It took them less than an hour to arrive at the chateau in the neighboring town. Jack opened the door for them, and Lola was the first to get out. She looked down the road they had driven on. Each side was lined with trees that bowed at the top, making a tunnel for the cars to drive up through.
When she turned around to look at the house, she was struck by its beauty. In the middle, behind a grass-filled roundabout with a statue of a woman, was a mansion the size of Jax's. What was taking her breath away was the towers that went up behind the main building. There were more floors than she could count from the outside, with three towers of different heights.
Two more buildings were attached to the mansion on either side, both were big and part of the main building. The lamps along the exterior were lit up, shining a bright, warm light over the front yard.
Cars were driving up and dropping people off. The women stepped out in beautiful gowns, and the men looked sharp and rich in their tuxes and dress shirts. Lola looked at Jax, who rolled up his sleeves messily, yet he looked more put together than any other man here.
"Let's go," Ash said and walked in with Melissa.
Lola's heart pounded harder the closer they got to the entrance. They stepped in through the big mid-evil doors and past the double glass doors before they stood in the foyer. The crystal chandelier in the ceiling shone a bright light over the room. The stairs were bent in front of them, two half moons connected at the top, separated at the bottom by the foyer.
Everything looked fit for royalty: the armored statues that stood by the door and the tall spears on each stone vase around the top-floor balcony.
Jax led the way, and Lola followed with her arm hooked in his. Everyone turned left down the staircase and entered the ballroom. The windows were larger than anything she'd seen, starting at the top of the high ceiling and reaching down to the floor.
The view from the ballroom was the back of the chateau, and they stared at the woods a few meters away. The moon was growing in the sky, it would be fully round and its light would shine into the room lit by candles and lamps on the walls.
"Jax Blackwood, as I live and breathe. I did not think you would come!" An older man came walking up to them with his arms reached out.
His hair was grey with a few silver strands, and his beard was as white as snow. His blue eyes sparkled when he swung his arms around Jax. Lola took a deep breath and steeled herself.
"Jonathan," Jax said and laughed as he clapped his hand on Mr. Daniels in a firm handshake.
Mr. Daniels turned his head and did a double-take when he saw Lola. Jax had his hand on her lower back and introduced them.
"This is my wife-"
"Lola Graves," Mr. Daniels said and grabbed her hand. He cupped her hand between his own and gave a slight bow. "The woman who landed a Blackwood. Born and raised in the lower class, now reaping the pleasure of your hard labor. You are an inspiration to us all," he said through hooded eyes.
Lola gently pulled her hand back and held her head high.
"I reap nothing, sir. I simply fell in love." She gulped when Mr. Daniels didn't speak for a moment.
She didn't know why she had said that. She wasn't in love with Jax. Not yet. Something about Mr. Daniels had provoked her. Maybe it was the talk of the lower class or the way he had insinuated that Lola was with Jax for his money.
Regardless, she couldn't take back her words. After a silent beat, Mr. Daniels bent over laughing. He raised his finger and wiggled it in front of Lola.
"I like her. She has the fire that keeps a man young," he said. "I meant no offense, dear. Many shall I say, regular people, could never fathom being in your position. You have joined the elite. The Blackwoods are an unreachable people, but seeing a girl who comes from nothing like yourself standing by a Blackwood's side will restore faith in many others that they too can achieve the same."
All this talk about business and how Lola and Jax's union would be a good foothold in society and elevate their status made sense now. Lola realized that she represented the lower class, the ones who wouldn't otherwise be looked at twice by people who lived in places like this.
She felt the room starting to spin, and wherever she looked, she saw more faces of people who would all be nice to her because she was Jax's wife.
Lola scanned the elevated room, but she couldn't find Melissa. Something that did catch her eye was the bar by the wall.
"It was nice meeting you. If you'll excuse me," Lola said with an edge to her tone and walked away from Jax's hold.
