Page 44

EMMA

“ W hoa,” James breathes, practically pressing his nose to the car window.

The silhouette of Vera’s lakefront mansion appears above the thick canopy of trees. The setting sun shines a spotlight over the French-chateau style building, making it appear nostalgic even though it’s my first time here.

“It’s so much prettier than our house,” Rosalie says, her eyes as wide as saucers.

I stifle a laugh at her blunt honesty. But I also understand why she thinks that.

While the Sinclair mansion is an absolute beast, this building has the elegance of a Scottish castle.

Dark green ivy climbs up the gray stone walls.

The lake behind the property glitters under the last rays of the sun.

As we pass through the driveway, the moody gray skies part to spill orange-hued sunshine on the world below.

It feels like waking up from a long nap on a Sunday evening only to be seized by an unreasonable yearning.

I feel Klaus’s eyes on me. When I look over at him, I see a myriad of unexpressed emotions flit through his eyes.

There’s so much I want to say to him. Like how kissing him feels like the most natural thing in the world. And how when he holds me in his arms, it feels like a home I never want to leave.

I feel like I’m feeling too much, too soon.

I look away from him as the car is parked in front of the mansion.

There’s a beautiful, statuesque woman standing in front of the entrance. She’s...stunning. It feels like I’m looking at a marble sculpture of a goddess. Her long brown curls fall over one shoulder gracefully. Her smile widens when we step out of the car.

This is Vera Reznikova, Klaus's friend.

She hurries down the marble steps to greet us.

An unnamed emotion stabs me in the center of my stomach. Inky possessiveness wraps around my heart, squeezing it until I barely recognize the thoughts in my own head.

I take a deep breath. My lungs fill with the scent of eucalyptus and tropical flowers. Klaus told me that his friend kept a greenhouse, but I didn’t expect it to smell like spring in the middle of winter.

“Hello, Klaus,” she says, grinning at him.

“Vera.” He nods.

“And who do we have here?” she asks, turning toward the kids.

James glances down at his feet, seized by sudden shyness. Rosalie gives Vera a stiff smile.

“I’ve heard so much about you two. It’s lovely to finally meet you in person,” Vera says, beaming at them. “Your uncle told me that the two of you are fond of dogs. Would you like to meet mine?”

At the mention of dogs, the kids instantly warm up to her. Rosalie gives her a genuine smile and nods excitedly.

Without breaking eye contact with the kids, Vera whistles. An enormous dog springs out from inside the house. The kids instinctively take a step back. Vera flicks her wrist, making the dog skid to a stop behind her.

“I know he looks a little scary, but he’s very friendly,” Vera says. “Do you want to pet him?”

The kids look up at their uncle for permission. When he nods, they step forward.

I watch the interaction with my heart in my throat. I’ve never seen a dog this big before.

“What breed is he?” I ask.

Vera turns her gaze toward me. “Oh, he’s a wolf hybrid. I had him since he was a puppy.”

Klaus looks at me. “Vera, this is my...”

“Nanny,” I finish for him. “I’m the nanny. My name is Emma.”

There’s a mischievous light in Vera’s eyes as she glances between the two of us.

“Pleased to meet you, Emma,” she says, extending her hand toward me.

I step forward to shake her hand. I notice that her hand is stacked with gold and diamond jewelry. In comparison, mine is completely bare.

“Likewise,” I say.

She’s wearing a cashmere sweater that looks stunning against her porcelain skin.

Something rises in my chest. I’m not ashamed of where I come from, but lately, I’ve had this fear that I don’t belong here.

I’m the nanny. The help.

These people will never know what it’s like to struggle just to put food on the table every week. They’ll never know what it’s like to stress about paying the bills on time.

“Come on inside, I’ll give you a tour of the house,” she says, pointing at the double doors behind her.

Klaus glances over at me. “Actually, can we take care of business first?”

I take a deep breath.

I spent the whole day trying not to think about the reason we’re in Chicago. But the tea sample in my pocket is now burning a hole through my clothes. I’m scared of learning the truth.

“Yes,” Vera says, glancing between the two of us. “Yes, of course.”

Another girl emerges from inside the mansion. She’s nearly identical in appearance to Vera.

“Hi, I’m Inessa,” the girl says, smiling at us like we’re all long-lost childhood friends.

“This is my little sister,” Vera says, introducing us. “Inessa, can you watch over the kids for a while?”

“Sure,” Inessa says. “I’m watching Moana on TV. Who wants to keep me company?”

