by Lylah James
“What are you planning, Alessio?” he asked, giving me a strange look.
I shrugged. “Why do you think I’m planning something?”
Viktor scoffed and shook his head. “Because you never do anything without a plan. The girl trespassed and you are keeping her. Sounds like a plan to me.” He paused for a second and then asked slowly, “Is she a rat? Is that why you are keeping her? To know who she’s working with?”
Shaking my head, I glared at him. If it was someone else questioning my decision, they would be on the ground writhing in pain. But Viktor was my second in command.
We were born two weeks apart. His father was my father’s second in command. When I took over, it was never a question that he would be my second. He was my brother.
“Do you really think I would keep her if she was a rat?” I asked through gritted teeth. He got on my nerves sometimes.
“Anything is possible with you. Why are you keeping her, anyway?”
“None of your business. Do as you’re told,” I responded harshly.
Viktor nodded and stepped away from the bar. “I’ll let you know what I find.”
I turned toward the large windows, dismissing him. I heard his feet shuffling and then the door closed.
I looked down at the glass in my hand as I moved it around my fingers.
“Let’s see what we get about you, kitten,” I whispered, bringing the glass to my lips.
I was intrigued. My body was coursing with excitement.
I would slowly uncover her, layer by layer until I knew everything. Every last detail. And when I was done, I would devour her until nothing was left.
A few minutes later, I was still standing in front of the large windows that overlooked the majestic back garden. My phone rang in my pocket and I quickly took it out, answering the call without looking.
“What?” I barked.
“There’s nothing on her,” Viktor said. My hand tightened around the phone and I smirked.
I knew it.
“She doesn’t even exist in the database,” he continued, his voice smooth and calm as if he knew the information wouldn’t surprise me.
I let out a small laugh. Shaking my head, I thought about the seemingly innocent girl I found cowering under my bed. The moment I saw her, I knew she was trouble, and instead of taking it out, I invited it.
Why?
Simple. She intrigued me.
“I got this,” I said through the phone, and hung up without waiting for an answer.
Well, this is going to be fun.
I walked away from the window and out of the room.
***
Ayla
As I followed Nikolay down the stairs, I was finally able to look at the house. Mansion, I corrected myself.
It had the tallest ceiling I had ever seen, decorated by the most gorgeous crown molding. As we walked down the spiral staircase, I noticed another one to my right. They both led up to the second floor and met in the middle in an imperial staircase style. I held onto the wooden banister and felt how smooth it was under my hand. The mansion was immaculate, with white sparkling marble.
I looked up and noticed a big Venetian-style crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, decorated with hundreds of teardrop crystals. It evoked a very vintage, elegant feel.
I was still staring at it when I suddenly crashed into a wall of hard muscles. Stiffening, I stepped away. Nikolay turned around and glared at me aggressively.
“Are you blind?” he barked. I shook my head.
“Then fucking watch where you are going.” This time I nodded. He scared me beyond words.
Nikolay gave me a final glare before turning around. We stepped off the stairs and he started walking toward the left corridor.
As I began to relax again, I continued to inspect the mansion. I lived in a mansion too. My father was wealthy, but our estate was not as big and beautiful as this one. My house was plain, cold, and uninviting.
Whoever decorated this place had good taste and it was obvious they did it with love. Details had been refined and blended. As I followed Nikolay, I was in awe of my surroundings.
When he came to a stop, I quickly halted in my tracks, stopping an inch away from him. My eyes widened and I took a few steps back. I stuck my tongue out to his back and twisted my lips ruefully. I didn’t want to get snapped at again. He was a moody man.
“Lena, I have another maid for you,” he said, his voice soft. I felt my mouth drop as I stared at his enormous back in shock. Did he just talk softly? Was my mouth on the floor? I hoped not.
“Ohh, dear. How lovely. Where is she, sweetie?” I heard a voice ask.
Sweetie? Had I just been transported to an alternate universe?
Nikolay’s back was blocking my sight, so I stepped to the side and my eyes widened. A woman, probably in her early fifties, was standing in front of him, wearing a similar black dress, even though hers was below the knees. She smiled sweetly at Nikolay as she wiped her hands on her white apron.
When she saw me, her smile widened. “Ah, there you are,” she said as she walked toward me. “Look at you. Such a beautiful young girl.”
Before I could do anything, I was swept away from Nikolay. Taking me by the hands, Lena led me into the kitchen through a brown, modern-looking wooden door.
The kitchen was very similar to ours at home, except larger. The big cabinets were beige and there was a big island in the middle. The shiny counter-tops were made with a mixture of different shades of brown.
There were four high chairs placed in front of the bar and I saw two women standing there, wearing the same dress as mine.
They were definitely younger than Lena but older than me. Both appeared to be in their mid-thirties. They looked up when they heard us coming in. As I got closer, they looked me up and down as if they were inspecting an object.
I felt my palm started to sweat in Lena’s hand and I grasped the bottom of my dress with my other hand.
“We have a new maid,” Lena announced excitedly.
“We don’t need a new maid,” the blonde woman said.
