Chapter Nine
Alessia
Three days had passed, but the fear from that night still lingered like a phantom in the corners of my mind.
The sharp crack of the gunfire haunted my thoughts.
And every time I closed my eyes, I saw Artur’s cold, piercing glare as he pulled the trigger.
He didn’t aim at me, but the message was clear: one wrong step, and he wouldn’t hesitate.
For now, they had assigned me a new duty, which was cleaning the toilets.
I hadn’t seen Renat since the night I stabbed him.
The news going around was that he was still recovering from his injuries, but no one dared to tell me more.
I had been avoiding everyone else in the mansion, doing my best to slip into the background and stay out of trouble.
But staying out of trouble seemed impossible in this house.
The door to the dormitory slammed open, jerking me from my thoughts. I flinched, my heart racing, as Mara stormed in. She was the beautiful maid working for Artur.
“You,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “You worthless, conniving bitch.”
Before I could process what was happening, she was on me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking me off the bed. Pain shot through my scalp as I stumbled, barely catching myself before I hit the floor.
“Mara, what is—”
She didn’t let me finish. Her open palm cracked across my face, and my head snapped to the side. The taste of blood filled my mouth as her nails dug into my scalp.
“You think you can just walk in here and take what’s mine?” she screamed, her face inches from mine.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I choked out, struggling against her grip.
The memory of Artur’s gunshot paralyzed me. It was enough to keep me from fighting back as she hit me again and again.
“You stole my job. My position. I worked my ass off to be close to the boss, and now they’re handing everything to you on a silver platter?”
The pounding in my ears drowned her words out.
She gave me another slap, and my lip split open.
Warm blood trickled down my chin. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I should defend myself, but fear and exhaustion weighed my body down.
Artur would kill me this time if I so much as hurt anyone else in this place.
Mara shoved me against the wall, her hand still tangled in my hair. I bit back a cry, refusing to give her the satisfaction.
“What’s wrong, huh?” she sneered. “Got nothing to say now?”
The door swung open, and Matvet entered, his sharp voice cutting through the chaos. “What the hell is going on here?”
She froze, her grip loosening just enough for me to pull away. I stumbled back, pressing a trembling hand to my bleeding lip. Matvet’s cold eyes flicked between us, taking in my disheveled appearance and Mara’s flushed, furious face.
“She started it,” Mara said quickly, straightening.
“Shut up.” Matvet’s gaze hardened. “Alessia, follow me.”
I darted a look between the two of them, forcing myself to follow him out of the room. He spoke as he walked, telling me about my new role as Artur’s maid.
The only sign I heard him was my sharp intake of breath. Working under Artur couldn’t be good, but I had no choice. Matvet listed out all my tasks, and I suddenly wished I were still getting pummeled by Mara.
Anything was better than working for Artur.
“Does that hurt?”
He stopped without notice, and I ran into his back. Stumbling backward, I murmured a string of apologies.
When he turned, I raised my hand to shield my face. He frowned but didn’t hit me or try to. “Does it hurt?” I didn’t understand his question until he pressed his finger to his lips, and I shook my head. “We should clean that up. The boss will want you looking good, even as his maid.”
I wasn’t sure if I nodded, but we continued to Artur’s side of the building, and he found a first aid box to clean up my busted lips. Our eyes met briefly, and I looked away.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
Matvet said nothing, but now I knew he differed from the others. He might be detached and cold on the outside, but I’d experienced his kindness twice now.
We spent the next few hours with him, showing me how to prepare Artur’s meal.
The more time we spent together, the bigger my fear of Artur grew.
I didn’t understand why he commanded such respect.
But they all treated him like he was untouchable, as if he were a king or god.
Even Matvet, too, respected and talked about him with a fear that was impossible to ignore.
Before he left me to do my duties, he said, “Fear the boss or you’ll never survive.”
Now, I was alone in the silent corridor of the east wing, with the trolley containing his dinner. I swallowed my unease and focused on the task at hand. The trolley clinked against the floor with every step as I pushed it forward. I had to set the dishes as Matvet had instructed.
Everything had to be perfect.
