First Impressions
840 Words
Chapter Two
The black Aston Martin rolled through the Hawthorne Estate gates at exactly four o'clock.
Ethan Monroe always arrived on time.
His father called it discipline.
His mother called it habit.
Ethan simply thought it was respectful.
He parked beside the fountain and switched off the engine. Before getting out, he glanced at his phone.
LUCAS: Hurry up. Mum's making everyone pretend we're one big happy family.
Ethan smiled to himself.
Some things never changed.
Lucas Hawthorne had been his best friend since they were twelve. They had met on the first day of secondary school after Lucas accidentally kicked a football through a classroom window. Ethan had taken the blame, and they'd been inseparable ever since.
He climbed out of the car just as Mason Reed slammed the passenger door.
"This place gets bigger every time I come here," Mason muttered.
"It doesn't."
"It feels like it."
Chloe Bennett hopped out of the back seat, adjusting the strap of her camera bag.
"I heard Lucas has a new stepsister."
Mason smirked.
"I heard she's already regretting moving in."
"That's because you believe every rumour you hear."
"They're usually true."
Ethan locked the car.
"Or they're started by you."
Mason grinned without denying it.
The front doors opened before they reached the steps.
Lucas stood there with his usual effortless confidence.
"You took your time."
"You said four."
"It's four-oh-one."
"I had to wait for these two."
"Excuses."
The boys laughed and exchanged a quick handshake before Chloe hugged Lucas.
"Where's the famous stepsister?" she asked.
Lucas pointed towards an upstairs window.
"Probably hiding."
"Can you blame her?" Mason said.
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Be nice."
"No promises."
Inside, the mansion buzzed with activity.
House staff carried trays through the dining room while Victoria discussed seating arrangements for an upcoming charity gala.
Everything felt organised.
Controlled.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
Ethan had visited often enough to know appearances could be deceiving.
He'd watched Lucas put on a confident smile after arguments with his mother.
He'd heard the tense silences between closed office doors.
Money solved many problems.
It didn't solve loneliness.
"Come on," Lucas said. "Let's head upstairs."
---
Ava had unpacked exactly three boxes.
The rest remained stacked neatly against the wall.
She wasn't sure whether that was because she was tired...
...or because part of her still expected to leave.
She arranged a framed photograph of herself and her father on the bookshelf.
It had been taken years earlier, long before expensive houses and blended families complicated everything.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"You decent?" Lucas called.
"You could've just knocked."
"I did."
She opened the door.
Lucas stood with three people she'd never met.
"I figured introductions were better sooner rather than later."
Chloe stepped forward first.
"I'm Chloe."
She smiled warmly.
"It's nice to finally meet you."
Ava relaxed slightly.
"You too."
"Mason," the tall boy said with a quick nod.
He looked around the room.
"Not bad."
"It isn't mine."
"Still... nice view."
Lucas gestured towards the final person.
"And this is Ethan."
The same young man she'd seen from the window.
Up close, he seemed different from the others.
Quieter.
More observant.
"Hi," Ethan said.
"Hi."
An awkward silence followed.
Mason groaned dramatically.
"Brilliant. They're both shy."
"I'm not shy," Ava replied.
"You've spoken six words."
"I didn't realise there was a minimum."
Lucas laughed.
"See? I told you she'd survive."
Chloe glanced around the bedroom.
"Have you explored the house yet?"
"Only half of it."
"There's a cinema."
"A bowling alley," Mason added.
"A recording studio," Lucas said.
"A rooftop garden," Chloe continued.
Ava blinked.
"Who needs all that?"
"No one," Ethan answered quietly.
Everyone looked at him.
He shrugged.
"But it's there."
For some reason, that answer stayed with Ava.
Unlike everyone else, he didn't seem impressed by the wealth surrounding them.
Almost as if he'd stopped noticing it years ago.
---
Later that evening, the five of them wandered through the estate gardens.
The air was cool, carrying the scent of jasmine and freshly cut grass.
Mason kicked a pebble along the path.
"So, Ava."
She looked up.
"Yeah?"
"What's it like moving into the city's most famous mansion?"
"Overrated."
Lucas laughed.
"I like her."
"You've said that already," Chloe reminded him.
"I know."
They reached the edge of a small lake hidden behind rows of willow trees.
The city skyline shimmered beyond the water.
"It's beautiful," Ava admitted.
"It is," Ethan agreed.
She turned towards him.
"So why don't you seem impressed?"
He smiled faintly.
"When you grow up around expensive things, you eventually realise they're just... things."
It was the most he'd said all afternoon.
And somehow...
It made Ava smile.
For the first time since arriving at Hawthorne Estate, the place felt a little less unfamiliar.
From an upstairs study window, however, someone watched the group below.
The curtain shifted.
A mobile phone was raised.
A photograph was taken.
Then another.
The screen lit up with a new folder title.
PROJECT SHATTERED
The folder was empty.
For now.
- Writer
