TWELVE

KATE'S POV:

I adjusted the collar of my dress for what felt like the hundredth time and looked at myself in the hallway mirror. My hair was curled neatly at the ends and pulled back in a soft clip.

I selected a soft mauve gown with lace sleeves. It wasn’t extravagant, but it felt elegant and appropriate. As I stood before the mirror, slipping in pearl earrings and applying a light gloss, I took a deep breath. Della had insisted it would make a good first impression. I trusted her judgment more than my own.

The mansion buzzed with quiet movement as the staff prepared for Nikolai’s relatives. Ten of them. Ten unfamiliar faces. I kept reminding myself to breathe. The butterflies in my stomach had long since multiplied, and now they were doing acrobatics.

Ten unfamiliar faces that might not like me very much, the thought alone makes me nervous and my my palm all sweaty.

The clock struck half past six. They would be here any moment.

I stood beside Nikolai and Della in the grand foyer. The maids had lined up just a few steps behind us. Everything sparkled, the marble floor had been polished, the chandeliers gleamed, and the vases lining the entrance bloomed with fresh flowers. A faint scent of citrus and roses lingered in the air.

The workers had really gone out of their way to make the whole house look sparkling and comfortable for them.

I could feel Nikolai’s presence beside me. Tall. Unmoving. Distant. He hadn’t said a word to me since this morning, but his expression was calm, composed, as if today was just another business meeting.

Another business meeting he could squash in a matter of seconds.

The front door opened, and the chauffeur stepped inside.

“They’re here,” he announced.

With in seconds, the entrance filled with the sounds of laughter, footsteps, and warm voices.

I stood straighter as the guests walked in two elderly women first, followed by a pair of middle aged couples, another pair of average aged couples, like us. Three men in their thirties, and a teenage girl who clung to her phone more than she looked around.

Della stepped forward with a wide smile. “Welcome, welcome! It’s so good to have you all.”

There were hugs exchanged, cheek kisses, and the flurry of jackets being handed over to a waiting maid.

Nikolai cleared his throat and everyone quieted. “This is Kate,” he said, with the ease of someone introducing a colleague. “My wife.”

I managed a polite smile and clasped my hands together. “It’s lovely to finally meet you all. I’ve heard a lot about each of you.” I said, even though that was a total lie.

Nikolai doesn't even talk to me, more less talk to me about his family members. I had only heard from Della that his parents had passed away when he was still a teenager.

An older woman, whom I later learned was Nikolai’s aunt Leda, pulled me into a warm hug.

“You’re beautiful, dear,” she said, smiling with a kindness that settled my nerves. “And gracious, too. Nikolai is one lucky guy.”

A tight smile flickered across his face, but he said nothing. He simply turned and gestured to the grand staircase.

“Della will show you all to your rooms, once you all are settled, the maid will bring you down for dinner.” he said.

Della took over, leading the procession up the stairs, assigning rooms with practiced ease. I stayed behind, glancing at Pia, who was already moving towards the dining room.

We headed into the kitchen together, where the scent of roasted chicken, garlic, and herbs filled the air.

“I’ll help set the table, you need all the help you can get.” I offered.

Pia gave me a grateful nod, and I took up a stack of plates while she gathered the cutlery. We worked side by side, laying everything out with care. Pia is the only employee in the mansion that has warmed up to me.

The rest still fear me, and talk to me with their heads still lowered to the floor. I plan on changing that.

“Do they always come in groups this big? Like all ten of them at once?” I asked quietly.

“Not really, no. The boss loves his family but they don't visit that much. I can count the number of times they have visited with my fingers.” Pia said. “Family is everything to the Voss household. They don’t always show it, but they are very close. They're all he has left.”

We placed the last napkin, adjusting the centerpiece of cream colored roses and golden lilies.

“I hope they like me,” I whispered.

Pia paused, then gave me a small smile. “They already do. I can see it. And besides they'll still accept you as long as the boss is in love with you.”

I nearly snorted to her last statement. Does she really think Nikolai has feelings for me? Do they all really think that? They must be so blind, because Nikolai and I don't even talk to each other.

Only Della isn't blind though. She knows everything.

When dinner was nearly ready, I stepped out to check on Della. She was coming down the stairs, followed by a few of the guests who had settled into their rooms.

“All set?” she asked, brushing invisible lint from her blouse.

“Yes. Pia and I finished laying the table.”

She touched my arm. “You’re doing wonderfully, Kate. I mean that. But you don't really have to go through all that stress. That's the reasons we have workers, to lift that stress of doing all that away from you.”

Her words warmed me. But I needed to do something, I can't spend all my days alone and just being idle.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of chatter and introductions. I was asked questions about how Nikolai and I met, what hobbies I had, whether I liked the mansion, if I cooked and I navigated them all with the careful grace of someone walking a tightrope.

I didn't exactly lie about how Nikolai and I met, we met when Dad had invited him over for dinner to work on a contract together that let to the marriage between Rhea and Nikolai, which later didn't happen.

But before then, Rhea had already been seeing Nikolai.

Nikolai said very little. He lingered in the background, sipping from a glass of wine, occasionally answering a question or making a comment. But his eyes those cool gray eyes watched everything. Me, especially.

Watching my every move, to see if I would dare make any mistake and ruin dinner.

By evening, the house was buzzing with laughter. I had excused myself for a moment of peace before dinner, walking into the garden to take a breath.

I looked at the roses, lavender and lilies I’d protected that morning. Despite the rain, they still stood tall. Beautiful. Resilient.

Just like me.

I turned around and I noticed someone by my side, and I took a second to figure it out that it was Nikolai's aunt, Aunt Leda.

"Sorry to interrupt on your alone time, dear." she said.

"No, no. You don't have to apologize Ma'am. You're family too. You have every right to be here." I said to her, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You've done so well with the garden. Last time I was here there wasn't really a garden. There was, but it looked so malnourished." Aunt Leda said.

"How- How did you know that I tend to the garden?" I asked her, surprised on how she figured it out.

"The way you look at them. The roses, lilies and lavender. You look at them like the way a mother watches over their child. In a precious way. Did you know that Nikolai's mother used to tend to the garden everyday before she died?"

I didn't know that, I don't even know what Nikolai's parents looked like. We barely even talk, yet every one thinks we're the most perfect newly wedded couple on earth. But I can't exactly tell her that.

Instead I said, "Not really, he doesn't really talk about his parents."

"His mother, my sister, loved roses so much she planted it in every house they bought. She loved nature, the soil and the rain. Right from when we were little, we would always dance and play under the rain."

"Really? I didn't know all that."

"Well, you should try asking your husband more about his Mother. I know Nikolai doesn't doesn't really open up to people, but he's a good kid. He has just been through a lot."

"He use to play under the rain with his mother when he was a little boy. He was so playful back then."

Aunt Leda kept on telling about Nikolai's childhood, how he used to prank them dressed as a scary clown. How open minded and funny how was as a kid.

And it made me wonder if I'll ever get to see that side of him.

Maybe, I won't.

Maybe.