Chapter 28 Hidden In The Heart Of His Mansion
"Good morning Miss Amanda" the young man greeted with a smile.
Amanda, cleaving to the door, was surprised to see Rowan's driver.
"Good morning. What is the problem? Why are you here? Amanda questioned. She was impatient.
"Rowan said I should bring you to work." He answered, still smiling.
"What! Why?" Amanda questioned further.
"He didn't give me a reason. I am just following his instructions." The young man answered.
"Please leave" Amanda said, her voice determined.
"You know I can't do that Miss Amanda." He responded.
Frustrated, Amanda yelled at him. "Do you even know what the time is? I am not supposed to be at work in the next two hours."
"I will wait until you are ready." The driver said. His smile still not disappeared.
Amanda was angry, she slammed the door and groaned. "Ugh"
Mrs Roberts wanted to say something to her but she shunned her.
"Mother, please."
"Mummy" Mason called out, running out of the room.
"What? Amanda yelled at him and the boy froze in fear.
"We are ready," Mason said, his voice still trembling in fear.
"No school today and you are grounded. You can't leave your room." Amanda replied, walking into her room.
"Mummy?" Mason cried but she didn't wait to hear him out.
Amanda finished quickly and joined the driver in the car. She didn't want the driver to meet any of her kids.
"Let's go," Amanda said, still upset.
"Alright, ma'am." the driver responded
The driver unexpectedly turned from the initial direction to the office. Amanda noticed the change in route.
"You are not going in the office direction?" She asked.
"Yes ma'am" he responded politely.
"Didn't you say he asked you to bring me to work?" Amanda asked again.
"Yes, I did. That is exactly what I am doing, Miss Amanda."
Amanda was confused but she remained calm. She kept questioning the driver about their destination and the latter did not hesitate to answer every time, politely.
The car finally came to a halt in front of a mansion.
"Where is this?" Amanda questioned.
"Mr. Rowan's house." The driver responded as he opened the passenger's door.
Amanda stepped out of the car, her confusion growing by the minute. She couldn't fathom why Rowan would want her at his house instead of the office especially without prior notice or explanation
"You said you were taking me to work but here we are in Rowan's house." Amanda said. It was more to herself than the driver.
"I apologize for any inconvenience, Miss Amanda. Mr. Rowan just wanted you here."
Amanda opened her mouth wide in awe when she saw how big the mansion was. The sprawling estate was nothing short of impressive, and Amanda couldn't shake off her admiration.
"Alright, fine. Let's just go in." Amanda said, distracted by the beauty of the mansion.
The driver led Amanda into the mansion. she gasped when she saw Rowan's elegant living room. It was furnished with opulence and taste, making Amanda feel out of place.
"There you are," Rowan said, welcoming her with a smile.
Still perplexed, Amanda couldn't ignore the lingering questions in her mind. "Can you please explain why I am at your house instead of the office?
"Because I am here. Rowan answered, dismissing her unfriendly facial expression.
"This is not your office," Amanda exclaimed.
"You work for me, not the office. You are my assistant. And I do not think it is right for you to be at the office when I am here." Rowan said.
Rowan motioned for her to sit down in one of the plush chairs. "We will be working from home today." He remarked.
"And why is that?" Amanda raised an eyebrow, still puzzled as she settled into one of the couches.
"Safety," Rowan said sharply. He sits on the couch beside Amanda.
"Safety? Are we in danger?" She asked, confused.
Rowan leaned in closer, his expression serious but intriguing. "I called the police department. You might be in danger."
"They must have told him about the second murder," Amanda thought. Seeing how Rowan cares about her makes her teary. She quickly comports herself.
She wanted to inform Rowan that the detective was at her house but she remembered the tension between them at the police department.
"So, where do we start from?" She asked, playing along.
"Good question. We start by serving you breakfast." Rowan responded. He snapped his fingers and his chief maid rushed into the living room.
"Good morning ma'am. I am Anna, the chief maid and chef. I am pleased to be at your service. Please come with me.
Amanda was surprised but pleased with her professional service.
"Thank you"
She smiled at Rowan before she followed Anna.
Anna led Amanda to the dining room, where a beautifully set table awaited them. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a variety of breakfast items filled the air.
"Are you expecting more people?" Amanda asked when she saw the volume of the food on the table.
"No, ma'am, just you and Mr. Rowan," Anna answered.
"Please have a seat, ma'am." Anna added.
Some minutes later, Rowan joined her at the dining table. They had fun while she had the most satisfying breakfast of her life.
They were still laughing about a conversation Amanda started when one of the workers rushed into the dinning hall.
"What is it?" Rowan asked, angry at his intrusion.
"Madam Xi is here." The young man said, breathing heavily.
Rowan looked visibly annoyed by her presence.
"Come with me" he motioned for Amanda to follow him, she didn't hesitate. He led her into his study, closing the door behind them.
"I'm sorry. Please stay here for a while." Rowan pleaded.
Amanda nodded. She sensed the tension in the house.
Rowan rushed back to the living room. Madam Xi was already there.
"Mom, what are you doing here?" He could not hide his annoyance.
Madam Xi looked around the room to see if there is any other person there.
"Is that question for me?" She asked sarcastically.
"Mom, this is an unexpected visit....You didn't tell me you were coming?" Rowan said, trying to be polite.
"When you have refused to visit me with the excuse that you are busy. Is it a crime now that I have come to check up on you?" Madam Xi said dismissively.
Rowan sighed in frustration. "How did you even know I was home?"
"I have eyes everywhere, my dear." She whispered but was loud enough for Rowan to hear her.
"You don't want me to dismiss all my workers because of you Mom. You can't keep showing up unexpectedly. That is not acceptable." Rowan exclaimed.
"I see, so I am no longer welcome in your home. Get married and give me a grandchild and you will see if I care about you anymore." She said jokingly. "Sons are mean when they are grown, isn't that what they say?"
Rowan rolled his eyes. "Can you please stop pressuring me about this marriage thing?"
"You call this pressure?" Madam Xi claps and laughs at the same time. "Thank your stars I didn't come here prepared. I have an event very close to you and since I know you are home, I decided to check up on you."
"The next time I will be coming here, I will definitely show you what pressure is." She continued. "Get married, you are not getting any younger and this family's legacy will not end with you.
" Mom, you know you don't have to do that" Rowan persuaded her.
"You don't tell me what to do when you can not even give me one thing I ask of you." She said, her tone serious.
"It is not that simple. You do not expect me to rush into marriage, do you? Rowan asked. The question was rhetorical.
"Rush? Did you just say rush? How old do you think you are? She smirked then continued. "You've had plenty of time, Rowan. I have been patient with you. Now you have exhausted that patience."
"I have a lot of responsibilities, Mom. You know that. Dad is there, the companies, this family." Rowan said, defensively.
"That is exactly why you need a partner. Someone to share your burdens and your joys with. That was my role in your father's life. The responsibility was the same with your dad."
"Mom…" Rowan called out but was interrupted by his mother.
"You already said I am not welcome so I will just leave. It is good to know you are healthy" Madam Xi kissed his right hand and left the room.
"I love you, mom." Madam Xi didn't respond. Rowan stood still till the door closed behind her.
Immediately he heard the sound of the car moving, he rushed back to the study room. He waited at the entrance for a while as he stole a glance at the study door.
When he finally opened it, Amanda was standing in the middle of the room with a wristwatch hanging on one of her fingers.
"Why do you have this?" Amanda asked.