Bound by Secrets

Chapter two

Present day.

The crash echoed through the grand hall, and my heart dropped as I stared at the broken pieces of the golden pleated vase scattered across the floor.

I barely had time to gather my thoughts when Lady Elaine stormed in. Her eyes were blazing with rage, and when they fell on me, I felt as though I would melt into a puddle.

I cowered as I heard her voice thunder across the room, rage evident in each word, and every step she took toward me felt like a ticking time bomb that would explode at any moment.

“My la…”

A loud ringing sound echoed in my ears before I could complete the sentence.

“I'm so sorry, my lady," I said in a shaky voice as tears streamed down my face.

“Explain yourself,” Lady Elaine said in a cold stare.

A lump formed in my throat as I struggled to form coherent words. “Uh-hmm, mm—my lady, I was only trying to replace the flowers; I didn't mean for the vase to fall.”

A ripple of murmurs spread among the other maids in the hallway.

Before I could gather courage to speak again, another voice rose behind me.

My heart stopped.

I turned my head slowly to see Charlotte walk forward, her face filled with false concern.

“I saw her rushing. I warned her to slow down and be more careful, but she didn't listen to me,” Charlotte said through her breath.

I looked at Charlotte in shock.

“My lady, no, that's not what happened,” I said frantically.

“Enough! Do you know how much this vase costs? It is a very rare heirloom that was passed on to me by my grandmother, and you just carelessly broke it. You are going to clean this mess, and you will pay for this with your labor.” She stared down at me with a menacing look.

“Yes, my lady,” I said weakly.

I reached for the broken shards and began picking them piece by piece when I felt a heavy presence.

I lifted my eyes slowly and saw a tall figure watching me closely.

It was the young master.

I had seen him before, but never this close. His dark gaze rested on the glass, his expression poker-faced, before shifting to me. I could have sworn that his gaze softened as he looked at me.

“Mother,” he said in a still voice, his calmness cooling the raging atmosphere.

Lady Elaine turned to him in a questioning gaze.

“You should not let the servants bother you this much. Leave matters like this in the hands of the butler,” he drawled.

“Not when it involves a precious family heirloom.” She retorted, her lips in a thin line.

“The matter has been settled; you don't need to worry,” she said while taking a sharp turn and walking away from the hallway.

The maids scattered like dust blown in the air, but I remained there.

I was just about to clean up the remaining broken pieces when I saw something shimmer among the shards.

I paused.

I reached for it slowly and picked it up.

It was a key.

It wasn't part of the vase; it was hidden inside it.

Questions filled my head. Why was this in the vase, and who put it there?

I discreetly slipped it into my palm before anyone noticed.

Lady Elaine had left moments ago, but I still felt the heavy air surrounding me like a cloak.

I raised my head slowly and saw that Master Aiden was still standing there, unmoving like a statue.

His brown eyes peered at me in a curious gaze, almost as if I reminded him of something or someone.

My heart thundered in my chest, loud enough to drown out my thoughts.

I snapped myself out of those thoughts so I could get the broom because there were still some tiny pieces of the broken vase that I couldn't pick up.

I stood up very quickly, but I soon regretted that action because a shard of glass I hadn't noticed was directly in front of my foot. A sharp wave of pain jolted right through me like electricity as I stepped on the broken glass.

I let out a small shriek as I clutched my foot in pain.

“You are quite clumsy; it's no mystery why you broke the vase,” the baritone voice of master Aiden resonated through the walls of the hallway as he stood in front of me.

I bit hard on my lower lip as he held my foot, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone who was always cold.

“There is a broken piece inside,” he said in a low tone.

“I need to pull it out.”

“No, it's going to hurt.” I shook my head quickly.

“You have to take it out unless your wound gets infected,” he said.

His voice was flat, cold, and stern.

Before I could respond, he reached for the shard and pulled it out.

A sharp pain shot through my foot, and it felt as if my soul would leave my body. I dug my fingers into my palm as I let out a silent cry.

“There you go,” he said while wrapping my bloodied foot with his white handkerchief.

“Tha - thank you, Master Aiden,” I said while bowing my head slightly.

For a moment, he didn't say anything but just stood there in silence.

“Be careful next time,” he said finally, his tone flat and calm.

He turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.

I watched his back as he walked away, his movements precise and cautious, as though one wrong movement would bring the world to an end.

The hallway was empty, but the event that just happened filled my mind, and I don't know why, but at that moment it struck me like a warning bell that things would change for me from now on.

I had broken the treasured family heirloom and discovered something I was never meant to see: an unfamiliar key hidden away as if hiding secrets far too dangerous for anyone to discover.

And to top it all, the oldest master of the Blackburn household, whom everyone was terrified of, had noticed me.