“I’m Aurora.”
“I know.”
Okay. I suppose Jonathan’s staff are as stand-offish as he is. They’re not talkative either.
Margot leads me to the second floor and Tom follows behind us like a shadow, silent and a bit creepy.
The entire mansion is.
Despite the elegant wallpaper that’s fit for a royal palace and the golden ornaments attached to the ceilings, something is off about this place.
Your sister got depressed and died here.
That’s probably it.
Besides, the King mansion doesn’t have Alicia’s touch. At all.
Her only visible interference here is the angel statues outside. The inside, while it hints at a refined taste, is all Jonathan — rugged edges and authoritative masculinity.
This place isn’t just meant to impress, it’s also meant to intimidate. When you walk these halls, you sign an imaginary pact to do whatever the tyrant of the house demands.
Margot stops in front of a room and motions for Tom to go inside. He places the suitcase at the entrance, nods, and leaves.
The room is so large, it almost takes up an entire floor. An elegant queen-sized bed sits on a high platform in a classic way with a modern touch. The balcony is open, which allows the light-coloured curtains to flap inside.
There’s also a desk and a small sitting area.
“This will be your room. Breakfasts are at seven-thirty. No lunches on workdays and dinners are at eight.”
“I don’t eat breakfast.”
She throws me a weird glance like I murdered a puppy or something. What’s so hard about not eating breakfast? All I need is coffee and I get that on my way to work.
Seeming to let it go, Margot resumes speaking in her impersonal tone. “You’re not allowed on the third floor.”
“Why not?”
“Mr King’s orders.”
“If he has orders, he needs to tell me himself.”
She pins me with a stare for a long time, as if not believing I’ve just said that. Then she says in the same tone, “If you need anything, you can hit ‘one’ on any phone in the house. Dinner will be served in an hour.” She nods, turning to leave.
“Wait.”
She glimpses at me without saying anything.
“Where was Alicia’s room? Her and Jonathan’s, I mean.” I realise I’m implying that Margot has been here since Alicia’s times. She appears as old as Jonathan, if not older, so I assume she’s been working for him all this time.
“On the third floor. The one you’re forbidden to go to, Miss.” She pauses. “And Mrs King didn’t share a room with Mr King.”
With that, she’s out the door.
Her words float in the air like an invisible halo.
Did she just say Alicia and Jonathan didn’t share a room? But why? They had Aiden, so naturally, they must have had sex. And they weren’t that old to opt for separate bedrooms.
What the hell was going on in your life, Alicia?