The maid and the billionaire

"ARE you Carlotta?" the extremely handsome man in front of her asked with a frown. Just a while ago, she was starstruck by how incredibly good-looking he was. "M-Me?" she pointed to herself, unable to stop the anxiety building in her chest. Shit! What now?! She didn’t expect him to be the one she'd face after everything that happened to her. How could she? Her mother kicked her out because her new husband didn’t want her, and her father wanted nothing to do with her either. If only her grandmother hadn't died, she wouldn’t be suffering like this. To be honest, she never saw this coming. "Yes. Exactly, you," he said seriously. She couldn’t meet his gaze. You’re dead, Vernah. She was just wandering around earlier, admiring the beautiful houses in this place when she saw the gate labeled VILLA VELARDE. But the stupid guard there mistook her for the maid that Sir Dominic was expecting, so now here she was. "N-No, sir, it’s just that…" She trailed off, her nerves tying her tongue. Damn it, don’t panic now, she told herself. He raised a brow, clearly waiting for her to continue. "T-There was an issue with our agency. Someone else was supposed to be assigned, b-but they changed their mind, so I was sent here instead," she lied, still unable to meet his gaze directly. "Okay," he coldly replied and started walking away from where she stood. She inhaled sharply as she watched the man’s broad back walk away — the infuriating man who didn’t even let her finish explaining. That man! Arghhhh, he's getting on my nerves! She had no choice but to go to the kitchen, her entire being brimming with irritation. --- The next day, she woke up early. After all, she was a housemaid here. She couldn’t exactly act like royalty now, could she? Wow, just wow, if that’s how she thought. She looked at the wall clock as she got out of bed — it was only three in the morning, and she was already awake. She scratched her head, realizing she had forgotten what housemaid life was like. She fixed her messy hair and went straight to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She decided to bathe later because if she did it now, she’d already smell bad by the afternoon. After freshening up, she stepped out of her room and went straight to the kitchen. There she found Sir Dom, his back to her. She couldn’t help but swallow hard at what she saw — his body was perfectly sculpted. Even though he wore a fitted shirt, it did nothing to hide how incredibly toned he was. *Dear God! He’s my boss! Stop it, Vernah!* He was busy slicing ingredients for a dish she didn’t recognize. "Good morning, Sir Dominic," she greeted with a smile. He turned to look at her but didn’t even bother to smile back. She subtly rolled her eyes. "Help me. I need to prepare food for my cousin’s birthday," he said, to which she simply nodded. Without wasting time, she went to help him. Then she noticed some papers on the side of the table. "What’s this, Sir Dom?" she asked, leaning over to grab the papers. "Why ask? Why not just help me here, Vernah?" he responded, clear irritation in his voice. But she didn’t bother to look at him — let him be irritated; she just wanted to know. Her jaw dropped as she read the contents. OH GOD! She wasn’t familiar with any of the dishes listed, and what’s worse — there were so many! These were rich people’s food that she couldn’t even understand! --- 1. Filet Mignon Ingredients: 1.5–2 pounds filet mignon 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon thyme Salt and pepper Cooking Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 2. Season filet with salt, pepper, and thyme. 3. Sear filet in hot skillet with olive oil for 2–3 minutes per side. 4. Finish cooking in oven to desired doneness. 5. Let rest before slicing and serving. 6. Caviar Ingredients: High-quality caviar (e.g., Beluga or Ossetra) Toast points or blinis Lemon wedges Crème fraîche or sour cream (optional) Serving Method: 1. Serve caviar chilled, typically on toast points or blinis. 2. Garnish with lemon wedges and crème fraîche or sour cream if desired. 3. Truffle Risotto Ingredients: 1 cup Arborio rice 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, warmed 2 tablespoons truffle oil 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup white wine (optional) Fresh truffles, shaved (optional) Cooking Method: 1. Sauté Arborio rice in butter until lightly toasted. 2. Add white wine (if using) and cook until absorbed. 3. Add warmed broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. 4. Stir in truffle oil and Parmesan cheese. 5. Serve immediately, garnished with shaved truffles if desired. 6. Venison Ingredients: 1–2 pounds venison steaks or chops 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon thyme Salt and pepper Cooking Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 2. Season venison with salt, pepper, and thyme. 3. Sear venison in hot skillet with olive oil for 2–3 minutes per side. 4. Finish cooking in oven to desired doneness. 5. Let rest before slicing and serving. 6. Steak au Poivre Ingredients: 1–2 pounds peppercorn-crusted steak (e.g., filet mignon or strip loin) 2 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup cognac (optional) 1 cup heavy cream Cooking Method: 1. Sear steak in hot skillet with butter until browned on both sides. 2. Remove steak and add cognac (if using) to deglaze pan. 3. Add heavy cream and simmer until sauce thickens. 4. Return steak to pan and coat with sauce. 5. Serve immediately. 6. Risotto alla Milanese Ingredients: 1 cup Arborio rice 4 cups beef broth, warmed 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup white wine (optional) 1/2 cup saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water Ossobuco (braised veal shanks) for serving Cooking Method: 1. Sauté Arborio rice in butter until lightly toasted. 2. Add white wine (if using) and cook until absorbed. 3. Add warmed broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. 4. Stir in Parmesan cheese and saffron. 5. Serve with ossobuco and gremolata. --- Her mouth fell open at what she read. Damn it, not only were the dish names unfamiliar — she had no idea how to prepare them. Like how could she help that man? She didn’t know what to do! "Filet Mignon, Caviar, Truffle Risotto, Venison, Steak au Poivre, and Risotto alla Milanese," she read out loud, swallowing and grimacing. She looked over at Sir Dom, who was busy slicing ingredients. "How are we going to make all of this, sir? There’s a lot, and I’m not familiar with these dishes." "It’s easy. Just... help me chop up everything we need. And make it faster, the guests might arrive soon," he said. She had no choice but to help with the preparations… Why did she end up in this kind of situation? How she wished she could marry a rich man and finally be done with all this suffering. I wish…