ALEX’s POV

The drive to Manhattan felt quicker when you have a million questions running around inside your head. The car drove past a suburb and then headed straight for the hills. I frowned.

“The Harrington Estate is on a mountain?”

Henry turned to me. “A hill. But yes.”

“Why didn’t Reginald Harrington build one at the suburb. There are lots of space there.”

Henry just smiled, his eyes trailed on the wrought-iron gates that were approaching. “This house was built long before any of the other houses in Manhattan existed. If you’re going to ask a question, it should be ‘why they didn’t build one near the estate’?”

“So, why didn’t they build—”

“Because all of this is private property.”

“The hill?”

“Yes. The hill.”

I looked out the window. It shouldn’t even be called a hill. It’s massive. Though it wasn’t much of a slope, it totally towers over the suburb.

“Where does the private property start?” I tried to press my face against the glass to get a better look.

“Five minutes ago,” came Henry’s reply.

My eyes widened. Five minutes ago we were still at the bottom of the hill. “You mean Reginald Harrington owns an entire mountain?”

“Yes. And now, it’s yours.”

I felt bitter. I should be happy because now I’m filthy rich but… for some reason, I felt bitter. It’s like something is stuck in my throat, some thought is just beyond reach. It was unpleasant. I feel like vomiting.

The car entered the automated gates and we drove off through a forest lined with pine trees. This would’ve been marvelous any other day if it weren’t just for the fact that I’m way too distracted to take it all in.

After a few short moments, the long winding road finally gave us a glimpse of the house. If you can even call it a house.

The Harrington Mansion loomed ahead like something torn from a storybook, its pale stone walls lined with tall windows and elaborate carvings, its roof bristling with chimneys and turrets.

A wide drive curved into a roundabout at the front of the mansion, its center marked by a stone fountain crowned with a marble statue. It was the Archangel Michael, his wings spread wide, sword lifted toward the sky. Beyond it, broad stone steps led to double doors, the kind that seemed built to make visitors feel small.

We pulled up at the roundabout and I got out of the car. Looking up at how massive it was, if I hadn’t known any better, I’d think a European royalty lived here.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Henry said as he stood beside me at the foot of the stairs.

I looked around, taking in the vast grounds, the garden maze, and all the trees that lined the property neatly. “I think impressive is an understatement.”

He smiled. “Come. I’ll show you to your room.”

If the outside of the mansion was already intimidatingly beautiful, the inside was even more spectacular.

The doors opened into a vast marble foyer. A sweeping grand staircase curved upward on either side, leading to a mezzanine that overlooked the hall. The chandeliers of cut crystal hung overhead, scattering light across the walls paneled in pale cream and gilded gold.

Paintings of stern-faced Harrington ancestors also lined the gallery above. As we passed them, I couldn’t help but think that maybe Claudine and her sister was right. The dead billionaire might’ve really gone crazy.

Imagine leaving all of your fortune and legacy to some orphan. If what Henry said was right and this house was already here long before any of the other houses were, then their legacy must’ve spanned a few centuries. Hell, maybe even more.

So, why leave it to someone like me? Because I’m a long lost granddaughter? He can’t even be bothered to go to Chicago and pick me up. With his money and resources, if he did a quick google search, he will probably find me in the website of the orphanage.

So, why now? Was this just his way of cleaning out his conscience before he leaves the world forever? Because if it is, it’s fucked up.

“We’re here.” Henry’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I looked up. We were standing in front of the room at the farthest end of the hallway. It was a double door with gold trimmings and had the initial H in the middle. He opened it and the room inside looked like it belonged to a French chateau.

I walked in, my hair getting caught in the breeze from the opened balcony doors. “This is my room?” I asked.

Henry nodded. “But there are other rooms, of course. If you want the master’s bedroom, you can have it.”

“Reginald Harrington’s bedroom?”

“Your grandfather’s bedroom, yes.”

My jaw tightened for a bit at the mention of the word ‘grandfather’. Seems really foreign to me. I’ve never even known I had one. And then now, all of a sudden, I have it all.

“Do you want to settle in first? Or should I have the chef start serving dinner?”

I scoffed. “Of course there’s a chef.”

