Chapter6
769 Words
At first she thought the leather book might be Alexander’s diary. Maybe he wrote his private thoughts in it. The idea made her even more nervous.
She finished cleaning the east wing exactly at six, careful to stay away from the locked rooms. When she returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner, her hands were still a little unsteady.
Alexander came out for dinner at seven sharp. He sat at the table and waited. Zara served roasted salmon with asparagus and rice. She placed the plate in front of him and stepped back.
He ate in silence for a few minutes. Then he spoke without looking up.
“You cleaned the east wing today.”
“Yes, sir,” Zara answered quietly. “I stayed out of the locked rooms like you said.”
He nodded once. “Good.”
The silence stretched again. Zara stood there, watching him eat. She wanted to ask about the book and ask him who Elena was. But she killed the urge immediately. One wrong question and she could lose her job.
Alexander finished half his plate and pushed it away. He finally looked at her.
“Tomorrow you will handle the laundry as well. My shirts must be ironed perfectly. No starch.”
“Yes, sir,” Zara said. She kept her voice humble. “I’ll make sure it’s done right.”
He stood up and walked past her. As he did, his arm brushed close to hers, but he continued walking down the hallway without another word.
Zara let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She cleared the table and started washing the dishes. While she worked, her mind kept going back to the library room. The book with “Elena” written inside. The photo of the woman who looked a little like her. The bracelet.
Was Elena an ex-girlfriend? A wife? Someone who hurt him badly enough that he now treated every woman like a threat?
She dried her hands and went to her room. She locked the door, sat on the bed, and opened her laptop for her online business course. Even with everything happening, she couldn’t stop learning. The courses were her only hope for a future after this job ended.
But tonight she couldn’t focus. She kept seeing that photograph. The confident smile. The familiar eyes.
A soft knock on her bedroom door made her jump.
“Miss Hale.”
It was Alexander’s voice. Cold and flat.
Zara closed the laptop quickly and opened the door a crack. He stood there in the hallway, still in his black shirt, sleeves rolled up.
“Yes, sir?”
He looked at her for a moment, gray eyes unreadable. “I need a glass of water. Bring it to my study.”
Zara nodded. “Right away.”
She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of cold water, and carried it to the study. The door was slightly open. She knocked once and waited.
“Come in.”
She stepped inside. The study was dark and masculine, with heavy furniture and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Alexander sat behind his desk, typing on his laptop.
Zara placed the glass on the corner of the desk and stepped back.
“Is there anything else, sir?”
He didn’t look up at first. Then he did. His eyes moved over her face, then down to her figure for a brief second before returning to her eyes.
“No.”
Zara turned to leave. As she reached the door, her eyes caught something on the shelf behind his desk. The leather book was there again, placed neatly among other volumes.
She paused for half a second too long.
Alexander noticed.
“Is something wrong, Miss Hale?”
Zara’s heart raced. She forced herself to stay calm. “No, sir. Goodnight.”
She closed the door behind her and walked back to her room as fast as she could without running. Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it, breathing hard.
He had seen her looking at the book. She was sure of it.
She sat on the bed and tried to calm down. The name Elena was now burned into her mind. If that book really was his diary, what did it say about the woman who looked like her? Why did he hire her after one mention of coconut rice and a strange “test”?
Zara shook her head. She couldn’t ask. She couldn’t dig. She had to stay invisible, do her job, and collect the money.
But how long can she keep up with this.
- Writer
