Heart's Awakening

Chapter - 11

After some refreshments and some delicious sandwiches, Jacob left Eva in the library to look around and pick some books to read. Now all by herself she turned her full attention to looking around piece of heaven. Marveling at the impressive collection of books, running her fingers along the spines that lined the walls from ceiling to floor, she saw that some were aged, with cracked leather-bound covers that gave off a sense of history, while others were more recent editions. Surprisingly, despite the sheer volume of books, the library was impeccably maintained. It was well ventilated, dust-free and didn't smell musty like some older libraries. She was glad that this beautiful place was well loved to receive the care it deserved.

"This place is incredible," she whispered to herself, admiring the attention to detail. She glanced up at the higher shelves, where the rarest books resided, making a mental note to ask Jacob if she could return to explore those titles with the help of the sliding ladder. For now, she scanned the shelves at her eye level and pulled out a couple of interesting volumes.

Eva settled into a window seat, her back cushioned by the soft pillows, as sunlight streamed through the large windows, illuminating the room. It was her little slice of heaven. As was her habit, she flipped to the last chapter of one of the books, skimming through the ending before deciding on an old novel by an author she had never heard of.

She was fully engrossed in the story when a loud zoom broke her focus.

She was deeply engrossed in the book when a loud zoom broke her focus. Startled, she looked up just in time to see a sleek, expensive yellow sports car pulling into the driveway, coming to a screeching halt beside Jacob's car. Curious, Eva leaned forward, her brow furrowing as she tried to get a better view from the library window, which overlooked the front of the house.

She noticed a tall man exit the passenger seat and go around to the driver seat to open the door. He offered his hand to whoever was seated there, and waited. A slender hand came out to take the extended hand. And then emerged a lady that looked very posh.

From this distance she could barely get a clear picture of who it was. But whoever it was, they were familiar with this household because she saw Sam rush out to welcome them. The man who was escorting the lady took Sam's hand for a friendly hand shake and exchanged pleasantries. He seemed like a friendly person, unlike the lady whose eyes were hidden behind large designer sunglasses. Who was this woman? She watched as the mysterious guests strode up to the entrance with a practiced elegance, her expensive sun dress flowing behind her like a golden wave.

Eva leaned forward, trying to get a better look. But she was too far away to notice anything more. However, the woman's aura was striking, and even from this distance, she radiated an air of sophistication and authority. Sam led the pair into the house, and just before disappearing behind the large front door. And then everything went back to being quiet as it was before the car had disturbed it.

Moments later, she heard voices downstairs, followed by the loud barking of the dogs. She could hear the unmistakable sound of Jacob's deep laughter. Eva's heart skipped a beat at the sound. She tried to focus back on her book, but the noise from below stirred her restlessness. She had been enjoying the tranquility of the library and hoped that Jocob wouldn't bring his friends to meet her.

However, that was not to be. Very soon the voices grew louder as they moved through the house, approaching the staircase. Jacob's voice was warm and welcoming, but there was something in the woman's tone—confidence, familiarity, almost possessive—that caught Eva's attention.

"Jacob, darling," the woman's voice purred, her voice dripping with honey, "how could you do this to us? You have been back for so long and didn't even bother to let us know. Had it not been for my housekeeper's curiosity, I wouldn't have known you were at the estate today." There was a subtle edge to her words, and the way she said his name made Eva's skin crawl. She spoke with a honey laced sing-song voice. Which was not very attractive and was a little irritating.