FIVE

A nurse came in and told them that visiting hours were over and they needed to leave. Vida wanted to protest and say she was going to stay and take care of her dad, but there was a caretaker, and if she was being honest with herself, she would only be a liability if she remained there. Moreover, she needed rest after the long flight she had. As they stepped out of the room, she noticed Axel making his way to her, but she managed to slip out without having to talk to him. She already did not like him, so she was not going to stand there and have a lengthy conversation with him. 

She stepped into the Van Allen mansion and memories of her childhood filled her mind. She remembered running up and down the staircase while painting over the walls that had all been repainted when she turned into a teenager, and she remembered being a moody teenager while still living there. The house was pretty much the same, and everything felt the same aside from the fact that she felt replaced by that man—Axel Manchester. 

"Who is this I see?" Maria's voice called from behind her. 

"Everything here stayed the same," she murmured as she turned to see her nanny standing there. The woman was now well advanced in age than the last time she saw her, but aside from that, she was still a tall woman who towered over her. 

"Little Miss Vida Van Allen!" Maria exclaimed, taking the girl into her arms and holding her tightly. Vida wrapped her hand over the woman and was happy to finally meet someone so comforting after hours of dragging it out with James and Axel. 

"Oh gosh, I have missed you so much," she exclaimed when Maria finally released her from the grip she had on her. 

"Yeah, sure, if a person misses you so much, they decide to move halfway across the world so they can't see you anymore," Maria said, gazing upon her softly. "I thought the next time I would see you would be at my funeral." 

"Now don't say mean things like that; I have always wanted to visit; it's just that I have been so busy," Vida explained. 

"But why do you look so gaunt?" Maria asked, pressing down on her hair gently and holding her face. "If you wanted to live on your own, I expected you to show up looking better than the last time I saw you and not worse." 

"Do I look worse? I thought I was a pretty little miss," Vida joked. 

"Is that a joke I hear?" Maria asked with a frown. "Someone must be angry or sad about something." 

Vida took a deep breath; maybe she would have come home first and seen Maria before she headed out to the hospital; then she might have been in a better mood. Maria was truly the only person who understood her to the core. "As expected, you read me like an open book." 

"Oh sunshine, what is bothering you? Tell me now and I will make it all go away." Hearing her say that took her back to her childhood when Maria would comfort her with those words, and suddenly everything felt better just because she said them. 

"I did not know that dad was this sick, and I was just busy pursuing my ambition without thinking of him, and he collapsed twice, and no one even thought to tell me his daughter. His guardian changed, the CEO changed, and I had no idea about any of it," she said, and Maria nodded. 

"Your father did not want to bother you; no matter how many times we all told him to call and tell you the truth, he just wanted you to live your life to the fullest. Of course, he wanted you home, but not as much as he wanted you to chase after all you wanted." 

"It makes me feel worse to hear that," Vida groaned as she lowered herself into one of the chairs. Maria sat opposite her and took her hand, gently rubbing the backs of them. "I mean, now I am back and I feel so out of place. I am replaced by a stranger, and he was only able to get into this because I was away" 

"I see you are talking about young Master Manchester."

"You know him?!" Vida asked with wide eyes at Maria, and she nodded. 

"Young master Manchester has been especially good to us all; he takes very good care of everyone, especially Mr Van Allen." 

"Are you sure? I did not get a good vibe from him at all." If Maria was saying that he was good, then maybe he was good, and she had judged him too quickly. 

"Trust me, miss; he is a good man and I like him."

"I have to see for myself," Vida said, not because she did not want to trust Maria a bit because hearing her praise him only made her dislike him more. There was something about him, something off-putting; she could not yet place her hand on it but she was going to do so very soon.