Modification || T. Riddle || Completed

Chapter 48: The Beginning

Chapter 48: The Beginning

They entered the hotel and it was just as lavish as the lounge across the road. It got Estela wondering what exactly Tom's job was, as he hadn't told her, but judging by how expensive this place must be, he must be doing great things.

When they reached his room on one of the top floors she was lost for words, she didn't think she'd ever seen anything so extravagant.

The carpet was as white as snow as were the walls and ceiling. The furniture was a mixture of greys and blacks and the decorations that put the scene together were nothing short of silver and bronze that reflected the low-hanging candle-lit chandelier hung from the ceiling.

They entered into the sitting room first, where a couple of sofas were sat facing a white marble fireplace with flames that burned a deep cobalt blue. She noticed a few books had been laid down on the coffee table and recognised they were Tom's, but that was the only thing of his she could see, and she wondered how long he was planning on staying here, and when he was leaving again.

Tom took off his coat and offered to take Estela's cloak, but she kept it on to hide the dress underneath and it's revealing cuts that she'd rather him not look at. It wasn't until later she realised just how warm the room actually was, but she pulled the cloak tighter around her nevertheless.

A set of large silver doors caught her attention at the far end of the sitting room, and with lazy a wave of Tom's wand they slid open to reveal the bedroom. He walked in and Estela followed to get a better glimpse of the view before her that had caught her eye immediately. The far end of the bedroom was nothing but glass windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling, giving transparency to the breath-taking view of the city before her.

The night was dark and the scattered buildings outside were alive and bright in the darkness that surrounded them. In all the years she'd lived here she'd never seen the city from this high up, and she could see every inch of the city as the scene seemed to stretched on for miles.

Tom led her over to the sofas before the marble white fireplace with the burning blue flame and gestured for her to take a seat. Her body sank down into the fabric of the seat as though it was made specifically for her.

She glanced at him as he watched her interestedly, and it was the familiar look that told her he was contemplating her, so she contemplated him back. Then a small smirk graced his features as he eyed her up and down.

"What?" she asked.

"You've changed a lot since I last saw you," the way he spoke was suggestive as the words rolled off his tongue like water.

"Well I'm not seventeen anymore."

"I can certainly see that," he replied sleekly, eyeing her once more.

She flushed bright red and she was quite glad that his gaze fell down to the opals around her neck that were just about visible beneath her cloak. His eyes gleamed.

"This secret admirer you spoke of," he began, leaning backwards on the sofa coolly, "Is he still around?"

She squinted, shifting slightly in her seat. "I don't know who sent it." She lied, of course, knowing too well that Tom had sent her the necklace, but he hadn't ever admitted to it.

He let out a breath of amusement at her misinterpretation. "What I mean to say is, are you currently involved with anyone?"

Her brows shot upwards and her lips parted ever so slightly, not just because of his words, but by the look he was giving her. She shook her head, and she took to studying the white carpet beneath her feet as she played with the edge of her cloak awkwardly.