Chapter 29

Sarah POV

The mansion felt even colder now. The walls that had once seemed like barriers protecting me were now suffocating, as though they were closing in, pressing on my chest with every breath. I could still feel the remnants of my disobedience from earlier that night, the secret I carried with me like a heavy weight. The women I had freed were now safe, but I was far from it. I had rebelled against the Blackwoods indirectly, and the consequences of that could be far worse than I imagined.

But there was no time to dwell on the dangers that loomed. Eren's knock on my door had pulled me back to reality, and now I was faced with the aftermath of everything I had done. I had managed to evade his suspicion, but for how long?

As I lay in bed, trying to calm my racing thoughts, I couldn't shake the feeling that Eren was watching me more closely than ever before. His presence had always been unsettling in its intensity, but lately, it felt like there was something darker beneath it-a pressure that I couldn't escape, no matter how hard I tried.

I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me. My mind kept returning to Axel, to the way he had always been there for me, quietly watching, offering cryptic warnings when I needed them most. The way he had always seemed to know what I was thinking, what I was feeling. He had told me so many times that Eren wasn't what he seemed, that our marriage was built on lies. And yet, even with all the warnings, I had chosen to marry Eren. I had been blinded by my desire to escape the truth, to find some semblance of normalcy in a world that had been turned upside down by the Blackwoods.

But now, the cracks in my marriage were beginning to show, and they were growing wider with every passing day. The questions that had once swirled in my mind were now impossible to ignore. What else was Eren hiding? And what did Axel know about him that I didn't?

I sat up in bed, pulling the blankets tighter around me. I had to figure this out. I couldn't keep living in this half-truth, this haze of uncertainty. But I couldn't do it alone, not anymore. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

I had no idea where the answers would come from, but one thing was certain: I couldn't stay in this mansion forever. I had to leave. I had to get away from the Blackwoods, from the lies, from everything that had brought me to this point.

But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I couldn't leave without knowing the truth. I had to confront Eren. I had to get him to tell me everything, or at least enough to piece together what was really happening. But I couldn't do it now, not when the tension between us was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

I stood up, pacing around the room as I tried to organize my thoughts. What had I gotten myself into? Had I really married a man who was hiding something so dark, so twisted, that I couldn't even begin to comprehend it?

The sound of footsteps outside the door jolted me from my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze. I knew those steps. It was Eren.

I quickly moved to the door, unlocking it just a crack to peer out at him. His face was shadowed, his eyes dark and unreadable, as usual. He looked at me with that same penetrating gaze, like he could see straight through me. The same gaze that always made me feel like I was being caught in a trap, even when I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Sarah," he said softly, his voice low. "Are you alright?"

I hesitated, my mind racing. Was this his way of checking if I had been out of the mansion, if I had disobeyed him?

"I'm fine," I said quickly, trying to hide the tremble in my voice. "Just tired."

His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than I was comfortable with, his eyes searching mine. It was like he was waiting for me to slip up, to reveal something I didn't want him to know.

"Rest," he said finally, his voice still calm, but there was an edge to it. "We have a long road ahead."

I nodded quickly, stepping back as he turned and walked away. The door clicked shut behind him, and I let out the breath I had been holding. He was watching me more closely than ever. I couldn't afford to slip up again.

But even as I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, my thoughts were consumed by Axel. His warnings, his cryptic remarks... everything he had ever said about Eren echoed in my mind. And for the first time, I began to wonder if Axel had been right all along.

Axel's warnings had been clear: Eren wasn't who he seemed to be. The question was-what was Eren hiding, and why was I so drawn to the answers that Axel seemed to hold?

I turned over in bed, my mind no closer to a solution. I had chosen to marry Eren, to place my trust in him, but now I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone-not even myself. I knew the Blackwoods had a way of twisting the truth, of manipulating people into believing what they wanted them to believe. I had to find my way out, but I wasn't sure which path to take. Would I confront Eren? Or would I turn to Axel, the man who had always seemed to understand me in ways no one else did?

The night stretched on, and I knew I couldn't stay in this limbo forever. But for now, all I could do was wait. Wait for the truth to reveal itself.