Chapter 3: Big House

*Shelly's PoV*

My head was spinning. One minute, I was living the same life as always, the next I was in a limo with my little brother being driven to a mansion. At least, I assumed that's where Zara was taking us.

Toren seemed excited, although he was probably just happy to be with me. He had no idea what was going on, and I didn't know how to explain it to him.

I was nervous and afraid. What if we didn't fit in with the other family members? What if they hated us? Or worse, killed us?

"What should I expect?" I asked.

"A lot of political maneuvering and backstabbing," Zara said.

"Lovely," I said.

"It is a dog-eat-dog world," she said, her tone serious. "But with the right allies, you can help my boss and achieve his goal."

"Which is what?"

"In his own words, 'To get rid of the stuffy traditions'."

I laughed. "And you seriously think a waitress like me can help with that?"

"Indeed."

"But, why? Why me? I'm just an average person. I have no skills or talents. I'm not special."

"That's why. Your presence will be a breath of fresh air."

"If you say so. That said, is your boss really an oddball?"

"He's definitely eccentric. It's hard to gauge him sometimes."

I frowned. "And he's the heir of the family? The future head?"

"A candidate. That's what I meant by expect a lot of backstabbing. The Veyron family is large and full of ambitious individuals. Your grandfather himself had to wrestle to become head. Now, several people are fighting for the position. My boss is the most likely one to win, but his enemies aren't weak."

"And you think I can help him somehow? Like, become a spy or something?"

"That would be ideal."

I chuckled. "This is crazy."

"Perhaps. Like I said, he is hard to read. But, I'm sure you will manage. You've done a good job caring for your brother. It shows."

I glanced at Toren and smiled. "Thank you. But, can you tell me about him? Your boss, I mean."

She seemed surprised. "You want to know more about him?"

"I want to know who's offering to take care of my brother and myself. I can't just trust some random guy I haven't even met."

"Well, for starters, he was close to your grandfather. So close that he divulged his secret, the existence of your mother. My boss was surprised, but intrigued that there was someone born outside of the main branch."

"So, is that why he wants to take care of us?"

"Partly, yes. You didn't grow up under the old traditions. He hopes your way of thinking can bring about a new era for the clan– one that isn't so insular and obsessed with keeping power."

I hummed, still not convinced.

She sighed, noticing my reaction from the mirror. "I know this is a lot to take in, but please, try to understand."

"I'll try."

I leaned back in my seat, thinking over everything she'd said. My head hurt, and I wanted nothing more than to go back to my crappy apartment and pretend none of this had happened. But that wasn't an option. Not any more.

My eyes widened as a large mansion came into view. It looked more like a palace than a home. Just how many rooms were there? How many people lived here?

"We've arrived," Zara said.

Zara pulled the car around the massive fountain and stopped at the entrance. Once stopped, she stepped out and opened the door.

"Lady Shelly, Sir Toren, welcome to the Veyron Estate."

"Shiny! Big house!" Toren said, jumping out and running around.

"Hey, Toren!" I yelled, running after him. "Be careful! You're gonna get lost. We don't know this place yet."

He was too excited to listen. "Big house!"

"Toren," I said, grabbing his arm. "Calm down. Stay with me, okay?"

"Big house!"

"Yes, I know it's big, but you have to stay with me."

Toren looked at the mansion, his eyes wide. "Big house! Big house! Big house!" He giggled and turned a corner.

"Toren!" I yelled again and followed him. "Wait! You're gonna get yourself lost."

As I followed him, I realized this place was even bigger than I thought. The garden alone was huge, with dozens of trees, fountains and flower beds.

I gasped as Toren went flying towards me. "Are you okay?" I said, picking him up.

"Owie," he muttered and started crying.

I sighed and hugged him. "It's okay, you're just a little scraped."

He continued crying, his face red and his eyes puffy. I patted his head and told him it was alright, that he would be okay. But he didn't stop.

"Hmph, who let a snot-nosed brat in here?" A voice said.

I looked up and saw a boy around my age. He wore a gaudy suit, a blue tie and a white dress shirt. His blond hair was combed perfectly, his green eyes piercing.

"Sorry," I said. "He got excited and ran off."

