Invisible to My First Love (Harper and Maddox) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Harper

Maddox had told me that we’d arrived, but every glimpse of the horizon only revealed endless empty grounds.

“It really feels like we’ve been in this limousine forever since you told me we’ve arrived.” I looked over at him as I said it and it wasn’t even in protest, but in curiosity.

He didn’t answer right away, just glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Everyone feels that way the first time they come here. This is all part of the estate. Just wait.”

It took another five minutes, but I finally began to see a change. On both sides of the road, there were trees trimmed so perfectly that they looked like they had been painted. There were also fountains that sparkled even under the afternoon light as we moved along.

Then, the limousine turned at the corner, revealing the main house and it instantly took my breath away. It was so towering that it looked like something out of a historical film. I was already feeling so small and almost out of place.

We finally made it to the front yard and the chauffeur stepped out first and opened the door for Maddox, who then came all the way around just to open the door for me. The chauffeur could’ve done that, but Maddox wanted to use every opportunity just in case they were watching from inside.

I had barely taken any steps towards the towering house, yet it seemed to grow bigger. My dress might have cost $4000, but it felt so ordinary compared to that place.

I was still looking around when Maddox intertwined his fingers with mine after holding my hand.

“By the looks of it, Grayson and Tiffany aren’t yet here,” he said. “Come on. It’s time to make an entrance.”

I followed him, my heels clicking softly on the pavers.

As he guided me towards the front doors, leaned towards me to whisper, “My dad’s in the study. He’s the one I want you to meet first. He says we’re late but so what? The goal was to make an entrance anyway. One more thing, I don’t give a shit about Margot.”

It was so sudden and blunt that my eyes widened and I stopped in my tracks. “What?”

He scoffed. “Don’t act so surprised. I know you don’t give a shit either. That’s why when we get inside, there’s no need to pretend. You’re not trying to impress her.”

His grip on my hand tightened as he continued to talk about how much he didn’t care about her and I looked down at it.

“What exactly happened for you to feel this way about her?”

He sighed, loosening his grip on my hand when he realized what he was doing. “I’ll tell you all about it later. Let’s go.”

The entrance hall didn’t make me feel small. It made me hyper–aware, like every step mattered. There was a line of butlers and maidservants right along that hall who greeted us with politeness while bowing slightly. It was their warm smiles that made me feel at ease for a few seconds.

But that all vanished the moment we rounded the corner into the living room and Mrs Aldridge was right there, rising from her seat the moment she spotted us.

“You’re here!” Her face beamed with that venomous politeness and my chest tightened, memories of the slap she’d once delivered at Maddox’s birthday flashing in my mind.

Maddox exhaled with an effort as he whispered to me, “I kinda knew we’d run into her first, but that doesn’t change anything. Watch.”

He faced forward as she approached us, her arms open as if to hug him. “It’s good to have you home, my son.”

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