Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,155

usually hate parties, especially the ones I have been to in New York, the energy of this one is so authentic, genuine, and unpretentious that, to my greatest surprise, I can truly enjoy it without my anxiety kicking in.

Mona hangs up and looks at me. “Hendrik would like to talk to you.” Hendrik? Did I hear her correctly? “Shall we?”

Sounds like I have no other option. “Sure…” I finish my mojito in one sip and leave the glass behind.

Mona leads me into the villa, and as we cross the long hallway, I look both ways, but I don’t see Alex. Then my attention alights on Hendrik, who’s standing in the doorway of a room.

“Petra,” he greets me with a warm smile. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Oh, it’s amazing, yeah. And the singer is fantastic.”

“Ah, yes. She has got a great voice,” he promptly replies with a pleasant tone. “May I have a word with you?” He’s already gesturing for me to come in, regardless of my answer.

And I barely mumble a quick, “Sure” as he welcomes me into a traditional study—Chesterfield sofa and armchairs, polished wood floor, walls filled with books, and a decent-sized rug in the center, resting below a low glass table. My gaze turns to my right, and I raise my brows at the nude portrait hanging there. It looks like Mona, but I don’t dare ask him about it.

“Have you met some people already?” His question makes me blink, and I turn my head in his direction.

“I was just chatting with Mona,” I say, a smile on my lips. “She’s such an inspiration.”

“True, she’s a wonderful woman. We have known each other for eighteen years. Her aunt is also here. She’s a soothsayer. I mean, I don’t believe in those things, but the girls love it.” My lips part in astonishment. Is it just a mere coincidence? Jeez, that reminds me of my mom’s friend. And anything that reminds me of her is not something I have any interest in. “I’m gonna serve myself a drink. Do you want anything to drink?”

“Oh, um, just water if you have it.”

Hendrik gestures for me to sit in the armchair while he goes to the bar. I quietly take a seat, my mind already ruminating about the soothsayer. What is the likelihood of Mona’s aunt being one? Does Hendrik know things I don’t know? If I remember correctly, I’ve never told Alex about my experience before.

“You know, after ten years, I really thought Alex would settle down with Amanda.” His totally unexpected revelation startles me, making my heart squeezing tight, and I wonder if he said that to get something off his chest or to provoke a response from me. But I keep my lips in a flat line, indifferent. Hendrik’s directness shouldn’t surprise me. After all, Margaret is just like that.

“Oh, you know Amanda?” Not sure why I asked him that. If Margaret knows her, obviously Hendrik does too! What a dumb question.

“Of course I do. She is Mona’s daughter.”

WHAT! My jaw drops immediately, and I can’t hide the astonishment on my face. Why didn’t Alex tell me that? Oh my God, that means Amanda is like family to Hendrik. And he and Mona were most likely looking forward to a wedding between their children. Oh jeez, and Amanda must have told them that I called her a witch. I swallow dryly, feeling like an intruder. Ironically, at the same time, Hendrik extends a hand toward me with a glass of water. And as I take it, I force myself not to drink it all at once.

“I mean, they seemed to be very happy together. I even asked him, ‘Son, why haven’t you proposed yet?’” I give him a polite smile as he sits beside me on the sofa. “Oh boy, I’ll never forget his answer…”

Curiosity tickling my tongue, I ask, “What did he say?”

“Well, Alex said…” Hendrik takes a sip of his drink while my heart pulses faster with every second. “‘Because she’s not my soul mate.’” And my heart tightens hard upon hearing this. I press my lips together, picturing that moment in my mind and Alex’s voice. “I cracked up laughing. I took it as a joke, you know. I mean, c’mon, after ten years together? So I asked him, ‘Then who’s your soul mate?’” I breathe slowly in and out, doing my best to tame my emotions and remain as stoic as possible. “And that’s when he told me about you.” Hendrik pauses, observing