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noticed that the
two men had turned in the other direction and were lazily walking away.
    Reprimanding herself for being so foolish, she started
the car engine. She should have known there was probably nothing more to it
than two guys looking at a pretty girl.
    After all, she was aware of her good looks and how men looked
at her every place she went. But under these unusual circumstances, Jackie
would pay attention to everything, even things she would normally ignore.
    She took a deep breath and stepped on the gas petal. She
couldn’t believe that she was going back to the mansion again. But after all,
it was the best she could do right now. She needed to examine the documents in
the safe.
    Having accomplished this first step of her new
plan—getting another rented car and the keys to mansion—she decided the next
thing she had to do was to get some supplies.
    And then, she was off to the mansion….
    ***
    It was already late in the afternoon by the time Jackie
left the beach boulevard and turned into the private driveway of the Demiris
estate, but there was still enough light to have a better look of the
surroundings. The other night it had been pretty dark and she hadn’t seen much.
    The paved driveway was well maintained. It was shaded by
rows of majestic eucalyptus and cypress trees on both sides. The trees were
extremely tall creating a breathtaking canopy over the driveway. Thick foliage
and flowering shrubbery in all shades hugged the edges of the property. White,
pink and red oleander bushes were scattered between the trees, creating an
astonishing picture that looked as if it belonged in a painter’s canvas.
Further back, beautiful pine, kumquat and olive trees reached all the way down,
to the shimmering turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea.
    Jackie was mesmerized by the magnificent view of the
amazing Corfiot countryside in all its glory. Driving along, she reached a
small creek that ran through the thick woods of the estate. A beautiful wooden
bridge was built to unite the two sides, giving the location a mysterious look.
    “What a lovely place!”Jackie exclaimed out loud,
wondering whether she had taken a wrong turn somewhere up the road. She
couldn’t believe that all this beauty surrounding her was the exact place where
she had experienced her dreadful nightmare. The thought of the other night’s
events gave Jackie a chill and she uneasily scanned her surroundings.
    Crossing over the wooden bridge, she had a feeling of
experiencing a leap in time. It was as if she was leaving her past behind and
was moving on to a new chapter in her life. What a strange feeling? She
shivered and shook her head, trying to break the spell and clear her thoughts.
    She followed the winding alley for a little while
longer, until the mansion came into clear view.
    She stopped the car and let her eyes wander over the
breathtaking, two-story colonial mansion, dominating the area and overlooking a
small pond in the back. Magnificent white pillars stood in the front as
faithful knights, giving the building a striking depiction of a medieval
gallantry. Beautiful rose bushes, jasmine, and bougainvillea climbed the walls
of the mansion, reaching the window shutters of the second floor. A huge
veranda surrounded the ground floor and a smaller one on the second floor
overlooked the entrance. It was quite impressive, considering that it weathered
the storms of over two centuries.
    A little further to her right, she noticed a gazebo
smothered in jasmine and red bougainvillea. Rows of carved clay pots filled
with gardenias hugged the edges of the small path leading from the mansion to
the gazebo.
    Jackie opened the car window and drew a deep breath of
the summer fresh air, sucking in the seductive aroma of the gardenias mixed
with the alluring sea breeze. Impulsively, she leaned back against the headrest
and closed her eyes. This was heaven.
    Startled by the fluttering of a bird, she was brought
back to reality and decided she should get