Chapter 177: Searching For A Sense Of Familiarity
Declan stood at the threshold of the bedroom, his towering and broad frame casting a faint shadow on the door panel. Turning the handle, the door creaked softly as he pushed it open.
Yet, somehow, the soft sound seemed too loud in the silence enveloping the room.
The stale air hit Declan once he opened the door, signaling the absence of life inside. Faint dust also lingered in the air, almost making him cough.
Frowning, Declan hesitated to cross over the threshold. His gaze fell on the silhouettes against the faint light streaming through the sheer curtains. The room was dimly lit.
’...how long has it been since her last time here?’
Declan tried to remember the last time Lariette occupied this bedroom, the one assigned to her once she appeared a decade ago. She moved out to live on her own years ago and rarely returned.
Exhaling a sigh, Declan pushed himself to step inside. The sole of his home slippers landed on the dusty marble floor. He tried not to inhale the musty air too deeply.
’This is way smaller... than I thought.’
Declan slowly strode toward the center of the bedroom, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings. His chest tightened at what he saw.
Lariette’s chamber was significantly smaller than Stephanie’s and the others’ rooms. It was also simple, with nothing too elaborate adorning the bedroom.
A simple queen bed stood against the wall, its sheets neatly tucked but dulled and dusted with time. Two plain bedside tables stood on each side of it, having nothing on their surfaces.