C8 New House, New Life
The mansion was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
The polished marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and endless hallways should have made Regina feel lucky.
Instead, they made her feel small.
Nothing special.
Because for the first time since marrying Alex, reality was finally sinking in.
This wasn’t a dream.
This wasn’t a temporary escape from heartbreak.
This was her life now.
Her true life story.
And standing in the middle of a mansion worth millions, Regina had never felt more out .
A very big mansion.
She have never think of living in that kind house in her life.
The air in the room felt heavy.
Alex stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
Regina immediately stepped away from the shelf.
“I got lost,” she explained.
Alex jaw tightened.
“You shouldn’t be in here.”
What are you doing there.
Why did you go there.
The coldness in his voice stung.
“I wasn’t snooping.”
“It looks like snooping.”
Regina folded her arms.
“Then maybe don’t leave important things where people can accidentally find them.”
Maybe you should keep it where you think it will be more safer.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
For a second, neither moved.
Then Alex exhaled sharply and rubbed the back of his neck.
His anger seemed to fade as quickly as it had appeared.
“I am sorry.”
Regina blinked.
She hadn’t expected an apology.
“I shouldn’t have snapped.”
“No,” she said quietly. “I understand.”
Alex’s eyes drifted toward the photograph.
The sadness in them was impossible to miss.
“Some memories are difficult.”
Some can’t be forgotten.
Some keep flashing through your head anytime you remember it.
Regina wanted to ask a hundred questions.
Who was she?
Have you been engaged.
Where is she.
Are you still dating.
Are you no more dating again.
Did you know her whereabouts.
What happened?
Why did he look like someone had ripped his heart apart?
But she stopped herself.
Everyone deserved some privacy.
Not everyone likes the idea of sharing their past experience.
Even husbands she barely knew.
Someone she doesn’t know before.
They haven’t meet.
They don’t know each other well.
Alex carefully picked up the frame and placed it inside a drawer.
When he looked back at Regina, his face was calm again.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“I will show you your room.”
Let’s go.
She laughed.
“My room?”
Yes.
“You are not sharing mine.”
The serious way he said it made Regina burst out laughing.
Why are you laughing.
You are funny. Regina replied.
So funny.
For the first time since the courthouse, Alex looked confused.
“What?”
“You make it sound like I am trying to sneak into your bedroom.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“Aren’t you?”
Regina gasped dramatically.
“Excuse me? You’re the billionaire. You’re supposed to be irresistible.”
A tiny smile appeared.
“That’s what people say.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The ego.”
Alex actually chuckled.
The sound surprised both of them.
It felt strange.
Natural.
Comfortable.
And that scared Regina more than she wanted to admit.
Because she was beginning to enjoy being around him.
A few minutes later, Alex opened a pair of double doors.
Regina stepped inside.
Then immediately stopped breathing.
The room was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the gardens.
A sitting area occupied one side.
Fresh flowers decorated a table.
Elegant and bright colour.
Very unique.
So unique.
The walk-in closet alone was larger than her old apartment bedroom.
“Oh my God.”
Alex leaned against the door.
“You don’t like it?”
She turned toward him.
“Like it?”
Her voice cracked.
“Alex, people could get married in this closet.”
Love it.
Wow This is beautiful.
So beautiful.
A laugh escaped him.
Regina walked toward the massive bed.
She start checking everywhere.
She checked Everything around.
Immediately she see the bed a lot of taught keeps running through her mind she doesn’t speak it out for anyone to hear.
Wow
This is massive.
If you sleep on this bed and dream about something you dream peaceful.
You can even see Jesus in your dream.
Have never sleep in this keep of room before talkless of bed.
All of this taught was running through her mind.
The mattress looked softer than any bed she have ever seen.
She carefully sat down.
Then bounced.
Twice.
Three times.
Wow
Alex stared.
“What are you doing?”
“Testing.”
“Testing?”
“To see if rich people sleep differently.”
Oh my God.
You people are really enjoying.
Alex shook his head.
“You are unbelievable.”
“I have been told that.”
For several seconds, they simply smiled at each other.
A strange warmth settled between them.
Not romance.
Not yet.
But something.
The beginning of familiarity.
Later that evening, Regina stood alone on the balcony.
The sunset painted the sky in shades of gold and orange.
