CHAPTER 9 CONSEQUENCES.
1290 Words
There, standing in front of her was a lady. A maid obviously, but not the same one she saw when she woke up, this one was way younger, she appeared to be the same age grade as Lila.
Her intense gaze was cold, just like the previous one, her face was so straight it felt like it would c***k if she smiled. But how can she even smile? Working for a ruthless bastard like Damien. It was impossible.
“Don’t you ever smile?” Lila asked “You know you look scary! Brighten up if you can” she murmured.
“Please come downstairs ma’am breakfast is served” she finally spoke
“I was going to do that, you didn’t have to come up” She gently closed the door not taking her eyes from the lady in front of her.
They walked slowly down the stairs, Lila held her tummy tight, it was making an embarrassing rumbling sound and the scent of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes wasn’t helping matters.
The woman led her to the dining room, where a king-size breakfast was laid out on the table.
Despite the delicious aroma, Lila's appetite was overshadowed by the thought that Damien might be joining her soon.
“And Damien” She took a sip of her well-brewed coffee, trying to appear nonchalant as she asked.
“The young Master doesn’t eat downstairs” She stood at the other end of the table like a statue.
Lila's eyes popped wide in excitement “Hmmmm. I see. Why is that”
“I don’t know ma’am, but his food is being prepared in his room and he eats it there.”
Little wonder his room is that enormous, and there were just too many doors, “He has a kitchen and a dining area in his room?” she asked innocently.
"Yes, ma'am. It has it all," she replied. "A parlor, a bedroom, a kitchen with a dining area, and a bathroom."
“Hmmmm. I see. Do you mind sitting down, and please call me Lila.”
“I can’t stop ma’am. And I’m just fine standing’’
Lila knew it was pointless trying to convince her so she just munched on her fluffy pancake.
“The young master wants to see you in his room, now!” It was the same lady from early this morning, the same one who woke Lila up.
Lila froze at her words, “Wh…why. I’ll… I’ll go as soon as I finish eating” she managed to say
“He wants you to join him in having his breakfast upstairs”
“Well, that won’t be necessary because I am eating already and I love it here. You can tell him that” The two housemaids exchanged glances, and the younger one threw Lila a look that said “You’d better not do that”
The older lady went upstairs, to deliver the message I guess.
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“What!?” Damien exclaimed. His eyes became even darker than they were. Monica, the older maid, felt a chill run down her spine.
Instinctively, she crossed her arms behind her back and lowered her gaze, as if searching for something on the ground.
She knew all too well that adopting this submissive posture might help shield her from Damien's transfer of aggression; He was not like other masters who were loud and would bark when they were angry.
Damien was the opposite of that notion- he’s silent, and calm but exudes the authority so raw, it even terrifies more than those that were loud.
“Get out,” he said in a calm voice.
That was the best thing she had heard that morning, she hurriedly rushed out, gently closing the door as she left.
Damien murdered his half-eaten sandwich in his hand. Setting the half-eaten sandwich down, he leaned back in his chair and picked up his phone.
With a few quick taps, he dialed his lawyer. The line clicked open, and he wasted no time. “I need you to arrange the arrest of Magnus Thompson,” he commanded, his tone steady and authoritative.
There was a brief pause on the other end, a moment of disbelief. “Mr. Kingston, are you sure? He’s—”
“Just do it,” he interrupted, hanging up the phone.
“I have been lenient with her, but I won’t tolerate any act of disrespect or insubordination in front of my staff” he picked up the intercom and dialed the Kitchen’s number. Monica picked up, she was the head of the maids and the only one amongst the maids who was permitted to enter his room or even communicate with him.
“Yes sir” she quivered.
“Come!” he hung up.
She immediately left the food she had been eating and hurried upstairs.
“Take out the dishes, and tidy the kitchen” he instructed.
“You didn’t eat your food, sir, you didn’t like it?” she asked
“Do as you are told and get out” he ordered through clenched teeth.
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Meanwhile, Lila was in her room, going through pictures and videos she had saved of her and Richmond. She clicked on a video titled "Summer Memories." The screen came alive with images of Richmond and her, laughing and playing on a sunlit beach. Richmond’s smile in the video gave her goosebumps.
“I am not giving up on us, baby. I’ll be out of here in a year.” Lila reached for her contact list and stared at
Richmond's number, her finger hovering over the call button. A deep longing filled her, but she knew she couldn’t reach out to him. Not yet. Not while she was trapped in this nightmare of a marriage. It was against the contract, but how would he know?!
Just when she was about to press the call button, another call came in, intersecting her thoughts. It wasn’t a saved number. “Hmm, was he the one? Did he know I was about to call Richmond?” she wondered, looking around for a CCTV camera but finding none.
“Hello,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
“Lila?” The voice at the other end called out.
“Dad?” She said, recognizing the voice.
“Yes, Lila. What have you done to Mr. Kingston? The police came to the house this afternoon, and I hear I’m being persecuted for a breach of contract. What contract? What did you do, Lila? It’s barely a day since you got married. They said, "I'll be charged in court, and when your mom recovers, she will be joining me.”
Lila's heart sank. Panic and confusion gripped her. “Dad, slow down. What do you mean? What did they say exactly?”
“They said it’s about some contract terms you violated. Lila, what’s going on? Did you provoke him?”
Tears welled up in Lila's eyes. “I didn’t do anything, Dad. I don’t understand. I haven’t violated any terms. This must be a mistake.”
Her father’s voice trembled with desperation. “They’re saying I’ll face jail time if we don’t pay a penalty. We can’t afford this, Lila. What did you get us into?”
Lila’s mind raced. She needed to think clearly. “Dad, listen to me. Stay calm. I’ll talk to Damien. There must be a way to fix this. I promise, Dad. I’ll handle it,” she said, her voice shaky."I won’t let anything happen to you or Mom.”She hung up, her hands shaking.
She had to face Damien, the same Damien she had been avoiding since morning, the same Damien she refused to eat with. How?!
- Writer