“Yes. He’s been instructed to cook every meal you desire to eat.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the bed. It was soft. Too soft in fact that I’m scared if I lie down long enough it might consume me. “So, what now?” I turned to him.

He raised both eyebrows. “I’m sorry, come again?”

“I said, what now? What do I do now?”

Henry smiled at this. “You can do whatever your heart desires, Young Lady. Everything is at your disposal.”

“Even you?”

That question seemed to catch him off guard. “Er, not exactly. But I am here to serve you. I will be the chairman of the board until you are ready to assume the role. I will also be your guardian until you are of age. So, for now, you will need me.”

I stared at him for longer, my eyes not even focused on him. I was just thinking about what he said. “You mean, he’s dumping all of his responsibilities on me?”

He blinked, his smile wavering. “Unfortunately—”

“Did any of you even think that maybe I just want to live in a way that I wouldn’t have to think about starving the next day?”

“Well—”

“Look, I’m like any other starving orphan, alright? I’m just happy to get money, or even eat something delicious. I don’t wish to become the chairman of some company or become a slave to someone else.”

“You’re not a slave. You’re going to be the boss.”

“Really?” I stood up, facing him. “You really think that? A poor orphan with little to no education would be a boss? My chances here are slim, Henry. At best, I’d be a puppet to those rich bastards running the company.”

Henry sighed, his eyes trailing elsewhere. “You may be right. But I assure you, that will never happen.”

“Yeah, right. Every single one of his family hates me—”

“Your family.”

“—and even though I hate them back, it still stings.” I gritted my teeth. “All my life, I thought I had no one. And now that I do know that I actually had family elsewhere, somehow, it hurts even more. It would’ve been better if they were dirt poor and didn’t have any means of looking for the four year old kid that was orphaned when her mother shot herself dead.”

Henry didn’t look at me. He swallowed, his eyes distant.

I sat back on the bed, the corner of my eyes stinging. “I am not a chess piece, alright? If the dead bastard wanted me here to teach his ungrateful family a lesson, sorry, but I don’t want to be a part of it.”

“You can have everything you want.”

“Well, this isn’t what I want.”

Henry finally met my gaze. I sniffled, trying to blink away the tears that were forming.

He gave me a sad smile. “I promise you, from now on, no one will look down on you ever again. You will receive my assistance in every step. We will start with giving you the best education there is.”

I rolled my eyes again. “Let me guess, you’re throwing me away into a boarding school full of rich snobs?”

“Exactly.”

A laugh escaped me. Henry chuckled, too.

“Don’t worry, Young Lady. Before I became an attorney and financial advisor to the late Mr. Reginald Harrington, I was just like you.”

“Orphaned?”

“No, not exactly. I had family but let’s just say they were incapable of giving me a decent life.”

“At least you had one.”

“Having one isn’t always the best.” He looked out at the balcony again, his eyes wandering like he’s remembering bad times. “And I think you got lucky, too, Miss Carter.”

I scoffed, kicking my shoes off so I could lay on the bed. “Lucky isn’t a word that anyone could use to describe what I’ve been through.”

“Maybe. But I think you’re lucky you didn’t grow up with this family.”

“Were they that f*cked up?”

Henry looked around, making sure no one else was with us to hear him say, “They are.”

My head perked up. “Yeah? How f*cked up?”

Henry gave me another one of his knowing smiles. “You’ll find out soon enough. At least now, though, you’ll have a fighting chance.”

My eyebrows knitted together at what he said. I mean, from what I saw earlier at the office, with the way they reacted and all that, I know they were f*cked up. But how f*cked up exactly are we talking about?

Henry straightened from where he was standing and put on a professional expression. “I’ll leave you alone now to gather your thoughts. Oh, and by the way, next week you will be leaving for the school.”

“What school?”

“Montfort Academy for the Elites. Don’t worry though, I will make sure you are well taken care off while in there. Also, you will have a chance every once a month to come home. I will be there personally to see you off.”

My face soured and I pushed myself up. “You’re seriously chucking me into a boarding school with snobs?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t I like… just go to a normal school?”

“A normal school will not suit you, dear. Besides, if you are anything at all like your mother, you will be brilliant. Nothing to worry about in terms of academics.”

