Royal-world vibe

          The home of the Stanleys' was the exact paradise she had envisaged as a dream home. It grandly occupied two hundred acres of land and stood out like an oasis in the middle of the desert, because there were no other houses near it. 

The charm of the place gave her a royal-world vibe and she felt like she was in a period movie or novel. The manor's white walls contrasted with its dark green trim, making it look more like a castle than a building. It was a sprawling structure, with a long front lawn and manicured gardens stretching away from the house to either side. 

The main entrance was guarded by a pair of stone lions that sat at attention in front of an arched door flanked by several rows of columns. A large fountain dominated one corner of the grounds, surrounded by tall flowers and shrubbery. A few other fountains dotted the area around the house, adding splashing sounds to the atmosphere. 

The wrought-iron gates were shut by the security as they drove inside and it took several minutes before reaching the main building. The car stopped moving at the driver's command, stopping at a center in the middle of the vast compound. 

"Wow," Maria mused as she alighted, her breathing faint by the surreal appearance of the place. She noticed how quiet the environment was. There was no sound except for the faint chirping of birds and the water frothing from the fountains. 

The chauffeur gently smiled, her reaction was not the first and certainly would not be the last he would see from the first-timers coming to the humble home of the Stanleys. "Allow me to show you where you are to be received." He did not wish for an interruption but they needed to get back to work. "This way, miss." He added when she drove her turquoise eyes at him and her lips were still parted slightly with astonishment. 

Maria received an indirect orientation as Eric led her toward the house. 

They met some maids as they passed but their presence changed nothing about the placidity of the place. One of the guards standing by the entrance gestured to the giant doors open, no questions asked and she could tell Eric was not an ordinary worker. The two of them made it through the entrance and walked past the stately hallway. 

Maria was cocksure that her neck kept twisting in impossible directions as her eyes surveyed the beauty of the place. The inside of the house was expectedly well furnished. The hallway was delightful with crystal chandeliers and its walls were adorned with artistic paintings that could easily distract a passer-by into admiring them all day. She knew she was not in an ordinary home when Eric gestured her into an elevator located near the golden stairway. 

The compartment opened and she was struck to see how furnished it was. Plush seats were lining the walls and a thick carpet covered the metallic floor. It made her wonder why the wealthy ones always spent their money on the most irrelevant things. Eric offered her one of the leather seats and she slowly settled with guilt, considering her unasked opinion on how the Stanleys spent their money. 

In a short while, they were marching through another long hall until they arrived at the destined room. She noticed the place Eric had led her into was not the main living room but a subordinate used for meeting special guests and she could not be more honored. 

The room was bigger than her whole apartment even when it was not the grand parlor. The décor in this section of the house looked like it had been designed with a theme in mind, but she couldn't make out what it might be. It seemed to her as if the entire interior design were made up of dark and light hues; black for the walls, white marble floors, gold frames on the windows, and so forth. 

There was not much furniture other than the large sofa and marble table seated at the center. A massive fire burned the fireplace and a contemporary exotic rug covered most of the floor. There were no television and other home appliances one would find in most houses and the only source of entertainment was by reading books from the antique wooden shelves. 

"Take a seat, please." Eric sounded, interrupting her moment of admiration. Maria gulped looking down at the man's kind offer. The leather of the furniture looked so delicate that she feared damage might be done if she ever did sit. "I'll inform madame of your arrival." He added before leaving her alone to explore the place to her heart's content. 

Her eyes were strolling around the enchanting view when an approaching female voice pierced into the silence. "Yeah, I will see to that tomorrow," continued the voice and Maria tilted her face gently with curiosity. 

She immediately spotted a lady walking through the corridor with strides that carried great elegance. 

The lady appeared very stylish and was wearing a black turtleneck with plaid mini-skirts tight around her curves, as well as a pair of ankle boots. Her hands were covered in gloves made with white fur trim and she delivered a balanced blend of a fancy and noble look. She had long violet hair that flowed over her back and it bounced with every step she took. 

