Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90268 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Rolling onto my back on my bed, I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. The heavy wooden beams had darkened with age, while the pale morning light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the property.
Nothing about this room felt like mine. Not all the expensive furniture, not all the antique books lining the shelves. Not the over-the-top decor or the gaudy bedspread I was lying on.
Nothing.
Especially not the silence.
I was used to a home with a revolving door when it came to family and friends, and a sense of community, and this was far from that. At least it was to me. I hadn’t seen my uncle since the night of the party. The only people I came in contact with were his staff. He had servant upon servant in a home with only two people.
I didn’t see his fiancée either, which made me think she might not live here. I stayed in my room for the most part. I had yet to wander the estate, unsure of what I’d find.
I missed my plants the most. Our home was covered in them. I spent years collecting all kinds. My favorite was anything that trailed. All the greenery brought so much life into a room, and I loved the fact that if you took care of them correctly, they’d live forever.
The energy alone was good for your immune system, not to mention all the spiritual protection they offered by warding off any negativity.
Maybe I can find a plant shop?
I wasn’t going to find a rainforest in my backyard to exchange with. If I snipped a plant clipping, I left an offering in its place as an even trade with Mother Nature.
I had quite a bit of money saved from working since I could basically walk. My family always paid me. They were adamant about it. Even when I tried to refuse. I wasn’t much of a spender, buying things that I needed more than anything. My Apple laptop, an iPad, my cell phone, things like that were what I spent my savings on.
What little I did see, there was nothing alive in my uncle’s house. It was cold, with no touch of a woman. The chef’s food was pretty bland, with little flavor. There were also no snacks. The chef asked me to make a list of the food and drinks I enjoyed so they could buy them for me, but I didn’t want them to waste money.
I decided I’d buy my own groceries. I just had to find the nearest store to purchase them. In the meantime, I ate what the chef cooked. Tío did own quite an obscene amount of alcohol, bottles that looked like they’d been around for centuries.
I still wanted to explore the town, but considering I probably made a fool of myself to most of the people who lived there the other night, I couldn’t find the desire to venture out.
Back home, the Amazon breathed with life. Birds argued with the sunrise while insects sang until dawn. Even the river had its own beat, reminding you life never truly stopped. Here, it felt as though his estate was holding its breath. Just waiting for I don’t know what.
My gaze drifted to the ripped-up dress folded across the velvet chair in the corner of the room. Mud stained the hem, but I reached for it anyway, my fingertips brushing over the torn fabric. It was a reminder that the night had been real and that every person at the party had looked at me like I was something they couldn’t quite place.
An outsider, or maybe I was just an inconvenience. A source of entertainment that they could play with. I wasn’t sure which one was worse. I pushed away the thought, crossing toward the window and onto the balcony. The view truly did steal the air from my lungs.
Morning fog rolled across perfectly trimmed gardens, swallowing marble statues one moment before revealing them the next. It was probably why I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere behind the mist, I was being watched.
I forced myself away from the balcony. There was no point delaying the inevitable. Folded neatly at the foot of the bed sat the uniform I’d been given yesterday. Pressed perfectly, it looked untouched by human hands.
For a moment, I only stared at it. The black-and-white pleated skirt, the crisp white, collared button-down shirt, a black vest with a matching black blazer, tailored precisely as if they’d already known my measurements.
My gaze settled on the embroidered crest stitched over the left breast pocket, directly above the heart. Even their emblem looked as if it were daring you to survive. I slipped on the skirt first, smoothing the heavy fabric over my hips before fastening the waistband. It fit as though it’d been made for only me.