Chapter Four - The Rules Of Hawthrone Estate
1159 Words
Chapter 2: The Rules of Hawthorne Estate
The Hawthorne Estate looked different in the morning.
At night, the mansion had seemed intimidating — almost like a place that belonged in a story about people Lila would never meet.
But in the daylight, she noticed the small details.
The flowers carefully arranged along the driveway.
The sunlight coming through the tall windows.
The quiet elegance of a home that had been lived in for years.
Still, she couldn’t shake the nervous feeling in her stomach.
Lila stood outside the front entrance with two bags beside her.
That was everything.
Two bags.
A few clothes.
Some personal items.
Her mother’s sweater, folded carefully at the bottom of her suitcase.
She had spent the night packing and unpacking.
Not because she had much to organize.
Because leaving her apartment felt like another goodbye.
Even though the place held painful memories, it was the last home she had shared with her mother.
Walking away from it felt like admitting that her old life was truly over.
The front door opened.
Claire stepped outside.
“Lila.”
She smiled warmly.
“You’re here.”
Lila nodded.
“Good morning.”
“Did you sleep?”
Lila almost laughed.
“Not much.”
Claire gave her a knowing look.
“First days are always difficult.”
“It’s not just the first day.”
Claire tilted her head.
“What is it?”
Lila looked down at her bags.
“I guess I’m just not used to this.”
“Being here?”
“Being somewhere that isn’t mine.”
Claire’s expression softened.
“Lila, a home is not always the place you start. Sometimes it’s the place you find after everything changes.”
The words stayed with her.
Her mother would have liked Claire.
That was the first thought that crossed her mind.
And strangely, it made her feel a little less alone.
“Come on,” Claire said. “I’ll show you around.”
The tour took nearly an hour.
The estate was bigger than Lila imagined.
There was a large kitchen, multiple living rooms, a library, a gym, guest bedrooms, and an outdoor garden.
She tried not to stare.
But it was difficult.
“This is the main dining room,” Claire explained.
Lila looked at the long table.
“How many people usually eat here?”
Claire smiled slightly.
“Not as many as you would think.”
“What do you mean?”
Claire hesitated.
“Families can live under the same roof and still feel far apart.”
Lila understood that better than she wanted to.
Claire continued the tour.
“This hallway leads to the private rooms. Like Ethan said, you won’t enter without permission.”
Lila nodded.
“I understand.”
“And his office is at the end of the hall. He works there often.”
“I won’t disturb him.”
Claire smiled.
“I didn’t think you would.”
They stopped near a smaller hallway.
“This will be your room.”
Lila looked inside.
And froze.
It wasn’t huge.
Actually, compared to the rest of the house, it was simple.
But it was beautiful.
A comfortable bed.
A small desk.
A private bathroom.
A window overlooking the garden.
Lila stepped inside slowly.
“This is mine?”
“For as long as you work here.”
Her throat tightened.
She quickly looked away.
She didn’t want Claire to notice how emotional she was becoming.
Because it wasn’t the luxury.
It was the security.
For weeks, she had been afraid of losing everything.
Now she had a room.
A job.
A chance.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Claire smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
Her first task was simple.
Learn the house.
Lila spent the morning organizing the kitchen and familiarizing herself with where everything was stored.
She quickly noticed something.
The Hawthorne family was wealthy, but the home wasn’t cold.
There were pictures everywhere.
Family vacations.
Birthdays.
Old memories.
She stopped in front of one photograph.
A younger Ethan stood beside his parents.
He looked different.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
He was smiling.
A real smile.
Lila wondered what happened to make someone lose that.
“You’re curious.”
She turned quickly.
Ethan stood behind her.
She immediately stepped away from the photo.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t—”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
His voice wasn’t harsh.
Just quiet.
“I was just looking.”
“I know.”
A silence followed.
Lila wasn’t sure what to say.
Ethan glanced at the picture.
“My mother took that years ago.”
“You look happy.”
The words left her mouth before she could stop them.
She immediately regretted saying it.
But Ethan didn’t get offended.
He simply looked at the photograph.
“I was younger.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
His eyes moved to her.
For a moment, Lila wondered if she had crossed a line.
Then he said:
“Things were simpler.”
She nodded.
She understood.
Sometimes people didn’t miss a place.
They missed who they were when they were there.
“I should get back to work,” she said.
Ethan watched her walk away.
And for the first time in a long time, he was curious about someone.
Not because they wanted something from him.
Not because of his family name.
But because Lila Bennett seemed like someone who had lost everything and was still choosing to be kind.
That evening, Lila sat in her new room.
She unpacked slowly.
Her mother’s sweater was the last thing she placed inside the drawer.
She touched the fabric gently.
“I’m okay, Mom,” she whispered.
The words felt strange.
Because she wasn’t completely okay.
Not yet.
But maybe she would be.
Her phone buzzed.
Her heart jumped automatically.
For a second, she thought it might be Ethan.
Not Ethan Hawthorne.
The other Ethan.
The one who left.
She looked down.
A message.
Unknown Number
She hesitated before opening it.
Then she saw the name.
Ethan Carter.
Her ex-boyfriend.
Her stomach dropped.
The message was simple.
I know I shouldn’t be texting you, but I heard you moved out. I hope you’re doing okay.
Lila stared at the screen.
Three weeks ago, that message would have destroyed her.
Now?
She wasn’t sure what she felt.
Pain.
Anger.
Confusion.
She locked her phone.
Not every door that closed deserved to be reopened.
And for the first time since her mother’s death…
Lila chose herself.
Across the estate, Ethan Hawthorne stood in his office looking over documents he wasn’t reading.
His mother had been right about one thing.
Lila was different.
Most people who entered his world were impressed by the money.
The house.
The name.
Lila barely seemed to notice any of it.
She looked at people instead.
And Ethan wasn’t sure why that bothered him.
Or why he found himself wanting to know more.
- Writer
