The car stopped in front of a huge back gate where a man in a black suit and tie stood. Several more of them were scattered throughout the perimeter. From the way they clenched their jaws and looked at the car, I could tell they were guards. Kevin rolled down his window to talk to one of them. He smiled at the man and addressed him in a friendly manner.
I wasn't able to hear their conversation since I got so engrossed with the stately house in front of me. After they finished talking, we slowly drove towards the house. The exterior of the mansion had the same shade of cream as the lobby of my new apartment. Some of the walls were attached with tinted glass, which gave the house a modern edge. The huge lawn near the entrance had a huge pond with a fountain. The female figurine at the top of the fountain provided a classic look, which softened the modern edge of the mansion. All in all, the place was mesmerizing.
When we finally stopped by the front porch that led to a huge, dark, wooden door, I was startled when the car door opened. Apparently, I was so preoccupied with the beauty in front of me.
"We're here, Ms. Peterson," Kevin said and then offered me his arm again. I absentmindedly looped my arm around his and allowed him to guide me inside.
As the front door opened, I gasped at the interior of the house. It was even more stunning than the exterior. The dark wooden walls rendered a classic feel to the room, which was balanced out by the contemporary furniture and design. The staircase across the main door was huge. It was made of dark wood and was so well polished that you could see your own reflection. I was in awe. No words had come out of my mouth as we stood by the door.
Kevin cleared his throat to get my attention. I looked at him with a shy smile. "Do you want a drink, Ms. Peterson?" he asked as invited me to enter the house.
"Please, call me Andy. Ms. Peterson makes me feel old," I whispered.
He chuckled at my words and nodded his head once in reply. As we moved inside the house, I could hear soft murmurs and light music playing in the background. I took in a huge breath as we slowly moved towards the sound.
Mentally, I was praying that I wouldn't see him at all. But as we entered a hallway, my eyes landed on a familiar figure with dirty blond hair and a well-built physique. That night, he was wearing a navy suit. When he was about to turn our way, I gasped in shock. Luckily, I was able to react fast and shifted away from his line of vision, dragging Kevin along with me.
When we got to the nearest room and made sure he didn't see us, I took in a steady breath and looked back at Kevin (whose eyes were wide and astonished by my actions). I let go of my grip on his arm and bowed in apology.
"I'm so sorry about that. I thought I saw something... Anyways, I'm sorry," I fumbled an apology and trailed off, not wanting to explain my reason.
Kevin chuckled at my embarrassment and patted my shoulder lightly. "Would you like to meet Ms. Maxwell right away?" he asked with a small smile.
"I thought you'd never ask," I answered in relief.
He laughed at my response and signaled for me to follow him. He led me towards the grand staircase and onto the second floor. On the way up, I grazed my hand on the wooden railing as we ascended the carpeted stairs. It was as smooth as I had imagined. Once we arrived on the second floor, we continued along a vast hallway. I couldn't help noticing that the carpet was the same color as the walls downstairs. It wasn't until Kevin stopped in front of a door, and I heard a soft familiar voice behind it, did I realize that we had arrived. He knocked before opening the door, not waiting for a response.
"Ms. Maxwell, Ms. Peterson is here to see you," he announced then opened the door wide enough for me to go in.
I slowly stepped inside, not sure what to say to her. When I finally got a view inside, I was in awe again. It was a study. The room was filled with shelves of books that reached the ceiling. There was a wooden desk in the middle where Alexandra was seated. The study looked like it came out of the nineteenth century.
"Andy, welcome to the Maxwell Mansion. I hope you are enjoying the party," Alexandra greeted, effectively grabbing my attention. She had an open laptop on top of the desk, which looked out of place considering the classic design of the room.
"Yes. Thank you for inviting me. And I also would like to thank you for the apartment. It was more than I could have hoped for, along with the furniture and all," I said softly to her, not sure how to properly respond.
Her beauty took me aback. She looked like royalty with her hair styled up at the crown of her head, elegant, white dress, and natural-looking makeup. I was sure that with or without the makeup, she would still look stunning.
"It was nothing. I don't need them anymore since I'll be moving in with my fiancé. We don't have enough room for them at his place," she stated dismissively as she glanced down to type something on her laptop.
"Uhm... So, what is it you want to tell me, Ms. Maxwell?" I asked after a few seconds of silence.
"You're quite direct, Andy, which is why I hired you," she stated mostly to herself. "I want to discuss with you about work this Monday," she added aloud, her tone serious and business-like.
I nodded, telling her to continue. "Starting this Monday, I will be travelling to Europe to plan my wedding. Don't worry. You'll still work for me. I want you to send me reports about the situation here while I'm away. However, you will be working with my brother instead," she started and paused for a second. I opened my mouth to protest but she beat me to it. "I know you hate my brother, so hear me out. You still work for me, so I assure you he cannot fire you. He can still ask you to do things only if it is related to work. But other than that, then you can tell him to screw it."
I smiled at her words, glad that he didn't control my professional fate. But it didn't mean I would be safe from him in other ways. I stiffened at the thought of facing him again. Granted I saw him a few minutes ago, but that didn't count since he didn't see me.
Alexandra looked at me with amusement as I struggled internally. "You don't have to worry, Andy. He can't hurt you. His bark is worse than his bite," she chuckled at her words, which I gladly joined in.
After that, she briefed me on some of the reports I would make and gave me her email address. I finally excused myself when she went back to typing. Once I was out of the room, it was only then I noticed that Kevin had gone away. I was glad that I remembered the way down or I would have to ask Alexandra for directions. I didn't want to bother her after what she had done for me.
As I headed for the stairs, I noticed too late one of the doors nearby open and a man came out. I bumped his side and was about to fall, but the man acted quickly by wrapping his arm around my waist to prevent me from tripping. I glanced up to the man to apologize but stopped myself when I realized who it was from the navy suit he was wearing. I frantically shoved myself away from his hold.
Nine
William was stunned before he regained his composure.
"What are you doing here?" he asked sternly, his voice authoritative.
I stared at him with the same expression before replying, "I'm here for business."
His eyes widened in realization before he took a steady step towards me. I stepped back at his advance, which made the end of his lips twitch upward. "I don't know what you are getting or how you got my sister's interest, but I'm not going to tolerate your rudeness in my presence. Are we clear?" he sneered.
My eyes hardened as I stared at him. "I can only be kind to others who aren't a prick," I replied grimly.
He took another step towards me as his eyes glistened in anger. I held my ground and didn't allow him to intimidate me. We stood glaring at each other before the door behind us opened suddenly. We both turned at the door and saw Alexandra come out with a confused expression.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked while closing the door of the study. "William, please escort Andy downstairs. Be a gentleman and get her a drink. She is my guest," she added as she walked towards us.
"I'm not..." William trailed off when Alexandra glared at him.
"Take her downstairs and be a gentleman, Willy." Alexandra's voice had a threatening edge to it.
In defeat, William suddenly took my arm and pulled me towards the stairs in frustration. I glanced at him then snickered at his childlike behavior. All of a sudden, he faced me with hardened eyes at my reaction.
I couldn't help myself any longer. "She calls you Willy? That's so cute!" I exclaimed with a chuckle.
With that statement, he released his grip on my arm. His eyes remained cold as he threatened me grimly. "If you say anything about this, I will ruin your life."
I looked at him seriously, all humor drained out of my face. I gave him a curt nod before I walked away from him. I didn't want to trigger anything else that might fuel his anger. I had already done a lot to piss him off in the past. Plus, I don't want to make an enemy out of the man who had the power to ruin my life. I took his threat seriously for once since I knew he would do it without batting an eye.