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Olivia had never heard of this castle, but judging by Christian’s reaction, she got the distinct feeling that this day might not be much better that the last.
***
Christian couldn’t shake the weird feeling that something was going on here. Magura Castle? That was crazy.
“What’s Magura Castle?” Olivia asked. The confusion on her face reflected his own.
“Oh, it’s been in the Rusu family for hundreds of years before it was lost to us,” Elena said. “My dear brother Andrei himself bought it back for the family. Well . . . for himself that is, but let’s go inside.”
Olivia frowned. “Magura Castle, yes, I think I remember hearing that name during a meeting with my lawyer. Wasn’t it being sold?”
Elena opened her mouth to speak when Alina chimed in. “It has not been sold yet, so, technically, the owner is still—” she was cut short when Elena lost her balance and stumbled sideways—right on Alina’s foot. The girl yelped in pain.
“Oh, sorry dear, I’m not well today,” Elena said. Christian folded his arms and watched them as Olivia stepped forward to offer a helping hand to Elena, who gladly accepted the offer and held on to Olivia’s arm.
“I think I need to sit down,” Elena said, throwing a pitiful look at Christian. “My old sick heart,” she added, coughing. Then she turned to Olivia and smiled. “Come now, dear, there’s coffee and cake for you inside. I just can’t wait to get to know you. You must have a lot of questions about our family.”
Olivia smiled and muttered a polite thanks, and they turned to face the door again.
That melodramatic sickness must have come overnight,Christian thought as he watched Elena limping into the house. Christian rolled his eyes and leaned against the van. It was all theater.
Alina stepped up next to him, and they exchanged glances.
“Mother at her best.” She rolled her eyes. She made to come closer, but he quickly turned around and opened the van door, as if he had something important to do. When he turned around, Alina was stomping away.
At the doorway, he saw Olivia turn around and give him a polite, almost formal, smile.
“All the best with your tours,” she said coldly. “Thank you for the . . . interesting ride.”
“No, no,” Elena said. “No need to say goodbye. He will wait for you outside.” She paused as Christian and Olivia exchanged looks. “Our sweet Christian will be your driver to the castle,” she said before going into another coughing fit, dramatically clutching her chest. “Isn’t that so, Christian?” she asked, wheezing slightly.
“Well, we didn’t really discuss the details but I guess—”
“There is nobody else I would trust my dear Olivia with,” Elena said. “It is settled.”
His eyes shifted from Elena to Olivia. Her face was drawn. She was clearly sick of him and his van. He felt his jaw clench, but he couldn’t blame her. Either way, he’d do whatever Elena wanted. He needed the money, whether Olivia was sick of him or not.
“That’s fine, I guess,” Olivia muttered politely to Elena. She looked like she’d just eaten a lemon whole.
He watched them enter the house while he stood by the van, trying to piece out everything. Something seemed odd about the whole arrangement: the thing with the castle, and Elena suddenly playing the dying old lady.
He scratched the back of his head and walked around the van, running his fingers along the dents and scrapes on the vehicle.
“She’s acting weird, even for Elena,” he mumbled to himself and settled inside the van. He kept his eyes on the door and leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. Family heirloom or not, why send Olivia to Magura Castle? It was one of the scariest places in all Romania. Maybe there was something she wasn’t telling him. Then again, it wasn’t any of his business. But he couldn’t help feeling that it all had something to do with the Rusu fortune. Somehow, Elena was trying to get more money. How rich was Olivia, anyway? He hadn’t wondered about that until now.
“Not my problem,” he said. Whatever was going on here, Olivia was strong enough to take care of herself. He could still picture her face at the airport when she was fighting for her bag, blocking his van with a look in her eyes that could kill. He smiled and shook his head. There was something unique about Olivia, some trait he’d never seen before. A hidden strength and honest kindness—even if the kindness wasn’t directed at him.
The door opened and Alina came out. Christian straightened up and watched her come around to the driver’s side.
“Good. You’re still here,” she said. She leaned closer to his side of the car.
“Yeah, I’m waiting for . . .” Christian was saying when she adjusted herself against the door, drawing down her top in the process. Alina was pretty, but as he cared for attributes such as kindness and intellect, of which she lacked both—not his type. He cleared his throat. “I guess I won’t be needed for a while, huh?”
“That’s what Mom sent me to tell you.”
“Okay,” he said with a sigh, reaching for the wheel. He gave Alina a curt nod and started the van. She stepped back, her arms crossed.
“I’ll be back in a few hours.”