“Academics maybe but—”

“No buts. I will be heading off now. I still have a lot left to arrange for you.”

ALEX’s POV

I squinted at the sudden burst of sunlight in my room. As I tried to pry my eyes open, I saw that Henry was already standing there, waiting for me.

“Good morning,” came his annoying voice.

I groaned and flipped to my side, turning away from him.

I’ve never slept in a room this big and a bed this comfy so naturally, the moment I was done with dinner and was already bathed, I slept in an instant. It was one of the most peaceful sleeps I had and I don’t intend to part with it.

“You need to wake up. I’m introducing you to a lot some people today.”

I felt a tug and then in an instant, the thick comforter I had wrapped myself into vanished. I groaned again, my voice hoarse.

“Wake up, Young Lady.” Henry circled the bed and shook me awake.

I didn’t budge.

“I need to introduce you to your new bodyguard.”

I pried one eye open. “What’s wrong with Hale?”

“Nothing is wrong with me,” it was Thomas Hale who answered this time. He entered the room, a young man following closely behind him.

I sat up, aware that my hair was still a tangled mess, but didn’t bother with it.

“This is Dimitri Dulatov. He is your new bodyguard.”

I eyed Dimitri, my eyes still rather blurry from the twelve hour long sleep. I don’t know if it’s just me but he doesn’t look like a bodyguard. If anything, he looked like he’s still in high school. College, at best.

“Are you sure he’s a bodyguard?”

Hale gave me a stern look. “Not all bodyguards look like me, Miss Carter.”

I looked at him. He’s right. Thomas Hale was built like he could take on ten men with just a few moves. Dimitri on the other hand looked like he would snap in two if you just looked at him wrong. Sure, he’s good-looking. But that’s not going to help my case if ever the Harrington family gets their hands on me.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Dimitri said and I snapped out of my thoughts.

“Looking at you like what?”

“Like I’m your weakest option.”

“Are you not?”

Thomas Hale took a step forward, his face calm but with an air of confidence. “I assure you, Miss Carter, Dimitri here will be able to protect you. He’s the best of his class and he’s skilled in both combat and weapons training.”

“He looks like he’s still in high school.”

“We made sure to choose a candidate that would fit that description.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And why?”

“Because he will be accompanying you within the walls of Montfort Academy.”

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

We’ve circled fifth avenue more than five hours already. If my toes could speak, they’d be screaming because for some odd reason, Henry made me tag along to buy stuff for school. Which was weird because normally, people this rich don’t even bother showing up in stores. The store shows up to them.

I plopped down on one of the heavily upholstered chairs in Bottega Veneta. Henry, along with his army of fashion consultants and stylists, were busy working their way into building me a closet.

“Remind me, why am I here again?” I asked him once he came close enough to me.

Henry places a sweater on me, squinted and then turned to the consultants behind him. “I think it will do nicely with the black coat.”

All of them nodded, muttering praises at Henry’s good taste.

“Why am I even here?” I asked again, my limbs hanging lifelessly beside me.

He glanced at me. “Because we need to actually see you to be able to dress you. We don’t know your style yet.”

“That’s because you never asked me what it is.”

He smiled at me, the kind of smile that makes you think that the reason he never asked you what your style was is because your style is sh*t.

Well, I say, you can’t really blame me. If you grew up with only the donation bins at your local mall as your solitary source of clothes, you’d have a mismatched style, too.

“Here.” Dimitri handed me a glass bottle. At first glance, I thought it was wine. But it was clear enough that you’d think it was water.

I took it and looked at the label. Svalbarði. I scoffed out loud. “What the hell is this?”

“It’s water.”

“It looks like wine.”

Dimitri tried his best not to raise an eyebrow at me. “It’s water. Read it. It says there Polar Iceberg Water.”

My eyes narrowed at the label. “What? Normal water is too cheap for you, now?”

He sighed and snatched the bottle from me. I snatched it back.

“I didn’t say I’m not going to drink it,” I hissed at him. He grabbed the bottle again, opening it, and then handed it back to me with a straw. I rolled my eyes but still drank it anyway.