I walked into Artur’s private area. It was a pristine space where every inch was crafted to create an atmosphere of sterile perfection.
White marble floors, beige walls, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling as if suspended in time.
The quiet beauty of it almost made me forget where I was and who I was serving.
A sudden bark echoed through the apartment, shattering the silence. I froze, the sound sending a jolt of surprise through my veins. My head snapped to the door. A dog?
Another bark, sharper this time, followed by the sound of claws scraping against wood. My curiosity got the best of me. I approached the source of the noise and opened the door. A sturdy bulldog bolted past me, his thick muscles rippling beneath his fur, and made a beeline for the table.
He sniffed the dishes with enthusiasm, wagging his tail. The sound of his nails scratching across the polished marble floors was the only noise here, louder than the beating of my heart.
“Alright, alright,” I muttered under my breath, feeling a strange pull toward the animal. I grabbed a piece of steak and set it down for him. “Happy now?”
The bulldog barked once, tail wagging so fast it was a blur, as he dug into the food. A contented grunt replaced his snarls as he devoured the steak. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Good boy,” I said, reaching down to pat his head.
He growled, but to my surprise, he didn’t snap at me. His body seemed to soften under the touch, and I smiled despite the strange situation. I missed Vivo so much.
My eyes fell on the dog’s collar, and I squinted to read the tag.
“Artur?” I muttered, confused.
Wow, he named his dog after him? The bulldog barked again in approval. But before I could process the absurdity of the situation, the door behind me creaked open.
There, standing in the doorway, was Artur. His damp shirt clung to his chest, and the muscles in his arms and chest flexed under the fabric. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, enough to freeze you.
The bulldog, who had been happily munching on the steak, immediately perked up and trotted over to Artur, tail wagging in a frenzy. Artur crouched down, a rare soft expression crossing his face as he ruffled the dog’s fur.
“Next time you open his door without permission,” Artur said, his eyes narrowing at me. “I’ll cut off your fingers.”
A chill ran down my spine. My pulse raced, and I pushed down the knot in my throat. “Understood.”
Artur straightened up, his gaze never leaving me. “Now, get out of my sight.”
Nodding, I backed out of the room, the image of his chilling eyes burning into the back of my skull as I hurried to leave.
A monster like him wasn’t supposed to keep a pet. But his choice of name for his dog surprised me even more. I had seen his knife, even the rings on his fingers had Artur engraved on them. He shared a name with his dog. But too bad they didn’t share the same characteristics.
After that night, everything settled into a silence.
The days passed in a suspicious calm I didn’t mind.
There was no chaos or noise, just the hush of waiting.
Matvet and Doctor Dorothy were right. When I stayed underwater, everything remained still.
But with each passing hour, I knew I didn’t belong here.
I watched every detail like a prisoner mapping out the cracks in her cell wall. And one truth settled cold in my bones. I couldn’t escape, not even if I tried.
The boss had me locked in his world, using me as nothing more than his maid. I scrubbed every corner of his house until my fingers ached and my knees bruised.
As innocent as I knew I was, I did exactly what they demanded. But every time I inhaled the air of this mansion, something inside me snapped. The patience I held onto like a lifeline frayed and tore.
They couldn’t kill me. The boss had taken me to the edge of doom, ready to auction me off like a worthless item, then turned around and bid me back.
What was his deal? What game was he playing?
It infuriated me to be kept in the dark, to obey the very people who shattered the foundation of my life. And I was so tired of being unable to do anything.
I was alone in the kitchen setting Artur’s dinner on the trolley as usual.
A tin of salt caught my eye, and something came to my mind.
The chef had mentioned Artur’s particular tastes before.
Artur didn’t like too much salt in his food.
Matvet also mentioned it, saying he would rather have saltless food than salty food.
Whatever the case, I didn’t care. My frustration bubbled to the surface as I thought about how powerless I was in here and his need to make me feel small.
The soup was hot, the steam rising from the bowl in gentle waves. With everything I had been through since he kidnapped me, I couldn’t resist the temptation to hurt him, even if only a little. I grabbed the salt and added a generous amount to the soup, stirring it quickly.