The slap of the door was still echoing in Mira's ears.
Why? Why would he be so furious about her not wanting to marry Lucas?
But the jumbled-up thought she was going through evaporated the second her feet hit the driveway.
Her head tipped all the way back and her jaw dropped. Not figuratively, but literally.
She would not be surprised if a chorus of bluebirds started to circle around her head.
This place wasn't a house. It was like a castle plucked from a fantasy movie. The chandeliers were the size of cars, and they glowed behind the floor-to-ceiling windows while throwing light on the manicured gardens with their glittering fountains.
Men in sharp uniforms stood at attention, their eyes scanning the grounds over and over.
"Wow. So this is where I'll stay now," she whispered to herself.
A place she had only ever seen on screens. Not even when she had applied for cleaning jobs had she been allowed past the gates of places like this.
But now that she was a Sanders, she even had a room in a place like this?
Before the awe could fully sink in, sharp voices sliced through the silence from inside. A mixture of a man's roar and a woman's rage.
Mira hurried up the steps, but not even the urgency could stop her from admiring the grand foyer.
Because this thing was way bigger than her entire old apartment. The marble floors were so shiny she could check her reflection in them, and the sweeping staircase looked like it was designed for some sort of dramatic entrance.
Maids in black-and-white uniforms bowed as she passed them like they were robots.
"Welcome home, Miss Lorena."
Mira, awkward as hell, only managed to give a wobbly nod to each one.
"Thank you. Hi. Uhm… nice to be… here?"
She gave a little finger wave to one and instantly felt embarrassed, but her attention was snatched away when she looked down the hall to the main living area.
It was like war.
Damian stood toe to toe with his mother, Evelyn Sanders. Her designer clothes and perfect posture screamed money and power, even though her face was twisted in fury.
"–let her sign some shit to marry Lucas Atkins?" Damian was booming. His voice was shaking the crystals in the lights above, and Mira winced. She would not be surprised if the sound caused thousands worth of glass to rain down on them.
"Why would she even need to do that? Don't sit there and act like we don't have enough money to help ourselves! She doesn't need to marry some stupid man for that!"
Mira froze as one of her hands flew to her chest.
He wasn't angry at her. He was actually angry for her.
Evelyn on the other hand didn't even blink. Instead, she took a slow sip from a champagne glass.
"Will you just calm the fuck down, Damian? You'll pop a blood vessel at this point. When did you even get back? Weren't you supposed to be handling that acquisition in Zurich? Or did you just get bored and decide to come home to showcase your drama?"
"Is that seriously what's important at this point?" He snarled, getting right in her face. "Your daughter was missing and you didn't even report it. She wakes from a coma, and you're here sipping champagne like it's Christmas. Why are you doing this, Mother? Is this because she's just your stepdaughter? Because I know you would never be this chill if it were Susanne."
The sound that followed was like thunder.
Evelyn's hand moved faster than a cheetah, her palm connecting with Damian's cheek with a crack that made Mira jump.
Mira immediately stepped forward, making sure her body was between them. Her fingers shook a little as she touched the red mark on Damian's face. "Mo… mother! You didn't need to do that."
Evelyn ignored her completely, focusing only on her son.
"You know how much I care about Lorena. How much I care about my daughter. No one, not even you, gets to make me feel that way. She is my daughter!"
Mira was shocked. Were… they? Were they seriously fighting over her right now?
Not about where to push her or for money reasons, but genuinely arguing about who cared about her more?
Wow. Lorena Sanders really had everything she ever ached for. Mira could not believe her ears, and a part of her, the part that had eaten dinner alone for years, absolutely loved it.
Evelyn's eyes widened again.
"I looked for her. Of course I did. Why wouldn't I? I just didn't use the police because they'd just arrest her, as you can see. I used our own men instead, and they've been searching for days. Why do you think the security is reduced here, you dumb boy? I sent them all out to find your sister, of course!"
"Uh… mo… mom? It's alright. Please, it's okay now. I understand you, and I'm home now. Damian was just being… paranoid." Mira tried to pour water over the burning fire.
Evelyn instantly softened. She turned and cupped Mira's face in her perfectly manicured hands.
"Oh my darling girl," she murmured.
Her thumb stroked Mira's cheek. "Look at you. Why did you run away? Well, I'm just so glad that you're back home. I'm so glad you're okay."
Her eyes swept quickly over Mira's body, at her tangled hair, the smudges on her robe, the general aura that made her look like she'd slept in a gutter. Evelyn's nose wrinkled.
"Baby bird, what did they do to you to make you this way? You're absolutely filthy right now."
She then looked away. "This won't do. Not for a whole Lorena Sanders. First things first, you must get cleaned up. Edith!" she called out.
"Run Lorena's bath quickly. The lavender salts, not the eucalyptus. And make it deep. She needs to soak away every bit of this horrible ordeal. And find a loofah too. A very strong one."
A maid rushed up the stairs while Evelyn began to lead Mira away with a firm arm around her shoulders.
Damian's glare burned into their backs. He was still not satisfied. "When she's done," he snapped, "we're still going to talk about this."
He then turned and stormed off in the opposite direction as if he was going to punch a wall or something.
Evelyn continued to lead Mira up the grand staircase and down a long hall. She stopped before a set of massive double doors and pushed them open.
Mira's breath stopped for the umpteenth time today.
The room wasn't just a bedroom. It was like a presidential suite.
A canopy bed big enough for her, her stepdad, and four more people sat at the center. A vanity lined with more makeup and perfume than a department store counter gleamed nearby. The sitting room area by a bay window overlooked the gardens.
Everything looked so good and untouched, and smelled like rich people.
"See?" Evelyn started gently. "Your room's been like this the whole time. No one touched a thing even when you… refused to come home." She gave Mira a little shoulder squeeze.
"Now take your bath and come downstairs when you're ready."
The door clicked shut, leaving Mira alone to admire the opulence even more.
This was like a dream to her. A weird, possibly dangerous dream, but still.
The maid from before appeared by the door and bowed so low Mira feared for her spine.
"Miss Lorena, your bath is ready."
And then she vanished like a ninja before Mira could even thank her.
Mira didn't waste any time. She let the disgusting garment and the ruined silk pajamas puddle on the luxurious floor like the skin of a fancy snake, and then stepped into the bathroom.
She sank into a tub of waiting water and felt like she had entered heaven.
For the first time in days, a genuine smile spread across her face.
She was finally safe. She was home.
She even splashed the water as a quiet, giddy laugh bubbled in her throat.
But then her eyes suddenly caught something.
A tiny, flashing red light, one almost invisible, was nestled on the line between two tiles nearest the ceiling, right above the towel rack.
Mira frowned and pushed herself up, letting the water drip off her naked body and onto the priceless marble floor.
She stepped closer and reached up with her wet fingers. And she was right. Behind the tile was a lens. A cold, blinking eye.
Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a scream while her heart hammered against her ribs like it wanted to escape.
It was a camera. Hidden in the wall.