CHAPTER SEVEN
1110 Words
Minutes later every single maid in the house was all lined up, across the hallway.
I stood in front of them, Leonardo stepped beside me, with Damien on my other side.
“Go on,” Damien said quietly.
My eyes scanned the line, one face at a time, my chest tightening with every second that passed.
She wasn't there, No….she had to be here, my fingers curled at my side.
"She's not here," I said finally, my voice steady despite the unease creeping in.
Leonardo didn't react immediately. He stood beside me, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “Look again,” he said calmly.
I walked the line slowly past them, Studying every face like I could force her to appear if I stared hard enough, but nothing changed.
“I don't see her,” I said out loud.
Leonardo didn’t even look surprised, he turned to the maids and dismissed them.
The maids bowed quickly, and begin to file out, whispering among themselves.
He turned to Adrian “Search the entire house, I want her found.”
“Yes, sir” Adrian got to work immediately.
Within seconds, footsteps echo down the halls, doors opening, voices lowering into hurried whispers.
I stayed where I was, watching, but deep down… I already knew they wouldn’t find her.
I turned slightly towards him “so what now?” I asked.
His gaze shifted to me “Until this is resolved,” he said, his voice cold enough to freeze the air between us, “you’re not allowed to leave your room.”
He walked away immediately leaving no room for argument, with Damien following behind.
The next morning, a sharp knock pulled me from sleep.
“Riley” Sofia's voice followed the Knock.
I opened the door immediately, her face was pale.
“They found her.” she said quickly “the maid…. she's dead.”
My stomach dropped “what?”
For a second everything in me went cold “where?”
Sofia hesitated. “in her room.”
I moved past her immediately, and ran towards the maids room.
The hallway outside the maid’s quarters was crowded.
The door stood open, Leonardo and Damien were inside, both of them talking.
A guard stepped in front of me, trying to stop me from entering “ no one's allowed to enter”
“I don't care,” I said and shoved past him, his hands tried to grab me, I pulled free and entered.
Leonardo stood by the window, his back to me, sleeves rolled slightly, his posture rigid.
“I told you to stay in your room” he said coldly.
I stepped further inside. “Leave,” he said.
“No,” I replied stubbornly.
That got his attention, he turned slowly, his eyes darkened slightly. “Don't test me” he said firmly.
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. “Then stop treating me like I’m guilty,” I said, my voice lower now “not when I'm the one being framed.”
His gaze lingered on me a second longer than it should have, his expression unreadable.
“You never listen” he murmured.
“Only when it makes sense,” I replied.
Behind us, Damien chuckled softly “stubborn”
My gaze shifted to the bed, where the maid was lying still.
My stomach twisted, Damien step beside me and muttered “it's suicide.”
“No, it doesn't look like it” I said immediately. Leonardo’s gaze flicked to me.
I walked slowly to the bed, my eyes scanning the room, and then I saw a faint line across the floor.
“…She didn’t die here.” I crouched slightly, tracing the mark with my eyes, “Look at this,” I said quietly, “she was dragged.”
Leonardo stepped behind me, close enough that I could feel him behind me.
“They moved her,” I continued, “after she was already dead.”
“Or she was still alive when they did,” he corrected quietly. I glanced up at him and our eyes met.
“But she left a note,” Damien said holding it out.
I took the note, and read it:
I am responsible, no one forced me, I am sorry for what I did, please forgive me.
I lowered the paper slowly, my brows pulled together,“ this doesn't make sense”
Leonardo's gaze had already moved back to the body.
I stepped closer, “wait…”
Both of them looked at me.
“There,” I pointed to her wrist, a faint but visible thin dark bruise, from being grabbed tightly.
That's not self inflicted,” Damien said.
“No” Leonardo agreed.
Leonardo reached for her arm turning it slightly, he noticed her fingers were curled inward too tightly, like she's holding onto something.
Leonardo pried her fingers open slowly, a small folded paper slipped lose from her palm.
Leonardo unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the page.
“What is it,” Damien asked.
He didn’t answer immediately, instead, he handed it to him, he took it, his fingers tightening slightly as he read.
He passed to me after reading, on the paper was an address:
37, Ashford lane, New York, Toronto, Ontario. A house address written carefully.
She knew she wasn't getting out of this,” I said softly, glancing at her lifeless hand.
Damien exhaled through his nose. “So we’ve got somewhere to start.”
“I will go check the place out” Leonardo said.
His gaze shifted to me. “You’re staying here.”
“No, I'm coming with you,” i replied.
His eyes darkened slightly, “you’re not coming.”
I stepped closer, holding his gaze, If that address is connected to this, then I’m already involved.”
“That’s exactly why you’re not going.” he said.
“And that’s exactly why I am.” I replied.
“You don’t know what’s waiting there,” he said firmly.
“And you don’t know that I can’t handle it.”
Damien let out a quiet chuckle behind us. “I’d just take her if I were you.”
Neither of us looked at him, Leonardo exhaled slowly, his gaze stayed on me.
“Fine, you stay with me,” he added. “You don’t move unless I say so.”
I didn’t agree, but I didn’t argue either.
Damien stepped back, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll handle things here.”
Leonardo didn’t respond, “we leave in thirty” he said, already walking out.
I followed him, the paper still clenched in my hand.
- Writer
