continued walking forward as though nothing had happened.
The folded linens rested calmly in her arms, but inside, her thoughts had already sharpened.
Someone was definitely there.
When she reached the west guest rooms, Elena quietly placed the linens inside a storage cabinet before glancing once more toward the far end of the corridor.
The same door remained shut.
Dark brown.
Old.
Different from the others nearby.
A strange feeling settled inside her chest.
Carefully, Elena walked closer.
The farther she moved down the corridor, the quieter the mansion became. The noise from downstairs slowly disappeared until the entire hallway felt isolated from the rest of the house.
She stopped directly in front of the door.
Locked.
Elena lowered her eyes slightly.
Then she noticed something unusual beside the handle.
A silver symbol engraved into the wood.
Small.
Almost hidden.
Her heartbeat slowed instantly.
Archive.
The exact same word written on the key downstairs.
Elena's fingers tightened slightly around the cleaning cloth in her hand.
So this was it.
The archive room.
For a moment, she simply stood there staring at the door.
Years of unanswered questions suddenly felt painfully close.
Maybe the truth about her mother was hidden behind this door.
Maybe the stolen property documents were still inside.
Maybe everything she came searching for had been here all along.
Footsteps suddenly echoed from downstairs.
Elena immediately stepped away from the door.
A few seconds later, Madam Martha appeared at the end of the hallway looking slightly confused.
"Elena?"
Elena quickly lowered her eyes.
"Yes, Madam Martha?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I was searching for the last guest room."
Madam Martha sighed softly.
"You're in the old west corridor. Nobody uses these rooms anymore."
Elena glanced once toward the locked door before asking carefully, "Why?"
Madam Martha hesitated briefly.
Then she answered quietly, "Young Master Adrian's father used to work in this part of the mansion years ago."
Elena's chest tightened instantly.
Adrian's father.
Madam Martha continued walking closer.
"After his death, most of these rooms stayed locked."
Death.
Another hidden story.
Elena remained calm outwardly, but inside, her thoughts were already racing.
Because something told her the truth buried inside this mansion began long before Vanessa.Madam Martha noticed the direction of Elena's gaze immediately.
"That room especially stays closed," she said quietly.
Elena lowered her eyes calmly. "Why?"
The older woman hesitated for a moment before answering.
"I don't know everything myself. But after Master Cole died, Madam Vanessa's mother ordered several rooms in this corridor to be locked permanently."
Elena's heartbeat slowed.
Vanessa's mother again.
Always connected somehow.
Madam Martha adjusted the shawl around her shoulders before continuing down the hallway.
"Come downstairs. If Madam Vanessa notices workers wandering here, she'll create another problem."
"Yes, Madam Martha."
Elena followed quietly, but before leaving the corridor completely, she glanced back once more toward the archive door.
Locked.
Silent.
Waiting.
The rest of the evening passed in chaos because of the charity event preparations.
Guests would begin arriving the next afternoon, and Vanessa wanted every detail perfect.
Flowers were replaced three different times.
The dining hall was rearranged twice.
Even the servants were forced to change uniforms because Vanessa disliked the original color.
"She behaves like a queen," one maid whispered while polishing silverware.
"Careful," another warned immediately. "The cameras in this house record everything."
Elena remained silent while folding napkins nearby.
But the mention of cameras caught her attention instantly.
Cameras.
Of course.
A mansion this wealthy would definitely have security systems.
That meant entering the archive room carelessly could expose her immediately.
"You," Vanessa suddenly snapped from across the room.
Everyone froze.
Elena stepped forward calmly.
"Yes, Madam?"
Vanessa walked closer slowly, her expensive heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.
"The guests arriving tomorrow are important people. Politicians. Investors. Business partners." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not embarrass me."
"I understand, Madam."
Vanessa studied her face for a second longer before speaking coldly.
"And stay away from the west corridor."
Elena's chest tightened slightly.
So Vanessa knew about that area too.
"I was only cleaning upstairs," Elena replied carefully.
Vanessa gave a short smile that carried no warmth.
"Then continue doing only what you're told."
The warning was clear.
Elena lowered her eyes politely.
"Yes, Madam."
Vanessa finally turned away and continued shouting orders at the decorators.
But inside Elena's mind, one thought repeated endlessly.
The archive room mattered.
Enough for Vanessa to warn people away from it.
Enough for it to remain locked for years.
Enough for secrets to still survive inside it.
And Elena had no intention of walking away now.