Chapter 8 MOVING INTO THE PHOENIX MANSION

We finally arrived at the Phoenix Mansion, and my mouth dropped open in disbelief, struggling to take in the magnificent structure before me.

What on earth? Is this a mansion or a castle?

It was enormous and round, painted in sparkling silver-white, with a beautiful water fountain right at the center.

The floors were German tiles, and I spotted two garages in the compound-both filled with classic cars. That was just a glimpse of what lay inside this grand building.

As I stepped out of the car, I stood frozen, looking around. I might have stayed in a mansion, but this was far bigger than my dad's house. It was said that the Phoenix Mansion was the third most expensive property in the country, and it certainly looked like it. Honestly, it felt like I was stepping into a dream. I couldn't believe I'd be staying here.

I was still standing there in awe when a boy approached me from the house.

"Hey, are you Miss Nora?" he asked. I nodded, curious about who he might be.

"Okay, please come in. Mrs. Carter already told me about you," he said warmly, taking my bag from me and leading me into the house. I followed him.

He looked young and well-dressed, and I figured he was probably staff since all the workers seemed to be male.

As we entered the breathtaking sitting room, I barely had time to absorb the beauty around me because Madison came running in immediately.

"Nora!" she called, rushing to hug me. She wore denim shorts and a blue top, clutching a teddy bear.

"Hey, great to see you again!" I told her, smiling. The boy with my bag had headed upstairs.

Looking around, I noticed they actually had two staircases, one to the right and one to the left.

"Oh! You're here!" I heard someone say, turning to see Mrs. Carter coming down the right staircase. She wore a chic black dress and a pair of striking blue heels, looking gorgeous. No wonder Madison and Zane had inherited such good looks.

"Good evening, Mrs. Carter," I greeted, giving a slight bow.

"Good evening, dear, and welcome. I'm so glad you accepted my proposal. As for your signing into Phoenix Records, I'm already on it, and you can start training tomorrow." She glanced at her watch. "I'm headed out for a business trip now, and I have a flight to catch later tonight. But we'd talk more when I return. Madison, go get Marcus to show Nora around, okay?" She said before heading for the door, with Madison following behind.

"Don't forget to bring me back some chocolates, Mom!" Madison called after her, and I watched them go.

"Are you the new babysitter?" I heard a soft voice behind me and turned to see a young, handsome boy in an apron standing there.

"Um... yes," I replied, trying to gather myself.

"Wow! I didn't expect to see another girl working here. I hope yours will be different. Anyway, I'm Marcus, the chef," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Nora," I replied with a smile, shaking his hand. Madison joined us.

"Welcome, Nora. Follow me, please," he said, leading us away.

We took the left staircase and emerged in a large area with several doors.

"We have staff quarters downstairs," he said casually, "but Mrs. Carter says you're family now and you'll be staying here in the main building."

I nodded, following him to the room he opened. As we walked in, my eyes lit up.

Wow! Is this going to be my room? It was stunning!

"Don't worry, Marcus, I'll take it from here," Madison said, taking charge. He chuckled and shot me a playful look.

"You're lucky she likes you, Nora. At least there's a 40% chance you'll stay here," he joked.

I cleared my throat and exhaled. It seemed Zane would be the only challenge I'd face here.

"Okay, Madison; I'll leave you with your new babysitter. Don't get her into trouble, all right?"

"Sure, Marcus!" Madison replied, and he stepped out of the room.

"So, what do you think of your new room, Nora?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

"It's amazing! I love it!" I replied, glancing at her.

"Uhm... your brother isn't home, is he?" I asked.

"Nope! But he'll be back soon."

"Oh! Is he aware you're getting a new babysitter?"

"Huh? Who would tell him? It'll be a nice surprise when he sees you!" she said smirking.

Oh no. They hadn't mentioned it to him yet? What would his reaction be when he found out?

"Come on, Nora; let me show you my room!" Madison said eagerly, taking my hand. We left the room together.