She wanted to run, but it was impossible in these heels, so she walked as fast as she could to the oak wood bar they had built in the ballroom. She grabbed the bar to keep herself from falling and closed her eyes. One breath, two breaths...
"It's tedious, isn't it?"
Lola heard someone say. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked at the girl leaning back against the bar. The girl's eyes scanned the room with an unmasked judgment, and the glass in her hands touched her lips.
"It's different," Lola said.
The bartender asked what she would like to drink, and Lola ordered a glass of white wine.
"Thank you," she said and grabbed the wine glass, immediately taking a big gulp to ease her nerves.
She side glanced at the girl who was still standing next to her. She was on her phone, but her profile was breathtaking. Lola had a hard time taking her eyes off the girl. Her hair fell in big curls down her back, a strawberry blonde color with hazelnut highlights.
Her eyelashes were long and thick with a perfect bow, and her lips were perfect with a cherry-red gloss.
Lola gazed down and saw the girl's toned body. Her hips were narrow, and the dress that clung to her body showed her lean legs. She stood in a pair of coal black heels with red souls.
The intimidation Lola felt was not something she enjoyed. The girl's confidence was something she admired, and the way she held her natural beauty was enviable.
Lola took another gulp of the wine, realizing she had downed it all in one quick sweep.
"Could I have one more, please?" she asked the bartender.
He removed the wooden cork from the bottle and poured her another glass.
"Thank you." She brought the glass to her lips and savored the feeling of the wine warming her from the inside and calming her nerves.
"Woah, slow down there, that's your second glass and this is not a place where you want to be drunk," the girl said and pressed on the foot of the glass to lower it.
"Right," Lola said and shook her head.
The girl smiled. Her eyes were impossibly grey with a few shifts of green.
"I know it's a lot. These people, the way they dress and act... it can be intimidating if you're not used to it. I'm gonna give you a one-on-one introductory lesson on the upper class," the girl said and chugged her whiskey before putting the glass down on the bar.
Lola's eyes widened in shock when she saw how easy it was for the girl to pour that burning liquid down her throat and not wince.
"If they say they like your dress, they don't. If they stare at you like something their cats dragged in from the street, it means they like how you look but won't ever tell you because each and every woman in here has a need to upstage each other. Anything they say, take it as a lie until proven otherwise. If they try to talk bad about someone and you join in, they will tell that person to raise their own standing as the one who knows everything. And lastly, the second they meet you, they will put you in the archive of their mind and dig up anything they can on you. They always need to be ready to blackmail you if need be. You are in a room full of the world's meanest, nastiest people. They also happen to be the most adored by the people of this country. Never let your guard down, and never ever get drunk in front of them because they will know, and they will use it to their own advantage. I know it's scary and probably isn't what you wanted to hear, but it's better to know than to regret," she exclaimed sympathetically.
Lola stood in shock with her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes lowered down the girl's dress, and she focused on the light shadow against the sparkling black fabric.
Lola raised her gaze and locked eyes with the girl. "Thank you," she said.
The girl raised her now-refilled glass and cheered in the air.
"Us girls have got to stick together," she said and took a drink.
Her other hand held a black clutch with the letter YSL in a gold emblem.
Lola was glad this girl chose to talk to her, now she had a better idea of where she was, but these people weren't ones she could respect or want to talk to. However, it wasn't her choice. She had to socialize and be a good partner to Jax. Anything she did would reflect on the Blackwood name, which held a higher standing than she thought.
She saw someone stepping in front of her, casting a large shadow. His back was turned toward her, and though she couldn't see his face, she knew it was Ash. His shoulders were raised, and he was covering her.
Does he not see me?
Lola felt ignored at first, but then she froze. Every nerve in her body turned to ice, and she closed her eyes in pain.
"Lavina, it's good to see you again," he said to the girl who had been talking to Lola.
She had given her all the ins and outs of how things worked there.
"Ash Blackwood, it's been too long," she purred and reached out her hand.
Ash grabbed it and raised it to his lips. He pressed a kiss on the back of her hand, his eyes never left Lavina's.