Reborn (Sequel to Wilting Roses)

Step Four

Chapter Seventeen

~Dathan~

The trip to the location had stopped me dead in my tracks. I was blocked by a large pair of black gates hidden behind green vines that spouted thorns. The large chain wrapped around the metal doors held a heavy lock, clearly displaying that I wouldn't be getting past this point any time soon. However, that did not discouraged me. We owned the only real estate agency in the city, in just a matter of hours I'd be holding the key in my hand. I left, with only one thing on my mind. When I reached the cream colored building, I hurried inside and greeted the woman at the front desk.

"Mr. Heart, welcome, to what do we owe this visit?" She asked.

"I need you to locate the file for the abandoned Manor near the country side of Harland." I said. Giving her the address she quickly typed away into her computer and frowned when a negative sound came from her screen.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"I...can't find a file on it. It's not listed." She replied.

"What do you mean it's not listen, all types of homes are put into our computer record under our agency? It has to be there, please check again." I said.

She nodded and began to type away while I made a quick phone call.

"Mom, there seems to be no record of the manor in our computer files." I said.

"Dathan, I'm in a bit of a pickle here, Gregory stopped all the preparations for this weekend. Mind telling me what the heck is going on?" She asked.

"If you tell me where I can find the last owners of this Manor then maybe I can tell you why." I bribed.

"I don't have time to be playing this game of cat and mouse." She said a bit sternly.

"Please talk to my father, I really need to know." I persisted.

She huffed out a breath and asked me to hold, I paced the office feeling my stomach knot.

"The man's name was Sterling, Andrew Gray Sterling, he was the last man to own the manor before he passed away nearly twenty years ago, now please tell me why you've put a stop to the festival's preparations." She replied.

I inwardly jumped for joy, and was overwhelmed that everything was falling into place.

"I want to move the party to this location, trust me, it's going to be...a dream." I lastly said before hanging up.

"Look up an Andrew Gray Sterling." I said.

The woman nodded and hurried to put the name into the computer. The screen beeped again and she smiled, that could only mean one thing.

"Got it, it says here that the property was passed down to a...oh actually it's a she. Miss Aria Opel. She is the owner of this manor. Let me just print this out for you and you can read the rest."

I felt my blood drain to my feet. Aria was the owner of the old manor, if this didn't have fate written all over it than I didn't know what did. With the sheet in hand fresh out of the printer I once again got into my car and drove towards her apartment. She had a lot of explaining to do.

~Aria~

"He did this in purpose Aria, you cannot possibly tell me that you have feelings for a man who clearly works for the devil. I can't believe he fooled us into thinking he was gay just so that he could lure you to his home and...take advantage of you." Jim huffed out.

"Jim, there is so much more going on, things you wouldn't understand." I tried to explain.

"No Aria, you don't understand that he is doing this on purpose. Oh and I haven't told you the icing on the cake. He is looking to buy Mack's business, all of a sudden he takes interest in where I work." He said.