Zane Patterson: "Atmosphere? Style? I think you just like how soft the seats are. It's less torture on that body of yours, hollowed out by booze and women!"
Sean Conrad sat bolt upright and shot back, "Hey! Listen to yourself! I'm just enjoying life. Life is short, so you have to live it up. Right, Chloe?"
Chloe Fairchild, applying serum from a small bottle to the back of her hand, said, "You call that living it up, I call it being lazy. And don't call me that. It makes me sound old."
Sean Conrad: "Then what? Honey?"
Chloe Fairchild: "Get lost."
Annelise Valentine, touching up her lipstick, said, "In Zane's eyes, anything on four wheels that isn't one of his cash-guzzling sports cars might as well be a tractor."
Zane Patterson, for once, didn't argue, tacitly admitting it was true.
Sean Conrad looked out at the increasingly remote scenery. He tried to get his bearings before asking in confusion, "Hey? Isn't this the way to Aethelgard's West Mountain? I thought that whole area was just private gardens and old estates. What are we doing there?"
Suddenly, a thought struck him as if he'd just remembered something.
"Stonecross Manor? You're going to Stonecross Manor?!"
Annelise Valentine glanced back to correct him. "Not 'you.' *We*."
Sean Conrad let out an exaggerated groan. "I knew it! Dragging me and Zane out of our warm beds at the crack of dawn and rushing off to buy a car—I knew this couldn't be good!"
Annelise Valentine: "It's not too late to jump out. I hear the scenery on West Mountain is lovely. You could hike back. Lose some weight while you're at it."
Sean Conrad immediately clutched his seatbelt. "Nope! If we're going down, we're going down together! Anyway, if Jett Westgate catches me, I'm just going to say you all forced me into it! You have to be my witnesses! I was an unwilling participant! I'm a law-abiding citizen!"
Chloe Fairchild leaned in closer with a wicked grin. "In your dreams. If we get caught, you're the first one I'm selling out. I'll tell them it was all your idea!"
Sean Conrad's eyes widened in a picture of betrayal. "Hey! Chloe Fairchild! What about our bond? We've been partners in crime since we were kids stealing candy!"
"It's *because* our bond is so strong that we follow the principle of 'share the fortune, but you take the fall'!" Chloe Fairchild said, perfectly self-assured.
"You... you... you... You're unbelievable!"
Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting their playful banter in a vivid light.
A short while later, the Rolls-Royce glided to a stop before a guard post at the foot of West Mountain.
The air was filled with the crisp, quiet tranquility unique to a mountain forest, making it feel a world away from the city center.
A security guard immediately stepped forward. "Good morning. Do you have a reservation?"
Annelise Valentine grew instantly annoyed at the word "reservation."
'She couldn't grasp the customs in Aethelgard. Why did everywhere require a reservation? She'd almost been stopped at Nivelis yesterday, and now she was being blocked at some clubhouse deep in the mountains? What a pain!'
She snapped, "No."
"I'm sorry, but we are a reservation-only establishment. We cannot grant entry without a reservation or a member's invitation. We appreciate your understanding."
Sean Conrad couldn't help but mutter, "Did you guys do any research before coming? Stonecross Manor is famous in Aethelgard for its exclusivity. You can't even get past the front gate without a reservation or an invitation from a member."
Annelise Valentine: "We're here at the gate. There's no way we're not getting in."
She looked at the automatic boom gate ahead. "Zane, ram it."
Sean Conrad nearly jumped out of his seat, grabbing the overhead handle in terror. "No, no, no! Miss, please, calm down! That thing is solid metal! If we hit that, this car is toast! Besides, this is private proper—whoa, holy sh—"
Before he could finish, Zane Patterson stomped on the accelerator, ramming straight through the boom gate.
The gate was sent flying, and the car's bumper crumpled on impact.
The car didn't stop for a second. After smashing through the obstacle, Zane Patterson immediately adjusted the steering and sped up the winding mountain road toward Stonecross Manor.
After a few seconds of dead silence...
Sean Conrad finally found his voice.
"I mean... the car... the gate... Zane... you..." He was sputtering, finally managing to choke out a single, heartfelt sentiment: "Badass."
Annelise Valentine's face was flushed with excitement, like a child whose prank had succeeded. "Woohoo! That was awesome! That's how you do it. All that wishy-washy nonsense is so annoying!"
Chloe Fairchild praised him sincerely. "Zane, that was so cool. You really are a race car driver. The nerve, the control... a true professional."
Zane Patterson replied with a touch of roguish pride, "Just the basics."
Sean Conrad clicked his tongue. Seeing that no one was paying him any mind, he struck what he considered a very cool expression.
"Wasn't I cool, too? That 'whoa, holy sh—' from me just now? You have to appreciate it. Savor the nuance. It was so emotionally rich—full of shock, confusion, pain for the new car, and a healthy fear for my own life. Plus, my reaction was swift, my timing impeccable. Wasn't that professional? Wasn't I cool?"
He bobbed his head, feeling incredibly pleased with himself.
Chloe Fairchild couldn't stand it anymore. She looked him up and down with an expression of pure disdain.
"Right, so cool. Incredibly cool. That 'whoa, holy sh—' of yours nearly blew the roof off the car. You probably scared three birds out of the trees."
Stonecross Manor was nestled halfway up the mountain, like an ink wash painting set against a backdrop of verdant hills and clear streams.
The main structure was built into the mountainside, giving it an imposing presence. Its monochromatic palette of black, white, and gray stood in stark, cool contrast to the natural scenery.
The landscaping was clearly intentional. A few ancient pines stood guard by the entrance, and the ground was paved with massive slabs of bluestone.
Clumps of bamboo leaned against a white wall, and the faint, crisp gurgle of a mountain spring could be heard. The design had a clever, artistic quality, as if it had "framed" both the mountain scenery and a sense of tranquil leisure.
Two neat rows of security guards were standing in front of Stonecross Manor's main gate, their eyes locked on the approaching car.
Sean Conrad's bravado evaporated when he saw the reception waiting for them. "Uh, guys? That's a lot of people. I-I don't think I can take them all."
Chloe Fairchild: "Sean. Conrad! You spineless coward! Is that mouth of yours good for anything besides eating and fear-mongering? Do you have any concept of putting on a brave face? Stand up straight!"
Sean Conrad refused to back down, at least verbally. "Hey! I'm making a strategic assessment! I'm just being objective, what would you know!"
Zane Patterson was waiting for Annelise Valentine's command. Of course, if she told him to plow through them, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Get out of the car."
The moment Annelise Valentine spoke, the car doors opened in near-perfect unison.
They had barely found their footing when the guards quickly surrounded them. The captain in the lead, his face a grim mask, spoke in a clipped, hard tone.
"Are you the ones who ignored the guard and forced your way onto the property?"
Instead of backing down, Annelise Valentine stepped forward. She stared directly at the security captain, her voice laced with cold anger and haughty pride. "Open your eyes and take a good look. I am Annelise Valentine, Jett Westgate's fiancée."
"And you think you have the right to stop me?"
The security captain's heart skipped a beat. He'd never met Annelise Valentine before, but the young woman in front of him—her bearing, her posture, and that air of innate nobility—was not something money alone could buy.
Couple that with the Rolls-Royce and the two words she'd just spoken, "Jett Westgate"... The odds were, she was the real deal.