It was exactly half past eight in the morning when Aria, Sophie, and I headed out the front door. Walking beside me and holding my hand, Aria just couldn’t suppress her excitement as she sang out, “It’s going to be so much fun. It’s going to be so much fun.” All the while, she was skipping enthusiastically as we made our way toward the waiting car.

Sammy and Alfie were tagging along behind us, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy making them stay put. I wasn’t wrong about that. The pair took the opportunity when none of us were paying attention and barged toward the car with expectance.

I shook my head in exasperation, and Aria giggled. She said, “They want to come too. How cute.”

Yes, I thought it was cute too, but surely pets weren’t allowed in the vicinity of Disneyland?

“Obviously, they can’t come,” Sophie said sternly, her neat brows drawing down in disapproval.

She bustled past Aria and me toward the dogs and made shooing noises to get the two canines moving.

“Go on. Back into the house, you two,” she said, swatting her hands in the air to make them leave.

Aria and I watched her, dumbfounded by her peculiar actions. Obviously, the two naughty canines were not listening to her. In fact, they retaliated by barking at her with aggression. Alfie went as far as growling at her, indicating he wasn’t happy with her high-and-mighty attitude. This, I was sure, only pissed Sophie off even more. She was the type of person who needed to be in control and in command, whether it be with human beings or some dogs.

She looked frustrated and went as far as grabbing Alfie’s collar and yanking the dog so it would stop barking at her. She was tugging at the poor little thing so hard that it got me worried. Aria and I rushed up to intervene because we knew if she were to put in more strength, the collar would undoubtedly strangle Alfie.

Aria and I were halfway when a loud, manly voice came bellowing from behind us. “Sammie! Alfie! Be quiet!”

Instantly the dogs halted their barking, Sophie released Alfie’s collar, and Aria and I turned to look behind us.

James came out of the house then, heading toward the two loud canines. As he passed us, I noted him frowning in disapproval at the loud commotion the two dogs were causing.

Once he was beside them, the two dogs started barking again, in excitement this time.

James scowled darkly at the duo and commanded, “Sammy! Alfie! Back into the house!”

Immediately the two canines ceased their barking in submission. They trotted over to him and obediently sat, their tongues sticking out, obviously trying to please their rather annoyed master.

James got down to his knees and petted the two. More calmly though still sternly, he said, “Be good and go into the house.” He pointed in the direction of the door.

I noted that the tone of his voice demanded no argument and there was a no-nonsense demeanor, a sort of control and power within him that the dogs, and me or anyone for that matter, found hard to disobey. If I were those dogs, I would have gone as far as to throw myself into his arms and lick him on the face, pleading with him with my large puppy dog eyes for forgiveness. But I wasn’t a dog, nor had I done anything to annoy him. So I stood back and watched James with interest.

It was then that Ms. Lane, the housekeeper, emerged, calling out to the two dogs to follow her back into the house.

After they had satisfactorily licked James’s hands with adoration, the two canines obliged and happily trotted away toward Ms. Lane.

“Poor Sammy. Poor Alfie,” Aria said as we watched them disappearing into the house. “We have to take them to the park tomorrow to make them feel better.”

I chuckled and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’m sure they’d be very happy with that.”

Sophie snorted and muttered quietly under her breath, “As if dogs have feelings.”

Aria must have heard Sophie’s comment and frowned. “They don’t?”

I said, “Of course they do. Otherwise, they wouldn’t love it so much when you pet them, right? And they even beg you to take them out for walks and play with them.”

Aria nodded. “Yes, that’s true. So they do have feelings.” She chuckled in relief.

I wondered if the thought of her beloved dogs not having feelings worried Aria, which was understandable because the little girl had put in so much time and effort to pamper them with her love and affection.

To Sophie, she said, “Sophie, you don’t know much about dogs. They do have feelings.”

Sophie looked flabbergasted at Aria’s innocent, blunt comment. Whereas I, on the other hand, secretly smiled and wanted to give Aria a high-five. But I knew Aria didn’t know her words hit Sophie right where it hurt most, her ego, being the innocent little girl she was.

To me, Aria said, “Let’s go?”

I nodded in agreement and hastily led Aria toward the car where James was waiting. Honest to God, I could feel Sophie fuming behind us, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t because of Aria or her words. It was the fact that I was there, witnessing her being told by a six-year-old girl she didn’t know much about dogs, which of course was an insult because Sophie thought she knew about anything and everything, dogs included.

