A few seconds later, another voice crackled through, too muffled for me to make out.
The guard’s stance shifted. His eyes flicked toward Edward, studying him carefully, before he gave a short nod.
Wait, are we actually safe?
He pressed a button on his shoulder. Another man appeared from the side of the gate, then two more, both carrying weapons.
My stomach twisted at the sight of three of them, carrying those big*ss guns. Each one was watching us as if we were criminals or prey.
The first guard, the giant who had stopped us, raised his hand and gave a sharp signal. The other guards moved to the sides of the gate, pulling at the heavy chains and locks.
The black iron bars creaked, slow and loud, as the gate began to open.
For a moment, the only thing in the air was the long, groaning noise of metal against metal.
Then the guard stepped closer to the van, lowering his gun at last. His sharp, cold face softened just slightly. He bowed his head, respectful but stiff, before speaking.
My eyes darted to those guards, and then Edward, who slowly nodded his head.
What is going on? How does a normal guy like him have a connection with such dangerous people?
My suspicion grew with every second as the van accelerated into the place.
The sprawling beige mansion stood at the center, its walls gleaming faintly under the soft glow of outdoor lights.
The building stretched wide, elegant and proud, with tall arched windows reflecting the garden lights like watchful eyes, but what caught my attention more than the mansion itself was what surrounded it.
The garden was lush, perfectly trimmed, almost too perfect, as if each blade of grass had been commanded into place.
Flowerbeds lined the pathways, bursting with colors, yet somehow they didn’t soften the atmosphere.
At every few feet, there stood a guard. Uniformed, stone-faced, each carrying a gun. Their earpieces glimmered faintly in the light, and their sharp gazes followed the van as if tracking every possible threat.
The air was heavy, thick with unspoken warning: this was not a place you entered casually.
My throat went dry. This wasn’t just a home. It seemed more like a freaking fortress.
The van slowed, gravel crunching under the tires, until we stopped right at the grand entrance.
The giant double doors were already open, spilling golden light across the marble steps, making us blind for a moment.
And waiting at the top was a man who carried himself with such straight-backed pride it made my stomach twist. The head butler.
He didn’t need to announce who he was. His black tailcoat, pressed to perfection, his steady chin, and the calm, sharp eyes told me enough.
He wasn’t just a servant. He was the kind of man who had run this place for years, maybe decades, just like in those mafia romance novels who served the family for three freaking generations and remained loyal and alive one.
The second Edward stepped out of the van, the butler walked forward in smooth, practiced steps.
His face stayed polite, but there was something sharper in his eyes, as if he was measuring, testing, already deciding what we were worth.
He lowered his head in a small, respectful nod to Edward. Respect. Not politeness, not duty...just real respect.
And then he leaned in close and whispered something only Edward could hear.
I tried to catch the words, leaning forward slightly, but nothing carried across.
Edward just listened, nodding once or twice, his face as calm as ever, was normal.
My stomach knotted tighter.
Why was Edward being treated ?
Why was he the one receiving whispers at the door of a mansion guarded like a war camp?
One by one, the rest of us climbed out of the van. We huddled close without meaning to, drawn together by the heavy stares still watching us from the garden.
Guards didn’t move, but their hands hovered close to their weapons, their eyes scanning us like we were suspects, not guests.
I pulled Emma closer, her little hand gripping mine tighter, and tried to look anywhere but at the barrels of those guns.
If even one of those men decided we didn’t belong here, I knew we wouldn’t make it past the steps.
Finally, Edward gave a last nod to the butler, like some silent deal had been made. The butler straightened and turned to face us, his smooth voice cutting through the silence.
It wasn’t soft, nor was it friendly. It was just a polite, yet firm, leaving no space for refusal.
I glanced at Edward, and then at Sophia, hoping for some kind of explanation, but she looked as confused as I was.
Edward only motioned with his hand for us to move forward. His face was calm, unshaken, as if all of this made perfect sense to him.
So we followed. God forbid if my legs did not wobble taking those first steps.
My legs felt heavy with every step, my eyes flicking between the shining mansion ahead and the shadows of the armed men still standing at their posts.
Something deep inside me whispered that we had stepped into another world... a dangerous one, and full of secrets.
And Edward... he wasn’t just the man I thought I knew. I think he wasn’t even close to what he promised to me...to Sophia.
As we followed the butler inside, I couldn’t help but glance at Sophia.
She walked beside me, her face pale but steady, her eyes darting from Edward to the mansion walls towering over us.
She didn’t say a word, but I could see it. All the confusion, the worry, the questions piling up in her head.
My chest ached for her. Edward was clearly hiding something, and that something was big.
The way the butler whispered to him, the way the guards bowed and lowered their weapons only after he said his weird code word or something.
It all meant Edward was not the simple man he had seemed to be. And if he was lying about that, then what else had he kept from us? From her? Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NovєlFіre.net