Page 386 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

A haunting stillness filled the strange room. As the moonlight seeped through the window, it painted a luminous sheen over the empty chair, making it stand out like a solitary beacon amidst the darkness. Faint, rhythmic breathing came from the direction of the bed. As Anna stepped closer, a strange sensation washed over her, as if an intangible force was pushing against her, preventing her from getting any closer.

Whose room was this? Why was she here?

The room’s secrets were concealed in the thick darkness, leaving Anna with a disorienting mixture of curiosity and unease.

Chapter 182

Aaron leaned closer to the Mercedes van’s window, pressing his face to the cold glass and staring up at the enormous mansion at the top of the hill. “Holy shit...”

In theory, he’d always known Alex came from a wealthy family, but it never quite hit home. Until now. The other dancers around him were having similar reactions.

Alex had never projected an air of arrogant wealth. His arrogance, when it emerged, was more related to his looks or his capacity to seduce a woman rather than his family’s affluence. However, the grandiose, castle-like structure at the end of the driveway left Aaron speechless. Strangely, the private luxury jumbo jet they had flown to Germany in hadn’t elicited the same reaction, although perhaps it should have.

Aaron turned to Isaak, who sat next to him, his eyebrows raised. “Did you know about this?”

Isaak shook his head. “I had an inkling, but the reality is far more impressive.”

The van pulled up to the front of the house and a gray-haired man opened the enormous wooden front door. Wilhelm stepped out a moment later, dignified as ever, but with grief etched into his face. When the door to the van opened, everyone stood and made their way into the house. Wilhelm greeted each dancer by name and thanked them for coming.

“Aaron.” Wilhelm pressed his lips together and nodded as they shook hands in greeting.

“Thank you for bringing us over,” Aaron said. “It means a lot to us.”

“Of course. I would not have had it any other way.”

While Aaron waited for Wilhelm to greet the other dancers, he looked around. His entire house could fit into a tiny section of the bottom floor of this place.

Kurt, Ilsa, and two young women Aaron assumed were Alex’s sisters walked down a wide staircase looking somber, but there was no sign of Anna. Aaron walked up to Kurt and they shook hands. Kurt looked more sober than Aaron had ever seen him. “Hello, Aaron, I am glad you could come,” Kurt said. “Have you met my sisters, Liesl and Greta?”

“I think I did once, a while ago,” Aaron said, shaking each of their hands. Their striking looks and the family resemblance to Alex and Kurt were unmistakable.

Jenna walked up to the group and greeted Kurt and introduced Matt.

“Where’s Anna?” Aaron asked Kurt quietly.

Kurt’s expression fell even more. “In the library. She spends all her time in there. But I am sure she will be glad to see you. Let us get you settled into your rooms and then I will take you to see her.”

Anna sat on the window seat in the library, her knees drawn to her chest, staring out at the front garden that was winning the war against the harsh winter. Green leaves stood out boldly against the dark branches of the trees and bushes, damp from the morning’s rain shower. She spent most of her time in the large family library. It was peaceful being surrounded by the ancient books. They were mostly in German, so she couldn’t read them, but the scent and warmth made this her favorite place in the house.

A black Mercedes van drove past the window and she pursed her lips. The dancers had arrived. Wilhelm had told her that once the dancers arrived, she needed to stay in Alex’s room. That the dancers wouldn’t understand the relationship that Anna and Wilhelm had. It was fine with her. Sex wasn’t helping her feel better. Nothing stopped the ache in her heart. Nothing would take the pain away. All she had to look forward to was an empty future of heartache and misery with Devin.

Something brushed her shoulder and she jumped and looked up to see Aaron standing above her. “Hey Anna.”

She stared at him for a moment before turning back to the window and hugging her knees tighter to her chest. Why was he bothering her?

Aaron sat on the other end of the bench. “Kurt says you’re in here most of the time.”

Anywhere else hurts too much.

“Do you want to go for a walk outside in the garden?”

Anna looked back at him. A walk didn’t sound too bad. She shrugged her shoulders.

“That is as positive a response as you will get,” said a German-accented voice from behind her. Kurt.

Kurt had been very attentive to her since she arrived. Gretchen had disappeared after the first night. She heard Derek and Sofie sometimes, but she didn’t hear any of the baby’s cries. Where was Otto?

“Kommen Sie, Anna.” Kurt took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. He lay a heavy sweater over her shoulders and then he and Aaron walked her through the house and out the back door to the terrace.

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