Ina jolted awake to the sound of insistent banging on her door. Heart pounding, she sat up, disoriented in the predawn darkness.
The heavy thuds echoed through the small, sparsely furnished room that had become her sanctuary since arriving at the sprawling estate.
She rubbed her eyes and stumbled to the door, dreading what might await her on the other side.
The door creaked open to reveal Clara, one of the other housemaids. Clara's sharp features were twisted into a scornful sneer, her eyes glittering with barely concealed contempt.
"The boss wants to see you in his office. Immediately," Clara announced, her tone dripping with malice.
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at Ina with undisguised glee.
Ina's stomach churned with anxiety. Clara had made her li
