5
1002 Words
Maya’s POV
I moved into the Hartwell penthouse exactly as the head butler instructed.
He showed me to the staff quarters located on the lower floor. Compared to the rest of the penthouse, the room was modest. The furniture was simple. The decorations were minimal.
But to me, it still felt luxurious.
The bathroom alone was nicer than the apartment my mother and I had lived in for years.
I placed my small bag on the bed and took a deep breath.
This was a job. Nothing more.
I kept reminding myself that I was here to earn money for Mom’s treatment.
That was all.
I repeated those words to myself every morning.
Especially because of Vanessa Sinclair.
I tried my best to stay out of her way.
Unfortunately, staying out of Vanessa Sinclair’s way was harder than it sounded.
She seemed to be everywhere.
Every hallway.
Every room.
Every conversation.
And somehow, she always managed to find fault with me. No matter how hard I tried, there was something wrong with what I did.
The flowers weren’t arranged properly.
The coffee wasn’t hot enough.
The cushions weren’t positioned correctly.
Nothing I did seemed right.
Three days after moving in, I was polishing silverware in one of the dining rooms when I heard her voice.
“Maya!”
Her voice echoed through the penthouse.
I nearly dropped the silverware in my hands.
I quickly placed them down and hurried toward the living room.
Vanessa was lounging on a cream-colored sofa, scrolling through her phone.
She didn’t even look up when I entered.
“Are you mute?” she asked, clearly irritated.
I stopped immediately.
“What?” I asked confused.
Her eyes lifted slowly.
“Can’t you answer when someone calls your name?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” I said quickly. “I came as soon as I heard you.”
“Whatever.”
She waved a hand dismissively.
“Get me a bottle of Cheval Blanc.”
I blinked.
The name didn’t ring a bell to me. What was that? I thought to myself.
She noticed my hesitation immediately.
“Oh my God.” She shrieked and then
rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it before.”
I lowered my head.
“I’m sorry ma’am. I haven’t.” I said.
“Of course you haven’t.”
She laughed under her breath.
“It’s in Aidan’s private wine collection. The cellar downstairs.”
My stomach tightened.
The private cellar?
The head butler had specifically mentioned that area was restricted. The only person that went down there was Aidan himself.
Almost as if she had read my thoughts, Vanessa smirked.
“Well?”
I swallowed.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go.”
I turned and left.
The wine cellar was larger than some restaurants I had visited.
Rows and rows of expensive bottles stretched across the room.
Everything was carefully organized.
Everything looked fragile and expensive.
Very expensive. I’m pretty sure one of these bottles could pay for mom’s surgery. That’s how expensive they looked. And there was an endless row of them.
I spotted the label Vanessa mentioned.
Cheval Blanc.
The bottle sat alone on a special shelf.
Even I could tell that it was important. I thought about touching it. What if it was Aidan’s favorite wine. It looked like it was.
I carefully reached for it.
The glass felt cool against my fingers.
“Just don’t drop it,” I whispered to myself.
I turned around carefully.
And froze.
Vanessa was standing in the doorway of the cellar.
I hadn’t even heard her enter.
A small smile played on her lips.
It didn’t look like a friendly smile.
It was the kind of smile that always made me nervous.
“Found it?” she asked quietly.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Good.” She said and stepped aside.
“Bring it upstairs.”
I nodded and began walking toward the staircase.
Every step felt dangerous. The stairs felt endless and surprisingly sloppy than when I came down here.
My entire focus was on protecting the bottle and making sure I didn’t miss a step.
Which was probably why I didn’t notice what happened next.
My foot suddenly caught on something invisible.
It was a sharp tug.
A pull.
My balance disappeared instantly.
The bottle slipped from my hands.
Time slowed and my eyes widened in horror.
“No!” I yelled inwardly.
The glass crashed against the marble floor.
The sound exploded through the cellar.
Red wine splashed everywhere.
Glass shattered in every direction.
For a second, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
I stared at the mess in horror.
My hands began shaking.
“Oh no.” I cried in my heart. This is bad. This is really really bad. What am I going to do now? How am I ever going to be able to pay for this mess? The wine probably costs a fortune my entire family will never be able to raise.
My voice came out as a whisper.
“Oh no, no, no…”
Then I heard it.
A soft laugh.
Behind me.
It was Vanessa.
I slowly turned around.
She was staring at the broken bottle.
And smiling.
My stomach dropped.
Because lying near her shoe was the edge of my apron string.
The same apron string that hadn’t been caught on anything moments earlier.
The same apron string she could have easily stepped on.
Deliberately.
My heart started pounding.
“You…” I whispered weakly.
Vanessa’s smile widened.
Then suddenly, her expression changed.
The amusement vanished.
Replaced by shock.
The kind that looked rehearsed.
“Oh my God, Maya!” she gasped loudly.
Her voice echoed through the cellar.
“What have you done?” She asked in a dramatic tone.
My blood ran cold.
Footsteps sounded from upstairs.
Coming closer. Fast.
And then I heard a voice that made my stomach drop completely.
Aidan’s cold baritone voice cut through the scene.
“What happened here?”
- Writer
