Chapter 13

After breakfast, Eira hopped into the car with a few bodyguards, listening quietly as the driver gave her a rundown of what had gone on at the old house these past few years. The Johnson estate was a traditional-style manor, with several buildings spread across the grounds-it was practically a self-contained world where you didn't have to step outside for anything. Back then, after giving birth to Eira, her mom's health took a hit, so her dad had this whole place built just to keep her company at home. Even the backyard had a vegetable garden to give her a little taste of peaceful retirement life. Eira used to think that simple, happy life would last. But then, right before everything went down... Screech- The sudden brake jolted her forward, caught off guard. She frowned, raising her brow. "What's going on?" The driver was sweating, quick to explain. "Security said we can't go in." Not allowed in? Eira slowly rolled down the window, her flawless face coming into view. She threw the guard a cool glance. "So now you don't even recognize the owner of the house?" The guard's eyes widened in shock, stumbling back a few steps. "You-you're..." Eira's face stayed calm, lips pressed into a straight line. She ignored his dramatic reaction. "Open the gate." The guard fumbled to unlock it, still stealing glances at the license plate in disbelief. It really was her old car. She really was back. Alive. The car stopped outside the main villa. Eira pulled off her sunglasses and tilted her head up, eyes landing on the familiar building. A tightness crept into her chest as emotion stung her nose. She should've come back sooner. Over the past two years, her uncle's family had taken over the estate, flipped the entire layout, and worst of all, destroyed her mother's favorite garden. In its place now stood a fancy fountain. The once-elegant garden had been turned into some over-the-top foreign mess. Her gaze grew colder. The crisp click of her heels echoed louder as she strode toward the door. "Who is it? Some random woman again? You've got the wrong place-" A maid poked her head out from the side entrance, grumbling-until she caught sight of the figure at the door. The cloth in her hand dropped with a thud. Her voice trembled. "M-Miss Eira?" She'd heard the whispers in the company-something about the eldest miss coming back from the dead-but seeing her in the flesh was a whole different shock. Eira's expression stayed unreadable as she slowly walked toward the entrance, voice laced with sarcasm. "What, now I need permission to walk into my own home?" The maid stiffened, hiding her hands behind her back as she discreetly made a gesture-telling someone to go alert the lady of the house. But even that subtle move didn't slip past Eira's eyes. So even the staff here had all been replaced by her uncle's people. Her steps quickened. Then with no warning, she kicked the door wide open. Inside, a pair of startled eyes turned toward her. That mother-daughter duo didn't even try to hide their shock. Eira brushed some dust off her shoulder, her smile icy. "Well, Laura, you sure know how to treat yourself. Sweets first thing in the morning?" Her eyes flicked to the expensive silverware and those customized pastries laid out neatly on the table. With a slight nod of her chin, she added, "Not sure you're even worthy of eating that stuff though."Laura Smith's hands trembled, the pastries she was holding slipped and hit the floor. "Wh-What are you doing here?!" Just a few days ago, William had already gone off on her a couple of times because of the whole scene Eira made at the company. But this estate? Eira never dared to step foot in it before. And now? She walks right in like she owns the place! Watching the shock on Laura's face, Eira almost burst out laughing. She raised a brow and said with no rush, "Well, if I didn't show up, how would I know my dear aunt's still alive and kicking?" "You bitch, what did you just say?!" The young woman sitting across from her, Grace Johnson, stood up angrily and grabbed a nearby wine glass. But before she could even swing it, Eira caught her wrist midair, twisted it around effortlessly, and the wine splashed all over Grace's clothes. With a loud screech, Grace froze under Eira's steely gaze. "Watch your mouth when you're talking in my house," Eira snapped coldly. Laura quickly jumped to her feet, terrified Eira might take it further. She hurriedly gestured to a maid to bring towels for Grace. The fake smile on Laura's face was hanging by a thread, but she forced herself not to lose it entirely. Trying to play nice, she lowered her voice and said, "We've been looking everywhere for you. It's great that you're back, no need to argue with Grace." "Maybe we could all just sit and chat calmly?" "Looking for me?" Eira pulled her hand away with disgust, her eyes frosty. "So you failed to find me, and decided to move into my house, destroy the garden my mom loved most, and act like you belong here?" Laura's smile stiffened. "Come on now, if we hadn't taken care of this place after your accident, it'd be a ruin by now." Eira let out a laugh-angry, not amused. She glanced around the unfamiliar setup of the first floor, barely able to match it to the living room she remembered. She stepped over shards of glass and made a slow circle around the room in front of the two women. "Oh, so I should be grateful, huh? Really got it all figured out, didn't you?" Grace had finally wiped the sticky wine off her clothes. Seeing Eira so self-assured and cocky, she couldn't hold it in. "You've got some nerve. My mom is still your aunt," she snapped. Then, muttered under her breath, "What a brat." Eira's heel nudged some glass pieces right at Grace's foot, making her retreat in panic, the insult stuck on her face as she didn't dare say more. Eira's voice was low and ice-cold, "Being an elder doesn't mean a thing if I don't acknowledge it." "Now that I'm back, the two of you-get out. ASAP." At that, Laura's forced smile cracked. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, "We've been living here for years. And no one else was using it anyway." She took a long breath. "If you want to come back, that's fine. We're here, we can keep you company. Your room's still exactly like you left it. You're always welcome." The nerve of her nearly made Eira laugh. Arms folded, she looked Laura up and down. "You just moved in like it was your own, huh?" She let a slow smile creep onto her lips, sharp as a blade. Every word enunciated crystal clear. "You want this estate? Fine." "Hand over two billion in cash, and it's yours. Deal?"