Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Mirabella had only wandered off a short distance when she heard her grandma call. She quickly returned to Cornelia’s side.
“Grandma Cornelia, you needed to see both of us?” Alma’s face broke into a smile as if nothing had happened earlier.
“Well, my dears, I have a friend who’s a violin maestro, and she’s been on the lookout for a protege.
She messaged me to ask if I knew anyone who might fit the bill. She’s looking for real talent.”
Cornelia still held her smartphone, the chat window open, “Bella’s already a master in her own right, way beyond my friend’s skill level, so it got me thinking about you.”
She patted Alma’s head affectionately, “You’ve loved the violin since you were a little girl, and you even took lessons from Oswald, but he never truly passed on the torch. My friend, she’s more skilled than Oswald, and I think you could really flourish under her tutelage. Given some time, you could do great things.”
“Me?” Alma was caught in a bind. She couldn’t admit that she could no longer play the violin.
“Bella here is Jamie Noelle. Since she’s around, why don’t you play something for her? Let’s see where you stand. My friend has very high standards, and even if you’re talented and skilled, she might not be convinced.”
Cornelia was about to fetch a violin when Alma quickly interjected, “Grandma Cornelia, I’ve decided not to pursue the violin professionally.”
“Why ever not?” Cornelia was clearly surprised.”I’ve set my sights high, you see. I had even thought about studying under Jamie Noelle.” Alma revealed with a playful grin as she spoke, “But I’ve realized that’s not really my calling. So I’ve made up my mind. Music and arts will remain hobbies, and I plan to focus on building a different career. But thank you, Grandma Cornelia, for always thinking of me when opportunities come up.”
Seeing Alma had other plans, Cornelia nodded, “You’ve always been decisive, my child. If that’s what you want, I won’t push. Whatever you both choose to do in the future, I’m behind you all the way.”
Relieved, Alma offered a smile.
“Well, then, I’ll let my friend know I don’t have a suitable candidate at the moment.” Cornelia was about to leave when something else occurred to her, “If you’re ever in need of advice, you can always turn to Bella. When it comes to chess, she’s a Queen, a master of all sorts. For music, she’s both Melody and Jamie Noelle; and in medicine, she’s Dr. Bell. Whatever path you choose, Bella can surely give you a few pointers.”
Alma, not to be outdone but resigned to the situation, replied, “Of course, Grandma Cornelia.”
“But I’ll say this upfront: just a few pointers. Don’t bother her too much. Bella’s a busy girl,” Cornelia chuckled as she tapped her screen, replying to her old friend’s message, and walked back toward the house.
Feeling a bit awkward, Alma looked up to find that Mirabella had slipped away at some point.
What was with Mirabella, not even wanting to spend an extra second with her? Why the rush?
That bitch Serena used to be around the Collins family all the time, and Mirabella never seemed so put off.
Could it be that she was even less appealing than that Serena?From a distance, Mirabella spotted the head of the bodyguard confronting a man who had been blocked from escaping. Crossing half the garden, she approached the unfolding scene.
“Ms. Collins!” The head of the bodyguard seemed relieved at her arrival, his gaze falling on the uninvited guest with suspicion, “This fellow was lurking around the basement skylight, acting all sneaky.”
At the bodyguard’s feet was a skylight that led down to the basement; a glance through it offered a view into a corner of the subterranean space.
Most villas had a similar design: a skylight in the ground floor to let the sunshine stream into the basement. It was a clever way to brighten up the space and improve the airflow down there.
“I had no clue there was a skylight.” The man explained with a mix of urgency and helplessness, “The grass is so tall around here, from a distance all I could see was a sea of green. I told you, I’m new here.
I was just looking for the restroom. I saw a small door from afar and thought to check it out. I didn’t know there was a skylight that wasn’t meant to be walked over.”
“You were looking for the restroom and you couldn’t ask someone? With all the staff bustling about in this villa, don’t tell me you didn’t see a soul,” the head of the bodyguard still sounded skeptical.
“I saw that most of the staff were women; it felt kinda awkward to ask, and they all seemed so busy.”
The man tried to explain further, but seeing no sign of belief from the bodyguard, he turned to Mirabella with a helpless look, “Ms. Collins, I really didn’t know I couldn’t just wander around here. I was only looking for the restroom.”
“You think you can fool Ms. Collins that easily? You better come clean today, or don’t blame me for not being nice!”
The head of the bodyguard was ready to take action, hand inching towards his tool of authority, poised to apprehend the man.
“What’s going on here?”
Just then, an elegant voice cut through the tension.
The man looked towards the source of the voice as if he had found his savior and quickly explained, “Madam, I was just looking for the restroom and accidentally went the wrong way. This man is insisting I’m up to something, talking about looking for some basement, some skylight.”Beverly maintained a gracious smile throughout, “It’s a misunderstanding. Harry is a new chauffeur I’ve hired. It’s his first day here, and he’s not yet familiar with our house rules or recent events.”