The kids are a sucker for Disney movies, so they’re more than happy to follow her inside. The wolf hybrid trails behind the three of them like a menacing bodyguard.

“This way,” Vera says, gesturing toward the back of the house.

Klaus and I follow her. My heart gallops inside my ribcage. I don’t say a word, but Klaus squeezes my hand in his.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispers.

I nod quickly. I try to pull my hand away, but he doesn’t let go.

“Do you have the sample with you right now?” Vera turns to look at me. Her eyes drop to our joined hands, but she doesn’t remark on it.

“I do,” I reply. “I hope it’s enough. I had to give most of it to the detectives, but I saved some just in case.”

“Good thinking.” Vera nods.

“Also, thank you so much for agreeing to help me,” I say.

“Of course.” She gives me a warm smile.

The greenhouse looms ahead of us like a living creature, its iron frame draped with creeping vines. The glass panes are fogged with condensation, glowing faintly from the warm light inside.

The glass doors slide open as we approach. We’re blasted with humid air that smells like damp earth after a rainstorm. An ancient, vibrant energy thrums around me, curling around me like a spell.

It feels like stepping inside a forest.

I’m surrounded by dozens of species of plants—from potted herbs to fully-grown trees that nearly brush the high ceiling. Bundles of dried herbs hang from the rafters. There’s a workbench nearby, its surface cluttered with glass jars, stone mortars, and open books filled with handwritten notes.

“This place looks unreal,” I say, trying to take everything in. “I feel like I’m in some kind of private museum.”

To my right, there’s even an aquarium filled with underwater plant species.

“It’s my favorite place in the world,” Vera says, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater.

Klaus’s phone rings. His eyebrows furrow as he stares at the screen.

“It’s Alaric,” he says, looking up at me. “Is it okay if I step out for a few minutes?”

I nod. I really appreciate him checking in with meeven though he doesn’t have to.

As he retreats, I stare at the bunched muscles of his shoulders. He’s stressed about something.

“How long have you two been together?” Vera asks.

Heat rushes to my cheeks.

“Oh, we’re not... it’s not official or anything,” I say.

“Looks pretty serious to me,” she says, tilting her head to the side. “Everyone who knows Klaus knows that he hates being touched. By anyone . But somehow, you’re the exception.”

“We’re just...fond of each other, I guess?” I say. My face feels like it’s on fire.

“You love him,” she observes. “Love is never something you need to be embarrassed about.”

Love is dangerous. It makes you do stupid things like fall for the wrong man. I don’t even want to think about the depth of my feelings for him, but I know I can’t run from it either.

I glance back outside.

I can see his broad silhouette against the darkening sky. My body fills with heat every time I look at him. My heart skips a beat whenever his eyes lock with mine.

I’m so scared to get attached to someone I could lose in the end, but I never experienced happiness like this before.

“And he’s completely crazy about you,” Vera says. “I can tell by the way he looks at you. I know a man in love when I see one.”

It’s almost too much for me.

The very thought of him loving me back fills my head with giddy thoughts.

“I don’t know about that,” I whisper. “I’m just the nanny.”

“People meet in the strangest ways sometimes,” she says, walking toward the workbench. “I met my now husband when I was at the altar.”

“Arranged marriage?” I ask.

“No, he was an assassin sent to kill me,” she says.

I wait for her to explain the joke. She sorts through some of the glass jars.

“Oh, you’re serious,” I say.

“I know it’s not the most ideal meet cute, but fate works in mysterious ways,” she says. “Also, I’m really glad he decided not to pull the trigger on me.”

“Right,” I say, glancing around the greenhouse with new eyes. I thought I knew what world she was from, but apparently, I was wrong with my assumption.

“All I’m saying is there’s no right or wrong when it comes to love,” she says.

“I disagree,” I say, thinking about my birth father. “Sometimes… it’s just wrong.”

She looks at me for a moment.

I feel like she’s going to ask me more questions about Klaus and me, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to give her any answers.

“So um, how did you get into all this?” I ask, looking at the glass jars filled with dried herbs and flower petals.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” she says, running her fingers over a mint leaf.

“Try me.”

She has a faraway look in her eyes now.

“Do you know what the Bratva is?” she asks.

I should be surprised by this question. But for some reason, I’m not.

“The Russian mafia?” I ask.

She nods. “I come from a Bratva family. And like with most crime families, women aren’t given much power. We weren’t even allowed to pick who we married. But I always knew that I didn’t want that for myself. So I did what I had to do.”

There’s old hurt in her eyes, the kind that never really goes away.