Karma

SIX

—CATALINA—

After a quick shower and a reapplication of my makeup, I headed downstairs to try and find the dining room. While Sasha gave me the tour, I didn't pay attention very much and now I was paying for it.

I stumbled around the halls, confused now that the staff had gone from a dozen to zero in just a few hours. Where was everyone?

Wandering aimlessly down one of the many halls, I found myself standing in front of a door that was slightly cracked open. Curious, I pushed it further and peered inside, eyeing the contents inside.

It seemed like a personal library, one with dozens of shelves and books vast enough to fill my entire room and then some. A wooden ladder was stationed at the end of one of the bookshelves, and I simply watched it all with widened eyes.

It had been so long since I've stepped inside of a library. Surrounded by the smell of books and the feeling of comfort. Everything screamed familiar to me.

"Are we eating in the library?" A voice asked from behind and I reacted by holding my breath, turning around and looking up at Reece who was dressed down in simple slacks and a button down.

My back was pressed against the wall beside the door as we continued our staring contest, seeing who would break first. Reece did when he followed up his question with another.

"You seem fascinated," He commented, gazing at my expression. I'm usually keen on being passive, not allowing anyone to read my face but something about the entirety of his house feels so familiar. So in reach. Almost like I know this place and I've been here before.

"Books fascinate me." I responded simply, not giving anything away.

"You were an advent reader back in high school and I assume your bookshelf back at your fathers house is filled equally to the brim yet you look as though it's been forever since you've seen one in front of you. Held one in your hands."

"Is this a get-to-know-me seminar? You didn't find enough in my file so you wanna dig more?"

"It's a curiosity seminar. Because I'm starting to think that my assumptions about you may have been wrong."

"I'm glad you could come to such a conclusion," I smiled sarcastically at him. "We've lived different lives, Reece. I never had the luxury of being a man. Maybe if I was, I wouldn't be forced into a marriage I don't want."

Reece looks conflicted, opening his mouth to reply when someone speaks up from down the hall.

"Mr. Choi, are you stuck in the library again? Dinner is ready, come before it gets cold."

"Cat—"

"I'm hungry." I interrupt, stepping to the side so Reece wouldn't be directly looming over me anymore. I start walking after the kind lady, catching up to her with a quick glance over my shoulder to see Reece, his body positioned the same but face turned in my direction with an incredulous look on his face.

♕ ♕ ♕

Reece had beaten me to the dining room since I decided to take a pitstop at the kitchen, going to one of the cooks that was busy cleaning the counters down.

"Excuse me," I say politely, tucking hair behind my ear when they stop and look over at me with a kind expression. She was an older lady, Amara I believe her name was, and she waited for me to talk with a motherly aura.

"Miss. Catalina, is it?" She asked and I nodded my head, nervously fiddling my hands together. This was a hard topic for me to talk about, and I didn't want it to be spread around for everyone including Reece to know.