“That sounds like something Rush would love to do for her,” I reply tentatively, and watch him tense at the mention of my brother’s name. “He’d do anything for her, you know.” Aileen has her own fortune, though my brother never gives her the chance to use it. In fact, I think they even had a huge argument with Lachlan over it.
“Whatever my woman needs, I will provide.”I think that was what he said, which earned him a few glares here and there.
“He’d do anything for her, indeed.” Since his voice stays neutral, it’s hard for me to judge if it’s sarcasm or not. “I don’twant to talk about my sister and your brother right now. The topic tends to piss me off.”
“And you always expect people to do whatever you want?”
“Most of the time, yes. I have enough money and power to ensure that.”
“Your family has money. You did nothing to earn your fortune, yet you thrive in the power it gives you?” To be fair, I’m not one to talk. We all grew up in rich dynasties. Still, I don’t go around bragging that everyone should bend to my will if I so wish. “Your arrogance is astonishing.”
He presses on the accelerator, and my fingers curl into my arms when the car moves rapidly toward what still seems to be an empty space. “What’s bigger arrogance? Using the opportunities life has given you or acting like wealth and power have no meaning and true happiness lies in some greater good?”
“They say money can’t buy happiness.”
“Yet people would prefer to cry in mansions rather than on the streets. I wonder why. It’s the biggest lie you know.”
Since he hops from topics so fast, I clarify, “What?”
“That money can’t buy happiness. When you don’t have it, you’re in survival mode and it’s dictated by the fact that your basic needs cannot be met. That makes a person vulnerable to all the vultures out there ready to use their weaknesses against them. In the search for a better future, people take risks that sometimes cost them their lives.”
I don’t miss how the muscle on his cheek twitches, and an unreadable expression settles on his features. For a second, he gives me a glimpse of the steel-like character that hides beneath the person he shows to the world.
“I have a question. Do you hate people or something? You seem to have a warped opinion about them in most cases.”
“Humans are selfish by nature, and pretending to see them through rose-colored glasses won’t change that.” He looks at me. “But you already know that, don’t you?”
The hot poker digs into my skin, and my scream fills the room as unbearable pain slams into me from every corner. Jade wraps his hand around my throat tight, holding me in place, and grins while tears stream down my bruised flesh. “Now, no one will have you but me.”
Tearing my gaze away from Levi, I brush my cheek, willing the horrible memory to go away and focus on the road.
Only to gasp at the iron gates ahead that seem to be spreading for miles and miles, surrounding a three-level white castle straight from dark fairy tales.
The high arches and rectangular roof stand out under the beaming sunset, which casts a special kind of glow on them. While its beauty should be mesmerizing, it sends shivers down my spine, and goose bumps break out on my skin as if warning me about its secrets.
Beauty can be deceptive, always tempting, and, as such, deadly.
“Where are we?” I ask, sitting up straight as he stops in front of the gates, picks up the remote, and clicks it. The gates slide open with a loud grunting sound that can awaken the dead. No security in sight, either, which only adds to the weird panic spreading inside me. “What are we doing here?”
“Welcome to my castle, Lavender.”
“Your—” I don’t get the chance to react to this information as he flies through the gates, and I’m once again left speechless. The natural perfection opening up to my view is nothing short of stunning and magical.
Rich emerald grass covers the never-ending acres surrounding the massive castle, with sophisticated trees and bushes standing out among them, inviting you to delve deeperinto this garden where various flowers, from roses and orchids to azaleas and tulips, bloom. Their buds create a myriad of colors all around us and draw attention to the maze-like zigzags leading to different flowers, as if inviting you to explore them, yet it’s hard to find their beginning and end. Flowers seem to grow from the ground near the trees and wrap tightly around them, creating a sense of duality and confusion. While my landscape design knowledge is limited, nothing in this garden seems…realistic?
Maybe all of it’s fake except that maze.
I imagine the maze has the power to trap anyone in its clutches.
I spot several berries peeking through the bushes, so this garden has food, too? Comes in handy, I guess, once you get trapped, because I can’t imagine not getting lost here.
Rolling down my window, I welcome the soft breeze touching my skin and study the several marble statues, glistening in the sun, and admire the detailed artwork, every facial feature carved to perfection. For a second, I wonder if they move. Their clothes seem to twitch in the wind, underscoring the artist’s talent. “Who are they?”
The Scott family loves their statues, so they don’t surprise me. They have this huge, unexplainable love for Greek mythology. However, none of these statues remind me of any Greek gods or goddesses.
“That’s Sif.” He points at the statue near us of a long-haired, beautiful goddess wearing a maxi dress. Even through the statue, you can notice peacefulness and calmness oozing from her. “If you’re familiar with Norse mythology, she’s a goddess of earth, and according to some scholars, fertility and wedlock. She’s Thor’s wife.”
How could I not know about them?
