12 Her happy, old days

Blue Bells Villa

Sara drove the red convertible in through the gate. The guards bowed and paid their respect. After she entered, the gate closed and she drove straight to the stairway. The stairway had shimmery silver tiles that seemed to reflect the afternoon sunlight. All thanks to the high maintenance done by the maids under the careful instructions of Steward Leo.

"Good afternoon, Uncle", Steward Leo sighed when he saw the girl greeting with a forced smile.

"You rarely come, dear", Steward Leo concealed his sadness as he very well knew her reason for not coming back, "Have you forgotten me now that I am old?"

"Not at all", Sara shook her head. How could she? This man was next in line with her parents, who cared about her. He was one of those few people she deeply cared about.

"It's alright. Anything that you want except alcohol?"

Sara smiled genuinely, "It's alright. I want some alone time. Please ask the maids to leave for now. If I need something, I will surely inform."

"Alright", The old man nodded and quickly ordered the maids to clear out.

...

Once Sara entered, she felt the quietness and peacefulness of the Villa. It was built far away from the city, making it so peaceful. She breathed in the scent of lavender mist and a tiny smile crept onto her face. It was her Mom's favorite room freshner. It had been almost seven years of her parents' death, but she had dared not to change anything in the Villa. She was afraid that she would distance herself from them if she changed a single thing in here. She moved around in hopes of reminiscing the old days. Her happy, old days.

Her parents, Peter and Kristen James were world-renowned scientists. They were termed as 'Scientist Power couple' because of their strong bond. Sara was their only princess, their coveted treasure. They doted on her but they were also strict when it came to manners and discipline. Hence, throwing tantrums was not her habit. From a young age, she was taught to dance, swim, draw, fence, and shoot. Singing was not her cup of tea and so her parents never forced her. These things were of secondary interest for her. Her primary interest had always been Science. Chemicals and experiments were her dreams and passion. Everything was alright but fate changed everything when her parents died seven years ago.

Due to their special identity, she homeschooled when she was young. Later, when she was capable enough of protecting herself, she was allowed to attend high school with Ruby.

Her parents had discovered various drugs for the prevention of various diseases. But, their most successful discovery would have been the drug to cure HIV-AIDS. But, destiny played otherwise led to their untimely death. As a result, they were not able to fulfill it. Her only dream was to complete their research.

But, her ultimate regret that she was unable to find their imaginary lab. Imaginary in the sense, she ahd not seen it with her own. The numerous times she had asked about it to her parents, they replied saying, "You will have to find it yourself."

One thing, she had realized that the lab was in the Villa itself because her parents never left for work. Moreover, the Villa was designed like a Bhul Bhulaiya [1], making it difficult for normal people to move about without getting lost. Only her parents, she and Steward Leo knew how to move about. It was easy for her and her parents to move about, given their IQ. But, Steward Leo was taught how to. The maids were given designated places and they were not allowed to move about as they pleased.

Until she found out about its whereabouts, inheriting Singh Pharmaceuticals was pointless.