He kept staring. I kept drinking.

I don’t want to give out any sign in my expression that says I actually enjoyed the water. Who knew water could taste this good? It feels like eating snow or cotton candy just maybe minus the aftertaste.

After I finished the entire bottle, I handed it back to him.

He accepted it with a slight head tilt. “What do you think of it?”

“Meh.”

I caught a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips and I looked away. I guess my delight was way too easy to read on my face.

After buying clothes, we finally got back into the car. But just when I thought that it was over, we stopped in front of yet another store. This time, it was Kinokuniya.

My face crumpled into a frown. “We aren’t done?”

Henry escorted me out of the car. “We’re still going to pick up some of your school supplies. Don’t worry, we’ll be quick.”

“You said that, too, about the clothes shopping.”

“And I was truthful, wasn’t I?”

I shot him a glare but he had already left me at the foyer. He was too busy talking with other sales associates that I couldn’t even get a single word out to him. When Dimitri noticed this, he grabbed a small basket for me.

“You can pick out some things you want in the store. No one will be mad at you.”

I looked up at him. “Henry will be. I tried getting a shirt and he threw it away.”

“To be fair, that shirt was ugly.”

I snatched the basket from him in a huff and circled the store on my own, rolling my eyes. I got books, stationery, and anything cute that I could find and dumped it into the basket. By the time I filled up two, Henry was already waiting by the counter.

“I see you’ve enjoyed yourself,” he said as he watched Dimitri place the baskets on the counter.

I smiled. “I think I did. Can we make a stop at Barnes & Noble? I want to pick out some more books.”

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Monday was already fast approaching and I still had a dozen questions left to ask Henry. He’s quite elusive, you see. By the time I’m awake, he’s already left. And by the time I’m asleep, that’s when he decides to come home.

For the last three days, there’s only been me and Dimitri. And whatever questions I have, he doesn’t have the right answer to them anyway.

I shoved a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, sighing. “Are you sure you have no idea who he was?”

Dimitri looked up at me, closing the book he’s buried his face into for the last few hours. “I’ve already told you all I know about your grandfather. He’s a rich billionaire, he’s a no-nonsense businessman, and he’s a genius.”

“But I already know that!” I placed the tub of ice cream back on the table and scanned the bookshelves again. I don’t know what exactly it was that I’m looking for, but I need some answers. “You really have no idea who your employer was?”

“Listen, just like you, I came here after the billionaire was dead. I’ve never even met him. So, technically, you’re my employer.”

I grabbed a book. It was another one of the Harringtons’ autobiographies. “So, what do we know, then?”

“That your grandfather came from a long line of bankers. By the third generation, they’ve expanded to oil, built an entire town somewhere up north and started mining, and then… that’s it. That’s where the billions came from.”

“What about my mother?”

“I only know what you know. That she’s a genius herself. Your grandfather was fond of her. She was just like him.”

At this point, I don’t know if the reason why my fingers were shaking uncontrollably was because I ate too much ice cream or because I’m about to cry.

I flipped through the old, yellowed pages of the book and clenched my teeth so hard I thought it was going to crack. “If that was true, he wouldn’t have let her die alone in a trailer park.”

“But she wasn’t alone.”

“Yeah. Like that’s any better. Shooting yourself in front of a four year old kid.” I shoved the book back on the shelf and turned to him. “She was staring blankly at me when she pulled the trigger, you know?”

Dimitri straightened up from his seat. He looked mildly uncomfortable but he still gave me a small smile. “If it’ll help you feel any better, my brother went crazy and tried to kill me when I was eight. I visited him just a year ago. He doesn’t even recognize me with the amount of pills they’ve put him in.”

I blinked. He did, too.

“Wow,” was all I could manage to say. “We’re both f*cked up, then?”

He chuckled, turning back to his book. “I guess that’s it. That’s why they put us together.”

I stared at him for a minute before I turned my attention on the painting hanging on the wall, just a little above the Harrington crest. It was Reginald Harrington, his face pulled into a serious expression, looking down on us.

Sometimes, I can’t tell if he was being genuine about all this. If he really wanted to help me, make up for all those years that I had no one by my side. Or if I was just a part of his one big power move. A last ‘f*ck you’ to the world.