After helping Aria into the car and clicking on her seat belt, I slid onto the seat next to her. Halfway in, James told me to sit in the front. I looked at him in confusion.

He said, “Sophie will sit in the back.”

I nodded and happily hopped into the front seat of the Mercedes Benz. Truth be told, I didn’t want Sophie to sit in the front beside James, nor did I want to sit next to her in the back seat.

A moment later, Sophie got into her assigned seat beside Aria, and we were ready to leave.

As James drove out of the driveway and onto the street outside the enormous perimeter of the Maxwell Estate, I couldn’t help but feel anxious all of a sudden, and I had no idea why. The farther away from the house we were, the more uneasy I felt. Not to mention the hair along my arms and at the back of my neck rose without reason. And then there it was again, the feeling of being watched. The feeling I was being followed.

My heart raced and I felt a cold sweat rushing throughout my body. Oh, Jesus! What the hell was wrong with me? Why these feelings now? Why?

I couldn’t help myself and looked over my shoulder, my eyes scanning the street. Honest to God, I had no idea what I was searching for, but I examined my surroundings nonetheless, trying to pinpoint anything and everything that might instinctively cause an alarm bell to ring within me.

There were cars driving ahead and behind ours. And there were people as well, strangers walking along the streets, but overall, there was nothing suspicious. Still, I felt these panicky, sickly emotions steadily rise within me, just as I used to feel when I was living with my aunt and uncle.

Beside me, James must have felt my anxiety because he kept glancing at me.

“What’s wrong, Mia?” he asked, his eyes on the road ahead.

His query drew both Aria’s and Sophie’s attention to me, which I didn’t want. I blushed with embarrassment and shook my head to tell him it was nothing of importance, which was a lie.

I mean, how could I tell him I was having these uneasy feelings? That it was as if I were being followed and watched? That I was being stalked? How? Especially when I was living in his house with such tight security? Not to mention that if I were to be out and about without him, there was always a bodyguard in tow? Not that James himself had ever mentioned anything about a bodyguard trailing my every move to me though.

I understood I was now a part of James’s world, and he had many enemies, considering the sort of business he was in, and a bodyguard was a must for my personal protection. But still, he could have at least mentioned it to me and warned me I was perhaps being targeted. Just like Andy had been by the Mexican in Vegas, which wouldn’t at all surprise me.

“Are you nervous about going to Disneyland?” Aria asked with concern, veering my thoughts.

I gave her a lighthearted chuckle to ease her worries. “No, sweetheart. I’m not nervous at all. I’m excited; that’s all.” I lied through my teeth.

I noted Sophie made a face as if she were disgusted with my answer. I wouldn’t be surprised if she thought I was acting too juvenile for my age. But of course, what she thought of me didn’t concern me one bit, whether I was acting too juvenile for my age or not.

Dismissing Sophie and her distasteful expression from my mind, I turned around to face the road again. As I did so, I didn’t miss the fact that James wore a dark scowl on his face that made my stomach flip in dread.

Oh God! I felt it in my guts that he knew I was lying. I also had a feeling he wasn’t going to let it go, and he was going to probe my worries out of me sooner or later, which I didn’t want.

The rest of the journey was completed in silence except for the occasional word or two from Aria from the back seat now and again. I was surprised she was so quiet since she was always so chatty and hyperactive whenever she and I were alone. But we weren’t alone this time round, were we? Sophie was sitting right beside her, watching over her like a mother hen. It was then that I wondered if Sophie were somehow, in her nanny way, oppressing Aria. Surely a child should have room to breathe and be herself?

I glanced over at James and wondered if I should voice my opinion about this particular subject when we were alone. I personally understood what it felt like to be oppressed in the presence of controlling, domineering adults. It wasn’t beneficial for growth; that was for sure. It damaged and scarred you deep, which could never be fixed again, and I certainly didn’t want that for Aria. I loved her too much to allow such a thing to happen to her, despite the fact we’d only known each other for a short time and I wasn’t a member of the Maxwell family and, therefore, had no right to intervene.

To be sure, my worries for Aria’s growth—emotionally and mentally—superseded my own apprehension that I was intruding in other people’s family affairs. It was then I was determined to bring up the subject when James and I were alone in the near future.