The view stretched endlessly.
Beautiful.
Yet somehow lonely.
A voice interrupted her thoughts.
“You look sad.”
She turned.
Alex stood beside her.
“I’m not sad.”
“You are.”
I am good.
You are not.
She sighed.
“Is it that obvious?”
“To me.”
The answer surprised her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Regina leaned against the railing.
“I grew up sharing a room with my sister.”
Alex listened quietly.
“We weren’t rich. Not even close.”
She smiled faintly.
“But we were always together.”
The smile faded.
“Now everything feels different.”
Alex stared at the gardens below.
“Different isn’t always bad.”
“No.”
She looked around.
“But it’s scary.”
For the first time, Alex seemed to understand completely.
His expression softened.
“Believe it or not, I know exactly what that feels like.”
I understand everything.
Regina frowned.
“You?”
A billionaire afraid of change?
Alex laughed without humor.
“Money doesn’t protect people from losing things.”
The statement carried more meaning than the words themselves.
Regina immediately thought about the woman in the photograph.
The woman he refused to talk about.
The woman who had clearly broken him.
I wish to know something her.
There is something her.
Should I ask him about it.
No.
He may answer me.
He may not even answer me.
For a moment, she wanted to ask.
Instead she said, “You miss someone.”
Alex became still.
Very still.
Then he quietly answered.
“Yes.”
One word.
Yet it sounded like an entire story.
Neither spoke after that.
The silence felt respectful.
Almost intimate.
Two strangers sharing wounds they weren’t ready to explain.
Dinner that night was surprisingly pleasant.
The maid serve them their meal.
Swallow and chicken.
Alex grandfather filled the room with laughter.
He start gisting them.
The place looks more lively.
Regina quickly learned he enjoyed embarrassing Alex.
A lot.
“Did you know Alex cried when he was ten because a puppy ignored him?”
Regina listen attentively.
Did you know he is scared of hen especially those that have children already.
“Grandfather.”
Alex was already giving him sign to stop the conversation but the old man doesn’t look at his side.
Regina nearly choked on her drink.
“No way.”
“Oh yes.”
“Grandfather.”
“He locked himself in his room for hours.”
“Enough.”
Regina laughed so hard tears formed in her eyes.
Alex looked completely miserable.
And somehow that made him look more human.
Less billionaire.
More man.
Hours later, everyone had gone to bed.
Unable to sleep, Regina wandered downstairs for water.
As she approached the kitchen, voices stopped her.
Two staff members were talking.
Neither noticed her.
“Do you think this marriage is real?”
One woman whispered.
“I don’t know.”
“Mr. Hartwell married her out of nowhere.”
It’s obvious now.
Can’t you see it
Did you see any love in this marriage.
The second woman lowered her voice.
“I heard she was left at the altar.”
Regina froze.
Heat rushed to her face.
The first woman sighed.
“Poor thing.”
“Or lucky thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“She married one of the richest men in the country.”
The first woman laughed softly.
“Maybe.”
Then her voice turned serious.
“But the question is… how long will she last?”
Who long did they both agree to stay with each other.
Regina stomach tightened.
“Alex has never moved on.”
The second woman nodded.
“Exactly.”
Silence followed.
Then one sentence shattered the remaining comfort Regina had found.
“Nobody can compete with the woman he truly loved.”
Regina felt her chest tighten.
The woman from the photograph.
Even now, she haunted this house.
Haunted Alex.
And perhaps haunted their marriage.
Slowly, Regina stepped away before they could see her.
Her heart felt heavier with every step.
Because for the first time, she realized something terrifying.
Maybe she wasn’t Alex’s wife.
Maybe she was simply standing in the place of a woman he could never forget.
As Regina reached the staircase, she noticed a light glowing beneath a door at the end of the hallway.
Alex’s office.
Curiosity tugged at her.
The door wasn’t fully closed.
And through the small opening, she caught a glimpse of a document lying on his desk.
A document with a familiar female name written across the top.
The same name from the photograph.
Regina’s breath caught.
Why was Alex still keeping files about her?
And what secret was hidden inside those papers?
Unable to ignore her growing curiosity, Regina takes a step toward Alex’s office completely unaware that the truth about the mysterious woman is far more shocking than she could ever imagine.
