The group chat was full of people she knew all too well.
Mia Grant found it absurd.
She silently muted the group chat, not wanting to deal with it.
She didn’t ask any more questions about the trip.
She was afraid that if Yates Donovan wasn’t careful, he’d pull her into another bizarre group chat.
She had thought the trip would just be her and Yates Donovan.
It wasn’t until they landed that she saw Ian Sinclair waiting to pick them up.
"What are you doing here?"
Her eyes widened.
Ian Sinclair blinked. "I’m here to pick you guys up. It’s a bit of a drive to the house."
Mia Grant smacked him on the back of the head. "Stop playing dumb! You know that’s not what I’m asking!"
Ian Sinclair genuinely wasn’t playing dumb. It took him a moment to realize what she meant. "Oh, I thought you saw the messages in the group chat."
"..." Mia Grant quickly pulled out her phone.
Ten minutes ago, Yates Donovan had said they were about to land. Ian Sinclair had replied with an "OK" sticker, saying he was already there.
Eighteen minutes ago, Hayes Hughes had posted: [On my layover. I’ll get in this afternoon, so don’t wait for me for lunch.]
Five hours ago, Silas Grant had sent a photo. Judging by the background, it was taken inside a plane cabin.
Eight hours ago, Kian Keller had posted: [Flight’s delayed.]
Even earlier was a message from Felix Sinclair, saying he wasn’t in the country but was nearby.
And before that... Mia Grant didn’t read any further.
"What are you all... trying to do?" Ian Sinclair, who had an international driver’s license, answered as he drove, "We’re taking you out to relax."
Realizing their intentions, Mia Grant rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It’s going to rain here, too."
"It’s fine. As long as we move fast enough, the rain won’t be able to keep up."
Ian Sinclair added with a smile, "This is just the first stop."
"..."
Not long after they arrived at the house, Mia Grant saw Felix Sinclair.
After the summer vacation, Felix Sinclair had rarely been seen in Jynsia.
He was either in Portia or abroad, buried in his lab and swamped with work.
Even though Mia Grant had told him it was all over, he remained devoted to his work.
Mia Grant couldn’t persuade him, so she eventually gave up.
’I don’t get it, but I respect it.’
Felix Sinclair only had a single piece of luggage, a carry-on suitcase.
When he opened it, his own things took up only a quarter of the space. The rest was filled with snacks he had brought for Mia Grant.
So, when Silas Grant walked in, the first thing he saw was Mia Grant sitting on the carpet with the others, eating snacks and watching a movie.
He took off his jacket and handed it to the housekeeper.
The housekeeper greeted him warmly.
This was because the manor was registered under Silas Grant’s name.
With so many people around, Mia Grant had suggested watching a movie to avoid any awkwardness.
As for what to watch, she was at a bit of a loss.
Romance movies were off-limits; as far as she was concerned, they belonged in the deepest circle of hell.
The thought of hell led Mia Grant to pick a horror movie.
It was even a specialty from Portia: a Chinese-style horror film.
Mia Grant was extremely pleased with her choice.
’I’m a genius,’ she praised herself internally.
A romance would be awkward, and a comedy might be met with silence. A horror movie, however, was perfect for bringing everyone together.
With a large group, it wouldn’t be too scary.
Normally, she wouldn’t dare to watch one alone, and she had been terrified even with Yates Donovan accompanying her last time.
But now, she could comfortably eat snacks and even comment on the plot from time to time.
Spotting Silas Grant, Mia Grant didn’t hesitate. She patted the spot on the sofa behind her, openly inviting him to come and join them.
Ordinarily, Silas Grant would never take part in such a childish activity.
He rarely watched movies, especially mindless ones like this.
But Mia Grant seemed to be enjoying herself.
So he walked over.
As soon as he was close enough, he couldn’t resist lifting her from the floor and settling her onto his lap.
In that room, no one was actually focused on the movie. Out of the corners of their eyes, they were all watching Mia Grant’s every move.
