Hollywood Zenith



" How much more is there?" Mayra kept looking outside, the scenery changing, but they were driving through an open field with no end. A few buildings would pop up occasionally, but when she readied herself to face Samuel's family, Arthur would tell her to wait a few more minutes.

" You will know when you see gardens and large trees in the background." Samuel tried to talk to her, but she completely ignored him.

" Uncle Arthur, do you know something about it?" Arthur could only smile bitterly and explain to her in detail.

" The first head of the family wanted to settle down far away from cities. There were many great estates in the heart of London that he could have chosen from, but he decided to buy a remote land. A huge strip of fertile land at the outskirt of London that was all forest and built the place from scratch."

" So there was a real forest at this place?"

" There still is; a hard fence separates the living area, but people could still access it if they walked for a few kilometres up north."

" How big is this place?" When she heard kilometres, she was surprised. It's not like she didn't see castles, but everything failed in comparison as soon as she entered the great family gate earlier.

" About ten by ten kilometres, but most of it is forest. Even after a hundred years, it's banned to unnecessarily vandalize trees without the head of family's permission."

" Oh my god, that big? It's practically a national forest?"

" You could say that, but there are few wild animals here. Most of it was hunted by previous generations as sports. It's only done in moderation to preserve whatever is left, or we use tranquillizers to free them afterwards." Arthur elaborated.

Hunting was a yearly event until animals almost got extinct; usually, wild boars and Roe deers were running around the place, even grey wolves that had been deemed locally extinct along with Elk, Reindeer and brown bears.

It was tragic, but that was the truth; it was a shameful reminder that people took too long to find out about the past. By the time they did, countless animals had become extinct, and with rapid urbanization, many of them were still hanging by a thread.

" That's tragic."

" We are doing best we can not to disturb them further. If you want, the young master could show you around. I am sure he will be glad."

" Yes, he is right. I know the place inside out. We can hunt for wild mushrooms and also play with the horses! I am sure you would love it; they are adorable!" Samuel added, trying to cheer her up.

" Humph, I can do it on my own! I don't need your help!" At least she acknowledged him.

Soon, a large castle was seen on the horizon, and a few pristine gardens began appearing. Arthur informed her that they were approaching the mansion; Mayra began checking her long dress, trying to make herself look as presentable as possible.

They also woke the sleeping princess, who still didn't understand what was happening or where they were. She only wanted to sleep more, but Mayra comforted her that it would only take a few minutes. When she heard they were about to meet Samuel's mother, she sat right up, looking outside with an expecting gaze.

...

...

...

" Big brother is late! He should be here by now!"

" Calm down, Grey, they already entered the estate. It would only take a couple of minutes...there I can see his car in the distance." Laura reminded him to be patient for a little while. It's not like she was not worried about Samuel, but she had to act composed in front of others.

Laura, Margaret, Patricia and Mary were waiting at the entrance along with Grey, who was already fidgeting about seeing Samuel after a long time. It's only been a month, but he already missed his big brother!

" I heard that the kid is bringing a few guests with him again," Patricia said. It's not the first time Samuel had brought his friends over, but the last guests were a little 'special'. She heard it was the same this time, too.

" That rascal is always making a mess whenever he goes. I truly fear what he will do in the future. I admit it was normal in the past, but now, it was frowned upon." Margaret sighed, thinking about it. She refrained from delving into her grandson's private life, but everything he would rub on their faces. How could anyone act ignorant?

" As usual, you guys still living in the past! He is a Rothschild, he could do anything he wanted as long as no one got hurt in the process. My Sami is a responsible adult; how could he ever do wrong? Besides, we can't even find fault with his taste. He has a god-given talent for choosing his girls!" Mary started praising Samuel as usual.

But she had a point; it's not like the family hadn't faced the same issue in the past. From Adele to Rosaline, they tested everyone and found none had ulterior motives for associating with Samuel. He was especially good at separating himself from shady individuals, even in his business.

" Silent, he is almost here. Don't gas him up anymore; who knows what it would do to him. I and Robert had already made peace with his situation. As long as he doesn't mistreat anyone and lives happily, we decided not to interfere with him." Laura commented. 

" Still, that doesn't mean we can not have fun with him? What do you say?" Margaret came up with an evil plan on the spot. Other than Mary, everyone understood what they needed to do.

" Huh? Fun?" Mary asked, but no one told her anything. They were sure she would only ruin it, so it was better for her to act like usual.

" I agree; I will take the lead!"

""Okay""

Grey was listening to their conversation; he could somewhat conceptualize what they were discussing, but it didn't interest him. He was busy waiting for the car to stop, and as soon as the door opened, he ran toward it with open arms, trying to locate his brother.

Mayra was the first to exit the vehicle, and she bumped into the little man, which almost made both of them fall. Samuel held Mayra's waist, which led her to lessen the impact.

" Hey there, buddy, don't run around, or you will hurt somebody." Samuel walked out carrying Elise in his arms. She looked around curiously; strange people were everywhere, which made her shrink back in Samuel's arms.

" Big brother! How come you are so late? I have been waiting outside for half an hour!" Grey didn't pay attention to Elise and stuck to Samuel's thighs. He was rubbing his face in Samuel's jeans, acting cute. Samuel didn't expect such a reaction from Greyson, who had always been a reserved type.

" I am sorry, we got held up in the luggage area. It's kind of your fault because they extensively checked the gift I brought for you." Samuel brushed his hair as his eyes gleamed with the mere mention of the present.

" Yay! I know Big Brother will not forget about my gifts! Where is it? I want to see it!" He started pulling his pants.

" Calm down. All in due time." Samuel took his hand and started walking toward the entrance. Mayra looked at the little fellow; she wanted to say something, but seeing the large entourage a few meters away from her made her take shelter behind Samuel's back.

She could feel everyone looking at her intently, making her nervous. She could see a few old ladies in the mix and one woman who looked a little older than her. Mary was smiling ear to ear, looking at Mayra, not caring about her intense gaze.

By the time they reached them, Mayra was fully behind Samuel, shyly looking down without the strength to make eye contact. She didn't know what to say or do and was waiting for Samuel to do something.

" Mother, I am home. I am sorry for the delay." Samuel said and hugged her mother awkwardly with Elise in his arms. Laura didn't mind it as she could see how attached the strange little girl was to her son.

" Welcome home; it's great to see you return in one piece! I was worried sick, but you already know that." She said after separating from him. She turned toward Mayra and gave her a closer look; she nodded in her mind, seeing how beautiful she was. The photos she received didn't do justice to the actual thing; she was dying to meet the other one, but Samuel had already informed her about the plans change.

" Mother, she is Mayra, and this little kitten is Elise. They are a little shy, so don't stare at them like that." Samuel chuckled while introducing them. Mayra gave him a sneaky elbow; he was already making her look bad! She immediately composed herself and greeted everyone.

" It's an honour to meet you again, madam. I don't know if you remember, but we met a couple of times in the past. You have always been an idol of mine!" She said it as best as she could. She worried if it was an acceptable greeting; she didn't know much about noble greetings.

" Is that so? I like your flattery, but isn't it over the top?" Laura crossed her arms and looked at Mayra with a slightly annoyed look.

In a few seconds, Mayra, feeling good about herself, was plunged into chaos! She made a huge mistake! Wasn't it too cheesy? What should I do? She began panicking! 

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