With that, she turned to Harry with a smile, “I’ll handle this; why don’t you go ahead and use the restroom.”
“He can’t leave.”
As the head of the bodyguard moved to intercept, Beverly’s laugh, light and amused, filled the air, “When nature calls, it calls. I appreciate your dedication as head of bodyguard, but if it makes you feel better, once he’s done, I’ll have him come back and you can question him all you want.”
With things put that way, if the bodyguard persisted, it would make for an unsightly scene. But he didn’t want to let him go either; what if the man destroyed evidence? What would be the point of questioning him after that?
“Changing chauffeurs at the turn of the new year?” Mirabella inquired with a smile.
Typically, as the year drew to a close, people stuck with the staff they had, not making changes lightly.
“Couldn’t be helped.” Beverly said, her smile unwavering, “Our former chauffeur Gene, his wife just had a baby. He wanted to be there for her postpartum period, and with a new addition in their family, he wanted to spend the holidays together. So I gave him two-month off.”
Beverly continued with genteel ease, “I’ve vetted this new chauffeur thoroughly; there’s no issue. But if you’re still worried, feel free to question him further.”
“If you say he’s fine, then naturally, we have no reason to hold him.”Hearing this, the head of the bodyguard became desperate, not wanting to let the man go just like that.
What if he was trouble?
“What are you waiting for? You need thank Ms. Collins.” Beverly said with poise, “If it were any other lady, they would have surely held you back.”
Harry quickly bowed in gratitude, “Thank you, Ms. Collins. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
Mirabella kept her smile, nodding her head.
As Harry stepped away, the head of the bodyguard was beside himself with anxiety. He couldn’t let this go.
Just as the tension in the air could be cut with a knife, a small object suddenly fell from Harry’s pocket.
Both Mirabella and the head of the bodyguard saw it clearly – it was a folding knife that now laid exposed for all to see.
Harry glanced back at them, his movements hurried as he scooped up the knife and stuffed it into his pocket, his face awash with a shade of panic.
“Hold it right there!”
The bodyguard stepped forward, “You dropped something. Show us what it is!”
Beverly’s face fleetingly betrayed her nerves before she regained her composure, “It’s a precaution we’ve advised him to take.”
“Yeah, when Mr. Lucas Collins and Mrs. Beverly Collins don’t have their bodyguards around, I carry this. It’s for their protection. Don’t tell me you guys don’t carry something similar?” Harry retorted.
The head of the bodyguard was momentarily speechless; he carried a weapon, yes, but not a folding knife.
His gut was screaming that this driver was bad news.
“Today is of great significance to the Collins family, attended only by kin and close associates. You’re here, armed with a knife and trespassing,” the bodyguard turned to Mirabella, “Ms. Collins, I request permission to detain him. He’s definitely up to no good!”
“I’ve explained repeatedly that I was unaware of the restricted access here. If I had known, I would’ve steered clear.” Harry’s voice trailed off, a note of pleading in his tone as he turned to Beverly, “Mrs.
Beverly Collins, I really can’t hold it much longer.””You may leave now.”
It was Mirabella who spoke, and the directive took everyone by surprise, not least the head of the bodyguard himself.
Was Ms. Collins really letting him go?
Beverly’s smile was radiant, “Bella knows the score. Since she’s given her word, what are you waiting for? Go on, then.”
Harry scurried off, casting a backward glance that flickered with unease in the middle of his retreat.
“Ms. Collins.” the security chief began, his anxiety palpable. He was convinced Harry was definitely trouble.
“I notice you still have concerns. Why don’t we bring Harry back later for a thorough questioning? I won’t interfere with your methods.”
“That’s not necessary. He’s just being cautious, as he shoulders great responsibilities. But I trust your judgment; there’s no need for Harry to return.”
Beverly seemed mildly taken aback at her words, “Well then, shall I take my leave?”
“Take care.”
Once Beverly was out of earshot, the bodyguard couldn’t contain himself, “Ms. Collins, I really suspect that man is problematic. Mrs. Beverly Collins is clearly covering for him!”
“Who’s problematic?”
A deep, steady voice suddenly joined the conversation.”Hans?” The bodyguard saluted him respectfully.
Mirabella chimed in with a dutiful demeanor, “Hans”.
Hans’s gaze softened as he looked at her, “Who did you say was problematic? Who is Beverly covering for?”
He handed Mirabella a cup of coffee.
The chef had prepared a batch of coffee earlier, and he had picked up Mirabella’s favorite flavor, having scoured the grounds for his sister before finding her here.
The head of the bodyguard relayed the full account of the incident to him.
After hearing that, Hans turned to his sister, “What do you think, Sis?”
“Beverly said the driver’s clean; she ran a background check and everything. I asked him to hit the restroom, and as he was scrambling to leave, a folding knife fell from his pocket. He even gave us a deliberate look before hurriedly picking it up. Suppose he was here to off Erik, wouldn’t he have to be a top-notch assassin? No way he’d blow his cover in broad daylight, especially not by dropping his weapon.”