Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 114: XOXO

June 17, 2028

Maya

The Hamptons were not what Maya had expected of it so far—at least this part—but it made sense. The multi-million dollar houses were hidden from the street by tall hedges and big fences, so it was like driving through a tunnel without the roof. Here and there, they got sneak peaks, when a fence was open or the houses were so big they couldn't be concealed, and the girls scoffed at the sheer ridiculousness of this whole thing.

These people had so much money that they didn't know what to do with it anymore, while there were millions of people who could barely afford a proper meal. As someone with moderately rich parents and a billionaire uncle, though, Maya never knew if she had the right to comment on it.

On the other hand, she'd once known exactly what it was like to have nothing. No money, no family, no clothes that were her own, no home. So it's not like she couldn't have an opinion at all.

''So I put my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away.''

Brooklyn found her rebellious spirit. Throw her in a place where everyone behaved like robots and she felt the need to disrupt it. Honestly, Maya loved it. She had a huge smile on her face and laughed repeatedly as her girlfriend threw her hands up into the wind and yelled the lyrics from the top of her lungs.

America's number one Fourth of July song boomed so loudly from the car's speakers that the whole neighborhood undoubtedly heard it. And just imagining those posh people's angry faces behind all the hedges was enough motivation to turn the sound up even further.

''We're almost here,'' Maya said, eyeing the GPS on her phone. A surge of anxiety flipped her stomach around. The drive may have been fun, but they didn't drive over here just to stay in the car. ''Lyn.''

With a disappointed sigh, Brooklyn fell into her seat and turned the radio down. ''I was really feeling that.'' She pouted.

Maya chuckled. ''I could tell.''

Five minutes later, they pulled up to a big white gate. The only indication that there was a house behind it, was the large gold-plated number 35 screwed onto the wood. Otherwise, there were just OCD-neatly trimmed hedges and grass.

Questionably, Maya looked at Brooklyn, who pointed at the intercom a few feet away. It was just about reachable from inside the car, and they waited patiently as the line rang.

''Hello?'' A girl spoke. Her voice was cheery, enthusiastic, like she'd been laughing right before answering.

A smile spread on Brooklyn's cheeks as she partially leaned over Maya to speak into the intercom. ''Hi, Sarah, it's Brooklyn.''

''B! So glad you could make it! Come in!'' There was a click, and then the gate slowly started to open.

Maya turned to Brooklyn with raised eyebrows. ''B?''

''For the next two days, just go with it.'' She laughed lightly.

''Okay.''

A gravel driveway led up to the house, and it was even bigger than Maya imagined. Not in height—it had only two stories—but in width. This mansion was four, maybe five times as wide as her own house, completely white with a light grey roof, and had so many large windows that a sea of light was let into the house. It had the character of a house built a hundred years ago, but the cleanliness and modernism of today.

''Wow,'' Maya muttered, remembering to put her foot on the gas before the gates closed in front of her. She drove slowly, to take it all in, afraid to somehow mess up the gravel with her car.