Falling Red

13

♤ Follow your instincts, that is where true wisdom manifests itself ♤

*unedited*

♦ V E R O N I C A ♦

It is night when the car drops me out at the texted address in my inbox. However, the moment I see the house—scratch it—it is a mansion, my mouth twitches. Which rich bas*ard Mia hooked up this time?

Without a problem a guard leads me in, I walk through the main gate and curiously look around. The mansion is painted in the contrast of royal blue and white. There are a large number of high and tall trees at the periphery of the mansion while the pavement under my feet divides the garden in two halves. There is a series of small purple flowers blooming at the both edges of the walkway. It leads me to a fountain that is illuminating in multiple lights. If looked from the height, the mansion stood there as if the surrounding nature had embraced it, that the flora flowed within it as much as around it. I am going to live here?

I moist my dry lips and bite my inner cheeks. In spite of so beautiful view of the place, the atmosphere and vibe here is deadly. Call it my gut feeling or something else but after living so long with my father, it comes from inside that I can sense the threat around me. My eyebrows come together when I notice guards all around the place with a gun in their hands and talk in an eye-to-eye gesture. It appears like if there is any attack, they are prepared to retaliate. However, why the owner of the place needs so many guards? I really wish to see Mia soon. Is the man, she met is some gangster like my father? Even though I never get a chance to live in the mansion but I had seen it often. The atmosphere here reminds me of that place.

"Veronica!" I snap out of my thoughts as Mia runs to me from inside. "You are finally here." She pulls my hand and drags me inside. "You like the place, don't you?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

"Hey, everything is going to be fine, alright?" she comforts and puts her hand on my shoulder. "In few days we will return to our apartment."

I turn my head around and then tuck her hand, "Why are so many guards here?"

"Oh, don't worry. It is their security thing. Hardin has already told me about it," she babbles and her eyes hold a bright shine. "He lives here with his cousin but they share different sections so we don't have to bother about disturbing him."

I frown. I am still not sure about staying here. "How long you know that guy?"

"Umm . . ." she tilts her head in deep thought. "Probably two weeks."

"And you trusted him?" I raise the corner of my brow. "What if he turns out to like my father?"

"Shut up!" she smacks my arm and pouts. "He is nothing like that old bas*ard. You have not met Hardin that's why you are saying this but once you meet him you will know he is a real gentleman. Moreover, we are already here, aren't we?"

I sigh and look away. Yeah, the harm was done. I am already here—under countless eyes where can I run. "I still thank you, Mia, for doing so many things for me. Because of me even your life is becoming a mess."

Once I come across the threshold, I notice everything inside with my keen eyes. It is technology and modern design all the way. The floors are polished concrete and the furniture around the place is high end designers only. The place glisters in light.

"You had your dinner?"

"No," I shake my head. "I do not feel like having anything."

"Come, we will have something before I show you your room. Or if you want I can give you a tour of this place." She does not leave my hand, not even for a minute and keeps dragging me in the unknown mansion as if she owns the place. It just one day and she is so familiar with this place? "Sara makes excellent food. I tell you, she can shame the top hotels in the city." I follow her without a choice. When we enter the kitchen, she shouts, "Sara, we are hungry. Could you settle two plates for us, please?"

I look up at the female behind the counter. She has a wheatish skin complexion, dusky hair and a petite figure. A few wrinkles near her eyes make her appear in her thirties. The way her eyes are filled with smile, I guess she is an easy going person.

Her eyes lands on me, eyeing me from my head to toe before turning back to my face with a smile. "Oh, she is your friend, Mia?"

Mia gives her toothy smile. "Yeah, she is my roommate about whom I told you in the afternoon."

"Don't believe her words. They are unreliable." I wave my hand in the air then smile at Sara, hoping not to show my confusion to live here. Until now she is the third female I had seen here. Mia, Sara and I vs. all the tough men inside the mansion. It feels strange. "I am Veronica. Sorry, we are troubling you."

Sara shakes her head. "No. It is good to see some new faces in the house otherwise I get rotten seeing the faces of those boys." She turns the water off and wipes her hand off on a towel that is placed on the kitchen counter and walks over to me before stretching her hand out, "By the way, welcome to Rio's Mansion, I am Sara. I cook for all these hungry men. If you want to eat anything or feel thirsty just come here." Sara walks back to the kitchen counter while Mia sits on the kitchen counter. "What can I make for you girls?"

"Sara, I did not see any female working here other than you. Why?" I ask before I can stop myself. If I want to live here, I have to have a clear understanding of this place. Mia may not be interested in this but I cannot ignore my gut feeling. I want to gain some information from Sara, nothing more.

"There are three maids other than me but they are off for today. Since the mansion is huge they work separately in different sections," she informs without looking up at any of us as she busies herself in collecting the ingredients for whatever she is planning to cook. "You do not have to worry about anything while living here," she laughs. "These men look rough but they do not harm."

I do not believe her words but I do not say anything. "Is there any rule that we need to know?" I lick my lips and leans against the counter and watch her grab a piece of meat from the refrigerator. "I do not want to break the taboo here."

"The mansion is divided in three floors. The ground floor is of Hardin. So we are living in the ground floor," Mia chimes. "He has mentioned that never go on the second floor. That floor belongs to his cousin and he does not like people around his place." She turns her head towards Sara and her expression says: Oh, let's gossip more. "Hardin has not told me more about his cousin. Can you tell us something about him?"

When I look at Sara, she freezes for a second before turning back to normal. I narrow my eyes. I can clearly feel the sense of fear coming out of her body. "I do not know. I have never seen him."

"Never seen him?" Mia snorts. "In afternoon you mentioned that you have been working here for three years, hasn't you?"

"The maximum time, he stays in his office and sometimes leaves the mansion for his business." Sara lowers her voice. However, Mia's curiosity is not satisfied but Sara does not give her time to ask anything more. "Shh . . . talking about him is not allowed here. If someone hears you then you might get into trouble. You both are new here, slowly you will understand."

I do not ask more but my mind keeps swimming in the pool of thoughts.

"We are not saying anything bad about him." Mia shrugs her shoulders and turns to me. Her voice is slow and hushing, "I heard that he became a billionaire at a very young age. He had dropped his studies in final year to start his own business."

"What does he exactly do?" I quiz.

"Though, I do not know the name, but he owns a group of hotels. Even Hardin works with him as a business partner."

"His name?"

Mia scratches her temple and pouts, "I do not know."

I roll my eyes. So Mia. She collects all the gossips about that billionaire cousin of her newly made boy—friend but forgets to find his name.