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“I don’t see it that way,” he said tonelessly, with an emptiness in his voice that cut deep into my heart.
"Dad, I'm fine and infinitely lucky to have such a great father. I love you," I assured him, while it was now I who placed her hand on his.
Gratefully, he smiled at me. “I wish your mother could see you now. She would be so proud of you.”
A tear appeared in the corner of his eye. Hastily, he wiped it away.
“We’ve arrived,” Chris sighed. “Let’s get out before people start wondering why we’re sitting in the car for so long. Remember: Being inconspicuous is the only thing that will save us. Myrina …” Sternly, he gazed at me. “You will not go anywhere without our escort. Understood?”
I nodded silently, knowing that it was for my own safety. In the meantime, we had learned who had been invited to the gala, and some of the gentlemen were sympathizers of the Knights of the Seals.
Stephan opened the car door from the outside as if on cue, and a cool evening breeze hit us. The rain had stopped. As I climbed out of the car, I saw a star-filled night sky high above us. The trails were dry, and nothing here indicated that it had been raining continuously for the last few hours.
While the luggage was removed from the trunk and the men approached the entrance, I stopped and looked around curiously.
We were on a circular driveway that led back to the road through a small park. Everywhere, I discovered olive trees,palms, and citrus stems. Right outside the front door, huge lavender bushes sprayed their soothing scent.
Despite its dimensions, the property was manageable and radiated elegance and coziness. The whitewashed exterior walls and its blue roof were reminiscent of houses in Santorini, Greece, as I had seen them in geography books as a schoolgirl. On the other hand, the construction was more colonial, although the columns lining the front were reminiscent of ancient Greece.
Windows with blue shutters and small balconies decorated with the most magnificent flowers were lined up on the upper floors. In contrast, the first floor had huge windows, some floor-to-ceiling, completely contrasting with the rest of the house.
Aza stood next to me and looked at the welcoming building directly before us.
“It’s breathtakingly beautiful,” she breathed, grabbing my hand.
“I know,” I whispered back. “Frighteningly beautiful.” Stealthily, I squeezed her hand once. I had already lost my heart to this house.
Suddenly, the double front door opened, and warm light, also illuminating the windows, spilled out onto the large veranda, with a cozy sitting area inviting endless hours of reading.
“Not just for reading sessions,”Mr. Baldur’s voice murmured in my head, and immediately, my eyes fell on a wide couch covered with colorful pillows and blankets.
I was utterly lost if I could even hear him in my thoughts while awake. A tremor ran through me, and Aza, who must have sensed it, looked at me anxiously.
“Are you cold, Myrina?” she asked softly. “We’d better go inside. It’s getting nippy.”
Gently, she pulled me closer to the entrance, where a young man with mischievousness in his bright blue eyes let my family into the house and helped Stephan with the suitcases.
"Let me introduce myself, Lady. My name is Sam. I'm Mr. Baldur's assistant." Gallantly, he kissed my hand. A gesture I thought had all but died out since the nineteenth century. His charming smile, underscored by his playfully sticking-out black hair, wrapped itself engagingly around me, lulling me into a sense of recognition.
I quickly shook off this deception and gave my counterpart the polite smile that was due to my good upbringing.
“Thank you very much, Sam. My name is Myrina. I look forward to meeting you.”
“If there’s anything I can do for you during your stay, anything at all, just let me know, Myrina,” he pushed back beguilingly.
“Sam!” A voice suddenly rumbled over to us from the entrance hall, and knowing whose voice it was, I would have loved to run back to the car.
Nevertheless, I remained transfixed and stared into the man's golden eyes, now approaching us in a rage.
"Mr. Baldur, thank you very much for your generous invitation," my father said and walked toward him, but he paid no attention. His gaze bore into mine, and it softened after Sam took a few steps away from me.
At the last moment, he stopped just in front of me.
“Miss Myrina. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” he purred as he gave me a smile that belied his words.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shocked faces of my family. This appearance only fueled their suspicion that someone might try to kidnap me here.
Rick quickly slid in between the host and me, with Chris pulling me behind him.
