**Author's POV**
The silence at the dining table hung heavy in the air, a thick fog of tension as Nora stared at them, tremors of unease coursing through her. She stabbed a piece of macaroni with her fork, her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.
Glancing down at the egg, she took a handful and shoved it into her mouth, her eyes darting to the man sitting opposite her, next to his daughter. He raised his gaze and glowered at her. Their eyes met, and she looked away almost immediately, heat rising to her cheeks. He chuckled, and she rolled her eyes in response.
He could see the anger and annoyance etched on her face, but he broke the silence. "Are you okay?"
She directed her gaze at him, forcing a faint smile. "Sure, thanks for asking." Just then, Asher looked back and forth between them, her innocent voice cutting through the tension. "Dada, are you teasing Miss Peony again?"
He shifted his attention to his daughter, noticing her plate was almost empty. A surprised yelp escaped his lips; he knew how much coaxing it took to get Asher to eat.
Asher beamed with happiness, and he understood why.
Nora turned to Peony, her eyes narrowing into a threatening glare that didn't go unnoticed. Peony understood the warning behind it but chose to ignore it. Her gaze shifted to Asher, who sparkled with joy. "Lovely," Peony remarked, and Asher responded with an "okay" gesture and a silly wink.
"Dad!" Asher exclaimed, dropping her fork and focusing on her father, who had been caught admiring her idol. "Are we going after breakfast?" Excitement danced in her voice.
He ruffled her hair again. "Of course, Asher. You've been a good girl." She clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "Make your eating snappy, young man, or we're going to be late!" she mimicked, channeling her father's playful tone. He widened his eyes, raised his hands to his chest, and feigned shock. "I'm sorry, ma'am! I will definitely eat fast, or I'm going to be punished by you!" He joined her in the game, and Peony couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming father-daughter moment.
But Nora, feeling left out, bit her lip, agitation boiling within her. She dropped her fork, glaring daggers at them. A raging anger surged in her chest; she wanted to slap the smiles off their faces. It felt like she was trapped in a different dimension, one where they were happy and she was not.
"Behave, Asher! Where are your table manners?" she ranted, her voice rising as her heart raced. She jerked back, shaking with a mix of fear and fury. Peony reached out, giving her a light squeeze, ignoring Nora's outburst.
"Are you a joy taker, Miss Nora?" he rasped, shifting his gaze to her. He clenched his fists, struggling to control his anger. She could sense the tension in his breath; he was gathering his rage. She had to rein herself in, or her plans would unravel. Taking a deep breath, she attempted a smile.
"Why are you always scolding me, Dragons? I'm her mother; can't I correct her?" Her tone dripped with feigned innocence.
"You can correct her, but not by shouting," he replied, his voice steady.
Nora's smile faded as she thought about the lingering presence of her mother that afternoon. Her one and only mama—everything around her now didn't matter, only her mother's loving feelings. She shoved her plate aside and stood up, approaching Asher to give her a light hug.
"I'm sorry, Mum. I suddenly forgot my manners. Can you forgive me?" She held Asher's gaze, pouting her lips and raising her eyebrows. Nora looked down at her with disgust and anger. Although she hated this girl beside her, she couldn't act out; her plan depended on it. Slowly, she lifted her arms and planted a kiss on Asher's forehead. "You need not apologize, Asher. I'm sorry I shouted at you."
"No problem, as long as we are happy as one family." Asher shook her head and cupped her cheeks. "It will get better, Mum. I want us to be happy."
"Huh?"
Nora looked shocked; she couldn't believe Asher's genuine love for her mother, despite the mistreatment. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. She took a closer look at him and felt his heavy gaze on her. A grin crept onto his lips. "Are you done assessing me, or do you want a clearer view?" He leaned his arms against the table, one hand moving to his cheek. She jolted, quickly shifting away from him, and retorted with a grin, "I should ask you, Mr. Dragons, how you caught me staring if you weren't staring yourself."
He found her amusing, replying with raised brows, "I was." He ran a hand through his hair, looking like he wanted to pursue the matter further, but Peony, feeling uneasy, said "sorry!" before focusing her attention on Asher. Her voice was so low that it took him a moment to grasp what she meant. "Sorry!" he repeated, his eyes widening in bewilderment.
Nora and Asher simultaneously turned their heads, fixing their gazes on them. Nora sniggered, her disdain evident. "What are you gibbering about, village girl?" she barked.
A surge of disgust erupted within Peony, anger completely taking over her sanity. She stood up immediately, like a fire breaking out, and lurched forward. But before she could react, Dragons' warm hands slid around her waist, pulling her against his chest.
"What?!" she gasped.
Her eyes dilated with horror as she swiftly lifted her gaze to meet his ocean-blue orbs, while Nora burned with blazing anger, rage, and wrath. She thought she could annoy her, but instead, she had drawn them together.
