Bossy Vibes

Cнα⅊тɛʀ 38

Nora's P.O.V

I stood by the door, my bags packed, my heart heavy. A plain white shirt and blue jeans felt like the least of my concerns right now. Nina, beside me, was a mix of excitement and fear-understandable, considering she had never lived anywhere but our grandparents' house. This transition was hard enough. But Elijah Cooper? He made it unbearable.

Mom was right. The Coopers were dangerous. They took what they wanted-without remorse. And Elijah? He could end me and feel nothing.

It was almost nine, and there was still no sign of him. So much for his so-called punctuality. I thought he was the type who thrived on control. Then where the hell was he?

"Who is Elijah Cooper? And why are we staying with him?" Nina asked, her curiosity cutting through my thoughts.

What could I even say? That he was my cold, unreadable boss who had forced me into this? That he was the kind of man who reminded me of a brooding vampire in a high school novel-except he didn't drink blood, just drained people of their happiness?

"He's a... good friend," I lied, forcing a smile. "You'll like it there."

Nina's face remained doubtful. I could hardly blame her. I didn't want to leave this house either. It held my childhood, my memories. But Elijah wouldn't care about that.

"Your friend is Jane," she muttered, eyeing me skeptically. "Elijah doesn't seem like your friend."

Detective Nina was at work again. A part of me wondered if Elijah even liked kids. If he didn't, Nina was going to be a problem.

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. My stomach twisted. He was here.

I swung the door open, only to find Fredrik standing there, flanked by two men dressed in all black. They looked like something out of Men in Black-serious, unreadable, and slightly terrifying.

"Ma'am, are you ready?" Fredrik asked, his voice polite, almost too polite. "Should we be going?"

I nodded, swallowing my nerves. Of course, Elijah hadn't come himself. He had people for that. Why would he bother?

The men moved past me, lifting my luggage effortlessly. I let out a slow breath. At least I wouldn't have to carry everything myself.

"Thank you," I muttered to Fredrik.

He gave a small nod. There was something loyal about him, something I couldn't quite place. How did someone like him end up working for Elijah?

"Don't thank me," he said, voice steady. "It's all because of Elijah. You should be thanking him."

I forced another nod, but inside, I scoffed. Thank him? The reason I was uprooting my life? He didn't deserve my gratitude.

Fredrik gestured toward the car outside-a sleek black limousine parked at the curb. Nina's eyes widened in amazement, but I just felt numb.

Money could buy a lot of things, but it couldn't buy love. It couldn't buy happiness. And Elijah? He was the kind of man who hid behind his wealth and power, mistaking control for companionship.

Inside the car, Nina whispered excitedly, "Have you seen this? It's so cool!"

Her innocence made me smile. At least one of us was enjoying this.

The drive was long, silent, and suffocating. An hour later, we pulled up to a towering estate-a mansion so grand it could've been pulled straight from a movie. Nina stared, wide-eyed.

Fredrik opened the door. "Come with me."

We stepped inside, and a woman greeted us at the entrance. She looked to be in her forties, with warm eyes and a composed demeanor.

"This is Lila, my wife and the housekeeper," Fredrik introduced.

I offered her a small smile. She seemed kind.

"Elijah isn't home," Fredrik continued, "but he left instructions. Let me show you to your rooms."

Rooms. Plural. I had assumed Nina and I would be together. I glanced at her, expecting hesitation, but instead, she looked thrilled.

I pulled her aside. "Hey, are you okay with staying in a separate room? It's a new place, after all."

She grinned. "It's okay, Nene. I'm growing up."

I chuckled softly. She was adorable.

Fredrik led us upstairs. Our rooms were side by side. Nina's was the first-large, beautifully decorated, pink walls covered in butterflies. Definitely not Elijah's taste.

Nina gasped. "Can I put my toys and clothes here?"

"Of course," Fredrik said.

She squealed, immediately unpacking. I had never seen her this excited.

Then, Fredrik showed me my room. It was elegant, simple-white walls, soft lighting, tasteful paintings. It felt... comfortable. Not suffocating like I had feared.

"You should rest," Fredrik said. "If you need anything, Mrs. Henley will be downstairs."

As he turned to leave, my curiosity got the better of me. "Hey... that other room. The decorated one. Did someone used to stay there?"

Fredrik chuckled. "Ah, you must mean Anna Brown. She lived here for a while. But she left. She's somewhere else now."

Anna? She lived *with* Elijah? That didn't sit right. Why did she leave? Had he driven her away like he was driving me insane?

"And Elijah's room?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

Fredrik's expression turned unreadable. "Upstairs. He doesn't like anyone entering-not even me. I'd advise you to stay away."

Of course. Mr. Mysterious and his secret lair.

"Noted," I said quickly. "I wasn't planning on sneaking in."

Fredrik gave a small nod before leaving. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I was exhausted. The house was beautiful, the people seemed nice-but none of that changed the fact that I was trapped.

And then-

A scream.

Nina.

I bolted out of my room and into hers, heart hammering. She was standing on her bed, pale, shaking. And in front of her-

A massive husky.

Fredrik rushed in, grabbing the dog by its collar. "Bruno!" he scolded gently before handing him off to Lila.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Bruno loves meeting new people. Elijah adores him."

Bruno. A husky. So Elijah *did* have a heart-at least when it came to dogs.

I ran to Nina, wrapping my arms around her. "You okay?"

She clung to me, breathing heavily. "That thing chewed up my slipper."

I let out a soft laugh. Even terrified, she was still Nina.

I wished Mom were here. I wished we weren't alone in this.

But most of all-I wished Elijah Cooper hadn't forced his way into our lives.