It's not my house
POV: Elena
Sandro is strange. Not the kind of stranger who makes you uncomfortable, but the kind who backs away before you even get close. He doesn't look me in the eye as he walks ahead of us, guiding us through the immaculate and overly luxurious hallways of the mansion.
Sometimes he mumbles something about how big the house is and how we'll probably get lost a few times until we learn how to find our way around. But it sounds more like he's talking to himself than to us.
"That's it," he says, stopping in front of a pair of white double doors with gold trim.
I open the door and stand in the entryway, speechless. The room is luxurious, overly perfect. But that just reminds me that I don't belong here. The sky-blue walls seem to mock my misery. As if they were made to make me feel out of place. And it works.
"If you need anything, just call me," Sandro murmurs, still avoiding my gaze. "Your sister's room is next. I'll let you guys get settled in."
He turns to leave, and on impulse, I call out to him, "I can manage."
"Yeah... sure," he replies, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips before disappearing completely.
He leaves, and I finally enter the room, closing the door behind me. The quiet is unsettling. A part of me wants to collapse, sink into that soft bed, and let sleep take me away from this chaotic reality. But I can't. I can't let my guard down.
My fingers glide over the thin fabric of the bedspread as I try to figure out why I'm here. I shouldn't be. They don't know me. They don't owe me anything. And yet, here I am, in the middle of a luxury that feels like it belongs to someone else.
That's when I hear a muffled scream from across the hall. It's Eloisa.
My sister doesn't seem at all pleased with the room they've given her, even though it's probably just as luxurious as mine. Her pampered voice demands attention, demands perfection. And for a second, a dark part of me feels good that she's not pleased. Let her suffer a little, too.
I sigh and flop onto the bed, my body sinking into the soft mattress. Maybe this won't be so bad. If I can just stay out of their way, maybe... just maybe I can find some peace.
Or at least pretend to.
I decide to take a shower, maybe the hot water will wash away some of the weight I'm carrying. The bathroom is huge, so bright it's almost suffocating. But the hot water is a blessing, even if it's only for a few minutes.
When I leave the bathroom, I wrap myself in the fluffy towel and look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes look tired, empty. I try not to stare at them for too long. I quickly dress in the clothes I brought, none of the expensive stuff that filled my closet. I'm not going to let myself buy anything, and nothing comes for free either.
Before I have a chance to throw myself on the bed, there's a knock on the door.
"Come in," I reply, not very patiently. I can already imagine who it is.
Luca storms in. Uninvited, uncaring. He's all smiles, as if the world is one big joke that only he understands.
"Hey, Elena! Thinking about hiding here forever?" He laughs, as if the joke itself is brilliant.
"What if I want to hide?" I reply, crossing my arms. "It's a huge house. There must be some hole I can crawl through and disappear."
"Drama queen." He laughs again and gives me a look that feels like a challenge. "Let's go get something to eat. Do you want to go downstairs or are you going to wallow in self-pity?"
My first instinct is to tell him to fuck off. But my stomach decides for me with a treacherous growl.
"Okay. I'll go," I mumble.
He winks and leaves. I fix my hair before I go downstairs. I had to cut it after Eloisa complained to our mother that my hair was prettier than hers. My beloved sister (note the irony).
I take a deep breath and leave the room, ready to face whatever awaits me. I need to at least try to understand who I'm dealing with. And maybe make sure Eloisa doesn't poison their minds against me before I have a chance to defend myself.
The house is a maze and I get lost at least twice before I finally find the staircase Luca mentioned. Deep down, I think he did it on purpose to test me. Or just to laugh at me later. I don't doubt it.
When I get to the dining room, the other four siblings are already there. Vicente and Lorenzo seem to be discussing something serious, but when I appear, they go silent and look at me as if I were a wild animal that appeared out of nowhere.
Sandro gives me a shy smile, as if he's trying to make me feel less uncomfortable. Leonardo, on the other hand, doesn't even bother to hide his disinterest. He just rolls his eyes and goes back to fiddling with his phone.
"I thought you got lost," Vicente says in a low, calculating voice, as if he's trying to find out something about me.
"And I thought you forgot I existed," I reply, forcing myself to sound disinterested.
"That would be difficult. Luca hasn't stopped talking about you since he came to pick you up," Lorenzo replies with an observant look.
Luca slumps into a chair, unconcerned.
"We couldn't let her get moldy in the room. Besides, she has to get used to us, right? Family and all," Luca says, exaggerating the last word as if he wanted to see my reaction.
Family. That word sounds too strange for what we are. But they seem to believe it.
"Don't worry, I don't intend to take up much space around here," I say as I sit in the chair furthest from them.
The food is served and, even though I'm reluctant, I start eating. It's impossible to deny how delicious it is, especially after so long without eating. I won't give them the pleasure of seeing my hunger, but my body doesn't cooperate with that decision.
"So Elena," Lorenzo begins, leaning his elbows on the table. "I don't know much about you. In fact, I don't know anything. How about you tell me a little about how you and Eloisa have lived all this time?"
The question makes me freeze. Do they really want to know?
I look at Eloisa who gives me a warning look, I could very well end her perfect world with a few words and she knows it.
But doing so would raise questions and I'm not about to let my walls down again.
"I think Eloisa must have told you everything you wanted to know," I say, throwing the problem to my sister. If they want the truth, they can get it from her.
Vicente watches me carefully, his eyes cold and analytical. It's like he's trying to put together a puzzle and I'm the last piece that doesn't fit.
"But I want to hear it from you," Lorenzo insists, too impatient for my liking.
"Maybe another day," I say, dropping the subject and focusing on my food again.
Lorenzo doesn't press, but I know he won't give up so easily.
Eloisa must be loving this. She's always wanted to be the center of attention, and for some reason, I'm starting to think she'll do anything to make me the villain in this story.
I don't mind being the villain, as long as I get peace.
Dinner ends without any more uncomfortable questions. But I know it's only a matter of time before I have t
o face the truth.