After some time, the car reached the road leading to Brooklyn Heights. Hannah automatically woke up when Aubrey blew the horn in front of the mansion. Mr. Scott, the gardener, opened the tall black gate. The lawn inside was spacious, and the landscape was beautiful. The ground is covered with bermuda grass and bricks. The surroundings are surrounded by plants and trees. There's a natural stone garden fountain at the center with underwater LED lights. The lights are on during the night, and it becomes a magnificent sight. In one corner, there's an open basketball court with its own headlight. At the front, the mansion stood, with three floors covering twenty thousand square feet. The architectural style of the mansion is a mix of American and European.

Jace heard Hannah's gasp when they got off the car. At the front door, a maid grabbed the suitcase in his hand.

"Did Brianna arrive, Mae?" Aubrey asked the maid immediately when they entered the mansion. Mae is also Filipina, so she understands Aubrey's language.  

"Not yet, Ma'am Aubrey." She looked down on the little girl who was hiding behind Jace. "Ma'am, is this cute kid your relative? She's so pretty."

Aubrey shook her head while smiling. "She's the child of a friend. I'll elaborate later, okay?" Aubrey looked at Jace. "Son, can you and Mae bring Hannah upstairs? Her room is the guest room on the second floor beside you, Jace. I'm just going to prepare dinner because your Dad will come home." She rustled his head then bowed down to Hannah. She hugged the child and kissed her forehead. "Hannah, welcome to your temporary home. Can you come with Jace upstairs for a while, sweetie? He's gonna show you your room, alright?"

Hannah nods her head obediently. 

"What's your favorite food? I will cook it for you."

"F-fried chicken," Hannah answered timidly.

Aubrey beamed. "Okay, fried chicken it is!"

Afterwards, they climbed the elegant stairs while Aubrey went to the kitchen. Aubrey's the one who managed the house chores. They didn't need a top chef because Aubrey was a walking cookbook. Jace's stepmother loves to cook food very much, even when she's still in the Philippines. She just didn't have the time back then to pay attention to it because she was busy with her work as a nurse. But when she became a full-time housewife, she took the chance and the liberty to learn almost everything about gourmet, especially with the family's favorite dish. Brianna could curse her as long as she wanted, but she couldn't deny her craving for Aubrey's chocolate truffle brownies and blueberry muffins. That's how sly Jace's elder sister is.

Hannah's turned her head restlessly, then bore her eyes on each step of the stairs. "It's warm."

Mae chuckled. "The floors and the stairs in the whole house are heated, little one. We're turning it on during the winter." 

"Are you cleaning downstairs?" Jace asked Mae.

She made a puppy face. "Yes, young master. I was cleaning the sidewalk and the foyer. Your Dad will come home. That's why we're cleaning the whole house meticulously as per your Mom's instruction."

"I'll take care of Hannah then. Just go back to your chores, Mae."

The maid clapped her hand gleefully. "Understood, young master." Mae pinched Jace's cheeks jokingly. She also caressed Hannah's cheeks before she went down the stairs. Jace just shook his head fondly at the bright attitude of their helper. He then took Hannah to the second floor. Inside their house, the family interacts casually with the helpers. Of course, except for his spoiled brat older sister. Mae worked for them for almost seven years. She stayed the longest with them out of the three helpers in their mansion, with two Blacks. They brought Mae from London with them, so she's like a part of the family. She comes home to the Philippines once every year. She'd been divorced from her husband, but she had three children to support.

There are four rooms on the second floor, the master bedroom, which is also the room of Jace's parents, his own room, and two guest rooms; the last is the duplex library with spiral staircase and music room. Brianna's room was on the third floor, along with the theater room, gym, and ballet room. The maids' quarters are all on the first floor.
When Jace opened the third door in the hallway, Hannah's eyes widened in surprise.

The ceiling heights on the second floor range from fifteen to thirty-five feet. Each room had a big, shining chandelier. There were cold-leaf filigrees in the cream wall, with a classic fireplace under. There are also colorful murals on the ceiling and two bright paintings hanging on each side of the wall. At the center, the princess bed looks so soft and comfy. It's obvious that Aubrey personally prepared the room for Hannah, with a pink comforter, drapes, and curtains. The closet is white and small, as is the dresser. It's like the furniture was taken from the doll house, and it made Hannah amazed and excited. Aubrey's consideration of the kid put a smile on Jace's face.

"Jace, are you a prince?" Hannah asked with a shocked expression when they entered inside.

Jace laughed. "What made you say that?"

"Because you're living in a palace!" she said in amazement, while both her hands were raised in the air to emphasize how big the mansion is.

Jace chuckled, then rustled the little girl's hair. "It's not a palace. It's just my home. And it's also your home now, kiddo."
Hannah swallowed while scanning the whole room. Her face became even brighter when she spotted the big stuffed-toy bear on the bed. She ran towards it excitedly and hugged the stuffed toy, giggling. "This is the first time that I got inside a mansion this big and beautiful, Jace," she said, eyes shining. "Your family is so rich!"

Smiling, Jace walked towards the closet, carrying Hannah's suitcase. The Wilkins family was not that rich. His dad, Dawson, had only gotten a piece of land in England as an inheritance from Jace's grandparents. His dad sold that land along with their townhouse in London when they moved to the US. The only property Dawson left there was the ten-door building apartment that their biological mother legally owned.

Dawson and Aubrey left that building as it was, to be given to Jace and Hannah when they reached the proper age. 

- to be continued -