A surprisingly warm greeting

Myra heaved heavily as she trudged up the winding hill, her breaths coming in shallow pants. Never in her life had she been this out of breath from something as simple as walking. She was already annoyed that the bus stop was 5 miles away and to make matters worse, the main house was still a long walk from the gates. Her annoyance only grew as she glanced up the endless road stretching before her - the sprawling Westwood Estate seemed hundreds of miles away and the relentless sun beating down her didn't offer much solace. 

"Ugh," she muttered to herself, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Why do rich people need to have their own freaking highway. And why is the damn house so far inside?" 

Her grumbling continued as she pushed herself to keep walking. She had been lucky to catch a ride to Sarah's place earlier that week, thanks to one of the mansion's butlers. But now, after deciding to return to the estate, she hadn't realized just how deep the mansion was nestled into the expansive property. 

No - not a mansion. This was a mega-mansion, practically a small kingdom on its own. 

She knew she had to face the inevitable, returning to Xavier's place and dealing with his sharp tongue and brooding glares. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever - but that didn't mean she was ready to face him. Not yet. She was dreading the encounter today but she reminded herself, why she was here: To get answers.

She needed to familiarize herself to her new surroundings and she still needed to learn more about Xavier's business dealings and see if there was anything tied to her father's failed company. If she wanted to protect herself, she had to stay sharp, and snoop around if necessary. 

Stopping for a moment, she wiped the sweat off her face and sighed. That's when she heard it, the low hum of an approaching vehicle. Turning her head, Myra stopped a bus coming up the road. At first, she thought it might be some kind of delivery truck, but as it neared, she realized it was a shuttle bus. Desperate to escape the sweltering heat, Myra started to wave her arms frantically hoping she could hitch a ride. She felt she was melting under the hot sun. She was now grateful that Sarah forced her to wear a cute blue and white floral mini sundress from Sarah's closet, at the time Sarah insisted it would do her good to appear girly and feminine in front of her new husband. 

The bus slowed to a stop, and she didn't hesitate. She practically jumped inside, sighing with relief as the cool, air-conditioned air washed over her. 

"Thank you!" she gasped, smiling gratefully at the driver. 

"My pleasure, miss," the older man said kindly before closing the doors.

As Myra moved down the aisle, she noticed the bus was filled with Westwood Estate staff. They were chatting animatedly, laughing and sharing gossip. The energy was surprisingly warm and inviting. 

Myra politely greeted them, saying hello, earning a few smiles and nods before she slipped into an empty sear. Thank God for air conditioning, she thought, as she leaned back into the plush cushions. 

The bus wound it way through the estate grounds, eventually arriving at a large parking area tucked discreetly behind the mansion. It was here that Myra had a sudden epiphany. When she first came to the Westwood estate with Xavier, they had entered through the grand, imposing front gates, a quite grandiose entrance - a stark contrast to this hidden, almost forgotten employee entrance. In that moment, Myra realized her own position was not so far removed from those who entered through the back; her elevated status; although temporary, courtesy of her marriage to Xavier, had merely disguised her place as something closer to a charity case than she cared to admit. 

 As the employees began to file off the bus, Myra unsure what else to do - followed their lead. 

The staff dispersed, heading in various directions. Myra lingered around, uncertain of how to get to Xavier's place when she noticed a distinguished-looking man speaking to one of the staff just a few feet away. 

The man's feature were strikingly beautiful, his strong, chiseled features reminded her instantly of Xavier, though there were differences, like the silver streaks in his dark hair, and fine lines marked the corners of his eyes. His face bore the same stern look, and Myra thought that must be the family trait as Xavier always had that same expression plastered to his face. 

That man was Vincent Westwood, Xavier's father. Vincent Westwood was away on an important business trip when Myra was first introduced into the family. But she could tell who this man was, even without an introduction. 

Mr. Westwood's gaze shifted, as if sensing someone's eyes on him, and landed directly on her. 

An awkward pause stretched for a moment, and Myra found herself unable to look away. 

"You," Mr Westwood started, gesturing for her to follow. "Come with me." 