So, the moment Silas Grant picked her up, he was immediately hit with three glares filled with condemnation and displeasure.
Silas Grant was a master of feigning ignorance, and this time was no exception; he pretended not to notice at all. He just ruffled Mia Grant’s hair and asked with a smile, "Are you tired?"
He was asking if she was tired from the flight.
The direct flight had been eleven or twelve hours long.
"I’m okay," Mia Grant said. "The bed on the plane was really soft."
The moment she finished speaking, she felt a warmth on her lips.
Mia Grant glanced back at him.
The horror movie cast the room in dim, shifting light, and she couldn’t quite make out the expression in his eyes.
But she could vaguely sense he wasn’t pleased with her answer.
After a moment’s thought, Mia Grant corrected herself. "Actually, it wasn’t *that* comfortable."
Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Soon enough, Mia Grant escaped from his lap and scurried over to sit by Ian Sinclair.
She loved watching Ian Sinclair’s reactions to horror movies.
"Why are you such a scaredy-cat?" Mia Grant couldn’t help but laugh as she watched his tightly pressed lips.
Ian Sinclair shot her a look and muttered, "Who’s a scaredy-cat? I’m not scared. It’s all fake... What is there to be afraid of?"
"Okay, okay." Mia Grant tilted her head and glanced at Felix Sinclair, who was watching with rapt attention. "Hey, genius," she asked curiously, "what are your thoughts on all this?"
She expected Felix Sinclair to say something about it all being fake and impossible.
That he was a firm materialist, and so on.
Felix Sinclair’s gaze shifted from the screen to her face. In the flickering light, he watched her for a moment before saying, "It feels very real."
Mia Grant was surprised. "Are you scared, then?"
Felix Sinclair nodded.
Seeing this, Mia Grant quickly scooted closer, tucked a bag of snacks into his hand, and gently patted his arm. "It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t be scared, it’s all fake."
"Okay," the young man replied, stealthily taking her hand in his.
Mia Grant thought for a moment but didn’t pull her hand away.
’He’s scared, so I guess it’s okay to hold his hand.’
Ian Sinclair, who had watched the whole exchange from the side: "..."
’You can do that?’
Ian Sinclair gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe Felix Sinclair would be scared of something like this.
A few years back, their mom had also loved watching suspense and horror movies at home.
She would often make the whole family watch with her.
Felix Sinclair had always seemed uninterested, but he never spoiled the fun for everyone else.
Whenever it got to a climactic scene, he and their mom would look away in fear, only to see Felix Sinclair staring intently at the screen, completely unfazed.
Yates Donovan, leaning back in a nearby armchair, also played dumb, pretending he hadn’t seen the two holding hands on the carpet.
’Whatever. I already held her hand and hugged her on the way here.’
’The flight was long, there was only one bed in the cabin, and we even slept in it together.’
’No need to be jealous of them.’
With the arrival of Hayes Hughes and Kian Keller, the atmosphere grew even more bizarre...
Mia Grant didn’t dare to move. After the first movie ended, she silently put on a sequel.
The price of watching too many horror movies was that after dinner, when Mia Grant saw her bedroom, she froze at the doorway, not daring to step inside.
The room was so enormous she felt like she could probably ride a bicycle in it.
And the decor... well, it looked a bit creepy at night.
Mia Grant hesitated for a moment, then turned and headed back downstairs.
She happened to run into Kian Keller, who was downstairs on the phone.
Hearing her footsteps, he turned around.
Their eyes met, and Mia Grant froze on the stairs.
Kian Keller quickly ended his call and walked over to her.
"Scared?"
He knew what she was thinking from a single glance.
"Mmm. Can you find a pretty maid to stay with me?"
There were plenty of staff at the manor, all of them locals. Mia Grant had seen them during the day and thought the girls were all gorgeous.
Kian Keller gave her a cool look. "There are no pretty maids, but you do have your handsome fiancé here to protect you."
"My fiancé?" Mia Grant asked reflexively. "Who’s that?"
"..." Soon, Mia Grant found out the answer.