Chapter 12
996 Words
Isabella had eaten to her fill at Mr. Rafael's building, something she hadn't done in a long time.
The warmth of his kindness still lingered as she made her way back to her room.
Surprisingly, Helena wasn't there.
She hesitated for a moment, scanning the quiet space.
For once, it felt peaceful, too peaceful.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
She opened it to find a young maid standing shyly in the hallway.
"Hello," Isabella greeted gently.
"Good evening, Bella," the maid replied with a bright smile.
"Come in," Isabella offered.
The maid stepped inside, her eyes darting around in surprise.
The room looked neat and warm, a complete contrast to the wreck it once was.
Her admiration for Isabella grew instantly.
"Are you Ana?" Isabella asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yes, ma'am!" Ana replied, beaming.
It still felt surreal that someone as graceful as Isabella knew her by name.
Ana hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Can you believe it? Helena was punished by Sir Alex."
Isabella shot up to her feet, eyes wide. "What?"
"Yes," Ana continued quickly. "He punished her because she didn't take care of you properly, and because of that, you ended up hospitalized."
Isabella froze.
Her mind spun.
Why would he do that?
As if Ana had read her thoughts, she added softly, "You have to be careful now. Helena won't take this lightly. She'll try everything she can to send you away from this house."
Isabella inhaled deeply, her chest tightening. Alex punished Helena… for her?
It felt foreign, like a thought her mind refused to accept.
Ana's voice pulled her back.
"It was the first time Sir Alex ever walked into the workers' quarters. He was furious that day, I've never seen him like that before."
Isabella sat back down slowly, lost in her thoughts.
Alex, the same man who called her worthless, got angry because she was hurt?
It didn't make sense.
None of it did.
"Why are you here?" Isabella asked wearily.
Her voice carried a quiet suspicion, everything these days could easily turn out to be a trap.
Ana stood up straight, her usual cheerful energy unbothered by Isabella's guarded tone.
"We actually have work to do together," she said, smiling brightly.
"We'll be in the main house kitchen tomorrow. We're the ones cooking! I'm so happy it's happening,"
Ana exclaimed like a child who had just been given her favorite treat.
"Just the two of us?" Isabella asked, still uncertain.
"Yeah," Ana replied. "It's going to take some time, but it"ll be better that way. Too many cooks spoil the broth, my mother always says that."
Isabella let out a faint smile, something she hadn't done sincerely in a while.
"Okay... it's a pleasure knowing I'll be with you tomorrow," she said, meaning it.
It felt, for the first time in a long while, like the universe wasn't entirely against her.
There were still flickers of warmth, small, fragile lights that dared to exist between all the cold and darkness surrounding her.
"I'll take my leave now, madam," Ana said politely, bowing before she quietly left the room.
As the door closed, Isabella's mind drifted into thoughts she couldn't silence.
What was Helena planning to do?
Did Alex really fight for her.... or was there another reason behind it?
Her heart ached at the thought, but as always, she said nothing.
Helena walked into her room, slamming the door so hard the frame trembled.
She paced back and forth, anger dripping from every movement.
She was punished because of that nobody, that riffraff, that non-entity!
Her anger puffed out like smoke into the air.
"This isn't a win, Isabella," she said slowly, each word burning with venom.
"It's just the beginning. As long as I'm in this house, there will never be space for you. Whether as the madam or as a slave, you'll never belong here."
She stopped and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Sir Alex was beginning to see me in a new way before that wretched girl ruined everything. She made me look bad before him, and for what? Pity? Sympathy?" Helena hissed, shaking her head.
"I'll show her the reason why I'm feared and respected in this mansion."
Another slam of her hand on the dresser echoed through the room.
She began pacing again, the sound of her heels striking like sharp warning bells.
A soft knock came from the door.
It startled her, but she quickly composed herself.
"Who's there?" she asked coldly.
"It's Clara and Marina, ma'am," a voice replied.
"Come in, and stop acting like fools," Helena barked.
The door creaked open and the two women entered, their heads bowed, too afraid to meet her eyes.
"Madam," Clara began carefully," we heard the news. Ana and Isabella were assigned by the butler to handle tomorrow's kitchen preparations…"
Helena's lips curved into a slow smirk, her face twisting into pure mischief.
"And also…" Clara continued hesitantly, "Madam Camila will be coming tomorrow, to see the children."
Helena's eyes gleamed.
"Come closer," she whispered.
The two maids obeyed immediately.
Helena leaned forward, speaking in a low, controlled voice.
Her words were inaudible, but whatever she said made both women exchange dark smiles.
"That's perfect," Clara said, her tone now confident.
"You're truly the wisest, Madam Helena."
Helena reclined back on her chair, crossing one leg over the other.
A faint, satisfied smile played on her lips as Clara moved to massage her shoulders.
Meanwhile, Marina stepped aside and pulled out her phone.
"Hello," she said quietly into the receiver.
"Bring one to the building by 5 a.m. Make sure you're not late… and pass through the usual way."
She paused, listening.
"Yes… good. You'll see it now."
She ended the call, her lips curling into a secretive smile as she turned toward Helena.
Helena didn't look up, she didn't need to.
Her expression already said it all.
Everything was falling perfectly into place.
- Writer
