LOVE BEYOND REALMS

FACING THE UNKNOWN

Chapter 6

Walking down the road with her newfound determination, Alexa thought about how and what to do to bring out the best in herself, but she couldn't figure anything out. She massaged her temple with her hands, feeling a sense of frustration wash through her. "I guess I'll just have to take things one step at a time," she thought.

Alexa took a longer route back to the mansion, still needing some time to herself. "How do I face Aunt and Mirabel when I arrive at the mansion? Will they try to bully me again mercilessly? Will I have the courage to stand up for myself?" Lots of questions ran through Alexa's head, but she had no answer to a single one. "I guess I'll have to handle things as they come. If there really is a God up there, I hope you grant me the courage I need," Alexa mumbled, looking towards the sky with a gentle smile on her face.

As she got closer to the mansion, her newfound determination seemed to flee from her immediately, and she found herself trembling in fright of what awaited her. She looked around her with thoughts of wanting to escape but having nowhere else to go. Forcing her feets to move, Alexa got closer and closer to the mansion's gate, lifting her hand to knock softly. She waited for the mansion securities to grant her entry.

Hearing the sound of a gentle knock at the mansion's gate, the securities glanced at each other with a knowing smile on their faces. "It seems like the first daughter of the Anderson family is back," Thomas, a junior guard, said. The other guards burst into laughter, except for the chief guard, Mr. Pablo, who had been with the Anderson family for over twenty years.

Mr. Pablo had a good relationship with the Anderson family, despite being just a guard. Alexa's mother, Vanessa Anderson, was a humble and kind woman who never looked down on anyone. She had always treated Mr. Pablo kindly, despite his low status as a guard in the mansion. Mr. Pablo had a daughter who was five years older than Alexa, and he had always seen Alexa as his own daughter. He had watched her grow up, and she would wave at him anytime she caught sight of him.

But everything changed when Vanessa Anderson passed away. Alexa's father, Brooks Anderson, a powerful and influential figure in the automotive industry, stopped any form of closeness Alexa had with the mansion securities. As one of the top richest men in Country Y and founder of Anderson Automotive Group, Brooks Anderson valued affluence and power. To associate with him, your social status had to be on par with his!

News of how miserable Alexa looked when she stepped out of the mansion at the early hours of the morning got to Mr. Pablo. Remembering this and seeing the guards' disdain for Alexa got Mr. Pablo really upset. Ever since Brooks Anderson made it clear that he didn't want any form of closeness between any of his staff and his family, Mr. Pablo had tried his best to stay clear of anything that concerned Alexa to avoid losing his job.

But things had really progressed awfully for Alexa, and even the mansion guards now looked down on her, forgetting her mother's kindness towards them all. Mr. Pablo looked at the guards present at the mansion's gate coldly, ordering firmly, "Open the gate!" The guards stopped laughing, staring at each other in surprise. Mr. Pablo had never stopped them from ridiculing Alexa before, so what changed?

"I said, open the gate!" Mr. Pablo thundered, getting more upset. "Yes!" the guards responded in unison, rushing to the gate. They came to a halt one after the other as one of them made it to the gate and pulled the bolt open to unlock it.

Alexa came in, looking slightly exhausted. "Hello," she muttered, not waiting for a response from the guard who opened the gate for her. As usual, none of the mansion's guards ever responded to her greetings or gave her the respect due to the first young lady of the Anderson family, except Mr. Pablo, who smiled at her once in a while and responded politely whenever she said hello to him.

The guards watched her as she walked past them. Alexa raised her head slightly when she caught a whiff of Mr. Pablo's unique scent. On sighting him, she said politely, "Hello, Mr. Pablo." "Welcome back, First Young Lady," Mr. Pablo responded with a slight bow.

Alexa smiled gently as she walked away. Mr. Pablo watched Alexa as she got farther and farther away from him and sighed sadly. Turning to face the guards, he said, "You all dare treat the First Young Lady of the Anderson family this way? Have you all forgotten how her late mother, the First Lady of the Anderson family, treated us all when she was still alive? Now you dare treat her daughter like this?"

The guards were all silent, and Mr. Pablo continued, "Irrespective of what's happening now in this mansion, you should all know that Lady Alexa is still an Anderson. You never can tell when your attitude towards her would irritate Mr. Anderson, and when it does, he would deal with you all like he does with his enemies. Be warned; do you all understand me?"

"Yes," the guards chorused in unison, their faces now solemn.

Mr. Pablo's expression softened slightly as he watched Alexa disappear into the mansion. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and regret. He had always been fond of Alexa, and it pained him to see her treated this way.

As the guards returned to their posts, Mr. Pablo couldn't shake off the feeling that something needed to change. He hoped that Alexa would find the strength to stand up for herself and reclaim her rightful place in the Anderson family.

Alexa, meanwhile, walked into the mansion, her heart heavy with anxiety. She didn't know what lay ahead, but she steeled herself for whatever challenges awaited her.