Chapter 5

Once everyone had gathered at the mansion, I picked up my small suitcase and stopped in the living room doorway, not entirely sure whether I should go inside or wait for someone to tell me what to do.

Most of the people there were Christopher's friends and were, on average, about four years older than me. To them, I was probably nothing more than a kid who hadn't even finished high school yet, and although I didn't like admitting it, they had a point.

Christopher was the first to notice me and got up to come over.

"Guys, this is Mia. Mia, these are my friends."

"Hi," I greeted them with a shy smile, raising my hand slightly.

Most of them responded kindly, although Serena's sharp smile was far from welcoming.

"Well, well, Cris. You've been keeping this little secret to yourself," one of his friends commented, studying me with unabashed curiosity.

"Careful, Ryan. Mia is off-limits," Christopher replied with a sharpness that made me look up at him.

I swallowed, surprised by a tone he rarely used with me. I was already beginning to regret agreeing to accompany them, and we hadn't even left the house.

"And why does she have to come with us?" asked another young woman sitting beside Serena.

Christopher didn't even bother hiding his irritation.

"Because she belongs by my side. Wherever I go, she comes with me, Sienna."

His answer brought an uncomfortable silence over the room, and I wished I could disappear behind my suitcase. I wasn't sure what was worse: the way Christopher had spoken about me or the fact that everyone seemed to interpret his words as something far more significant than they actually were.

"Welcome, Mia. I'm Jeff," a young man intervened, approaching me with a friendly smile and conveniently breaking the tension.

"Nice to meet you, Jeff," I replied, grateful for his intervention.

"Well, if everyone's here, we might as well get going," Ryan suggested with a smile that, for some reason, made me suspicious of his intentions.

I looked at Christopher, and he gave me a reassuring smile, as though promising that everything would be fine.

"Let's go."

We left the mansion and headed toward the vehicles parked outside the main entrance. Serena hurried over to Christopher's Jeep and positioned herself beside the front passenger door, making it perfectly clear that she expected to occupy that seat.

"I can give Mia a ride," Ryan offered, grabbing the handle of my suitcase and starting to pull it toward his car.

"That won't be necessary," Christopher replied, grabbing the same suitcase before Ryan could walk away. "Mia's riding with me."

I had no idea where to look. Serena was glaring daggers at me, Ryan was wearing a mocking grin, and Christopher seemed to be rapidly losing his patience.

This wasn't looking good.

"Mia," Christopher called as he opened one of the rear doors of his Jeep.

I obeyed without arguing and settled into the seat. Before he closed the door, I caught sight of Bea watching us from one of the mansion's windows. Our eyes met, and my friend gave me two enthusiastic thumbs-up in encouragement.

I was certainly going to need it.

Christopher closed my door and then walked around the vehicle to open the front passenger door for Serena. Fortunately, Jeff also decided to ride with us and settled into the seat beside me, which eased my discomfort a little.

After putting my suitcase in the trunk, Christopher got behind the wheel and, before starting the engine, turned toward me to hand me a motion sickness pill and a bottle of water.

"Here."

"Thanks, Christopher," I replied, accepting both.

"For someone who works for the Morgan family, you seem awfully familiar with them, don't you think, Mia?" Serena commented in a tone that left absolutely no doubt about her intentions.

Jeff rolled his eyes, but Christopher was the one who answered.

"What exactly do you mean, Serena?"

"The way she speaks to you. I don't think it's appropriate for her to address you so casually," she explained disdainfully, as though pointing out an unforgivable breach of etiquette. "She should show a little more respect."

"Mia can speak to me however she wants," Christopher replied, giving her a look so cold it would have made anyone else back down.

Serena, however, didn't seem intimidated.

"Well, she won't be taking those liberties with me." She twisted around in her seat to look directly at me. "As far as you're concerned, I'm Miss Taylor."

Jeff burst out laughing, earning himself a murderous glare from Serena, while Christopher gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"You're ridiculous, Serena," Jeff managed to say between laughs.

Christopher caught my eye in the rearview mirror and shook his head slightly. I gave him a small smile in return, trying to let him know there was no need to continue the argument.

I understood perfectly well the boundaries Serena wanted to establish, even if I found her manner unnecessarily unpleasant. After all, I was an employee of the Morgan family, while she belonged to the same social circle as Christopher and sat beside him.

Our worlds might occasionally overlap under extraordinary circumstances, but that didn't make them equal, and although Christopher seemed to forget that from time to time, I was very much aware of where I stood.

This was going to be an extremely long weekend.

A few hours later, we arrived at the beach house, where a warm breeze greeted us, gently swaying the palm trees.

It wasn't my first time visiting the property, although it was the first time I had been there without Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. While everyone else began unloading their luggage, I picked up my suitcase and headed straight for the bedroom I usually occupied during our family visits.

Christopher caught up with me in the downstairs hallway.

"Mia, is everything okay?" he asked, studying me carefully.

"Yes, everything's fine."

He nodded, although his expression told me he wasn't entirely convinced. He took a step as though to leave, but immediately stopped and turned back toward me.

"Do me a favor. Lock your bedroom door whenever you're inside. I have a spare key, but I'd rather no one else be able to get in." I immediately understood what he meant and nodded without arguing. "Go get changed. I'll wait for you by the pool."

I gave him a smile before entering my bedroom and locking the door, just as he had asked.

I went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face, trying to calm the nerves that had been building ever since we left the mansion. Then I opened my suitcase and began putting my belongings away.

I had brought two swimsuits, both one-piece. My body had changed considerably over the past few years, and although I was happy with my appearance, I had never felt particularly comfortable showing more skin than necessary. Besides, I was accustomed to traveling with the Morgans and preferred to dress modestly.

I chose one of the swimsuits and slipped a lightweight beach cover-up over it, along with a pair of sunglasses. I tucked my keys, phone, a book, and some sunscreen into a small bag and, after checking that I hadn't forgotten anything, took a deep breath before opening the door.

Everything would be fine. I just had to survive one long weekend.

A very long weekend.