"Could you get it for me?" I kept my tone even.
"Sorry, Miss Carter, I just threw out my back. Can't move," one maid said, rubbing her lower back dramatically.
Another chimed in. "I've got work to finish."
I bit my lip and dragged over a chair that looked sturdy enough. No matter how much I begged, they wouldn't help. And what little dignity I had left wouldn't let me grovel to these people.
I held my waist and carefully stepped onto the chair. I reached up for the bottle. My fingertips just touched it when my balance shifted.
"Ah!" I screamed.
The chair scraped across the floor, sliding sideways. I lost my footing, falling backward. Terror seized my heart. I threw my arms around my belly, praying the baby would be okay even if I broke my leg.
Just as I braced for the impact, a strong arm caught my back,another wrapped around my waist. The expected pain never came. I fell into a solid, warm embrace.
"Careful, Miss Carter," a warm male voice said.
I opened my eyes, still shaken, and saw a young, rugged face. Ryan, one of the security guards for the manor.
He steadied me, made sure I was stable, then let go.
He frowned at the maids. "What the hell are you doing? If something happened to Miss Carter, which one of you would take responsibility?"
The maids who'd been watching turned pale, heads down, silent. Ryan easily retrieved the bottle and handed it to me.
"Thank you," I said, heart still pounding. "If you hadn't been there, I don't know what would've happened. Thank you."
"It's my job," Ryan said, his stern face softening into an honest smile.
"I can't even get a pill bottle down. I must look like a clumsy penguin," I said, trying to laugh at myself.
"No, Miss Carter, you look perfectly normal, beautiful even—I mean, creating life is something incredible," Ryan said, scratching his head, cheeks flushing.
I froze, looking into his sincere, clear eyes. Then I laughed—really laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh I'd had in months. In this cold manor full of hostility and schemes, his kindness let me drop my guard. For that moment, I almost forgot the humiliation in the sitting room, forgot all the darkness crushing me.
Then a chilling cold swept in from the doorway, freezing the air in the kitchen.
I turned instinctively and saw Silas and Vanessa standing at the entrance. My body went rigid, the smile dying on my face.
"What the hell is going on here?" Silas's massive frame radiated menace as he glared at me and Ryan.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Vanessa's gleeful voice got there first. "Looks like Anthea and the bodyguard are getting along quite well. How cozy."
Those words were gasoline on fire.
Ryan jumped back like he'd been electrocuted, trying to put distance between us. He lowered his head, respectful and terrified. "Boss, Miss Carter almost fell. I was just—"
"I don't need explanations," Silas cut him off, voice cold as ice. "Get out. Go take your punishment."
Ryan's face went ashen, but he didn't dare look up. He muttered something and hurried out.
I panicked. It was my fault. Ryan had just saved me. Why should he be punished?
"Silas, why are you blaming him? He didn't do anything wrong, I—" I tried to explain.
But Silas strode forward and seized my wrist. His grip was brutal, making me gasp.