The boy scoffed. "Who are you? The new help?" He got closer and smiled at me like the guy at the diner. "Well, aren't you a sight. If you need some extra cash, I could always use another girl for my parties. You can start tomorrow, at 9."

I felt like punching him in the balls. "No thanks," I said.

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that. I'll pay well."

"Listen, creep," I said, glaring. "My brother is hurt and I'm in a bad mood. So, if you want to keep your teeth, I suggest you back the fuck up."

He snickered. "Aren't you a feisty one. Fine, have it your way." He turned to leave, but not before smirking over his shoulder. "If you do change your mind, ask for Cassian."

I shivered, feeling grossed out. That guy was definitely an asshole. And, he was a member of the family? Great. Just great. I'd only been here for five minutes and I already wanted to leave.

Toren finally stopped crying and sniffled. "Boo-boo."

"I know, sweetie," I said and kissed his head. "Let's get you cleaned up."

I walked back to the front of the mansion and found Zara standing next to the fountain. She looked like a statue with her stoic expression. Her eyes were a deep brown, and she had a sharp nose and full lips. She was beautiful, but I could tell she didn't care much about her appearance.

"Hey, Zara," I said.

"Hello, Lady Shelly," she replied.

"Toren got a little scrape. Do you have any band-aids?"

"I will have the doctor look at him. My boss is waiting for you."

"Oh. Alright." I turned to Toren and ruffled his hair. "I'll be right back, okay?"

He hugged my leg. "Don't leave."

"Aw, sweetie." I picked him up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's okay. I'm just going inside. Zara will watch you."

Zara smiled slightly and took out a bandage. "Here, this might tide him over until the doctor can see him." She applied it gently, then stepped back.

Toren seemed happier and let go of me. "Thank you," he said, smiling at her. It was adorable.

"You're welcome, Sir Toren. Now, shall we go and meet my boss?"

"Is he a dino? Sis calls her boss a dino," Toren said.

She smiled and knelt to be eye level with him. "No, Sir Toren, but he can be scary, I suppose."

Toren pouted. "I wanna see a dino!"

I laughed. "Sorry, little bro, no dinosaurs here." Just a flirtatious viper who thinks he can buy anything with money. I shuddered. If he was the future head of the family, I was not going to enjoy my time here. I might be poor, but I was not desperate.

"Lady Shelly," Zara said and opened the door. "Please, come in."

I followed her, my heart pounding. This was it. I held Toren's hand tightly and we entered the mansion. My jaw dropped at the size of the foyer. It was bigger than our apartment. And, it was so fancy. There was a huge chandelier and a marble floor. The walls were covered in expensive-looking paintings. Everything in this place screamed 'we're rich and you're not'.

I looked down at my clothes and grimaced. I still had my uniform on. No wonder why that blond guy thought I was a maid.

I looked at Toren and saw the awe on his face. His eyes were sparkling as he took in the sight of the mansion. "Shiny! Big house!" He tried to run around, but I grabbed his arm. "Hey! I wanna explore."

I sighed and shook my head. "Toren, no running around. You got hurt the last time you did that."

"Aw." He pouted, then saw Zara and his eyes lit up. "Where's the dino? Is he shiny, too?"

I stifled a laugh and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, sweetie. No dinos here."

Zara smiled and turned to me. "Shall we proceed, Lady Shelly?"

I nodded. She was so patient with us. Maybe, I should learn to be more like her.

I glanced at Toren and he grinned at me. "Sis, let's play!" he said, jumping up and down.

"Toren, no," I said. "We're here to meet someone. And, we can't play in this nice place, okay?"

He pouted. "Aw."

"Hey, don't look at me like that. After we meet this guy, I'll play with you. Okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "Okay! Yay!"

I laughed and kissed his cheek. "Good boy. Now, let's go meet the dino."

Zara led us through the house. The place was so big and fancy that I felt like an intruder. I didn't belong here. I looked at Toren and saw him staring at everything with a look of wonder on his face.

"Shiny!" he said.

"Indeed, Sir Toren. This place is quite opulent," Zara said as she looked back at us. She stopped in front of a door. "Now, please excuse me, I have to take care of something. My boss is waiting for you inside. I'll come for you once I'm done."

I nodded and took a deep breath. Toren looked at me curiously, then grinned and took my hand. "It's okay, sis. I'll protect you."

I snickered and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, sweetie."