Reincarnated as the Billionaire’s Wife

As Sophia ventured deeper into the mansion, she stumbled upon a door hidden behind a tapestry. The door was old and worn, with intricate carvings that seemed to dance in the flickering candlelight.

Sophia's curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed the door open. A musty smell wafted out, and she stepped inside, finding herself in a narrow corridor.

The air was thick with dust, and cobwebs clung to the walls. Sophia felt like she was walking through a forgotten era, one that was hidden from the rest of the world.

As she made her way down the corridor, Sophia noticed that the walls were adorned with old portraits. She recognized some of the faces – they were ancestors of Xander's family.

But one portrait caught her eye. It was an image of a woman with piercing green eyes and long, curly brown hair. Sophia felt a jolt of recognition, as if she had seen the woman before.

Who was she?

Sophia's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor. She turned to see Xander approaching her, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Sophia, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

Sophia hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to reveal her true intentions – not yet, at least.

"I was just exploring," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Xander's eyes narrowed, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he gestured to the portrait that had caught Sophia's eye.

"You've found Elizabeth," he said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Who was she?" Sophia asked, her curiosity piqued.

Xander's eyes clouded over, and he seemed to retreat into his own world.

"Elizabeth was my great-grandmother," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "She died under mysterious circumstances, and her death has haunted our family for generations."

Sophia felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about Elizabeth's story that resonated with her, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

As she stood there, frozen in time, Sophia realized that she had stumbled upon something much bigger than herself. Something that could change the course of her life forever.

Xander's words hung in the air, and Sophia felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn't shake the feeling that Elizabeth's story was connected to her own, somehow.

"Tell me more," Sophia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xander hesitated, his eyes clouding over. "It's a long story," he said. "One that I'm not sure I'm ready to share."

Sophia's curiosity was piqued. She reached out, placing a hand on Xander's arm. "I'm listening," she said.

Xander's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Sophia felt like she was drowning in their depths. Then, with a nod, he began to speak.

"Elizabeth was a beautiful woman," Xander said, his voice low and husky. "She was kind and gentle, with a heart full of love. But she was also strong-willed and determined."

As Xander spoke, Sophia felt herself becoming lost in the story. She could almost see Elizabeth, standing before her, a vision of loveliness and strength.

"What happened to her?" Sophia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xander's eyes clouded over, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "She died," he said. "Under mysterious circumstances."

Sophia's heart skipped a beat. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized that Xander was hiding something.

"What do you mean?" Sophia asked, her voice firm.

Xander's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Sophia felt like she was drowning in their depths. Then, with a nod, he spoke.

"I mean that Elizabeth's death was no accident," Xander said, his voice low and husky. "She was murdered."

Sophia's eyes widened in shock. She felt like she had been punched in the gut.

"Who did it?" Sophia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xander's eyes clouded over, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "That's the million-dollar question," he said.

Sophia's mind was racing. She felt like she was caught up in a web of secrets and lies.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, everything went black.

Sophia felt herself falling, felt herself being pulled down into darkness.

And when she came to, she was lying on the floor, Xander's face hovering above hers.

"Sophia, can you hear me?" Xander asked, his voice low and husky.

Sophia nodded, still trying to clear her head.

"What happened?" Sophia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xander's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Sophia felt like she was drowning in their depths.

"You fainted," Xander said, his voice low and husky. "I think it's time we got you back to bed."

Sophia nodded, still feeling a bit dazed.

As Xander helped her to her feet, Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that she was getting close to uncovering a secret.

A secret that someone would kill to keep hidden.

As Xander led Sophia back to her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. She had so many questions, but Xander seemed reluctant to answer them.

When they reached her room, Xander helped Sophia onto the bed and pulled the covers up around her.

"Get some rest," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "We'll talk more in the morning."

Sophia nodded, feeling a bit frustrated. She didn't want to wait until morning; she wanted answers now.

But as she looked up at Xander, she saw the concern etched on his face, and her heart softened. Maybe he was just trying to protect her.

"Okay," Sophia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xander nodded and turned to leave, but Sophia called out to him.

"Xander?"

He turned back to her, his eyes questioning.

"What's going on?" Sophia asked, her voice firm. "What's really going on in this house?"

Xander's eyes clouded over, and for a moment, Sophia thought she saw a flash of fear.

But then, his expression smoothed out, and he smiled.

"Nothing's going on, Sophia," he said. "Just old family secrets and legends. Don't worry about it."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, skeptical. She knew Xander was hiding something.

But before she could press him further, he turned and left the room, leaving Sophia to her thoughts.

As she lay in bed, Sophia's mind raced with questions. What was Xander hiding? What secrets was he keeping?

And what did it all have to do with Elizabeth's death?