His Forbidden Chef

Chapter5

Zara woke up the next morning still thinking about the leather book with the name "Elena" written inside. She pushed the thought away and focused on her routine. Breakfast first, then cleaning.

She made scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, serving it exactly on time. Alexander ate in silence. When he finished, he stood up.

“Start on the east wing today. Remember the rules. Stay out of the locked rooms.”

“Yes, sir,” Zara said quietly.

He left for his study-room. Zara cleared the table and gathered her cleaning supplies. The east wing was quieter than the rest of the penthouse. She started with the open rooms, dusting shelves, wiping surfaces, and vacuuming.

She worked steadily, trying not to think about the shower incident or the woman in the red dress from yesterday. “Just do the job. Get the money” none of this is your business” she said to herself.

By midday she reached the small library room. Dark wood shelves lined the walls. She dusted carefully, moving from shelf to shelf.

Her dress caught on something again. The same leather book she had seen yesterday fell to the floor. She picked it up and noticed the drawer underneath was slightly open.

She knew she shouldn’t look. The rules were clear. But curiosity won. She pulled the drawer open just enough to see inside.

Inside was a stack of old papers and a single photograph. The photo showed a woman with long dark hair, smiling. She looked confident and beautiful. There was something familiar about her face, … the shape of her eyes, the way she held herself.

Zara’s stomach dropped. The woman looked a little like her.

She quickly pushed the drawer shut and stepped back, heart pounding. This was none of her business. She was here to clean, not touch things.

She finished the room as fast as she could and moved on. But her hands were shaking.

Later that afternoon, Alexander came out of his study and walked down the hallway toward the east wing. He stopped at the doorway of the library room and watched her for a moment as she wiped down a side table.

Zara turned and saw him standing there. She jumped slightly.

“Everything okay, sir?” she asked, keeping her voice steady.

He didn’t answer right away. His gray eyes studied her face.

“Finish by six,” he said flatly. Then he turned and walked away.

Zara let out a breath and continued working. As she moved to the next shelf, her cloth brushed against a small object. A silver bracelet fell to the floor. It was delicate, with a small charm engraved with the letter “E”.

She picked it up quickly and placed it back exactly where it had been.

One thing was becoming very clear.

There was more to Alexander Voss than she knew.

Zara spent the rest of the day trying to forget the photograph and the silver bracelet with the letter “E”. She had told herself it was none of her business. But the name Elena kept repeating in her head. 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.