Chapter 7 An awkward encounter part- 1
The next day in the wee hours of the morning, after resigning from the pub and packing his bags, Vincent went to the address that Oscar had given him. Finally, he arrived at the location.
It was a bit far from the heart of the town towards the valley, surrounded by tall trees and bushes. Looking at the woods, his mind drifted to the past. He had been out of the forest for the last five years.
Vincent let out a sigh in dismay as he proceeded further. He ultimately found the Griffin mansion on the bank of a lake.
Nestled in the woodland, the house stood proudly there as if the surrounding nature had embraced it. This was made of concrete, painted white. Tall glass windows not only welcomed the sun rays but also gave a view of the hills.
The meticulously pruned hedges encircled the mansion. It was as if they existed to protect the house and the people living in it.
As he moved forward, a middle-aged woman welcomed him cordially.
“Please be seated. Let me inform sir that you have arrived.” The woman motioned him to take a seat on the colossal white couch before going away.
Vincent was in awe, looking at the huge foyer that could accommodate his one-room apartment at the foot of a vast curved staircase. The graceful banister that curved up towards the second floor gave a majestic appearance. A Persian rug at the center of the polished wooden floor added to its magnificence.
He took a seat, feeling a little nostalgic. This mansion's luxury reminded him of his packhouse. The Sanguine Packhouse was equally massive and opulent. There was no lack of luxuries. Unlike this mansion, his packhouse was lively…full of chatter and laughter.
Vincent was a bit surprised as to how quiet this house was. Apart from the sound of birds chirping outside, there was no noise... not even the sound of air conditioning or heater. And this silence seemed to be thickening with each passing minute.
Vincent was perplexed as to how the residents of this house could be so silent. Perhaps they were still sleeping.
Several minutes later, the footsteps paired with the creaking of the stairwell broke the quietness.
“Mr. McNeil, you are finally here.” Oscar descended the stairs with a grin on his face.
“Good morning, Mr. Griffin. I'm sorry if I've disturbed your sleep."
Vincent was about to stand up, but Oscar motioned him to stay seated.
He laughed softly, “No, no… you are not. I am glad that you have arrived early. We can enjoy breakfast together.”
Oscar sat down next to him, “You don't have a hard time finding the address, do you?”
“No…” Vincent responded quickly with a faint smile.
Oscar's laughter reverberated down the corridor once more. “You don't appear to be a big talker. Okay… It's still early. Go and take a rest.”
“Margarette…”
The middle-aged woman who welcomed Vincent came forward.
“Yes, Sir…” She stood a little away from them with her head slightly bowed and hands folded in front.
"Show him the guest room," Oscar stated in an authoritative tone.
“Please follow me, Mr. McNeil.” Margarette made a gesture to him to come along.
Vincent leaped to his feet, picking up the backpack he had brought with him.
Oscar also got up as he said, “Alright, Mr. McNeil… We will meet at breakfast at 8 o’clock.”
Vincent nodded and proceeded to the guest room with Margarette while Oscar went out for the morning walk.
They came to the first floor, and Margarette showed him his room.
“You will find the toiletries in the washroom. Call me if you need anything.” Margarette offered him a charming smile to which Vincent nodded curtly.
He took a look around as Margarette walked away. His wandering gaze ultimately came to rest on the large lock of the room next door to the guest room. He entered his room, keeping his gaze fixed on the lock, and shut the door behind him.
It was a big room with clean white walls, a king-size bed, and a wooden table with a ceramic flower vase filled with a variety of colorful daisies. In addition to the vase, there was a bowl of fruit with apples, oranges, and pears.
The sunlight coming through the tall glass windows illuminated the room.
He kept his backpack in front of the sliding closet opposite the bed. Then he took off his shirt and put it on the bed while walking towards the window to his left. The fresh air that bore the musky scent of the woods entered the room as soon as he opened the window.
Click…
Just as he was marveling at the scenery outside, he heard the sound of a door opening. As he turned to the source of the sound, he noticed a woman come out of the washroom wearing only a towel.
Not only Vincent but the woman was also stalled. Their eyes were locked with one another intensely, perplexed.
Vincent didn’t know why he couldn’t withdraw his gaze from that pair of blue eyes. Gaius, on the other end, was drooling at the marvelous sight.
“What an attractive female,” he whispered in Vincent’s head.
“Shut up…” Even if Vincent silenced Gaius, he couldn’t stop staring at the beauty in front of him.
Water was still dripping drop by drop from her slightly wet hair on her bare sleek shoulders. His gaze followed the water droplet that traveled down and vanished beneath the towel.
Vincent’s eyes were glued to her cleavage. He desired to peek under the towel. He even started imagining how captivating the round melons would be. Then his gaze strayed further down and rested on her long, slender, flawless legs. Vincent’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed his saliva.
Natalia, on the other end, was dumbfounded. She came to take a bath in the guest room as the water heater in her bathroom was not working. But who would have thought that she would encounter a stranger here?
Her skin pricked under his sultry gaze. The shock in her eyes turned to rage gradually.
She exclaimed, covering her chest with her hands, “Who are you? Why are you here? Are you a thief?”
Her crisp voice jolted him back to reality. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but something flew up to him and banged his head.