“Her grandmother was sick, and I didn’t want Sophia distracted from Yulia,” I respond, grinding my teeth. The less Sophia worries, the better she can focus on Yulia. It’s as simple as that.
He lets out a mocking laugh. “Sure, sure. And paying off her entire year’s rent? I suppose that was also so she could focus on Yulia? Yeah, right,” he snorts.
I shoot him a glare that could freeze hell over, but he just chuckles, clearly not buying it.
I roll my eyes. “Get out, D.” Fucking bastard.
Dimitri’s chuckles cut off like he’s been slapped, the room going dead silent. He leans in, his voice urgent and carrying a dark hint of menace. “Got more shit to spill, Luka. It’s about Nilo Williams. Bastard’s been ghosting everyone like he dropped off the face of the earth.”
“Vanished?” I shoot back, my brows pulling together in a tight frown, the weight of his words hitting me square in the chest.
Dimitri gives a sharp nod, flicking non-existent cigarette ash onto the floor, lowering his voice to a grave rumble. “Yeah, word on the street is, the guy’s knee-deep in crap so nasty he ain’t ever crawling back out.”
I stare at him silently as I process this new information.
What the fuck does this mean?
Chapter 3
Sophia
Iwalk into the maid’s quarters – a palace in its own right. It’s larger than the house I grew up in, decorated with Russian luxury. Gold accents, ornate fixtures, the works. The room’s abuzz with quiet whispers. Svetlana’s meeting is about to start.
Holy hell. I eye the horde of maids gathered in the room. Do the Ivankovs employ the entire female population of Russia?
I keep my gaze low, avoiding the intensity of the curious stares boring into me. It feels like walking onto a stage in the middle of a performance – all spotlights and hushed anticipation. I keep my face blank, trying to exude a calm I don’t feel. My heart thuds in my chest, a wild drumbeat against the quiet whispers around me.
I head toward a corner where the least number of gossipy hens are huddled. The room hushes down, and I feel eyes on my back like ants on a sugar trail.
I don’t have to be a genius to know what’s going through their minds. I can almost hear their whispers.
“There goes the ‘special’ one,” they whisper loud enough for me to hear, their glances sharp enough to cut glass.
Why wouldn’t they talk? In a place where rules are as hard as iron, I’m the anomaly, the special case. I can see their curiosity, their envy, and even their disdain mixed in those sideways glances.
“She’s got her own phone,” a voice whispers a little too loudly from my left, a note of resentment lacing her words.
“Even eats with the young miss,” another voice chimes in. The room fills with a murmur of agreement.
“Bet she’s screwing the boss,” yet another voice cuts through the whispers, a toxic blend of curiosity and spite. “Gotta be. Why else would she get all this special treatment?” The room buzzes with laughter, and more than a few agreeing hums.
I don’t show any emotions, walking past the hushed voices and veiled glances. It’s not like I asked for any of this. But they don’t know that. They only see the exceptions, the privileges.
Two days back, Svetlana blasted into my room like a hurricane. My heart was pounding, thinking it was Luka. Dumb, I know, but I couldn’t help it. I’m always waiting, hoping he’ll show up unannounced. That night was no different. Yet it was Svetlana in the doorway, eyes on me like I’d just stabbed her favorite doll or something.
She threw my phone on my bed with a thud. “Use it,” she snapped; her eyes were ice. Cold. Calculating.
“What—?”
“But…why?” I asked.
“It’s an order from Mr.Ivankov, nothing more,” she snapped.
Before I could ask her more questions, she interrupted me again. “You know why.” Her icy stare made me want to jump up and slap her face.
Of course, I knew why. It’s because I’m good at my job. Because Yulia likes me. Because I’m not just another maid in the Ivankov household, I’m Yulia’s friend. Or at least, that’s how Yulia sees me.
“And from now on, you’re to have meals with Ms. Ivankov. That’s also an order from Mr. Ivankov,” Svetlana added.
