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ch 95

—This is what I need, pay attention to me.

And as if Loan’s imposing presence wasn’t enough, his money was also involved, so Bryson Gray was completely focused on him. He raised his notebook as a sign that he was paying attention and nodded.

Loan Keller had some very strange requirements, but he was only there on commission. However, two weeks later they had traveled halfway across the country without replaceing anything.

—We’re only missing the larger castles, the ones that still belong to the nobility… but those are not easy to get into —Bryson said one night while they were having a drink at the hotel bar.

—Well, we have to try, whatever it takes.

The real estate agent thought for a while and then sighed.

“There is a possibility, but it is hoooooooorr …

Loan looked at him as if she didn’t know what he was talking about.

—Olivia Winston, thirty-something, spinster, and easygoing… well, she’s a tough woman to digest, but she has access to all of Scotland’s high society. Her father retains the title of earl, but they’re broke. If we convince her that we’ll buy Brechin Castle from her, she’ll give us access to the rest of the nobles —Bryson explained.

“And why haven’t we been to that castle yet?” Loan asked, and Bryson burst out laughing.

—Because there is no human being more selfish or capricious than Olivia Winston. I doubt very much that she would have the goodness to hire a pregnant woman or one with a small baby.

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Loan sighed in annoyance. It wasn’t ideal but he was willing to make any sacrifice to replace Danna.

—Fix it. We’re leaving there tomorrow.

And said and done, the next day at noon they were arriving at the beautiful castle of Brechin and were greeted by the most haughty woman in history.

Two things immediately softened her: the sight of the monument that was Loan Keller and the knowledge that she had enough money to buy the property from him. Seconds, just seconds, were enough for the woman to hang on to her arm and start getting mushy to the point that Loan detested.

“You should stay here for a few days,” he said, winking at her. “Our rooms are the most luxurious in the region… And if you stay, I can organize a small reception to introduce you to our royal friends!”

“How about you take a look around the property first?” Bryson said, already seeing Loan on the verge of exploding. “Mr. Keller is a bit… brooding. Let’s let him get a feel for the vibes in the gardens outside.”

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Loan thanked him with a gesture and left immediately. She walked around the gardens taking a breath and approached an artificial pond in the middle. Suddenly something caught her attention, at one of the far ends the small figure of a baby moving its little hands inside a very basic stroller.

Loan’s heart raced, for beside him was a girl kneeling, cutting the bad leaves off the rose bush. For a moment his heart screamed that it was Danna and he ran towards them, but before he could get close the girl turned around and he could see that it was someone else.

“Sir? Are you okay?” the woman asked him and he nodded, trying to compose himself.

—Yes… yes, excuse me. It’s just that I saw the baby and… well, I’ve been looking for mine for a long time.

She approached the stroller and noticed that it was a cute little boy of five or six months. He was laughing his head off in the sun and as soon as Loan came into his field of vision he started making funny little sounds.

“You have a very cute baby,” she murmured. “Congratulations.”

—Oh no, it’s not mine! —said the girl—. I just look after Mauro while his mother works because well… it’s too hot in the kitchen for a baby.

Loan smiled for a moment as she extended her finger and the boy squeezed it between his tiny fingers.

—It’s funny… Mauro is my middle name, but almost no one knows it—she whispered. I don’t like it, but it looks great on you, doesn’t it, prince?

The girl smiled when she saw the baby so happy.

—If you want, you can carry him, he likes to be held all the time, but I can’t —she said, showing her hands full of dirt.

“Really?” Loan didn’t know whether to cheer up or not, but she finally took the baby out of the stroller.

A shiver ran down Loan’s spine as she picked him up, as if all the tenderness in the world had accumulated in that tiny little body.

As he held him, the baby opened his eyes and looked at him with a curious expression. It was the first time that Loan felt at peace since he had begun his search, he felt as if this little boy had opened his eyes to the magic of life.

—My God… you are beautiful—he murmured in amazement when he noticed the baby looking at him with his bright blue eyes.

The baby settled on her shoulder and Loan immediately felt a huge connection.

The girl was speechless when she saw them together because they both looked so much alike.

“It’s amazing,” she whispered, taking off the baby’s cap. “He looks a lot like you.”

For a moment Loan’s words caught in her throat, but then she forced herself to place the baby back in his stroller. He was a beautiful boy, but he wasn’t hers, and she only hoped that her child with Danna had been able to make it to that age.

“Thanks for everything, I better go,” he said, walking away immediately.

He wanted to finish convincing Olivia Winston to introduce him to the owners of those castles he didn’t have access to, but as soon as he went back inside he found himself pushed into the dining room for some appetizers and “friendly negotiation” that “Miss Loose Panties” wanted.

—We’re just going to have a nice lunch and they’re going to stay.

Olivia insisted they stay and started to get clingy, clinging to Loan’s arm as they walked into the dining room. Everyone settled in around the table, Olivia’s father, two of her other daughters, and Bryson. The atmosphere was pretty tense for Loan, but as soon as they entered the dining room her world stopped, because there, serving a tray of appetizers with her eyes fixed on her work… was Danna.

He didn’t have time.

Unfortunately, Olivia Winston was an octopus, and when she looked up, Loan hadn’t had time to shake her off. There was only a muffled gasp, the sound of the tray falling to the floor, and Olivia’s scream.

—Leda! What are you doing? How can you be so useless? —he growled at her.

The girl stood still, her heart racing as she watched Loan all huddled up with the lady of the house.

—Leda! Pick that up, you useless thing! Come on! Don’t you see we have important guests? —he urged her.

Loan knew she should react but at that moment her brain was just trying to process why they called her Leda. Tears rose to the girl’s eyes but in the next second she was kneeling on the ground picking up everything she had thrown.

“Oli, there’s no need to talk to the servants like that,” his father told him softly.

—And how do you expect me to talk to her? She may be clumsy, but she has a desire to break records! —Olivia snapped. —Come on, get out of here!

Danna gathered everything up from the floor and hurried out, her head down and without replying, and Loan noticed her heart was beating hard, as if she had come back to life again.

“We’re staying,” he said, turning to Olivia. “I mean, we’re honored to accept your kind invitation to stay at your house for a few days while we file the paperwork for the transfer of ownership.”

The woman in front of him gave him a radiant smile, not imagining that if Loan Keller wanted to stay, it wasn’t precisely because of her.