Fallen 14

Fallen 14 Summary

 

Meadow arrives at Alaric’s mansion, overwhelmed by anxiety yet trying to appear confident. Alaric casually declares that she lives there because she is his wife, even though they haven’t signed the contract yet. Meadow is greeted warmly by Mel, a professional housekeeper, who welcomes her as Mrs. Ashford and leads her inside the grand, impeccably designed home. Meadow is struck by the luxury and scale of the mansion, feeling intimidated and uncertain about her new life tied to Alaric.

 

Mel shows Meadow to a massive guest suite prepared exactly as Alaric instructed, including a closet filled with expensive clothes all perfectly tailored to Meadow’s size. This surprises and unsettles her, making her realize Alaric had planned everything carefully. As Mel leaves her to settle in, Meadow lies on the bed, questioning the reality of her situation and her feelings about being treated like Alaric’s possession, though a small part of her is strangely drawn to the idea.

 

Later, Meadow’s phone vibrates with a call from Tyler, but when she answers, it’s actually her sister Juniper on the line. Juniper taunts Meadow, mocking her dramatic escape and daring her to come retrieve her boxed-up belongings in person. The call stirs anger and frustration in Meadow, but also a resolve. Despite the provocation, Meadow decides not to go for the clothes or possessions but to reclaim her own strength and identity.

 

The chapter ends with Meadow determined to face whatever challenges lie ahead, not for material things, but for herself. The tension between her past life and the new one she is entering with Alaric is palpable, setting the stage for the conflicts and emotions to come.

Meadow’s Perspective:

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Alaric’s residence—more accurately, his sprawling mansion—was hidden behind towering iron gates and dense hedges that seemed to guard secrets of their own. The long driveway stretched out before me, giving me ample time to experience multiple waves of panic, each followed by rehearsing my internal speech: “I’ve made a colossal mistake.”

Yet, when the SUV finally came to a halt and the door swung open, I stepped out with a confidence I didn’t truly feel. I moved as if I belonged here, as if I wasn’t about to hand over my entire life to a man I barely knew.

“You live where I live. Because you’re my wife,” Alaric said casually.

He hadn’t meant for it to sound seductive, but somehow it did.

Alaric already regarded me as his wife, though until I signed the contract, I was technically just his guest—his guest who happened to be wearing an outrageously expensive diamond ring.

The driver, West—I’d asked his name earlier in the car—gave a slight bow and gestured toward the front door. There stood a woman, waiting patiently with a gentle, welcoming smile as I approached.

This had to be Mel. She looked older, probably in her late forties or early fifties, dressed in a crisp navy blouse and tailored slacks that screamed professionalism.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Ashford,” she said warmly.

My cheeks flushed, and I stumbled over my words. “Oh… um… I’m not—”

“I know,” she interrupted with a soft chuckle, leading me inside. “But it’s only a matter of time, Miss Russell.”

“He—” I started, but stopped abruptly as I stepped into the house.

This wasn’t just a house designed for living. It was a masterpiece curated with impeccable taste.

Floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the space with natural light, a stunning spiral staircase wound gracefully upward, and the ceilings soared high above, vaulted and grand. The entire color palette was a sophisticated blend of white, black, and various shades of grey, and everything gleamed with a pristine cleanliness that made me hesitant to touch even a single surface.

Mel guided me upstairs, and I followed, my heart hammering painfully against my ribs. The whole experience felt too strange, almost dreamlike.

The guest suite was enormous—three times the size of the tiny apartment I had shared with Tyler. It was so vast it felt intimidating.

In fact, the entire mansion was intimidating.

And somehow, I was now married to the man who owned it all?

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CHAPTER 0014

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Mel’s voice gently pulled me from my swirling thoughts. “The suite was prepared exactly as Mr. Ashford instructed. You’ll find fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to freshen up, and your closet has been stocked with a few essentials.”

“Closet?” I repeated, confused.

