The Inherited Stranger

​I stepped out of the car, my eyes immediately drawn to the stranger waiting outside.

​"Miss Hayes?" His voice was deep, clipped, and his expression was sharp and unchanging.

​He was tall, I could swear he was over 6'3". His face was well-structured with a perfectly outlined jaw. His pointed nose was alluring, giving balance to his perfect facial structure. His hair was long but tied up in a bun. With a nice carved mustache and goatee, his pink lips sat between them. He wore a nicely tailored black suit that wasn't fitted but still gave way for his muscles to be seen. His perfectly shined black boots shone under the sun.

​I was too busy noting his perfection I didn't notice I had been staring, almost drooling.

​"Miss Hayes?" he called out again, snapping me out of my delusion.

​"Mm? Yeah...uh...it's Elena. Just call me Elena," I replied, flushed at how I had been staring.

​"Sure." He replied coldly.

​"Uh, rude," I thought to myself.

​"And you must be Lucas Vance?" I asked, unscathed.

​"The one and only," he replied, his gaze still fixed on me. "This is my assistant, John. He will take you to the mansion and give you a tour if you need one. I have a meeting. We'd chat when I'm back," he said before walking towards the black Chevrolet Camaro that stood waiting for him without a second glance at me.

​John, his assistant, walked towards me with a soft smile.

​"Miss Hayes, follow me please," he said, reaching for my traveling box.

​The wheels of my box rolled softly over the cobblestone path beneath us. The stones were smooth, worn down by years of footsteps, yet still strong and unbroken. On either side, wildflowers pushed through the grass, their colors bright against the deep green that stretched across the island. The air smelled of salt and something sweet, like the earth itself was alive and waiting.

​There was a little town, fishermen throwing their nets into the sea from their boats, a little farmers' market which we passed. I saw women making embroidery stitches. They must be tailors, I thought to myself.

​"I actually thought there were no inhabitants here," I started, trying to ease the silence between John and me.

​"Oh...nothing grand. These people have lived here long before I came with Mr. Vance. They worked to keep the island alive for your uncle, Mr. Alden," he answered calmly.

​"Mr. Vance, huh? Is he always that...cold?" I asked inquisitively.

​John chuckled lightly.

​"Mr. Vance is kind of complicated. But I promise he has a soft heart under that deep voice and expressionless glare," John answered.

​"I doubt," I murmured to myself.

​After walking for about seven minutes, we arrived at a huge mansion.

​Damn! It's even larger than ours back home.

​John pushed open the tall mahogany doors, and they groaned softly on their hinges as though they carried the weight of years.

​The first thing that struck me was the size. The foyer soared upward into a vaulted ceiling, where a crystal chandelier glimmered with fractured sunlight. The floor beneath my feet was a flawless stretch of polished marble, its veins twisting like frozen rivers.

​Two sweeping staircases curved upward on either side, meeting at a balcony that overlooked the entrance hall. Dark oil paintings lined the walls, landscapes of Erténa's coast, portraits of people I didn't recognize. Their painted eyes seemed to follow me as I stepped inside.

​Fresh flowers sat in a tall glass vase on a round table at the center of the room, their fragrance softening the otherwise intimidating grandeur.

​"It's... massive," I whispered, half to myself.

​John gave a faint smile. "Your uncle took great pride in this place. Every piece of it was built with care. And now," he paused, glancing at me as though weighing his words, "it belongs to you."

​I let that sink in as my eyes drifted upward again, drawn to the chandelier's glittering light. For a brief moment, I felt both overwhelmed and strangely... chosen.

​"Let me show you to your room, Miss Ha-" John began, but I cut him off gently.

​"Elena," I corrected, offering him a small smile. "Just Elena."

​John gave a polite nod. "Of course, Elena."

​He led me up the wide staircase. The hallways smelled faintly of cedarwood and something older, something... timeless. We passed tall arched windows where the velvet drapes were tied back neatly. Outside, the evening sun spilled orange light over the sea, the view stretching endlessly beyond the glass. My footsteps echoed against the marble floor, too loud in the heavy silence.