Well, guess what. F*ck you, too.

ALEX’s POV

“Are you sure about this?” Henry asked me for the tenth time, and I nodded.

“Absolutely.”

He sighed sharply and dialed a number, his eyes fixed on me. If he’s waiting for any sign that I might give up, he’s going to be waiting for a long time because I’ve already made up my mind.

“Hello, is this the St. Jude’s Orphanage in Chicago?” he said when someone picked up the phone and the woman who answered confirmed it. Henry gritted his teeth. “Do you happen to have the address of one of your former… er, residents?”

“Residents?”

“Shh!”

I rolled my eyes and sat back down on my stool. He kept talking to the woman on the phone. Once he hung up, he dialed another number.

My face lit up. “Is that her?”

He turned away from me, no doubt annoyed about all the questions. “Hello, is this Miss Gabriella Russo?”

//“Yes. Who’s this?”//

“I’m Henry Caldwell, Chairman of the Harrington Group. I’m calling on behalf of Miss Ivy Alexandria Carter.”

//“Iv— you mean, Alex?”//

“Er, yes. Alex.”

I practically squealed in my seat and tried to snatch the phone from him but he wouldn’t let me. He continued talking to her, inviting her down into the estate because he wants to talk to her about something.

When he finally put the phone down, I cornered him.

“So?” I said, all giddy. “How did it go?”

Henry, with his lips pursed, walked right past me and continued drinking his earl gray tea. “She has agreed. We will be sending someone to pick her up today.”

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Gabriella Russo was barely a month old when she was dropped on the doorsteps of the orphanage on a cold Sunday evening. She was wrapped in a thick blanket, her face exposed out to the cold. By the time the nuns found her, her cheeks were already a bright shade of red.

Everyone told me that before I came to the orphanage, she was the pride and joy of the nuns there. She was the perfect little girl. She was always sweet to everyone she meets and was always adored by everyone who comes to adopt.

But for some reason, she was always sent back.

The first time was because she became allergic to a plant that the family had for years. They couldn’t part with the plant but they could apparently give up a kid. The next was when their biological kid got jealous of her for taking all the attention. Of course, that wasn’t her fault, but the kid apparently made them choose. The third and the last time was a tragedy. She just got adopted. A week later, cops came knocking at their door. Turns out, they were part of a huge cult that takes girls and sacrifices them to their god.

When I first heard her story, my very first thought was, “Ouch.” Because that’s seriously got to hurt.

I mean, I’ve been adopted twice before, too. I was always returned. But at least with mine, I know I’m the problem. With hers? I think the problem is with the rest of the world.

“So, you’re a thief?” came Dimitri’s little drawl.

I snapped my gaze to him. “And you’re a nuisance. Guess we’re even.”

“Call me what you like. You’re still going to be stuck with me.”

“Try anything and I’ll fire you.”

“But that’s what’s brilliant. You can’t. You’re not the one making that decision.”

I frowned, directing my gaze to Henry who was standing by the window, staring out into the driveway. He didn’t even look at me. He just shrugged.

My frown deepened. “Don’t get smug. I might just retire you… permanently.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Are you threatened?”

He cackled. “All I asked was if you were a thief. No need to get all snappy.”

“Where did you even hear that?”

“From me.”

I whirled around to see Percival walking into the drawing room, his brown Schiaparelli coat flapping behind him as he sauntered in.

He stopped a few inches from me, removed his coat, and held it out. For half a second, I thought he was expecting for me to take it like one of his loyal slaves. But someone else grabbed his coat for him and placed it neatly in the coat rack by the door.

I frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Pleased to see me?” he sneered and sat on the space beside me.

I tried my best to hide my glare. “Was I that obvious?”

He just scoffed at my response and gestured for one of the maids to make him a cup of coffee. “You must think that just because we didn’t show up here for a couple days that we’d leave you alone with all of my grandpa’s riches.” He chuckled condescendingly. “Don’t be naive.”

“I wasn’t being one. In fact, I fully expected all of you to wrap your every waking moment thinking about me.”

His smug look faltered. “And why would we do that?”