I saw Lena opening her mouth to answer but before she could say anything, a voice cut her off.
“Actually, you do.”
My back straightened at the sound of his voice and my body tensed. I swallowed hard when I saw the women’s eyes widened. They suddenly appeared skittish and quickly looked down.
Lena let go of my hand and swiveled around, hands on her hips as she stared at the intruder.
Not intruder. This was his house, anyway.
Licking my lips, I slowly turned around and made contact with Alessio’s blue eyes.
Blue and green, clashing together as we stared at each other silently. I felt my heartbeat accelerate as he kept his unflinching gaze on mine.
My stomach twisted in knots as I squirmed restlessly on the spot. I felt weightless, and a weird feeling encompassed my body.
My stomach twisted again when I saw him taking a step forward, his big body moving smoothly. I sucked in a surprised breath when I realized that it was butterflies I felt.
His presence made me nervous. Scared. And giddy.
“Ayla is going to work here with you. Lena, you can assign her work schedule,” Alessio stated evenly. I swallowed several times when I heard his voice again.
His eyes moved away from mine but only because he was looking at my body. I saw his gaze travel down to my waist, hips, and then my legs. My body started to warm up under his scrutinizing stare. His eyes stayed there for a few seconds before he moved back to my face.
The look that he gave me made me stagger back a step. At my reaction, his lips tilted upward slightly into a small smirk that was hard to see. But it was there. That devilish smirk. Sexy devilish smirk.
I shook my head and closed my eyes quickly as I tried to get myself under control.
It was impossible. Without even trying, Alessio Ivanshov had successful taken over my mind.
Opening my eyes, I star
ed into his. He gave me the same look as before, clearly not trying to hide what he wanted.
Pure unadulterated lust. His eyes were filled with desire and hunger.
Chapter 6
Alessio
As I saw Nikolay walk out of the kitchen, I knew where the little kitten was. He gave me a sharp nod as I walked past him.
When I got to the kitchen, I was instantly transfixed by the sight in front of me. Ayla’s back was facing me and she stood beside Lena. The back of her dress was stretched perfectly over her round ass. What a view, I thought with a smirk.
Shaking my head after a few seconds, I took in a deep breath. Get yourself together.
Looking up, I saw the other two maids staring at Ayla with bored expressions, clearly not happy with another maid joining them.
“We have a new maid,” Lena announced excitedly, bouncing lightly on her toes. I couldn’t help but smile at her cheerfulness.
Lena had been working for the estate for about thirty years, since before I was even born. She had been one of the first maids my father hired. Lena had shown loyalty over the years and she quickly became our favorite maid—our mother.
“We don’t need a new maid,” Moira said, her tone snarky.
Walking into the light so they could see me, I said, “Actually, you do.”
No, they didn’t. But that didn’t matter. If I said they needed one, then none of them would question me. Questioning me meant losing their job. I wouldn’t even think twice before kicking them out.
I had zero tolerance for people demanding answers from me. My words were law.
I walked forward, sending the two maids a glare. They instantly cowered and bowed their heads, avoiding my gaze.
Now, that was better.
Lena swiveled around, hand on her hips as she stared at me. But I wasn’t looking at her. I couldn’t because the little broken girl standing beside her had my full attention. Her body had tensed at my voice and she moved nervously on her feet.
Ayla slowly turned around and we instantly made eye contact, her wide green eyes staring at me with surprise and shock. I noticed that her body trembled under my unflinching gaze.
She was definitely affected by my presence.
“Ayla is going to work here with you. Lena, you can assign her work schedule,” I continued as I kept my eyes on Ayla. She swallowed hard and squirmed nervously on the spot.
My gaze slowly made its way down her body. Her dress fit her perfectly, showcasing her curves at the right places. And her legs. Damn, those legs.
As I stared at her legs, all I could think about was having them wrapped around my waist as I pounded relentlessly into her.
When I felt myself growing hard, I quickly snapped out of my thoughts, moving my eyes away.
I looked back up and saw her suck in a deep breath. She stared at me, her eyes fearful as she took a step back.
My desire for her was written all over my face. I didn’t hide it. I let her see what I wanted and then shut down my expression again.
It was all part of the game. Let them see but not too much. Let them feel and then take it away.
I gave them a sharp nod and then started to back out of the kitchen. I saw Lena giving me a suspicious look before turning toward Ayla.
I walked out.
I would give her a week to settle. A week to get herself together.
And then I would pounce.
***
Ayla
When Alessio walked out of the room, I let out a sigh of relief. Lena noticed and gave me a strange look.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
I didn’t know if I should laugh or fall down and cry.
No. Of course everything was not okay.
Instead, I said, “Yes,” my voice small.
Lena looked at me suspiciously but didn’t push. Giving me a small smile, she turned toward the other two maids.
“This is Moira,” she said, indicating the blonde, who gave me a blank stare.
I nodded in greeting.
“And this is Milena.” The short woman with caramel skin, her black hair tied in a tight bun, waved at me with a smile. I smiled back and felt myself relax.
“Welcome,” Milena said softly.
