AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER FIVE
Lucy Shillerton's jaw toppled open as she and Maxine drove up to the sprawling luxury estate of the Romero family later that afternoon.
Oh, Holy Grail!
This was not somebody’s home; it was a palace, a fortress, a kingdom! It looked even more impressive in real life than it did on the Internet.
Lucy and Maxine stepped out of the car with their mouths wide open gawking at the massive estate and the multi-level, white-brick mansion that sat behind the golden-gated entrance. There was a concrete flowing water feature in the main garden in front of the house that looked more like an enchanted fountain. The water spurting out of it was richly blue and forceful.
God, it was mesmerizing. Right behind the water fountain dozens of wide steps led up to the main house with its beautiful French doors. There was something about the double French doors that captivated Lucy. The whole scene looked like something out of a movie. So surreal.
This was a far cry from her humble old brick apartment building complex in the suburbs. Heck, the elevators were inoperable virtually every other day. When you had to walk up the steep, dark stairwell after finishing up a 12-hour workday, it was no fun.
But Lucy was still sincerely grateful to have a roof over her head, so she rarely complained.
“Girl, this is hot!” Maxine commented as she took out her smartphone to take a picture.
“Maxine!”
“What?”
“You cannot take a picture. This is private property. There are laws against doing that.”
“The paparazzi do it all the time.”
“Maxine!” Lucy scowled at her assistant.
“Sorry,” Maxine pouted as she slid the phone back in her handbag.
Lucy felt guilty for snapping at her assistant in such a rigid tone. “Listen, if we ask permission later we can probably take pictures of the ballroom area and the garden for the wedding planning.”
“Oh, right. Of course. That was the reason I was taking pictures, Lucy.” Maxine playfully rolled her eyes.
Lucy grinned and shook her head. The excitement of being in a place such as this really got to them. In a good way, of course. They both felt exhilarated. It was as if they were in Hollywood or some sort of paradise.
“So this is what forty acres looks like up close, huh?” Maxine remarked as she and Lucy walked up the stone pathway to the palatial abode. They pressed a button and the intercom sounded. No doubt cameras were planted everywhere. Hidden cameras in addition to the visible ones. Lucy looked around and saw green land stretching far and beyond. The house was slightly on a hill so she could overlook the town. She had never seen this side of outer Toronto before. It was as if she was on an island, secluded from prying eyes, yet she could see all. She was so used to the city life and city living that she’d never imagined being near fresh, uncongested open air with hundreds of acres of land unfolding before her. She knew there was also a winery on the estate. It was amazing. Lucy appreciated that her client worked so hard his entire life to have all of this and she wanted more than ever to give him the dream wedding he so deserved—just as long as it didn’t cost him his life!
The thought of his grandson’s threat loomed large. This dream wedding could turn into a nightmare affair if she wasn’t careful and she knew that all too well.
“Yes, Miss Shillerton. Mr. Romero will see you in the study.” A man with a waiter’s tuxedo greeted them after opening the door.
“Thank you,” Lucy said warmly. She felt so out of her league and intimidated by the premise and the staff, which was so weird. Why should she be? They were just as human as she was, right?
The inside of the grand entrance boasted golden marble and the ceiling was the tallest she’d ever seen. It seemed to go on forever. An enormous chandelier dangled from above and the walls were adorned with beautiful yet subtle artwork. Lucy felt like she’d just stepped into an art gallery, not somebody’s private residence.
She also noted that this would certainly be an ideal place to take some of the pictures for Toni’s wedding to Shelly. The backdrop would be so romantic. So royal-looking.
Later, they received a brief tour of the beautiful premise and the enormous ballroom where the reception would be held. Maxine ferociously typed away on her iPad taking notes and snapping pictures of the setting. Then they were introduced to the official photographer so they could go over the layout and photo settings.