Startled, Myra hesitated. "Um...me?" 

"Yes," Mr. Westwood said, his tone polite yet firm. "New, are you?" 

Myra froze, unsure what to say. He must have mistaken her for one of his employees. 

"I ... yes," she stammered. "I've only recently started ... living here." 

Mr. Westwood's expression softened. "I thought so. Although there are many staff here, I know all their faces." 

"Really?" Myra blurted out, her disbelief slipping through

He gave her a small smile, one that caught her off guard. 

He's ... nice? Myra had imagined Xavier's father to be cold, distant - maybe even cruel, much like how she viewed Xavier. Instead, there was something genuine about him. 

"Walk with me." Mr. Westwood said, his tone casual, leading her toward the shaded terrace, where there was an outdoor kitchen. "I was about to have some coffee. Would you like some?" 

"I can make it for both of us, if you'd like." Myra offered, feeling awkward at the thought of having coffee made for her by the boss of the entire Westwood empire. 

Mr. Westwood nodded and Myra carefully prepared the coffee, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end as his gaze made her increasingly nervous. 

"You seem to know what you're doing." He commented. 

"I make a pretty good cup." Myra replied with a shy smile. 

Moments later, she set a steaming cup of coffee before him. Mr. Westwood took a sip, then gave a satisfied sigh. 

"Perfect." He said. "You've earned my approval." 

Myra chuckled. "Glad to hear it." 

For a moment, they sat in silence before Mr. Westwood spoke again. 

"So... what's your story?" He asked, his tone light but curious. "Are you in school?" 

Myra reluctantly replied. "I... was," she admitted. "But I ran out of funds. I'm hoping to save up so I can go back." 

"And what is it that you want to do?" 

"I want to be a kindergarten teacher." She said with a smile. "Not exactly glamorous, but..." 

"A noble career." Mr. Westwood said with sincerity. 

Myra laughed softly. "Yeah ... but it doesn't pay much. I might need a second job just to make ends meet. Maybe here at the estate." 

Mr. Westwood chuckled , a deep and warm sound that seemed so unlike Xavier. "You're welcome to stay." He said. "I'd be glad to have someone like you around. Specially someone who makes a fine cup of coffee." 

He paused for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "But what about your family?" 

His kindness caught Myra off guard, and before she realized it, she found herself saying, "My father passed away recently."

The words escaped her before she even realized what she had said. Myra's smile faltered, her fingers tightened around her cup with an almost desperate grip as her throat constricted. 

"I'm sorry." Mr. Westwood said gently. 

"Thank you." Myra whispered, swallowing hard. 

"You know keeping it inside never helps." Mr. Westwood said softly, his voice laced with such sincerity that Myra's chest tightened. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, his presence in that moment felt ... safe. 

As if sensing the heaviness in the air, Mr. Westwood steered the conversation toward lighter topics, and before long, they were sharing a more comfortable exchange. 

******** 

Lucas, Xavier's right hand man - the one who worked as his shadows, handling his business dealings quietly behind the scenes, hurriedly approached Xavier, looking unusually tense. 

"You're going to want to see this." Lucas started. 

Xavier barely looked up from his laptop. He was deep into the fiscal year's financial reports and he needed to focus on something before he broke something. "Unless the world is on fire, I don't care." He curtly replied. 

"It's Myra." Lucas said. "She currently with your father." 

Xavier's head snapped up. "What?" 

Xavier shot out of his chair, moving faster than Lucas had ever seen. 

By the time, Xavier reached the terrace, he spotted them through the glass doors - his father and Myra smiling and chuckling warmly.

Xavier froze.

Myra? Laughing?

Ever since Myra signed their marriage papers, Myra has been in a listless mood. She was oftentimes distant, guarded and barely present. Seeing her like this in a relaxed manner, smiling so easily made Xavier just as confused. 

Xavier's eyes narrowed toward them. What the hell was happening? His father wasn't exactly known for being warm or approachable, - not with him at least or even to others. So why did it seem like Myra had slipped past his usual cold demeanor with such ease? 

"Myra!" Xavier barked stepping inside abruptly.