She led me back to the sitting room and up the right staircase, and I followed. Wow! It almost felt like stepping into another house.

She opened the door, and I immediately realized it was her room with all the toys scattered around. A laptop sat on the bed alongside two large phones.

"This is my room, Nora!" she said, spreading her arms wide.

"It's uhm... beautiful!" I said, nodding in approval.

She grinned, leading me to her dressing room, and I gasped. How could a kid have such fancy clothes and jewelry?

Wow! They really spoil her here.

She excitedly showed me her favorite outfits, shoes, bags, and accessories, leaving me amazed.

Then she pulled me out of her room to show me around. When we stepped out, she paused.

"That's my brother's room," she said, pointing to a door facing hers.

"T... That's Zane's room?" I stammered.

"Yep!" she replied proudly.

OMG! His room is that close to hers?

The door had a gold inscription that read "Loverboy." I smiled, glancing at it.

"Come on, Nora; let me show you the rest of the house," she said, grabbing my hand as we headed out of the passage.

She took me to the other part of the house and introduced me to the rooms of the remaining three members of the Phoenix Four, Caleb, Leo, and Evan.

Then she took me outside to show me around. They had two swimming pools, a beautifully maintained garden, a leisure area, and so much more. The building was simply spectacular.

"How old are you, Madison?" I suddenly asked.

"Five!" she chirped, and I sighed. She probably wouldn't understand anything about Zane.

We chatted about various things, and I learned more about her. She was in preschool, and her school was actually close to mine.

When we returned to the sitting room, I found myself admiring the decor. Pictures of the Phoenix Four graced the walls, and they all looked charming, but Zane was always the most handsome.

Just then, the sound of barking filled the air, and I turned to see a dog running toward me.

What? They have a dog in the house?

The puppy raced toward me, and I instinctively stepped back, feeling a bit scared. Was it going to attack me?

Fortunately, Madison jumped in front of me.

"Hey, Astro; calm down!" she exclaimed, squatting down. The puppy stopped in front of her, tail wagging as she rubbed its head, although it still eyed me and barked.

"Come on, Astro; don't be mean to Nora," Madison coaxed. Suddenly, it barked loudly at her, causing her to shriek and hop up. Then it took off outside.

"Gosh! That dog is so feisty. Just like his owner!" she said, pouting.

"Who does he belong to?" I inquired.

"Well, it's Zane's. He's such a handful, but the only one he's friendly with is Zane. It's so annoying," she responded, rolling her eyes, and I chuckled.

"By the way, Nora, can you sing me a song?" she asked sweetly, her eyes lighting up. "You promised!"

"Um... Madison, I... I know, but..."

"But what?" she interrupted, giving me a pout that was hard to resist.

Just then, we heard the sound of cars driving in, and she rushed to the window to check it out.

"Oh my gosh, Nora! The Phoenix Four are back! Zane's back!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

I jumped up, my heart racing.

Oh no! The Phoenix Four are here! What's going to happen now?

"I... I think you should hide, Nora," Madison suggested, glancing at me anxiously.

"Do you expect me to hide all the time?" I asked incredulously.

"What do we do?" she panicked. "Zane might be really mad when he sees you. Maybe you should just run away?"

Great! This child is only making things worse. Does she think this is some sort of game?

I stood frozen, unsure of what to do, and just then, the door swung open, revealing the Phoenix Four as they stepped inside.

Oh, my God! This is really happening.

They were all dressed in their signature hoodies, with Zane right in the middle.

They halted the moment they spotted me.

"What the..." Caleb began but didn't finish his sentence.

"A girl in the house?" Evan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

I stood there, utterly speechless, my heart pounding in my chest.

Finally, Zane took off his sunglasses and gave me a look I would never forget.

"What the heck are you doing here?" he demanded, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

Oh, God!

Maybe I should've listened to Madison. Just maybe, I should've run away.