The following morning, in her completely new surroundings, Zara found herself sleeping in later than usual. Despite tossing and turning due to her lack of rest, she finally got out of bed just after nine.
After freshening up and putting on her workout clothes, she made her way downstairs to start her day, where the butler was waiting for her.
"Good morning, Miss," he said with a respectful nod. "Would you like something to drink or do you have a specific breakfast in mind?"
"Good morning," Zara replied calmly. "Just prepare the usual. There's nothing special I need today."
"Understood, Miss. Young Master is in his study." the butler acknowledged with a nod.
"I'm heading out for a jog now. You can call me Luna," Zara added, glancing at him.
"Of course, Ms. Luna," the butler responded respectfully.
Zara gave a quick nod to the butler and stepped out of the main door for her morning jog.
As she left the villa, she glanced around and noticed a few bodyguards stationed nearby.
But that didn't bother her at all; she just kicked off her jog.
Her mind wandered back to what Ethan had mentioned the night before.
Just like he said, there was no shortage of daily essentials or clothes.
Everything a teenage girl could need was right there.
It definitely seemed like this wasn't the first time a girl had stayed in this place.
It seems like, Ethan would have brought her back here regardless of what happened yesterday, thanks to all the plans he had put in place.
Zara felt a warmth in her heart as she recalled Ethan's words and demeanor from the night before, and a gentle smile spread across her face while she jogged through the community.
Out of nowhere, a sports car zoomed past her with a loud roar, but Zara didn't even flinch or glance at the speeding vehicle.
After jogging for a bit, her phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, a smile lit up Zara's face as she answered through her earbuds, "Good morning, Third Brother."
"Good morning, Lia! How's everything there? Are you settling in well? When are you coming back?" Jack fired off a series of questions as soon as he heard her voice.
Zara chuckled softly as she began to walk instead of jog, responding to her brother's barrage of questions with a hint of exasperation, "Hey, calm down a bit. Let me tackle at least one question first."
"Okay, okay. Go ahead," he replied.
"By the way, I wanted to let Mom and Dad know that I won't be able to return for a while. It might take a few days," Zara said calmly into the phone.
Just as she explained up in her call, a panicked voice came through, "What?! Lia, what's going on?! Is everything okay?! Do you need anything?!"
Jack's voice rose in worry as he lost his composure.
The assistant in Jack's office jumped at the sudden intensity of his voice, startled by the unexpected outburst that seemed to reverberate throughout the entire office.
Zara quickly turned down the volume on her earbuds, unable to tolerate the loud noise any longer.
Not receiving a reply from the other end, Jack shouted, "Lia?!! Lia, are you still there?"
"Don't worry, brother, nothing's wrong. It's just that the work I came here for isn't finished yet, so I need to stay a few more days," Zara said flatly, fabricating a story with no other choice.
After her conversation with Ethan last night, she had done a lot of thinking.
With a knife wound on her neck, returning home now would only cause everyone to panic.
Even if she tried to brush it off as an unexpected scratch, her brothers were not easily deceived.
Especially with a doctor in the family, it would be tough to keep it under wraps, so it would be best for her to remain there until the wound could be concealed with some makeup.
Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him when he heard her response. With a spark of excitement, he exclaimed, "So, you've been to Clover Hill, right?"
Zara picked up on the enthusiasm in her brother's voice and sensed there was more to it. She paused for a moment before replying, "Yeah."
"Great! Just wait for me to come and see you there."
Zara's heart sank at his words, a sense of dread creeping in. She realized that her brother's visit could reveal her current state, with bandages wrapped around her neck.
She couldn't let him see her like this; it would cause a huge stir when she got back home.
Before that could happen, she needed to intervene.
"Brother, what brings you here?" Zara asked, trying to maintain a calm demeanor despite her mixed feelings.
Jack cheerfully said on the other end of the phone, "Oh, it's no big deal. Just had a little work to take care of. And then I remembered you were there, so I thought I'd swing by and visit my lovely sister. See? Your brother really cares about you. Isn't he just the best?"
"Yes, yes. My third brother is amazing. So, what the business here, brother?"
She was curious to find out if his reason for being there was significant enough to warrant a personal visit.
If it wasn't, she would try to find a way to persuade him not to come. If it turned out to be really important, she would need to come up with a different plan.
"It's really just a matter of land, Lia. Apparently, our ancestors purchased some property there a long time ago, but we didn't keep thorough records of all the family's assets back then. So, it kind of slipped our minds.
Recently, I put together a team to go through all the documents and legal names associated with our family's properties. That's when I discovered that there's a piece of land in Clover Hill that seems to have been occupied by someone for quite a while. And it looks like they're not just a small group.
I felt it was important to check it out myself and clarify things with them," Jack explained in a calm and measured tone, ensuring his sister grasped the situation.
Zara pondered this for a moment and replied, "But, brother, I really don't think it's necessary to disturb a CEO over something like this. We have people who can handle these issues, right?" She shared her thoughts, hoping to keep her brother from getting involved directly.
"Initially, I shared the same thoughts about it. However, when I discovered that the location was Clover Hill and that you had visited there yesterday, I realized it was a perfect opportunity to see my sister and enjoy some time with you. So, I decided to head over myself, and once I wrap up my work, I'll take my sister out for some fun," Jack said this with a sense of pride and a touch of grandeur in his tone.
Zara chuckled at her brother's confidence, fully aware of his intentions without him needing to elaborate.
He was clearly looking forward to spending quality time with his sister under the guise of work, all while relishing the chance to boast about it to their other brothers.