The next morning, Shawn left early.
No explanation.No goodbye kiss.Just a steaming cup of black coffee left on the counter and a yellow Post-it that said:"Don't wait up."
Esther stared at the note like it might morph into a riddle she could solve.
She wasn't the clingy type—never had been. But now that he was gone… the penthouse felt different.
Colder, Quieter, suspiciously... off.
She wandered into the hallway—the one with that door. The locked one.
She'd ignored it. But today… it felt like it was watching her back.
So, she did what any curious heiress-turned-wife would do.
She tried the knob.
Still locked.
But then she remembered:Last night, Shawn had used a numeric keypad. Four digits.
Something personal.
Her birthday?
No.His birthday?
She didn't even know it.
Their wedding date? Worth a shot.
She typed 0409 — the day everything flipped.
Click.
The door unlocked.
Esther took a breath and pushed it open slowly...
Inside, the lights came on automatically.
She froze.
The room wasn't what she expected.
No weapons.No gold bars.No secret lair.
Just… stillness.
Books lined the walls. Not just business or economics, but ancient philosophy, quantum physics, and… Chinese cultivation manuals?
A massive map of the world hung on one side—pinned with red dots and cryptic lines.A sword rested inside a glass case.
Yes. A literal sword.
And in the center of the room, a low meditation platform with a golden mat.Burned incense still lingered in the air.
"Shawn," she whispered, her voice small.
She walked in slowly, tracing her fingers across a dusty black notebook on the table.She flipped it open.
The first page read:
"I gave up immortality for peace.But peace… doesn't last forever."
Esther stepped back, suddenly overwhelmed.This wasn't just a room.It was a temple.
And her husband…
He wasn't just rich.
He was something else.
Behind her, the elevator dinged.
Her blood ran cold.
Shawn was home.
She ran out, pulling the door closed just in time.Heart racing.Mind spiraling.
He stepped into the living room, casually dropping his keys in the bowl.
"You look... rattled," he said, scanning her.
"Just... a weird dream."
He nodded slowly.
But the way his eyes lingered on the hallway?
She knew.
He knew.
And just like that, the game changed again.