Babulya had always been everything I needed, but I’d be lying if I didn’t occasionally daydream of finding my father when I was a little girl. I can’t tell you how many times I watched Veronica Mars since I found it on Netflix. Richard wasn’t anything like Keith Mars on the surface, but I could tell he genuinely loved his sons. From the short interactions I’d had with the Wilder family, I got the impression that he wasn’t good at showing them that. Babulya had been strict and critical as well, but I always knew it came from a place of love.
I looked up when I felt a heavy stare focused on me. Maverik hadn’t missed my interaction with his father, and while I was sure he hadn’t heard what was said, his cold eyes were making me nervous. I glanced over to see neither Nina nor Richard were paying attention, then made a face and gave him the finger. His eyes flashed, and I slumped down in my seat to avoid any further interaction with him or his brother. Who would have thought that out of the four of them, Richard would be my only ally?
Chapter 10
Katya
I thought my eyes were going to pop out of their sockets when we drove up to Richard’s house. Logically, I knew he was rich, but this place was unreal. A tall gate blocked the view of the house from the street, so I wasn’t prepared for what I walked into. It wasn’t just huge - it was absolutely stunning. Instead of being over-the-top and gaudy, it was elegant and modern. All three of the guys quickly disappeared, and I was left alone with my dear old mom.
When Nina offered to give me a tour, I thought she just wanted another chance to threaten me. As it turned out, Nina loved talking about and showing off her newfound wealth. However, she hadn’t earned any of this, and if Richard didn’t marry her, then she’d be out on her ass. She needed to get a grip on reality.
I think Nina enjoyed seeing my awestruck face, because she didn’t hesitate to tell me just how much money everything in here was worth.
“There are only about three thousand people in the whole town,” she explained. “The average price of a house is five million, but this property is worth much more than that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Can you imagine living in a house that’s only worth five million dollars?” I asked in mock horror. “Imagine what the other Bedford housewives would say,” I smirked at her. “Oh, that’s right. You’re not allowed to tell anyone about your relationship.”
Nina gave me a sharp look but ignored my words. “There’s a guest apartment over the ten-car garage that you should stay away from. That’s where the boys spend most of their free time. Next door to that is the pool house. Most of the pool is indoors, but you can swim through to the terrace outside. The pool house is also where you’ll find the fitness center and the ballet room that Richard set up for you.”
I looked at her in disbelief, and she seemed smug. “We have a wine cellar, 3D theater, billiards room, two-story library, and even an elevator. We have close to three acres of land here, but most of it is merely a barrier to the outside world. Only an acre is covered in decks and walkways made from French limestone.”
“Only an acre? You better tell Richard that he needs to work on that if he wants this wedding to happen,” I mocked her.
She gave me a haughty look. “It sounds like you could use a nap. I’ll show you to your room.”
She slammed the door shut behind me after shoving me in, but I didn’t mind if it meant our mother/daughter time was over for the day.
I looked around the room slowly. It was larger than the Logan’s entire apartment combined, and I had a bathroom connected to my room. I was grateful that I wouldn’t have to share with either of the two terrors. The house seemed large enough that I might not have to see them at all for the next two years.
My new walk-in closet was larger than Ryan’s bedroom, and it was already full of clothing and shoes in my size. At first, I thought that my mother had left some of her clothes in here, but then I realized that everything still had tags, and some items were