Ivy's POV
I woke up because something was wrong.
At first, I couldn't explain what it was. The room was dark, quiet, the way it always was in the middle of the night. The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the silence, and the faint glow of the city lights slipped through the long glass windows of my bedroom.
Everything looked normal.
Yet my heart was beating too fast.
I slowly opened my eyes.
And then I saw them.
Two men.
Standing inside my bedroom.
For a moment, I wondered if I was dreaming. My mind felt slow, distant, like it hadn't fully returned from sleep. But the figures didn't disappear.
They were real.
Both wore black masks that covered their eyes and foreheads. Thick coats, gloves, dark clothes that swallowed the shadows of the room. One of them was tall and broad-shouldered. The other was slightly smaller but moved faster, opening drawers, searching through shelves.
Thieves.
I should have screamed.
I should have reached for the panic button beside my bed.
I should have done something.
But I didn't.
Instead, I just lay there watching them.
The smaller one opened my jewelry drawer and let out a low whistle.
"Jackpot," he muttered.
He began stuffing necklaces and bracelets into a black bag with excited speed.
The taller one didn't say anything.
He moved slower, more careful, checking inside cabinets, behind paintings, inside hidden compartments. His eyes scanned the room with sharp focus, like he was looking for something very specific.
Not just stealing.
Searching.
For what, I had no idea.
But strangely… I didn't care.
I pushed myself up slowly, the silk sheets sliding down my body.
The faint movement caught their attention.
Both men froze.
The smaller one turned first.
"Brother—"
Then he saw me sitting upright in the bed.
His hand instantly reached inside his coat.
Probably a weapon.
The taller man raised a hand slightly, stopping him.
Neither of them spoke.
For several seconds, we simply stared at each other across the dark bedroom.
It was strange.
Most people, when they find two masked criminals inside their home, panic. They scream. They beg. They threaten.
I felt none of that.
Just… emptiness.
"You're in the wrong room," I said quietly.
My voice sounded calm. Too calm.
The smaller thief blinked behind his mask.
The taller one's eyes narrowed slightly.
I slowly swung my legs off the bed and stood up. The marble floor felt cold beneath my bare feet.
The silk nightgown I was wearing clung to my body. I hadn't bothered turning on the lights. The city glow from outside painted the room in silver shadows.
The smaller thief looked almost confused.
"You're… not screaming?" he asked.
"No."
"You're not calling security?"
"No."
He glanced at his partner.
"Brother… is this a trap?"
The taller man didn't answer.
His eyes were on me.
Studying.
Careful.
Suspicious.
I walked toward the dresser slowly and pulled open the top drawer.
Stacks of cash sat neatly inside.
Bundles tied together with bank straps.
I picked up one bundle and held it out toward them.
"Take it," I said.
Neither man moved.
The smaller thief finally stepped forward, snatching the money from my hand with disbelief.
"You're serious?"
"There's more downstairs," I said. "In the office. In the safe. In the cabinets."
He grinned behind the mask.
"Oh, I like her."
He started moving around the room again, grabbing watches, jewelry, anything expensive.
The bag in his hand was quickly filling.
But the taller one still hadn't moved.
He was just watching me.
I could feel his gaze on my face, searching for something.
Fear.
Anger.
Panic.
But he wouldn't find any.
Because there was nothing left inside me.
"Why?" he finally asked.
His voice was deeper than I expected. Calm, controlled.
I tilted my head slightly.
"Why what?"
"Why aren't you stopping us?"
I shrugged.
"You came here to steal."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"That doesn't answer the question."
I looked around the bedroom slowly.
The massive king-sized bed.
The crystal chandelier.
The expensive paintings.
The floor-to-ceiling windows showing the sleeping city.
This mansion was worth more money than most people could imagine.
Luxury.
Power.
Wealth.
But to me, it felt like a beautiful prison.
Because everything inside it belonged to a man who had already left.
Philip Carter.
My husband.
The man who saved me when my family died.
The man I loved more than my own life.
The man who disappeared without saying goodbye.
He left the house.
The cars.
The money.
Everything.
Except himself.
And suddenly none of it meant anything anymore.
I looked back at the two thieves.
"You're doing me a favor," I said quietly.
The smaller thief laughed.
"Best robbery ever."
But the tall one didn't laugh.
He stepped closer now.
Close enough that I could see his eyes clearly through the mask.
Sharp.
Observant.
And strangely… troubled.
"You're not afraid of us," he said.
"No."
"You don't care what we take."
"No."
"Why?"
For a moment, I didn't answer.
Because the truth sounded pathetic even in my own head.
But it was still the truth.
"Because none of it matters," I said softly.
The room fell silent again.
The smaller thief had stopped moving.
Both of them were looking at me now.
I walked to the wardrobe and opened it.
Inside were rows of designer dresses, expensive handbags, shoes I had never worn.
A life that looked perfect from the outside.
I stepped aside and gestured toward it.
"Take everything."
The smaller thief looked like he had just won the lottery.
But the tall one still didn't move.
His gaze remained fixed on my face.
Like he was trying to understand something he had never seen before.
"You're serious," he said quietly.
I nodded.
"Yes."
The smaller one grabbed more jewelry from the dresser.
"This place is insane," he muttered happily.
But I barely heard him.
Because suddenly the silence inside the house felt heavier than usual.
Too big.
Too empty.
For the
first time that night, my chest tightened slightly.
The emptiness inside me pressed harder.
And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.
Soft.
Broken.
Almost like a prayer.
"Please…"
The two thieves froze again.
My voice trembled.
Just a little.
"Please," I whispered.
"Take it all."