IF THIS WAS PART OF THE GAME, I DIDN'T LIKE IT.
After checking almost all the cameras from that night, I only saw the unsettling silhouette of a man from behind.
Wearing a long brown overcoat.
Moving through the shadows of the mansion.
In the hallways, the kitchen, the office.
That had to be the owner of the voice.
But how could he be here without Hugo knowing?
"Yes, he knows, you idiot. Don't you remember them talking in the office the night you got drunk?"
Of course. Yes, he knows.
He's not the only one.
Or…
A suspicion pierced me.
Could it be a ghost?
"Come on, crazy… that's just funny."
I twisted my mouth.
And took a deep breath.
Because that wasn't the worst part. This was:
There was no evidence of my entry.
No evidence of my presence there.
Only one, quite eerie.
My car.
Parked across the street, motionless.
As if it had been abandoned for weeks.
It hadn't even been raining that night.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I bit my nails, forcing an explanation.
But there was none.
My eyes then slid to the last camera.
The only one I hadn't checked yet.
The nefarious room of mirrors.
I thought about it for a while, but finally entered.
I stood frozen.
Eyes fixed on the video.
Me.
Finally.
However… it made no sense.
I was face down.
Hugging the floor.
There was no sound.
But my body was shaking.
That meant crying.
What the hell?
I stood up when I saw the mirrors growing, closing the distance between them and me.
Closing the circle.
I felt so much fear that I ran out of there.
That damn room was a trap.
And that video had to be manipulated.
Yes, because that was impossible.
While I went back upstairs I didn't look back.
Even though I felt footsteps and the heavy metal door closing with an amplified creak after I left the room.
For the first time I thought this wasn't reality.
That I was trapped in my own mind.
I locked myself in my room with my phone.
I called Hugo.
He didn't answer.
Then I called his assistant.
"I need… to speak with the CEO," I asked, stuttering, after her greeting.
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Jefferson is in a shareholders' meeting and…"
I cut her off.
Her voice was so kind it made me nauseous.
But that wasn't the reason.
"Wait," I almost shouted. "What Mr. Jefferson are you talking about? I'm asking for…"
The disconnection tone hit my ear.
"Shit!"
I threw the phone on the bed.
A whirlwind in my chest.
A mix of fury and fear.
Of the inexplicable.
Of the irrational.
If this was part of the game, I didn't like it anymore.
I just wanted to fuck Hugo.
To be his toy, his bitch.
I didn't count on mysteries, or death, or more players.
I shook my head and started pacing.
"You have to calm down, Isabella. Of course there's an explanation. It's all a setup because it amuses him. He'll explain everything at dinner."
Dinner.
I looked at the time.
Yes, because time there tended to vanish without warning.
It was 3 p.m.
And instead of being scared, I had a fit of laughter.
I fell onto the bed, unable to stop.
3 p.m.
Rush hour from hell, I thought, and laughed even harder.
The conclusion I reached was that inside these walls time expanded.
Or simply didn't exist.
I kept laughing until I felt like throwing up.
I buried my face in the pillow and stayed still.
THAT PLACE.
At 7:50 I went down the stairs.
Back straight.
Self-esteem at its limit.
Completely recovered from the absurd events of the day.
Fresh, fragrant, confident.
Only a bitter aftertaste remained.
And tons of curiosity.
I was wearing the black dress Hugo had requested.
Tight, mermaid cut, and a deep V-neckline.
I felt irresistible.
And I was.
The door opened from the outside, a gust of air enveloped me.
It smelled of earth, expensive cologne, and something sweet.
I squeezed the folded coat between my hands.
That's when I saw him.
Hugo smiled at me from the left.
Still holding the door.
Taller than ever.
His scent intoxicated me and made me forget what didn't fit.
Because this… was the only thing I wanted.
"You look… stunning," he said, and his husky, modulated voice was music to my ears.
"You look stunning too," I answered confidently.
I smiled at him.
He extended an arm and I clung to it tightly.
He led me down the stone path toward a sleek black limousine waiting at the gate.
Seriously?
I glanced at him sideways.
If this man was also a sadist who wanted to terrorize me, I didn't care.
I wanted everything from him.
Even his darkness.
I remembered the sex, and suddenly realized I hadn't seen him finish.
In the shower I heard him. But that time it wasn't real.
For me it was, fuck.
Right at that moment something absurd and hilarious occurred to me.
Unsettling at the same time.
And I shivered.
I didn't have time to dwell on it.
Because we reached the car, where an elegantly dressed driver bowed to me.
I responded awkwardly and in less than a minute we were settled in the comfortable and luxurious interior.
Upholstered in the same leather I loved to smell.
Hugo sat across from me.
His knees brushed mine.
And his gaze didn't leave my face for a second.
It started to make me nervous like a teenager.
That man was fucking perfect.
And I felt very lucky to finally have his attention.
The city rolled silently on both sides.
With its hurried pedestrians.
The traffic on its avenues.
The vibrant lights of arrogant skyscrapers.
"Is it far?" I asked after a while, breaking the silence.
"Far enough to avoid any unwanted encounters."
I frowned.
What did he mean?
But I didn't ask.
I didn't care, really.
If he was on the board, the rest was irrelevant.
Half an hour later the car stopped.
He got out first and extended his gloved hand to me.
When I was outside, I looked around.
It was a quiet place.
With a grove behind and, in front, a brutalist-style building, very well lit.
A path of stone slabs bordered by impressive rose bushes led to the entrance.
They were black roses.
"Is this it?"
"Don't you like it?"
"I don't know yet," I smiled.
"You'll like it…" He let go of my hand and reached inside his jacket. "A gift."
He handed me a small box with golden edges.
"What is it?"
"Open it."
I did.
It contained three pairs of perfectly aligned black gloves.
"I know you feel incomplete without them."
I pressed the box against my chest.
"Thank you."
"Now we can go in."
He intertwined his fingers with mine and we took the path.
I felt tempted to take a rose but didn't dare.
As the place got closer, I had a strange feeling.
Not of danger.
Of something more… incomprehensible.
That place seemed to breathe.
To spy.
We stopped in front of a glass door with curtains inside.
"Ready?"
I looked at Hugo and swallowed.
"Sure…" I said, trying to sound firm, "and I don't understand the mystery."
His eyes darkened when he smiled.
"You'll understand very soon."
His voice echoed between the columns of the portico.
And then, the door opened.