What would've been a quiet summer turns into a globe-trotting adventure when an incident in Olympian High's campus garden gets the attention of resident Chosens Amelia Kingston and Zeus Olympian. To their surprise, the culprit is none other than the...
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The Kingston Manor almost looked the same before it was burned to the ground.
It had the same rustic Victorian look, the same trimmed hedges on the sides. It looked old, but it didn't feel old. Moss and vines no longer covered the walls, and the wood and bricks the mansion were made of didn't have telltale signs of aging. For Amelia, it looked like a house lost in time.
Raymond didn't let them change from their gala clothes, so they just slept on them during their flight. Even though they got there late in the morning, it didn't seem like they were overdressed for their visit.
But that was the last thing Amelia was concerned about. She hoped her eyes weren't too puffy for her father and the others to notice. She cried herself to sleep during the flight, and her disheveled features were the first thing she saw when she sneaked into the bathroom. She tried washing her face several times, but her eyes were still a little bloodshot. If it was out of pity or ignorance, none of her friends pointed it out.
"Is it just me, or the house still looks the same before we bombed it?" Zeus asked.
Ivy's eyes widened. "You did what?"
Athena elbowed her brother rather hard. "Will you just think thrice before saying something out loud, you idiot?"
Zeus grimaced. "Sorry. I couldn't help but notice."
"You're fine, man." Raymond waved a hand. "It does look the same. Mostly. Master D wanted to keep its original look for nostalgia, I guess."
Amelia wondered if it were really that case. Sure, Demetrius' parents Gregory and Elizabeth owned the mansion, and he might have good memories with them. . . well, before he and his family left for America decades ago, but she didn't strike him as someone sentimental. Or at least, too sentimental that he'd rebuild his family mansion brick by brick.
Just as they stepped out from the car that waited for them when they arrived from Vegas, the guards by the entrance pushed the oak doors open. They all stepped inside.
The mansion's interior almost looked recognizable as far as Amelia could remember. Even though the paintings, statues, and other decor were different, it still gave off the same historical vibe just like before.
As she roamed her gaze around, a familiar butler bowed at them.
"Welcome," Jean-Paul greeted, then smiled when he turned to Amelia, his ancient face wrinkling. "Hello, Miss Amelia."
"H-hi." Amelia tried to hide her surprise. She thought he perished when the mansion was destroyed, but then she remembered that Demetrius said most of the staff survived by escaping through the mansion's tunnels when the fire broke out. She never asked, but she hoped they didn't lose too many people.
Jean-Paul motioned them to the double flights of stairs. "Master Demetrius wished for you to join him at the dining room for breakfast."
While they followed his lead, Ivy leaned closer to her. "Girl, you never told me your father's super rich. That's why you were able to afford our dresses."