“Because I managed to get what you all wanted. I didn’t even have to try.”

This time, he fully transformed into what I expected his expression would be the next time we came face to face. He was furious. If we had been left alone in this room, I would’ve been scared. I mean, I can fight. But right now, he looks like he can kill.

“She’s here.”

But there are more pressing matters than him right now. Like for example, Gabby.

I left him in the drawing room and ran straight outside to greet her. She had just barely managed to go up the huge staircase when I sprinted the last steps toward her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

She nearly fell back, chuckling loudly as she caught me. “I missed you, too, Alex.”

I laughed at her response and beamed at her as I let go. I took a good look at her face. It has been three months since I last saw her. It was her eighteenth birthday. Back then, she looked like an angel. Now, she’s still pretty… but you can tell that she’s a little exhausted.

“I’m guessing, life hasn’t treated you right?” I asked her, studying the hollowed circles around her eyes and the fine lines on her face.

She smiled at me, looking down. “I’m just a little tired. That’s all.”

I chuckled. “Well, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Because now, I’m loaded.”

She laughed. “You are now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. And we can now continue going to school just like what we planned.”

“Oh, yeah?” She was smiling, but I saw it fading a little. “What about your family? I mean… are they fine with me being—”

“I’m still an orphan, in case you were wondering,” I cut her off. “Reginald Harrington was my mom’s father. He’s dead, too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. That bastard was filthy rich but let me rot in an orphanage filled with evil nuns anyway.”

Gabriella laughed at the mention of the evil nuns. They weren’t exactly evil, you know? They were just… angry. I mean, it’s valid though. Anyone who had to be subjected to taking care of me would be angry, too.

“Anyway, do you wanna see my room?”

“Yes!” She giggled.

I tried leading her inside but was stopped halfway when Percival stood by the doorway. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his expression smug. “Where do you think you’re going with that—” He looked at Gabby and some kind of disgust crossed his face, “—peasant.”

My eyebrows furrowed, taking a step forward. “Who are you calling peasant?”

“Her, obviously,” he deadpanned and took a step closer, too. “But then again, that word also applies to you. After all, you were literally nothing before we found you.”

“Be careful there, rich boy,” I deadpanned. “You seem to be forgetting something.”

“And what is that?”

“That your own grandfather hates you enough to leave you with literally nothing?” I gave him a taunting smile. “I may be nothing before, but I think it’s safe to say that I’m at least worth more than you now.”

I then grabbed Gabby’s hand and passed by him, making sure to bump his shoulder as I did. I heard him scoff as we left but I didn’t bother looking back. Talking to people like him is never worth it. And besides, they shouldn’t be putting the blame on me. I didn’t make the rules.

“You think you’re untouchable, Carter?!” he shouted from the foyer, his voice echoing through the domed ceiling. “My mom and aunt has already hired the best lawyers in the world. One of these days, they’ll find out the truth.”

I turned to him, my expression bored. “Which is?”

“That you’re just some scummy criminal? And that you’re probably not even Ivy.”

“Oh, but she is,” Henry spoke and buttoned the suit that he was wearing, his glasses catching the light from the windows. “We have already confirmed her identity long before we even brought her here. A total of three tests were administered. You can see the medical results for yourself.”

“That means nothing,” he snapped back. “You could’ve faked the medical results.”

“The board was there. Everyone was present. Ask them.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Wait. How did you—”

“Through the orphanage.” Henry smiled at me. “We paid them a hefty sum just so we can collect your DNA.”

“Like my hair and my toothbrush?”

“Like your blood.”

I was confused at first. And then I remembered. A week ago, there was some kind of blood donation drive for the older kids. We were given gifts in exchange for donating. So, naturally, I agreed. I sold the teddy bear and the shirt they gave me and got ten dollars off of it.

Worth it, if I were to be honest.

Percival’s lips twitched. “It doesn’t matter who she is. She will be out of here soon enough anyway.”

“Yeah? And how do you suppose you’d do that?” Henry sounded like he was taunting him. Percival was pissed.

“You’re forgetting your place, Caldwell, getting all caught up with this girl. Remember, you’re nothing but a puppet of my grandfather’s making.”

“And I could say the same thing about you.”