At least there were two people who didn’t look like they wanted to kill me.
“Now that introductions have been made, Milena and Moira, get back to work,” Lena said in a stern voice.
Both women said nothing before they walked out of the kitchen. Lena grabbed my arms and gently shoved me toward the stools.
“Sit,” she said. I did as I was told.
“Did you eat breakfast yet?” Lena asked as she went through the refrigerator.
I shook my head but then realized that she couldn’t see me.
“No. I haven’t,” I replied.
“I thought so.” She closed the fridge, her arms full of ingredients. I reached out to help her, but she shook her head.
Sitting back down, I waited for her next instruction.
Lena made breakfast while talking animatedly the whole time. She was excited, as if she hadn’t had a chance to talk to someone for a long while.
She talked about everything and nothing. Sometimes none of it made sense. She told me about her experience working as a maid. I also found out that I was the youngest maid here, which surprised her.
“Hmm. Alessio never hires young maids. He says they are incompetent.”
I didn’t tell her how Alessio came to hire me, and she never asked, so I kept quiet. As she continued talking, I felt myself relaxing.
The tense muscles in my shoulders started to loosen and I sagged into my stool. Crossing my legs, I moved my elbows on the bar and placed my chin in my palms, watching Lena talk. Her voice soothed me and I smiled.
She was sweet and adorable and I felt comfortable around her. I don’t know how long I sat there and listened to her talk, but she eventually brought a plate to me. Placing it front of me, Lena smiled and nodded toward the food.
“Dig in, hon.”
The plate was brimming with toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried diced potatoes, and a small bowl of mixed fruits.
She watched me with a soft expression. My nose started to tingle and I felt hot tears at the back of my eyes. I sniffed and looked down at the plate of food.
Nobody had ever made me food like that. Sure, I had maids back at my father’s estate and I always had food. But no one ever prepared it with love. Nobody cared if I ate or not. I simply didn’t exist. I lived as a shadow.
My heart constricted and I held the fork with a shaky hand.
As I took the first bite, a tear fell down my cheek. Quickly swiping it away with my other hand, I took a second bite. Then a third. With each bite, it felt like my heart would burst at any moment.
When Lena gave me a gentle pat on the hand, I looked up with red-rimmed eyes. She gave me a sad smile and then nodded, as if telling me that everything would be okay. Lena didn’t ask any questions. She just accepted me.
She turned around and went back to filling the other plates. I looked back at the food, then stared at the hand she had touched.
Kindness wasn’t something I saw much of. In fact, I had never experienced true kindness in my life.
My days were spent locked in my room and my nights were filled with terrors. I didn’t know what kindness was.
But with that simple action from Lena, I saw kindness for the first time. I felt it for the first time.
Chapter 7
Ayla
As I cleaned the smooth surface, I heard Lena ask, “Honey, are you done?”
Leaning away from the bar, I turned toward her. I smiled, waving the cleaning towel in the air. “Almost. I just need to finish wiping down the bar.”
“Okay. Hurry up and finish, then you are done for today.”
It’s been a week since I started working at the estate. I didn’t know anything about cooking or cleaning. At my father’s house, I had maids who did it all while I
was trapped in my bedroom.
But Lena helped me with the transition, and she was always gentle. When she assigned me to work, she made sure I was only doing the cleaning. And I was always with her, so the other maids wouldn’t judge me.
Even though I knew the house was filled with people, I was surprised that I barely saw anyone other than a few maids here and there, as if everyone was in the shadows.
Most of my time was spent in the kitchen, helping Lena make the food, and then I would clean when she was done. The first three days were horrible and I was sure Lena had a good laugh at all the messes I made. But I was finally getting the hang of it.
A few minutes later, I was done. Swiping at my forehead tiredly, I sagged against the counter. Most of the time, I was done around seven or eight. But we had guests over, so the estate was really busy. Now it was close to midnight.
After doing a quick check around the kitchen to make sure that I was finished, I turned off the lights and walked out. As I closed the door, I saw Lena coming toward me.
“I’m done,” I announced with a quick smile. She came closer and enveloped me in a hug.
“Good job,” she said as she pulled back. Lena was a very affectionate woman. In my short time here, she had become a mother to me.
My mom died when I was only a year old. I never knew what it was like to have a mother caring for me, so I hung on to Lena’s affectionate side. I let my heart accept the fact that there was someone who cared for me, like the lonely child I was.
Giving her a nod and after saying goodnight, I headed for my room. My legs felt heavy as I walked up the stairs, tiredness overtaking me.
I stopped when I noticed the door of the sitting room open. The sitting room was between my room and Alessio’s. I looked around me. No one was there. With a nervous gulp, I slowly made my way toward the room. As I got closer, I saw that the lights were on. Leaning forward, I peeked inside.
There was no one.
I walked in and went straight to the piano next to the large windows. Two days before, I had been assigned to clean the sitting room, which was also a library. When I walked in, the first thing that got my attention was the large piano.
Music had always been my solace. I used to play the piano every day at my father’s estate. It helped me forget.