Honestly, until this moment, I hadn’t given any thought to what I’d wear. All my belongings were still packed away in the apartment I shared with Tyler. Last night, when I stormed out of the hotel room, I hadn’t taken a single piece of clothing with me.

Which, in hindsight, was pretty foolish.

I blinked as I moved toward the side door Mel indicated. The moment I stepped inside, the closet lights flickered on automatically.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Oh my god,” I whispered.

Clothes lined the walls—rows upon rows of stunning, outrageously expensive garments. Silk dresses, and so many dresses it was almost overwhelming, alongside blouses, jeans, and shoes that looked like they belonged on a runway.

Lingerie, too. My breath caught.

Everything was meticulously organized by color and then by style.

The most unnerving part? Every single piece was my size.

I let out a soft, breathy laugh as I ran my fingers over a black lace dress still bearing its price tag.

“Was he expecting me?” I asked quietly, turning to face Mel.

Because that was what it felt like. First, Alaric told me the ring was custom-made. Now, the guest suite was filled with clothes perfectly tailored to me.

There was definitely a lot we needed to discuss.

Mel smiled gently. “Mr. Ashford doesn’t do anything without a plan, Miss Russell.”

“Right,” I muttered under my breath. Of course not. Because he was a stalker. He had to be.

“Well, dear, if you need anything else, I’ll be downstairs in the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled as she left the closet.

The moment Mel stepped away, I hurried to the bed and collapsed onto it, staring up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers.

What on earth was I doing?

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CHAPTER 0014

+15 BONUS

I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. I fought the urge to replay the expression on Alaric’s face when he said I was his responsibility—as if I were some object, a possession.

But the worst part? A small part of me didn’t hate the idea.

I had no idea when I fell asleep or how long I had been out, but I was jolted awake by the vibration of my phone.

Sitting up, still groggy, I glanced out the window and saw that night had already fallen.

Reaching for my phone on the bedside table, I squinted against the bright screen, expecting to see a call from my best friend, Nova. But instead, the name flashing on the display made my eyebrows knit in confusion.

Tyler.

A rush of anger surged through me, my jaw tightening. Why on earth was he calling now?

I could have ignored the call, spared myself the pain of hearing his voice, but for reasons I couldn’t explain, I answered.

“What do you want, Tyler?” I asked coldly.

“Hey, sis.”

My blood ran ice cold at the sound of my sister’s voice. “Juniper?”

Her smug laugh was my answer. “Wow. You actually picked up. I thought I’d have to leave a voicemail, but I guess you’re still desperate for Tyler’s love.”

My fingers clenched tightly around the phone. “What do you want?”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she purred. “Just thought I’d let you know your things are taking up space. I boxed them all up for you. You can come by and get them. Or not. I really don’t care.”

Juniper knew exactly what she was doing. She didn’t care about my clothes; she was daring me to come over.

It was an invitation.

“You called me just for that?”

“Mm, not really. I wanted to see if you’d actually answer. I figured you’d be busy licking your wounds or whatever it is you do when you run away like a coward.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood.

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CHAPTER 0014

+15 BONUS

I despised the sound of Juniper’s voice.

Which was ironic, considering we sounded so much alike.

“God, you’re so predictable,” she laughed. “Always so dramatic. You left in the middle of the night like some soap opera character. You could have joined us, you know? I’m sure Ty wouldn’t have minded.”

“I’ll send someone to get my stuff,” I said through gritted teeth, feeling my throat tighten painfully.

She let out another sharp laugh. “No, you won’t. If you want your sad little clothes, your shoes, your books, whatever junk you left behind? You’ll come get it yourself. Don’t send movers. Don’t even send your little pet, Nova. You want it? You walk through that door like a big girl.”

I said nothing, clenching my jaw tightly.

“You come tonight, or you forget about it.”

Click.

Juniper ended the call.

I stared at the screen, my breath shaky.

I could have ignored it. Honestly, there wasn’t anything too personal in my things that I couldn’t live without.

But as I stormed toward the closet, my mind was already made up.

I wasn’t going for the clothes.

I was going for myself.

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