Behind the Walls

The Whitmore estate was silent after the gala. The grand halls, once filled with sparkling laughter and polite applause, now echoed with only the faint hum of the city outside. The chandeliers were dimmed, leaving the siblings alone in the cold, cavernous mansion—a world where no one’s eyes judged them except each other.

Asuna shed her gown, revealing a sleek black silk ensemble she wore underneath for comfort. She sank into the velvet armchair in the private library, letting out a rare sigh of relief. “Finally,” she murmured, her sharp voice softening just slightly.

Kael, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. “Finally what? Finally pretending to be human for five hours?”

“As usual,” she replied with a smirk. “At least I wasn’t called ‘delightful’ by some bored heiress who thought my language skills were a party trick.”

Leon rolled into the room on a motorized chair he’d engineered himself, grinning like a mischievous cat. “Ah, the prodigy complains. As if I’ve never suffered under social torture.”

“You did, actually,” Kael said dryly, though a faint smirk betrayed him. “Your ‘charm’ only works on those who can’t see through it.”

Leon waved a hand dramatically. “Details, details. Asuna, you know you’re my favorite sibling. Don’t pretend I’m not. You just pretend you hate me, and Kael acts like a statue of authority. It’s beautiful theatre.”

Asuna laughed softly, a sound so rare in the mansion it could have been mistaken for a crime. “Beautiful theatre indeed. And the script is written by our parents, naturally. I wonder if they ever imagined we’d be more clever than the roles they forced on us.”

Kael pushed himself off the doorway and crossed to sit across from her, folding his hands. “They don’t understand us. Never have. But that’s fine. We have each other, and that’s enough.”

Leon snorted. “Enough? I say it’s brilliant. We’re untouchable. Parents can dictate status, etiquette, and wealth, but they can’t dictate loyalty. And I’ve got a secret weapon: Asuna’s temper and Kael’s brain. We’re practically unstoppable.”

Asuna arched an eyebrow. “You’re lucky your weapon is more irritating than lethal.”

Leon winked. “I thrive on irritation. It’s the fuel of genius, sister dear.”

They laughed together, a rare, warm sound that carried across the cold mansion, reaching walls that had never known softness. In that room, behind closed doors, they were free. Sharp tongues, laughter, intelligence, and shared secrets wove a fortress stronger than the coldest wealth.

After a moment, Kael’s expression softened. “We’ve survived this far because we learned everything they didn’t teach us: empathy, trust, loyalty. We may wear masks for the world, but here… here, we’re alive.”

Asuna nodded, her sharp eyes reflecting the flickering firelight. “Alive, indeed. And we’ll make sure the world never underestimates the Whitmore siblings. Elegance, intellect, and power… all our own.”

Leon leaned back, smirking. “And don’t forget mischief. That’s my department. Someone has to keep you two from being boring.”

They all laughed again, the kind of laughter that filled the mansion’s cold halls with warmth for the first time. Behind the perfection, behind the masks, the Whitmore siblings were more than rich, more than clever—they were a family forged in coldness but bound by love that no wealth could buy.

And in that private sanctuary, Asuna felt it more than anywhere: the rare, intoxicating freedom of being herself, sharp-tongued, brilliant, and utterly untouchable… surrounded by the two people who had always loved her without conditions.

TO BE CONTINUED ~

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