Chapter 7 : The King Is Back
1189 Words
Elenia woke before the alarm.
For a moment, she remained beneath the thin blanket, staring at the ceiling.
Then reality returned.
The De Luca Estate.
The uniform.
The endless work.
She sat up and reached for her phone.
The screen was still black.
She pressed the power button once.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
She missed Alexandros.
She wondered if he had tried to contact her. She wondered whether he was angry with her for leaving without saying goodbye, even though she hadn't exactly been given a choice.
Elenia placed the phone back on the table.
She couldn't spend another morning thinking about things she couldn't change.
She had to survive.
She dressed quickly and left her room.
This time, she didn't get lost.
She knew exactly where the workers gathered each morning.
That small achievement made her smile.
At least she was learning.
When she reached the main hall, Clara was already there with her clipboard.
Her eyes moved across the workers before stopping on Elenia.
"Elenia."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"You'll be assisting in the east wing today."
Elenia nodded.
"Yes."
Clara handed her a small list.
"Clean the guest corridor. Dust the railings, polish the floors, and clean the windows. When you're finished, report to the laundry supervisor."
Elenia read the list twice.
"I understand."
"And stay away from the restricted areas."
Elenia looked up.
"Yes, ma'am."
Clara walked away.
Elenia took a deep breath and pushed the cleaning cart toward the east wing.
---
The east wing was quieter than the parts of the estate she had worked in before.
The corridors were wider.
The walls were decorated with expensive paintings.
There were fewer workers moving around.
Elenia started with the windows.
She worked slowly, making sure she didn't repeat the mistakes from her first days.
She had learned something important.
When she didn't understand something, she should ask.
When she made a mistake, she should remember it.
And when she didn't know where she was going...
She should stop pretending that she did.
Unfortunately, she forgot that last lesson twenty minutes later.
After finishing the windows, Elenia picked up the basket of cleaning supplies and started searching for the next corridor.
She turned left.
Then right.
Then left again.
She stopped.
"Great."
She looked around.
Every corridor looked almost identical.
She had gotten lost.
Again.
Elenia sighed and started walking back the way she came.
She turned a corner and stopped abruptly.
A large black door stood several feet away.
There was an electronic keypad beside it.
Elenia recognized it immediately.
The restricted wing.
She didn't know what was behind the door.
And she didn't intend to find out.
She took one step backward.
Then another.
A voice suddenly came from behind her.
"What are you doing here?"
Elenia spun around.
A security guard stood at the end of the corridor.
Her heart jumped.
"I—I got lost."
His expression remained stern.
"This area is restricted."
"I know. I wasn't trying to enter."
"Then leave."
Elenia nodded quickly.
"Yes."
She turned around and hurried away.
She didn't look back.
Her heart was beating too fast.
One mistake.
That was all it took to get herself into trouble here.
She made a mental note.
Never get lost in the east wing again.
---
Later that morning, Elenia was sent to the laundry room.
She carried a basket of folded towels when she noticed two workers whispering nearby.
"Did you hear about the guard?"
"What guard?"
"The one who was dismissed."
"Why?"
"He tried to enter the restricted wing without permission."
Elenia slowed down.
She hadn't meant to listen.
But the words caught her attention.
"What happened to him?"
The woman lowered her voice.
"I don't know. But nobody saw him again after security took him away."
Elenia's fingers tightened around the basket.
She quickly continued walking.
She didn't want to know.
Whatever was behind that door was clearly none of her business.
And she intended to keep it that way.
---
At the laundry room, an older maid pointed toward a pile of linens.
"Take these to the west wing."
Elenia nodded.
"I will."
As she turned, another worker stepped directly into her path.
It was the same young woman who had been watching her during lunch a few days earlier.
The woman looked her up and down.
"You're getting comfortable."
Elenia frowned.
"I'm just doing my work."
"You've been here for barely a week."
"I know."
"And Clara already remembers your name."
Elenia didn't understand why that mattered.
"Is that a problem?"
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"Don't get too comfortable."
She walked away.
Elenia watched her.
Mira had warned her that not everyone would like her.
She had expected it eventually.
She just hadn't expected it so soon.
Elenia adjusted the basket in her arms.
She wasn't going to waste her energy fighting people.
She had enough problems already.
---
On her way to the west wing, Elenia heard hurried footsteps behind her.
"Move!"
She turned.
A worker was pushing a large cart toward her.
The cart was moving too quickly.
Elenia immediately stepped aside.
The worker tried to stop.
One wheel struck the edge of the carpet.
The cart tilted.
Several glasses slid toward the floor.
Elenia reacted without thinking.
She dropped the basket in her arms and reached for the nearest glass.
She caught it.
Another glass fell.
It shattered.
Silence filled the corridor.
The worker stared at the broken pieces.
"Oh no."
Elenia immediately crouched.
"Don't touch them."
The worker grabbed her arm.
"You'll cut yourself."
Elenia froze.
The woman quickly called another worker to bring something to clean the broken glass.
Within minutes, everything was cleared.
The woman looked at Elenia.
"You reacted quickly."
Elenia shrugged.
"I didn't want anyone to get hurt."
The woman nodded.
"Thank you."
Elenia smiled faintly.
It wasn't a major achievement.
But it was something.
A few days ago, she would have panicked.
Today, she had acted.
Maybe she really was changing.
---
By evening, Elenia was exhausted.
She sat with Mira and Sofia during dinner.
Mira pushed a cup of water toward her.
"You look tired."
"I am."
Sofia laughed.
"Welcome to the De Luca Estate."
Elenia smiled.
She was about to reply when the dining hall suddenly became quiet.
The laughter stopped.
Conversations disappeared.
Even the workers who had been whispering lowered their voices.
Elenia looked around.
"What happened?"
Mira's expression changed.
She lowered her voice.
"Don't talk."
Elenia frowned.
"Why?"
Mira didn't answer.
The sound of footsteps came from the corridor.
Slow.
Steady.
Controlled.
Several security men appeared first.
Every worker immediately straightened.
Elenia's heart began beating faster.
She didn't understand why.
Then someone at the far end of the dining hall whispered two words.
"The King is back."
Elenia slowly looked toward the entrance.
A tall figure appeared beyond the doorway.
She couldn't see his face clearly yet.
But everyone in the room knew exactly who he was.
Damien De Luca.
And for the first time since Elenia had entered the De Luca Estate...
She was standing in the same room as the man who owned her debt.
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