At the Boyd Mansion, a shadow began to cast itself over Percival Ellington's usually charming features.
Truth be told, he had not frequented the Boyd Mansion often, but the few times he did, his visits invariably ended with Cecilia in tears.
As a kid, he could not fathom why the Boyds had such contempt for his mother. As he grew up, the reasons became apparent, and he stopped coming altogether.
Vivienne gazed out the car window. The Boyd Mansion was a majestic sight, grander even than the Brooks Mansion, which Maddox Perez had offhandedly referred to as "little space." "Percival, Ma'am, we've arrived," announced Thomas as he switched off the engine and stepped out to open the car door.
Percival helped Vivienne out of the car, and they stood in front of the massive gates of the Boyd Mansion. His eyes, deep as the ocean, seemed unfathomable.
He stepped forward and rang the doorbell.
"Who's there?" Came an inquiry through the intercom.
A slight frown creased Percival's brow as he replied, "Percival."
There was a momentary pause on the other end before the gate was buzzed open.
The wrought iron gate swung open slowly, yet curiously, no one came out to greet them.
Percival's frown deepened, a thin veil of anger enveloping him.
Vivienne gently tapped the back of his hand and offered a reassuring smile.
The anger surrounding Percival dissipated instantly, and with a smile, he took Vivienne's hand, and they walked in together.
At the entrance, two servants stood aside, revealing a man in a casual suit, the Boyd family butler. "Mr. Ellington, I presume. Please come in. The matriarch has been awaiting you." Percival did not respond, intending to proceed with Vivienne.
Unexpectedly, the butler stepped in their way.
hand, Percival was sure he would have taken off the
must change their shoes upon entry and proceed to the decontamination room for a cleansing shower before they can meet with the matriarch. You haven't forgotten our rules, have
shoes was one thing, but a
Mansion
sterile processing before
butler's arm with her ring-adorned hand. A gentle squeeze was all it
was about to curse, he caught sight of the ring
ring of the Boyd family
it end up in the hands of
lips curved slightly upward. "Isn't there a Boyd family rule that requires one to kneel to greet the head? You haven't forgotten
butler, clutching his limp arm, knelt in panic. "Greetings,
protocols. In fact, many families did, but as time passed and the world changed, these
protocols were seldom spoken of, they
the head of the family mentioned
on the ground,
up and bowed. "Ma'am, please wait here. I will fetch Madam
Vivienne's permission, the butler hurried into the Boyd mansion, his
"Trouble, matriarch!"
burst in, agitation written all over his wrinkled face. "What's the rush? Is the house on fire? Didn't I tell you to take
Wendy looked every bit
managed, "No, it's that slut... That woman
was visibly shaken at the
had searched for that ring for thirty years to no
it, giving it to
was why
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!