Selena looked around. "Wow, it's like a castle." Selena loved the big glasses, and she smiled brightly as she stepped out onto the driveway. Cameras flashed as she emerged, and Eun Ho guided her through the chaos. The reason the car was parked at the big beautiful entrance was for this reason.
"Bear with it, Moon," Eun Ho said, her voice calm and reassuring. Her daughter wouldn't receive bad press; who'd dare? Anyway, she was perfect. It was not even her bias; they had been approached by talent scouts, and she had amassed cards from pretty much every agency in the city. Her daughter had a natural, mature grace.
"Do I have to?" Selena pouted as she felt herself snap out of her fog, and she tried her best to be unaffected by the commotion. But her perfectly coordinated pre-trend outfit and hair ended up stealing the spotlight, eclipsing even socialite Dallas Marriott's trendy look.
"Yes," Eun Ho said. The sleek black outfit, combined with the fluffy gray vest with a belt looped over it, was effortlessly elegant. Her long, dark black hair and delicate bangs blew gently in the wind, and the flashes erupted as Selena naturally moved with a model-like grace that the paparazzi seemed to devour.
Jonathan quickly sent security to escort them off the property, his eyes scanning the crowd with a mixture of concern and annoyance. "No flash photography was agreed upon today," he reminded the paparazzi, his voice firm but polite. The security team quickly handled the situation, ushering the paparazzi away from the family.
Jonah breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the chaos was dying down. Flash photography was one of his triggers, and he hated the way it made him feel anxious and disoriented. Selena's epilepsy was worse than his. There were no triggers other than overwhelming emotion. Which was a rough trigger to have. She was overexcited one minute, and then it was terrible.
As they walked towards the safety of the estate, Eun Ho leaned in to whisper to Selena, "You're doing great, Moon. Just remember, we're introducing you to society slowly. No need to rush."
Selena nodded, her eyes sparkling with understanding. She knew that her family was trying to protect her, and she was grateful for their efforts.
Eun Ho was working secretly. Molly MacDonald wasn't actually Molly. Molly was Holly O'Brien. Molly had her secrets, and the MacDonalds were all relocated to the Witness Protection program. Robert Gonzales was the current Capo. Molly had been caught trafficking 150kg of cocaine, and, to get out of trouble, she took a bunch of the cartel members down. Luckily, Selena MacDonald didn't exist; Celeste O'Brien aka McKenna MacDonald did.
Selena didn't need to know this, but she might. After she receives her gift and the Saju training, she will learn it all. The best part was that she was unknown to the cartel, and any groundwork would lead them to McKenna and her life pinned to Celeste O'Brien's birth certificate. McKenna's life as a Lowrie and Park was recently redacted as well.
Jonathan had easily created a backstory for Selena and altered all her records in school. It was easy to rewrite history with power, and he had the background to protect her. As they stepped into the safety of the estate, Selena felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was home, and she was safe. They would sit her down after she finished the trial. She was supposed to see the farthest. Farther than the great Saju. The epilepsy she inherited from her father was to make way for the twins to take both gifts.
As they made their way into the estate, Jonah couldn't help but wonder what she'd think. But for now, he was just grateful to have Selena, someone to share the burden. She was about to meet a very odd and correct woman.
Selena was excited. The new features were amazing. Much more amazing was that A. A was a cute orb that could emote now. She could live with it until it disappeared. There were options for colors and shapes, but she let it choose. The light blue to purple orb it chose was unique.
The large doors creaked open. Sensing the flood of cortisol, A. A emitted a little oxytocin and dopamine to soothe her and ducked out of her field of vision, and looked out of her eyes silently. Then it sensed the connection to wireless Internet. It connected and downloaded where it could. It was slow. Tediously slow.
The nanny staff brought all the luggage in. A.A tracked the direction by ear and sight. The little bells she tied to her bags worked. They were being opened, and it was quiet; it still informed Selena.
An elderly man and woman walked out. They must be her grandparents. The elderly woman looked eccentric. She was dressed in a black Chanel suit. Her graying blonde hair had a single emo raccoon tail dyed a lock of hair in it.
The look wouldn't be popular for another three years. Selena tilted her head, her face knitting in confusion as the elderly woman reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"It seems like it's taken several decades for you to arrive," Amelia Lowrie said. Selena's arm tingled as the woman grabbed her arm. She felt it at the top of her head.
Amelia closed her eyes. "Oh, child, it must've been very difficult. How are you integrating now?" Selena felt anxiety build up in her as her grandmother, Amelia Lowrie, said. The words hit Selena like bricks.
"Not all was as it seemed. Oh wow. Quite the pitiable past," Amelia said. Selena's legs shook. The Scottish accent was eerie, considering the topics pulled from her past life.
Jonathan walked up and took his mother's hand off Selena's wrist. "Ma, not now. She had an episode on the plane." Jonathan formed a protective barrier. His mother touched his shoulder.
"The first calamity hasn't happened, Jonathan. You must be a vigilant father. This veil of mine will be lifted finally," Amelia whispered as she looked through her son.
Jonathan sighed. His mother's idea of a greeting had always been bizarre, but his heart was pounding. If the switch and premature labor hadn't been the first and second causes, then what was it?
"Remember, Saju speaks of unchangeable points, predestiny. The calamities are our gift to see as they are changeable. They are ours to bear because of the debt the goddesses of profound love cast upon us by the void of the universe," Amelia whispered.
"Come, come in. Your tea is getting cold," Arthur said, his warm smile inviting them into the cozy living room. He had married Amelia, a woman with a remarkable ability to see into the future and past, a gift that was both impressive and unnerving.