Chapter 1
Zoe
The sound of a knock on the door awakened me from my sleep. Since my so-called boyfriend kicked me out, I have been fortunate enough to find refuge at Annabelle’s house, where I have been living for the past six months. Because of financial difficulties, I had been working tirelessly during the night shifts at a call center in order to meet expenses. Despite my night shift work schedule, my boyfriend, or my now ex, wanker Wayne, believed I was not putting enough effort into our relationship. In other words, he found someone better to replace me.
“I’m coming,” I shout and rub my eyes. As I pick up my phone to check the time, it is barely past 10am. Annabelle is at work, so, yawning my head off, I open the door. My face pales straight away and I cling to the doorframe. “Yes,” I say weakly and expect bad news as two police officers face me.
“Miss Zoe Misford?” The female officer asks in a nonchalant tone.
“Er, yeah?” The fucking asshole better not have blamed me for something.
“Can we come in?” The male officer asks. I open the door and let them in, wondering which nosy neighbors will be watching. They stand in the hall and I direct them through to the living room. “We need to see some form of identification from you, please.”
“Okay,” I pull out my driving license and hand it to them. “I’ve got a passport if you need that as well?”
“This is fine, miss.” The officer hands it back to me. “We have come to hand over some important documents to you.” He brings out a large A4 envelope and I furrow my brow.
“Important?” I take them and wonder what this is about. They are not coming to arrest me, because I’d already be in cuffs if they were.
“Okay miss, we will leave you be.” They show themselves out.
I stare at the thick A4 brown envelope, wondering what the hell this is about. Warily, I open it up and pull out a large stapled document. There is more at the bottom of the envelope, so I tip it upside down. A set of keys and a bank card falls out. Now I’m really puzzled. I pick the bank card up and it has my name on it, which confuses me more.
The keys give me no clue, but they look like a set of house keys. Putting them aside, I take the large A4 document and open it. The first page is a letter addressed to me. Even more strange.
Dear Zoe, I hope this reaches you appropriately. Please find the deeds for my house. Your mother married a man I deemed not worthy. As you know, he used her for money, and because she didn’t divorce him, I now hand this house down to you. I met you once as a baby, but no doubt you will have no memory of me, or even knew I existed. If you are receiving this, then it means I’ve passed on. I’ve watched you grow up and become a beautiful young lady. Please be wise, as there are those out there just to get you for your money. May love to find you at the most unexpected time.
Your loving grandmother, Seraphina Evanya.
My hands shake at this disturbing letter. I had a grandmother I never knew, and my mom’s husband is a money pinching bastard. I found out later on in life, my real dad was just a sperm donor. My mother’s words, not mine. She told me not to bother looking, as she said it was a one-night stand, then she met the man I believed was my dad. I shake off the weird feeling I’ve always had about him.
Who was my grandmother? Seraphina is not a normal name. There is no mention of a grandad either.
Flipping over the letter, I come to the deeds of the house. Holy crap! “No way?” My heart pounds in my chest. This cannot be real.
The more I progress in my reading, the more I realize that someone has replaced every mention with my name. I am the proud owner of a house, and not just any house. The house.
Redford Mansion.
Growing up, it was the talked about house. It sits up on the hill surrounded by walls and trees. Absolutely stunning in my eyes, but many feared the house because of its image. I always had a fascination with it. There was more to this than I ever thought. At the back of the deeds, another letter, and information on the bank card. I think I passed out at this point.
When I wake up, I find myself sprawled out on the floor. With my face mushed against the wooden floor, I can feel the wetness of drool trickling down my chin. With a sigh, I pick myself up, brushing off the dirt from my clothes and wiping my face with the back of my hand.
I’m a millionaire.
“Go fuck yourself now Wayne.” I throw my head back, laughing.
I pick up the bank card and put it in my pocket, along with the keys. I should really get some sleep, but I’m now all freaking hysterical. This has got to be a dream, but I have to see it for myself.
After stuffing the deeds into my bag for safekeeping, I hurriedly made my way to the bathroom to splash cool water on my face. The mirror revealed a pale face and unruly hair as I stared at my reflection. Once I’ve taken care of my hair and made myself presentable, I grab my bag and promptly leave.
My tiny car sputters to life as I turn the key, and I pray, like I do every time I go anywhere in it. I arrive at the house, which is now mine, and a bunch of nerves run through me. What if the keys don’t fit? With my heart thumping inside my chest, I make my way up the drive and park my car. It seems out of place here. I bring out the keys, the jingle of them bringing me new thrills. The black-painted, solid wooden door adds an element of mystery to the house.
What secrets does it conceal within? Who can say for sure? But I’m about to step inside and discover them.