Maria, who had been staring intently, was surprisingly caught off-guarded when the tall lady turned and met her eyes with deep chocolate ones. Their eyes only locked for a couple of seconds before the lady rolled her face away, choosing to mind her business. 

"Sorry, what were you saying again?" Her professional tone sounded once again as she resumed her phone conversation. The lady disappeared with furthered steps, swaying her hips habitually as she moved. 

Maria heaved deeply and peeled her focus from the door. She could guess who that was, the only daughter of Stanleys, Hilary. Because no visitor, like her for example, would converse over the phone in such a high-pitched tone while trampling on the ground with commanding steps. 

The woman had to be a member of the Stanelys and was also too young to be placed as the madame. Hilary was the last child, a famous stylist who decided to join the fashion industry rather than engage in her family company. Maria never knew all this information until the other night she was digging the internet about the popular clan. 

Her thoughts were stirred by the arriving footsteps of flat sandals. She turned her face and her eyes found the real deal gracing the room with her presence. One look was all Maria gave and she could place her as Mrs. Stanley, probably because she looked like money, both old and new. 

Maria flung herself from her chair and positioned her head in a slight bow as the older woman approached closer. 

"Dr. Patterson?" The madame spoke, her voice rich like fine wine. 

Maria raised her head and was glad to see a little smile lighting up the woman's face. It was the greatest privilege to be standing in front of such an honorable figure. "Yes, ma'am. It is a huge honor to meet you, Mrs. Delia Stanley." 

Delia stretched a hand and the blonde lady humbly received it with two hands. "Pleasure's all mine, please do sit."

After they had settled and Maria had politely rejected the woman's offer of some tea, she began the topic concerning her purpose of visiting as a manner of formal talk. 

"Of course," Delia answered one of her statements. "You must already know this but I feel like mentioning them one more time now that I am seeing the doctor face to face." She expressed to the engrossed doctor. "My son, Jayden, got involved in an accident two years ago which led him to a coma for over a year."

Maria nodded, bringing out her jotter in case she had to add any new information to her old notes. 

"You see, doctor, he has recovered fortunately but he is slightly-- really different from the Jayden I used to know. Not that he had always been the sweet type but he had become excessively bitter."

"I see," The doctor pronounced softly, bobbing her head constantly to every word. 

"He is quieter than he used to be and I must mention that he hardly talks to anyone, not even me, his mother." Delia continued, and Maria could feel the deep emotions influencing the woman's breathing as she talked. "We were forced to arrange private care for him because we could no longer tolerate his apathetic attitude to his health. He is the only heir and we can not sit back and watch him crumble." 

Maria tucked her lips and nodded one more time in total understanding. She spotted a tear sneaking out of the woman's brown eyes before she wiped it away with a handkerchief. She waited for the mother to emotionally adjust before proceeding to her next question. 

"Are there any physical injuries or disabilities he suffered from the accident? " There were none in the test reports but she wanted to be cautious about even the slightest injury his family might have overlooked and not mentioned to the hospital. 

"Every injury he had got healed during his thirteen months in the coma." The woman assured, shaking her head gently. 

Maria nodded and dropped her notepad on her lap. "I promise to do my best, Mrs. Stanley." Her voice sounded clinical, her professional alter ego in play. 

"I must warn you though." Delia quickly uttered before their conversation came to an end. "He has always been like this but his illness makes it worse. There are some problems you are likely to face with my son and I apologize in advance. He can be very rude, especially when talking with new people because he hates humans." The last bits of her words sounded funny to Maria but the grave issue on the ground made the doctor fight the demonic urge to snicker. 

"Understood," Maria spoke, smiling softly. She had dealt with different breeds of patients; her son could never be any worse. 

Delia reciprocated her smile and her eyes glistened with some remnants of tears. "I see you are determined. How about I introduce you to him? " 

"Does he know I will be arriving today?"

"Partly, yes he does. We have mentioned you in passing a couple of times," Delia said. "He should be done with his online business meeting by now." She added more to herself, glancing at her watch at this remark.

***