The next half hour passed with Genevieve sorting through clothes in Aurora's closet, as the latter was the one closest in size to her. Under the scrutinizing gazes of the two girls who stood in one corner of the large room, she was quick to pick out a floral print t-shirt, blue denim shorts, and a pair of white sneakers.
Once she had made her choice, they left her alone to get dressed, telling her they'd be waiting for her in the car.
Minutes later, Genevieve stepped out of the mansion, her breath hitching as her eyes widened in shock at the sight before her. The sprawling estate was surrounded by towering walls, their imposing height a stark reminder of her captivity. She had been unconscious the night before when she was brought here, and now, for the first time, she could take in the exterior of the place she would call home from now on.
Inside was already intimidating even though she was yet to have a proper tour, and now outside?
Well, she shrugged, what else was one to expect from people like her owners?
Her gaze swept around as she took in all the delightful and disturbing sights at the same time. The courtyard was expansive, lined with neatly trimmed hedges and gravel paths that seemed too pristine for the shadowy world she had been thrust into. Guards were scattered throughout the area, their presence impossible to ignore.
Some stood rigidly by the gates, their expressions cold and unreadable, while others patrolled the grounds, their sharp eyes scanning every corner with practiced vigilance. The weight of their watchful gazes made her skin prickle, a constant reminder that escaping would be difficult.
"Not for me though," she murmured, "I will have to find a way."
"You are coming or not?" Annika's snappy voice called out to her.
Genevieve sighed, making a mental note to complete her sightseeing later. She would have to do it as soon as possible though, as her plans would depend on being able to get in and out of this mansion without alerting any of the numerous armed guards making their rounds right now.
It would be hard, yes, but she believed she could do it.
Her training for the past two years had mainly been to teach her this, and she only needed to detect the weak points in this mansion's security before she would be good to go.
''Coming,'' she called out and hurried down the short flight of steps that led to the waiting car with open doors. Aurora and Annika were already sitting inside, the both of them wearing matching frowns as they waited for her to join them. She got into the car and waited until one of the guards accompanying them shut the door, before turning around to fasten her seatbelt. ''I'm sorry I kept you waiting.''
''We don't need your apologies,'' Annika rolled her eyes. Leaning forward, she pressed a button, and a barricade went up, separating them from the driver section. She shared a knowing glance with her cousin, and the latter nodded back.
Genevieve's suspicion was aroused by their actions, but before she could say anything about it, Aurora beat her to it.
''So, Eve… we can call you that, right?''
She nodded. ''Yeah. I guess I can call you both Rory and Ann too then.''
''If you want to,'' the two girls chorused. Aurora sat up and continued, ''So, the thing is Annie and I had a talk while we waited for you to come out. And it's about us wanting to know if we misunderstood the situation between you and Uncle Roberto.''
Annika took the cue from her and continued, ''Actually, our first thought was that the woman Father brought home was a gold digger out to get his money and replace my mom. But we didn't expect to see someone like you. Not only do you look so young, but you are also so pretty that I know if gold digging was your intent, you could have targeted younger and more handsome men than my aging father and succeeded."
She added, "And that's not all. At breakfast earlier, after I lashed out at you, you seemed a bit confused and scared…''
''Then when you were picking out clothes, you didn't target the branded dresses but the lesser ones. That being said, tell us how the hell someone like you met my uncle, and why you agreed to marry him?'' Aurora concluded.
Genevieve's brows raised slightly, her gaze alternating from one person to the other, while pondering within herself on what would be the best decision to take. To tell them her story starting from the part where she was auctioned, or to tell them the fake story the auctioneer weaved while he was 'advertising' her?
Without much thought, Genevieve decided on the former since one, it would be the truth, and two, something within her didn't feel like lying to these two girls.
She never really had a normal childhood and friends due to her family's background, and after the incident that took them away from her, she had dedicated so much of her time into training for revenge while at the orphanage that she hadn't been able to spare time to make friends.
Her eyes shimmered as she saw the genuine curiosity in Annika's eyes and the same eagerness in Aurora's.
And before she could stop herself, the thought popped in her mind, 'Would it be so bad if I chose these two girls as my first friends? First, genuine friends who won't stab me in the back as soon as I turn away?'