AllFreeNovel
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Mommy’s gone. She’s left me. I start crying, not sure I’ll ever stop.
* * *
I wake to complete silence, as if someone has hit the mute button on the world. It’s something I’m not used to, mostly because I’d get up most mornings to my stepmother yelling my name, then barking orders.
So, this feels strange. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. Sitting up, I stretch my back, having slept incredibly. Well, aside from the dream, which I haven’t had in too long. Maybe it’s a sign that being back at the mansion, I can use the morning to hunt down my mom’s lost necklace. Not to mention, track down a phone to call my dad.
No time like the present. I shuffle out of bed and into the bathroom for a shower. For a change, I take my time in the hot water. Once I have a towel wrapped around me and one in my hair, I go back to the bedroom. Rummaging through my duffle bag for clothes, I pull out my favorite old jeans and a faded V-neck tee. It’s comfortable and makes me feel… well, like me.
As I’m just about to change, there’s a sudden knock at the door. Before I can even call out to wait, the door swings open, revealing a young woman, maybe in her late twenties, with a cascade of red locks. Her arms are full of clothes, and she offers me a tight smile.
“Sorry for barging in, but these are so heavy, and I’m already so behind schedule,” she says as she starts to sort out the clothes into the wardrobe. “I’m Claire, by the way.”
“Sapphire,” I answer, though I’m confused by the intrusion. “Whose clothes are those?”
She giggles in response. “Yours, of course, silly. If you’re going to live in Hawk’s world, you have to look the part. Especially when dealing with his business and associates at events.”
Her words catch me off guard. They’re giving me clothes to wear? I don’t know how to feel about that. I glance down at the jeans and top I’ve laid out on the bed, already feeling I don’t belong in thisworld, so why would Hawk agree to me being here?
Claire tuts as she studies my selection. “Don’t get me wrong, I love what you have there, but maybe try something like this.”
I face her, where she’s holding a simple yet elegant navy blue dress. It’s a simple straight dress with nothing fancy, just short sleeves and a round neckline. It’s not something I’ve ever worn before.
“Look, no pressure, but you might feel more comfortable fitting in, at least for the first few days until you settle in.”
“Thanks.” I nod, taking the dress from her. “It’s not normally something I wear, and this is all very new to me. I’m not even sure if things will work out here.”
She brushes red curls off her face and returns to fixing my new clothes in the wardrobe.
“You’ll be surprised how easily you’ll adapt when you have to. If you’re here, it’s because Mr. Kline made it so, and he never makes mistakes.”
I half-laugh. “Well, he might discover I’m his first. I have no idea what I’m supposed to even do here.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud, but it also feels good to share it with someone.
“You’ll do just fine, you’ll see. Just do as Hawk asks, and you’ll have no problems.”
And if I don’t…Those words linger in my mind, but I don’t get to ask before she excuses herself and rushes back out of my room.
“Oh, breakfast is being served down in the dining room on the first floor,” she throws over her shoulder.
Slipping into the dress, I glance at my reflection in the bathroom mirror at the soft fabric. The perfect design hugs my curves and tells me this is an expensive dress… yet it just doesn’t feel right. It’s as though I’m staring at a stranger, and it’s not me.
The longer I stare at myself, the more I know I can’t do it.
Quickly, I return to the wardrobe, the gowns and satin blouses, the range of fancy accessories. Nestled among them, I spot a couple of simple button-up shirts, and I grab the white one. Putting it on over the dress, I roll up the sleeves a little, then tie the bottom front of the shirt across my stomach. I immediately feel a bit more like me but still managing a casual, smart appearance.
I step into black ballet flats and head to the door.
Time to find that necklace. I doubt Hawk will want me to start work at seven in the morning.
Hurrying along corridors and hallways, I pass a few people who all seem to work here, and each only nods or smiles at me. When I track down the ballroom, I find it mostly empty. Gone are the tables, decorations, and the crowd. What’s left is the shiny, polished floor. I exhale loudly. If I dropped anything in this room, it would have been swept up by the cleaners.
Regardless, I begin a fast sweep of the room when a glint from a corner has me rushing over, only to find it’s a glittery piece of decoration. My heart deflates.
My thoughts meander to Hawk and that perhaps I dropped it near our encounter. I take the same corridor I did last night but have no luck retracing my steps. I stumble upon an office I haven’t seen before, its door wide open. Inside is an office with an expensive leather couch, a mahogany desk, and a line of bookshelves behind it.
What catches my attention is the black phone on the desk.
Hope surges in my gut, and I run into the room and pick up the phone, already dialing my dad’s number.
