“Got it.” I said, with various murmurs of agreements from Dimitri, Cassie, and Bradley.
“And Rune?” Jesper added, meeting my gaze. “No matter how bad it gets, we are not authorized to remove anyone without consent. Clear?”
I nodded. “Clear.”
The mission upload flashed across my wristband.
An hour later, Dimitri, Bradley, Cassie, and I arrived at the mansion.
The Montclair estate was perched on a low, rolling hill, surrounded by lush gardens and tall hedges shaped into adorable sugar gliders. The house itself looked more like a palace than a mansion, with four stories of pale marble and high arched windows, balconies dripping with ivy, and an enormous double-door entrance flanked by stone sugar gliders.
Black-and-white marble floors gleamed so brightly that I could see my glamoured reflection in them when we walked in. Two grand staircases curved up and met at a wide landing, where a massive crystal chandelier dripped enchanted light. Gold accents framed every doorway, and oil paintings of different Montclairs stared down at us from ornate frames.
I tugged at the maid dress they’d put me in. It was black with a white apron, fitted neatly like a stereotypical maid outfit andcompletelynotmy style. My glamour kept my facial structure, but I had brown hair and brown eyes instead of my golden eyes and green hair. I stood next to Dimitri, who looked unbearably elegant in his butler suit, dark black coiled curls, missing my favorite white patch, and brown eyes.
Cassie and Bradley stood on the other side, both of them also in uniform with their glamours of brown hair and brown eyes as well.
The Montclairs entered as if they were royalty, and I recognized each family member from Lysa’s in-depth briefing of each one.
Antoinette Montclair wore a fitted cream dress with a diamond necklace. Streaks of caramel highlights threaded through her perfectly styled brown hair, and her brown eyes were sharp and appraising.
Humphrey Montclair wore a tailored suit that probably cost more than everything I owned combined, his darker brown hair slicked back with eyes just as cold.
My family had money.
We just didn’t see the need to flaunt it like this.
They stopped in front of us and looked us over with the kind of scrutiny even the academy never did.
“Absolutely no stealing,” Antoinette said crisply. “Do be smart and learn from our existing staff. Our adopted daughter is more like a daughter to us than our own, and her name is Delphine. You will need to know that our unfortunate biological daughter, Octavia, has been targeting her. As staff, it is your duty to report anything you see.”
“If you witness Octavia harming Delphine,” Humphrey added, “you will inform us immediately and intervene. Do you understand?”
“Does she target her often?” Bradley asked, tone casual but curious.
Humphrey’s gaze sharpened into a withering look. “That is not for you to ask. You are to observe and report. Do you understand?”
Bradley gave a lazy shrug. “Understood. My bad…sir.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking at just how unconcerned he seemed to be.
A rustle of fabric on the marble drew my attention.
A girl entered the foyer from the left hallway with mousy brown hair that was glossy from a fresh blowout, styled to fall over one shoulder. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with what looked like happiness, and her dress was flowing and pastel.
“Hi, Mom, Dad,” she greeted her parents brightly, then stopped when she saw us. My instincts prickled at the distaste that flickered over her expression before she smoothed it away. “Are they our new staff?”
“Yes, Delphine,” Antoinette said, her gaze softening as she looked at her. “We were just explaining to them that your sister keeps harming you, so they know to watch out for you.”
Delphine clasped her hands together and gave us a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you for watching out for me. I appreciate it.”
“They are staff,” Humphrey said with a scoff. “It’s what we pay them for.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“What a fucking prick,” Slater grunted through the comms.
I agreed.