Asher's face brightened; the young soul who thought they were acting in a play clapped and cheered.
The position felt awkward to Peony. She sensed the wrath in Nora's eyes as she felt a twinge of flashback.
---
**Flashback**
**Dimension I (First Flashback)**
"I guess you will dry up all your tears if you don't stop crying," he joked, and she chuckled, surprised at herself for laughing at the joke of a stranger amidst her hurt. She fluttered her eyelids as more fragments of memories flooded in.
**(Second Flashback)**
A sound of gunfire made her flinch back in fear. He shot someone in her presence, and she cringed, flinching in terror.
**(Third Flashback)**
"Please leave me alone!" she mumbled, and he let her go for a moment, but she made a run for it.
"Leave me alone! Please leave me!" she cried as he scooped her up bridal style, taking her to heaven knows where.
This can't be happening to me… no… no… not now, she wept. "I don't want to! Please just let me go!" she pleaded in his ear, but he ignored her cries.
"I'm sorry, Erickson, if I have done anything, but please don't punish me like this," she cried.
"What?!" A thunderous scream followed by a hard smack landed on her face.
"No one calls me by my name, and no one tells me what to do! I will have you warm this bed; you will satisfy my disastrous cravings because you are mine to destroy!"
And no one stops me. Now come here!
---
**Flashback Ends**
Peony felt lightheaded, but she managed to make enough sense of the situation to respond.
"E… Erickson…" she mumbled, and he gasped.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she locked eyes with him. He looked awfully scared and shocked at the same time. A strange feeling washed over her, and with a jerk, she forced herself out of his grip, taking a clear distance as she glared at him.
"How dare you?!" she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.
"Nonsense!" he growled, his eyes narrowing as he noticed her heart pounding.
"What have I done?" he asked, bewildered by her outburst. The agitated Peony took a long look at his face, filled with disgust, before running out, with Asher chasing after her.
Outside the house, by the side of the pool, she curled her legs and buried her head in her knees as she cried.
"Miss…" Asher murmured softly, touching her back. She felt scared, weak, and foolish. How could she return to this den of terrors, where people had been murdered for pleasure, raped, and tortured for what? Just for his amusement?
"Miss Peony…" Asher softly called again, sitting beside her while her gaze was fixed on the crying beauty beside her. The pure soul had agonizing feelings and wanted to reach out to her, to help her. "Are you okay?"
She raised her face to look at Asher, whose expression was filled with concern and curiosity, and threw her arms around her.
Suddenly, she burst into tears, trembling with fear.
"What happened to you, idol? You suddenly broke down?" Asher settled her gaze on Peony's crying face and wiped her tears with the tip of her finger. "You are scaring me," she said when she noticed Peony's horrific silence.
"He is filthy, disgusting, and sinful." Peony lowered her eyes, anger visible on her face.
"Miss Peony?" Asher turned her around and held her shoulders.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face swollen from crying. "Did Dad do something bad to you?" An awkward silence enveloped them, and Peony suddenly felt a chill in her bones. She pulled away from the hug. "It's nothing, baby." Her warm hands slid around Asher's face, pulling her close. "Did something happen? Tell me; I'm your friend, right? I have the right to know if you are hurting," her worried tone affected Peony, who leaned down and rested her head on Asher's lap.
She didn't want to tell her what her father had done or how filthy he was. "Can I stay like this for a moment, Asher?" she requested, ignoring her.
"Yes, Miss, you can, as long as you are happy. Promise me you won't cry again." Asher extended her tiny finger at her. Their eyes met, and Asher looked at her with pitying eyes. Peony attempted a smile as she took the finger, intertwining it with her own.
She could barely contain herself and was reluctant to leave Asher's warmth, clinging to her lap as if her life depended on it.
He stood at the end of the hall, hands uneasily settled inside his pockets, watching her. He didn't know what had happened under his nose, nor could he or Nora accurately say what was going on. Overcome with quietness, he watched her unpleasant emotions wash over him, feeling a constant urge to pull her into his arms against his chest and coax her.
Was it obsession?
Was it the striking resemblance?
Was it love?
Who is she?
He didn't understand the strange stirring in his emotions. Watching her and his daughter bond in a way that Nora had failed to achieve in her attempts, they flowed together, looking good as peers and friends, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Did Araya really come back in the form of Peony, or is Peony her sister? He sighed sadly as he tried to control the flood of questions swirling in his head.
Nora loathed the lady who had taken her husband's attention in a day. A repugnant growl escaped her mouth as she eyed Peony with a menacing glare.
How much she craved to hurt the both of them.
A tight smile graced her lips as she remembered her father's words: "Eat your cake when you have it, for your doom will appear in two days' time." She mumbled under her breath, casting an intense, menacing look at the man who seemed distressed before walking back into the mansion.