And somehow—
Selena had stepped deeper into something she didn't fully understand. The silence in the room wasn't awkward. But it wasn't comfortable either, It just sat there.
Then the woman moved. She slipped off her heels by the door like she had done it a hundred times before and walked in without waiting to be invited. Selena watched her. There was something about her.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But steady.
Like she belonged here, Like she always had. The woman's eyes moved around the penthouse once before settling on Sebastian.
"You've changed things."
"Not much," he replied.
Her gaze shifted to Selena.
"Some things."
Selena felt it, that attention, direct this time. The woman stepped closer. Not too close. Just enough to really see her. Selena didn't look away. Instead, she studied her too.
The face. The eyes. Something about her felt familiar. She couldn't place it at first.
Then—
The portrait.
Selena's breath caught slightly.
"Oh…"
The woman noticed.
A small smile formed on her lips.
"Took you a second," she said.
Selena blinked.
"You're—"
"Annelise."
A short pause.
"Sebastian's sister."
Then she added, almost casually
"The one he doesn't talk about much."
Selena glanced briefly at Sebastian, then back at her.
"I saw the portrait earlier."
Annelise nodded once.
"I figured."
A small silence followed.
Then
"How long have you been here?" Annelise asked.
"A few days."
"And?"
Selena hesitated.
"I'm still trying to get used to everything."
"That makes sense."
Another pause.
"You're not from here," Annelise said.
"No."
"Willowbrook?"
Selena frowned slightly.
"How did you know?"
Annelise shrugged.
"You can tell."
Selena let out a small breath.
"I thought I was hiding it better."
"You're not supposed to hide it."
That made Selena pause.
Annelise glanced briefly toward the hallway.
"If you saw the portraits why are you still here"
"Because I want to be" Selena replied
Annelise looked back at her, Selena met her gaze. Annelise studied her for a moment.
Not judging.
Just… observing.
Then she gave a small nod.
"Alright."
Selena wasn't sure why that felt like she had just passed something. Before she could think about it—
"You disappeared."
Annelise's attention shifted to Sebastian.
"I had things to handle," he said.
"You always do."
"You're here now, aren't you?"
"I am."
A pause.
"You ignored my calls."
"I wasn't available."
Annelise held his gaze for a second longer. Then she let it go. Just like that.
Selena noticed it immediately.
That ease.
Like they didn't need to argue to understand each other. Annelise turned back to her.
"And you," she said, her tone lighter now, "you walked into all of this willingly?"
Selena hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Annelise tilted her head slightly.
"That's either brave…"
A pause.
"…or risky."
Selena let out a quiet breath.
"I'm still figuring that out."
That got a small smile.
"Good."
Annelise moved toward the living area, brushing her fingers lightly against the back of a chair.
"If you're staying," she said, "you'll need to learn how things work."
Selena frowned slightly.
"How things work?"
Annelise glanced back.
"This world."
Selena nodded slowly.
"I'll try."
Annelise watched her for a second.
"You're calmer than I expected."
Selena blinked.
"I wasn't at first."
"I still kind of am."
Something softened in Annelise's expression.
"I like you."
Selena wasn't expecting that.
She let out a small breath.
"Thank you… I think."
Annelise smiled faintly.
"That doesn't mean I trust you."
Selena nodded.
"That's fair."
A quiet pause followed.
Then
"Most people wouldn't stay," Annelise said.
Selena held her gaze.
"But I did."
Something unreadable passed through Annelise's face. Then she nodded once.
"Interesting."
She turned toward the hallway.
"I'll be here for a few days."
"You should've told me," Sebastian said.
Annelise didn't turn.
"And miss the surprise?"
Then she walked off.
The sound of her steps faded.
The room went quiet again.
Selena exhaled slowly.
"That was…"
She stopped.
"Annelise being Annelise" Sebastian said.
"I see"
"She's different."
"Yes."
Selena glanced toward the hallway.
Then back at him.
"She doesn't say much… but it feels like she sees everything."
Sebastian didn't respond to that. But instead walked close to Selena and took her hands and placed them on his and gave them a gentle squeeze and a reassuring smile that made Selena feel at ease.
And somehow
that felt like an answer. Selena looked away slightly.
"This world you're in…"
She hesitated.
"It's not what I thought."
"What did you think it would be?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "Louder, maybe."
He almost smiled.
"It usually is."
She shook her head slightly.
"But this… it feels like everything matters even when nothing is being said."
Sebastian looked at her for a moment.
Then—
"It does."
That settled something in her.
Not fully.
But enough.
Selena exhaled softly.
"I'm still trying to understand it."
"You don't have to rush."
She nodded.
A small silence followed.
Then she said quietly—
"I think I'm already in deeper than I planned."
Sebastian didn't deny it. And that alone told her everything. Selena looked toward the hallway again. Then back at him. And for some reason she didn't feel like leaving.