Maria’s POV
I remember the exact moment I first saw the Harrington mansion. I stand on the gravel drive with my suitcase, feeling small in my new grey maid's uniform. Mrs. Harrington greets me herself, wheeled out by a nurse. She is frail, but her eyes are soft and kind. She explains my duties to me in a calm voice… light housekeeping, meal preparation, and companionship in the evenings.
“My son handles everything else,” she says with a fond smile. “Alexander comes and goes, but when he’s here, he likes things a certain way.”
I nod, memorizing the routines, determined to be perfect. I need this job, and pride won’t pay bills.
I am in the library, reaching to dust a high shelf, when I sense that I am being watched. I turn slowly, and there he is—Alexander Harrington. He leans against th