​Finally, John stopped before a double oak door. He pushed it open gently, revealing a spacious room with soft cream walls, a canopy bed dressed in white sheets, and a carved wooden wardrobe. On the far side, French doors opened to a private balcony overlooking the ocean.

​"This will be your room for the time being," John said, setting my traveling box at the foot of the bed. "If you need anything, I'll be just down the hall."

​I stepped inside, my fingers grazing the carved bedpost. The room was beautiful, almost too beautiful, as if it held stories I wasn't yet meant to know.

​Lucas's POV

​Inside the car, I thought to myself. She was beautiful. A perfectly toned skin, pink lovely lips that sat on her cute face. Little freckles complementing her one-sided dimple. Her hair, long and soil brown. Her scent filled my nose the closer she got. She allured me but I tried to act unphased.

​"What is it about this woman that calmed my hard heart for a moment?" I muttered lightly.

​The car pulled to a halt.

​"We are here, sir," my driver called from the driver's seat, jolting me from my thoughts.

​I walked out briskly, headed towards the large building complex-Vance Corporations. I have worked hard for years to be where I am today. It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, but I earned the robust life I live today, including Erténa. If living with Elena meant having full inheritance over my Island, I wasn't planning to make her stay sweet.

​Elena's POV

​My slumber was cut short by the little knock on the door. I sprung up, looking at my silver wrist watch. It was quarter past eight.

​When did I fall asleep? I thought.

​"Come in!" I answered, sitting up.

​"Miss Elena, dinner is served in the dining," a woman, supposedly in her late 50s, said, creaking my door open.

​"Okay, thanks. I'd be right there," I responded.

​She closed the door and walked away. I got up, putting my box on the bed and searching for something light to put on. I saw the cute black gown Uncle Frederick gave me three years ago for my 21st birthday. Still as lovely as it was when he first got it. My hand trailed the little buttons on the chest area as I thought, it'll be perfect.

​I quickly put on the dress and walked down towards the large dining on the east wing as John had told me. There at the dining table was a huge feast. Delicacies of different kinds filled the air with such a sweet aroma. I walked slowly towards the table, my eyes moving from one dish to another. My mouth watered and I couldn't wait to devour them. Just then my eyes moved towards the man seated at the end of the long table. It was Lucas.

​I walked to the seat opposite his and sat facing him at the other end of the table. Grabbing a plate to fill with the dishes I found most enticing, I decided to start a small conversation.

​I mean, I'm gonna live with him for a year, I might as well try to like him, I thought to myself.

​"So...Lucas. I didn't get the opportunity to tell you it was nice meeting ya," I said, my hands still busy dishing food.

​He ignored.

​"Well, as you already know, I'm Elena, late Mr. Alden's niece and I'd like it if we both cooperated and got to know each other since we are forced to be cohabitants of this beautiful mansion," I continued, pausing what I was doing to face the figure who hadn't said a word since I arrived.

​"Elena, is it? And why do we have to like each other?" Lucas finally spoke, taking a spoon of what seemed like curry before him.

​"I mean...it's better than forcing your arrogance on me, don't you think?" I replied him sternly.

​Pushing his chair back, he stood up briskly and walked towards me. The air suddenly became thick. His gaze pierced through me as he walked closer and closer, not a smile in sight.

I tried to stay calm, but my heart pounded in my chest. My throat felt tight, and my hands trembled slightly on the tabletop.

​Lucas stopped just short of me, his towering figure casting a shadow across the table. He leaned in slightly, his voice low but razor-sharp.

​"You'll soon learn, Elena," he said, his breath warm against my ear, "liking me isn't a requirement for surviving here."

​He pulled back, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking away, leaving the faint echo of his words behind. I sat frozen in my seat, spoon suspended in mid-air, my appetite gone.