undesired.

thirty two- silver.

the following morning, laina found herself alone in the room, contemplating the events of the previous night. as she made her way downstairs, the aroma of breakfast guided her to the kitchen, where levi was busy cooking.

"morning, laina. sleep well?" levi greeted, a small smirk playing on his lips.

laina nodded, uncertain about the newfound warmth. levi motioned for her to sit at the table, serving a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. the tension from the night before seemed to have eased, replaced by an unusual calm.

over breakfast, they engaged in small talk, an unfamiliar ease settling between them. after the meal, levi's expression turned sinister. "laina, i'm not mad at you, but your behavior last night was unacceptable. there are still consequences."

he led her to the porch, where a set of tarnished silverware awaited. "you're still in trouble," levi said with authority, thrusting a polishing cloth into her hand. "polish the silver. let me know when you're done."

as laina began the task, the chilly air surrounded them. levi watched momentarily to see if she would actually comply before allowing himself inside.

as laina began the task, the stuffiness of the porch made her cough. glancing back, she hoped to spot levi near the door leading to the screened-in porch. not finding him, she cautiously cracked open the exterior door for ventilation.

just as the fresh air began to clear the stuffiness, levi appeared in the doorway. "what do you think you're doing?" he questioned, his tone strict and disapproving.

startled, laina quickly apologized, "i'm sorry, levi. i just needed some air. it was getting too stuffy in here."

as she made a move to close it, levi intervened. "leave it open," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. she looked at him, now confused.

laina hesitated but complied, keeping the door ajar. levi approached, his eyes narrowing as he spoke with a chilling sternness. "you can keep it open for now, but understand this, laina. if you abuse this opportunity to run away, you'll never step foot outside this house again."

the weight of his words settled heavily on laina, the realization sinking in. she nodded silently, understanding.

levi, satisfied with her compliance, lingered for a moment before retreating into the house.

as she sat on the porch after finishing her chores, levi appeared. his presence interrupted the solitude, a reminder of the limitations imposed upon her. "enough fresh air for tonight. it's time to go inside," he declared.

laina sighed, rising from her seat on the porch as levi appeared. the evening air, once a brief respite, now carried a sense of confinement. as she followed him back into the house, levi's gaze softened.

as she watched, he swiftly locked it and then proceeded to activate the alarms. an uneasy feeling settled within her as she observed, curiosity compelling her to try and glimpse the code. levi, however, noticed her intent gaze and covered the keypad with his hand, concealing the digits as he punched them in.

levi, sensing her wandering gaze, arched an eyebrow. "wandering eyes can lead to trouble, laina."

laina, feeling caught off guard, promptly apologized, "i'm sorry, levi. i- my attention just drifted."

ignoring the tension, laina walked past levi and headed up the stairs, signaling her intention to get ready for bed. as she ascended, levi's voice followed her, "where do you think you're going?"

laina hesitated, then replied, "just getting ready for bed."

levi's tone softened as he added, "wait, i have a surprise for you. come back down after you're done."

after getting ready, laina changed into a white silk slip nightgown before descending the stairs. levi, awaiting her return, motioned for her to sit on the couch. "close your eyes," he instructed. as she complied, he placed his mother's old jewelry box in her hands. opening her eyes, she found a delicate diamond necklace inside. levi explained, "this was the first gift my father gave my mother when they were engaged. i want you to have it."

with a sense of significance, laina nodded, allowing levi to gently put the necklace around her neck. his hands carefully moved her long blonde hair aside as he secured the clasp.

levi, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, remarked, "so beautiful. i wish my mother could've met you. i think you two would've hit it off."

laina, touched by the sentiment, smiled softly and replied, "i would have liked that too"

levi, his emotions evident, kissed laina tenderly. as he pulled away, he met her gaze and spoke, "i want to leave the rough times behind and concentrate on what's best for us and our future family. despite our disagreements and the past, i truly cherish you, laina. our future is what matters most now."

for a moment, laina felt a genuine happiness in levi's words. however, thoughts of levi's brother, peter, and what he had done to her clouded her mind. levi, sensing a shift in her demeanor, looked at her concerned.

levi turned to laina, concern etched on his face. "what's wrong?" he asked.

laina, masking the turmoil within, simply replied, "i'm just tired, levi. but i really appreciate all of this." she chose not to burden him with the weight of peter's actions, at least for now. the mystery of how he would react frightened her and the fear of peter turning it on her only fueled that fire.

levi nodded before he gently guided laina up to their bed, tucking her in with care. "you've had a long day of cleaning. rest up," he said, kissing her head affectionately. "i'll be in my study for a bit. holler if you need me."

with that, he left the room, quietly locking the door behind him, leaving laina alone with her thoughts in the dimly lit room.