White Lies (Book 1)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Nathan's house was huge.

By huge, I mean absolutely massive. Even Angelica's dozens of rooms couldn't compare to how grand and ever-expanding Nathan's mansion was.

On that fateful night, it had been way too dark and crowded to get a good look at the place. Overlooking the sights of lower Alistair, centrally located in The Valley, Nathan's house was enormous and screamed of money. The marble flooring looked polished and buffed to perfection, and the furniture that adorned the space looked almost untouchable. Taking in the sights, I was beginning to understand Nathan's words more fully.

This wasn't a real home – it was an ostentatious display of wealth.

I spotted housekeepers and gardeners, bustling to and fro and carrying materials from one side of the house to another. The interior felt very modern art-deco, and I was highly underdressed in contrast.

Nate outright laughed at my expression. "C'mon, Jess. You've been here before. Shut your gob and come meet my mother."

"Your mother?" I squeaked, my voice rising to a pitch only dogs could hear. A housekeeper gave me a startled look. I'd never met Nathan's mother before, and had only ever seen her from afar. All I knew of her was her name. Vera Pierre-Ericson. A name that felt as lavish as her home.

He chuckled again, finding me amusing somehow. "She's a lovely woman. No need to be afraid of her."

He clasped my hand and led me towards a set of double doors. It led towards one of the kitchens, where cooks were fussing around, trying to get their shit done without our nosy bodies in the way. It was vast and spacious and state-of-the-art, with its high-tech ovens and kitchenware.

A small, petite woman with caramel blonde hair and in evening wear was standing behind the counter, giving her directorial orders, pointing here and there with a perfectly manicured finger. She had a faint French accent.

"Josephine, make sure that oven timer is on, please! And Aaron, please be careful with the marble countertop – Oh hello, my darling," she turned around and smiled at the sight of Nathan, her brilliant white teeth shining. "How was school today?"

She was gorgeous. Her heart-shaped face was a beautiful porcelain pale, and her perfectly sculpted hair made me think of caramel dripping from a spoon – thick and decadent.

"School was fine," Nathan returned her smile, leaning down to kiss her cheek once, and then twice. His strong affection for her was very apparent. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Jesabel. My girlfriend." He wrapped an affectionate arm around me, and I colored under his mother's gaze.

She was neither shocked nor disapproving at this sudden news. She regarded me warmly and murmured, "I see. Hello, Jesabel". She quietly appraised me, though not in a snobby, you-are-what-you-wear type of way. It was more like she was trying to solve a math problem, and couldn't quite come up with the answer just yet.

I looked away from her scrutiny, suddenly embarrassed.

Nate didn't seem to notice. "So, what do you think of her?" he asked jokingly, pulling me closer. He had a big, playful grin on his face. I turned to smile back up at him, thinking that his grin was infectious. What a silly game we were playing.

Nathan's mother beamed, taking to this display of affection very well. She reached up to me – she was much shorter than Nathan and I, who towered over the room– and did that double cheek kiss that felt very chic and Parisian.

"I think she's wonderful. Welcome to my home, Jesabel. I'm Vera."

"Hello," I offered back, weakly.