Chapter 5 The First Move

Miles's POV

When I finally arrived at the mansion, it was already lunchtime. Staff moved through the entrance carrying flowers and decorations for the welcome party that evening.

I stepped out of the car and looked at the mansion. I had returned a few times during my ten years abroad, but only for brief visits. This time was different. I was home for good.

"Welcome home, Mr. Ravengard," one of the staff greeted me.

I nodded and walked inside. Very little had changed, but I had.

"Miles!"

I barely turned before my mother wrapped her arms around me.

"Mom."

She pulled back and studied my face. "Let me look at you."

"You saw me on video calls."

"That isn't the same. Ten years, Miles."

"I came home."

"For a few days. Those hardly counted."

I kissed her cheek. "I missed you too."

Her expression softened. "Your father told me he asked you to go straight to the office, and he still hasn't come home."

"He has work to finish."

She shook her head. "His son finally comes home for good, and Marcus still chooses his office."

I almost smiled. "You know Dad."

"Unfortunately."

My father staying behind didn't surprise me. Business always came first, especially after what he had revealed to me earlier.

My mother touched my arm. "You look exhausted. Go rest before the party."

For once, I didn't argue. "I will."

My room looked almost exactly as I remembered it. I removed my suit jacket, loosened my tie, and sat on the bed. Finally, I was alone, and my thoughts immediately returned to Ella Carter.

I remembered her photograph, then the real woman crashing into me and spilling coffee over my shirt. I had to earn her trust, make her fall in love with me, and use her to find the documents her father died protecting. Then I had to eliminate her.

Simple enough. At least it should have been.

I closed my eyes, intending to rest briefly, but when I woke, several hours had passed. The party would begin soon.

After showering and changing into a dark suit, I headed downstairs. Music filled the mansion, staff made final preparations, and guests were already arriving.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, the front door opened and my father walked in.

His eyes found mine immediately. "Rested?"

"Enough."

He handed his briefcase to a staff member before approaching me.

"Everything ready?" I asked.

"For the party or for the reason I brought you home?"

"Both."

"Then yes."

Before I could respond, my mother appeared and frowned at him. "You finally decided to come home."

"I had things to finish."

"Your son arrived today."

"And I'm here now."

She sighed and looked between us. "Can the two of you please stop talking about business for one evening?"

My father smiled faintly. "Of course."

I knew better than to believe him.

My mother turned to me. "Margarette is upstairs getting ready. She came home with Ella earlier."

My attention sharpened at the mention of her name, and my father noticed.

"She'll be at the party," he said.

"I assumed she would."

"Good."

My mother looked between us. "Am I missing something?"

"No," my father answered smoothly.

She narrowed her eyes at him but thankfully didn't question it further. "I need to make sure everything is ready outside." She pointed at my father. "And you are not disappearing into your office."

"I just came from one."

"Exactly."

Then she looked at me. "And you, don't disappear either. This party is for you."

"I'll try."

"You won't try. You'll stay."

A faint smile touched my lips. "Yes, Mom."

Satisfied, she walked away. The moment she was out of hearing distance, I looked at my father.

"You planned this."

"I planned a welcome party for my son."

"And made sure Ella would be here."

"She lives here, Miles. Of course she'll be here."

"That's not what I meant."

A faint smile touched his face. "Two things can be true at the same time."

I gave him a cold look, but he stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You need opportunities to get close to her. I'm giving you one."

"I don't need your help."

"Then prove it."

My jaw tightened.

"She already trusts this family," he continued. "She trusts me. But that doesn't mean she'll automatically trust you."

"Considering our first meeting, I noticed."

"Considering your first interaction involved you insulting her, I'm not surprised."

I stared at him. "She told you?"

"She tells me more than you realize."

That caught my attention. "How close are you to her?"

"I've taken care of her for seven years."

It wasn't an answer, but before I could question him further, voices came from the entrance as more guests began arriving.

"We'll discuss this later," he said.

"I thought tonight wasn't about business."

His eyes held mine. "This isn't business, Miles. It's your future."

Then he walked away, leaving me to think about what he had just said. Calling this mission my future was certainly one way of looking at it.

Tonight wasn't really about welcoming me home. It was the beginning of my mission. I wouldn't let emotions turn a simple task into something complicated.

By the time I reached the garden, it was already crowded with business partners, executives, family friends, and familiar faces. I politely accepted their greetings while wondering how long I had to pretend I was enjoying myself.

Then a familiar voice stopped me. "Miles."

I turned, and for the first time that evening, I was genuinely surprised.

"Sonia."

Sonia Almeda stood a few feet away, smiling at me. Ten years had changed her, but not enough to erase the girl I remembered. Her long dark hair fell over one shoulder, and the elegant dress she wore made several men nearby glance in her direction.

She approached me without hesitation. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't recognize me."

"It would be difficult not to."

Her smile widened. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You can take it however you want."

She laughed softly. "Ten years away and you haven't changed."

"Neither have you, apparently."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Her smile widened. "Well, you'd better get used to seeing me again. Our families are still close."

I knew exactly what she meant. Her father had worked with mine for years, although very few people knew the true extent of their partnership. Sonia and I had a history of our own, one I hadn't thought about in years.

"You barely came home," she said.

"I was busy."

"Nothing here worth staying longer for?"

I knew what she was really asking, so I chose not to answer.

Before she could push further, someone called my name from across the garden. I turned briefly to acknowledge him, and when I looked back, Sonia had moved closer and slipped her arm through mine with the same familiarity she had possessed years ago.

I glanced down at her hand. "What are you doing?"

"Welcoming you home."

"Is that what this is?"

"Would you prefer I hug you?"

"No."

She laughed. "Then stop complaining."

I could have pulled away, but there was no point. Sonia had always been bold and stubborn, doing whatever she pleased without asking permission.

Someone approached us, and the conversation shifted, but I barely listened. My eyes moved casually across the garden.

Then my gaze landed on Ella, and suddenly, everyone else in the garden seemed to fade into the background.

She stood beside Margarette at the garden entrance, looking nothing like the woman I had met that morning. Her gown hugged her curves, her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, and the subtle makeup only enhanced her natural beauty.

Beautiful. The thought came too quickly, and I immediately pushed it aside. She was my target, nothing more, yet I couldn't stop looking at her.

Then Ella noticed me. Our eyes met across the garden before her gaze dropped to Sonia's arm linked through mine. When she looked back at me, something in her expression had changed.

Was she jealous?

If she was, my mission might be easier than I thought. I should have been satisfied for that reason alone, but the satisfaction I felt was far more personal.

And I didn't like that.

Ella looked away first, turning her attention back to Margarette as though I were no longer there. For some reason, that irritated me even more.

I removed Sonia's arm from mine.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

I kept my eyes on Ella. "There's someone I need to talk to."

Then I started walking toward her. This morning, Ella Carter had met the real me. Tonight, she would meet the man I needed her to trust.