From Contract Wife to Tech queen

LENA’S POV “Nobody steps a foot out of this premises if it's not found and brought back to me!” Chairman Sylvester’s voice echoed from the living room, loud enough to make all of us stop. “I don’t care if that means I have to get you all arrested.” The chairman only raised his voice when something went terribly wrong. All the light-heartedness which followed us into the magnificent living room was slowly replaced by dread. Adrian, the chairman’s son and my best friend for as long as I could remember, had been out with Rylan, our mutual friend, and me all morning to celebrate his birthday. My dad, who worked closely with the Chairman’s family as their dutiful bodyguard, had been tasked to accompany us on watch duty. However, coming home to meet the whole household staff in full blown panic wasn’t even in the top five of the things I expected to see after a relaxing swim with dolphins in California. I turned to look at Adrian whose face mirrored my confusion, then my dad. Before any of us had a chance to say something, Vanessa flew down the stairs with speed, her movements carrying the same urgency. “Dad, have they found it? Did someone see it?” The man’s eyes softened for a moment as he looked at her, then shook his head. Found what? What were they looking for? My dad quickly walked over to him. “What’s the problem, Chairman?” But the Chairman’s response was muted. There was no way to know what the problem was when they were speaking in hushed tones. Without another word, my dad began the search with the other servants, nearly turning the house upside down. What was going on?! Adrian caught Vanessa before she could breeze past. “Vanessa, what are we looking for? What’s happening?” “Did the Chairman lose something?” I chipped in. But her scornful eyes cut to mine. Like I was the only one who spoke. Even my close relationship with her older brother, Adrian, did not guarantee that we would be best friends. Instead, she treated me with disdain. Since my father began working with their family decades ago, she never addressed us as more than just the “help” even though her family warmly welcomed us into the fold. “If you weren’t freeloading off my brother’s birthday trip, you’d have been around to know what happened.” Her glare burned. “For your information, the heirloom is missing and nobody will leave until it is found.” “Wh—” she flounced off before I could finish my question. I turned to Adrian who chewed his bottom lip in worry. “What heirloom? The heirloom?” “The heirloom,” Rylan replied for him instead. I let out a shocked gasp, unable to keep it in. I’d never seen the most treasured item in the household but my father told me tales about how it’d been passed down through generations. Rumored to cost about three thousand billion dollars or even more. Now Adrian just turned twenty-one, it meant he’d be getting custody of it next. “But who would do something so cruel?” I wondered aloud, also joining in the search. The chairman was good to every person working under him. How can humans be this stupid to do such a thing to him? The door suddenly burst open, and one of the staff members rushed inside, breathing heavily. My heart lifted. Maybe they had found it. “Chairman, please come quickly. I think you need to see this yourself.” “What is it?” Chairman Sylvester demanded. The worker hurried upstairs, and we followed. He led the way toward the wing of the house where my father and I stayed. My heart sank. A cold feeling settled in my stomach as I realized where he was taking us. They were searching our rooms. Everyone headed toward our quarters, where the manager stood surrounded by several workers. Something was in his hand. The heirloom. My blood ran cold. “No,” I whispered. My father froze beside me as Chairman Sylvester slowly turned toward him. “Then explain how my family heirloom ended up inside your quarters, Daniel.” My father opened his mouth, but no words came out. Adrian stared at the heirloom before looking at my father. “That doesn't make any sense. How could it possibly be here?” My father dropped to his knees. “Chairman, this has to be a setup! I swear in my life that I have never stolen from you. Someone must have planted it there. You know me, Sylvester.” Chairman Sylvester's expression hardened. “I trusted you. After all these years, this is how you repay that trust?” I turned to Mr. Sylvester, my voice trembling. “Please, Chairman. You know my father and I would never steal from you. Please believe me.” I dropped beside my father before turning desperately toward Adrian. “Adrian, please listen to me. You know my dad. He would never steal from your family. Please help me talk to your father. There has to be a mistake.” Adrian stepped toward me, but his expression remained cold. “I thought I knew you. You knew how precious that heirloom was to my family, Lena. Yet it was found in your father's room. How am I supposed to believe you now?” He looked away. I turned toward Rylan. “You know me. You know my dad too. Please tell them this doesn't make sense.” Rylan lowered his eyes. “I'm sorry, Lena, but I can't help you with this. They found the heirloom in your father's belongings, and right now, that's the only evidence we have.” Tears filled my eyes as Vanessa stepped closer to her father. “Dad, I told you. I always knew there was something wrong with them.” Chairman Sylvester looked at my father. “I could have both of you arrested, but I haven't forgotten your years of service. I once considered you a friend, Daniel, so I will leave the police out of this.” He paused. “You have thirty minutes to gather your belongings and leave this mansion. You are fired, Daniel.” My father's head dropped. “I don't want to see you or your daughter on my property again. If you're still here after thirty minutes, I'll call the police.” Not long after, workers carried our belongings outside. I stared at the mansion where I had grown up, tears blurring my vision as the gates slowly closed behind us. Just like that, we were out. “Dad,” I whispered. “What are we going to do now? Where are we supposed to go?” My father took my hand and squeezed it gently. “Don't worry, my dear. I know a place where we can stay for a while. It isn't what we're used to, but we'll manage.” I threw my arms around him and cried against his chest. When I pulled away, I wiped my tears. The day that had begun with laughter ended with my father and me being thrown out of the only home we'd ever known, for something we didn’t even do.