Chapter 34 - 38
Avara POV
We all make our way outside, and Landen grudgingly does the same.
"There are six bedrooms, so you have the pick of the litter," Vance offers.
Kelsey ogles the warm wooden interior, illuminated by natural light.
Landen grabs his things and disappears down a corridor. Vance takes us on a silent house tour, a terrible guide. At this point, Kelsey and I would have more fun exploring this house at our own leisure. The exterior has an amphitheater setting with the lake at the lowest point of the site, mimicking a stage as the outdoor deck. The house design is conceptualized as two separate wings positioned along the contours, connected with an entry veranda that continues through to the lounge to form the deck. From inside the house, windows frame the landscape of the lake and forestry. The two wings have a close connection with the ground, providing easy access to the outside.
Sunlight floods the majority of the rooms, the contours of the land splitting the building wings into two levels. A waterfall of light cascading from the artful skylights. The farmhouse architecture is a combination of yellowy tones of bluestone, timber and corten. Rustic with contemporary themes like the geometric light fixtures and modern furniture.
The master suite is out of bounds, so Kelsey and I take the two rooms upstairs. Vance takes the other and Landen is alone downstairs. I get ready for bed, changing into a matching set, thin-strapped satin pajamas. I plug my phone into my own charger by the bedside table. There’s no Wi-Fi and my bars keep switching from one to none, but one message does get through. A voice message sent late last night on the cusp of midnight. I plug out my phone to play it.
"Hey, Avara. I just stumbled onto something big."
The urgency in his voice flips me upright.
"This might be the lead I’ve been waiting for—for years. And I couldn’t have gotten it without you, kid. Remember when you asked me if I had children?"