Chapter 11
1713 Words
Alessandro's POV
The warehouse was a mess.
Boxes half-unpacked, workers arguing over inventory, and the night shipment still sitting on the dock.
I should’ve been focused. But my mind kept drifting back to the villa.
To Alice. To the bruises on her arms. To June’s face when she had nothing to say.
“You should not hurt Alice again.”
Why did I even say that?
I ran a hand through my hair and signed the last delivery form with more force than necessary.
“Damien, take the car back,” I told him. “I’ll drive myself.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The drive back was quiet. Too quiet.
The road blurred past me, but all I could see was the image of her lying on that bed. Fragile. Hurt. Because of my house. Because of my sister.
The villa lights were on when I pulled in. The butler opened the door the moment I stepped out.
“Welcome back, Sir. Is everything alright?”
“Fine,” I said curtly. “Where’s Miss June?”
“In the west lounge, Sir.”
“And the maid... Alice?”
“She’s in her room, Sir. Nena is with her.”
I nodded and headed upstairs. I told myself I was just checking that my orders were followed. Nothing more.
That was a lie and I knew it.
When I passed Alice’s door, I heard voices. Low. Female.
I stopped.
Then I heard it...a sharp laugh. June’s laugh.
My blood went cold.
I pushed the door open without knocking.
---
*Alice's POV*
My body was still shaking.
Nena had just finished helping me bathe and was dabbing my arms with ointment when the door opened.
I expected it to be Nena coming back with water.
Instead it was him.
Alessandro.
He stood in the doorway, suit jacket gone, sleeves rolled up. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes... his eyes moved straight to me. To the bandages. To the IV. To Nena’s hand on my arm.
Then they moved past me.
To June.
To Maria.
To Ann.
The room went silent.
“What,” Alessandro said quietly. Too quietly. “...are you all doing in here?”
June’s face went pale. “Brother, I...we were just..”
“I told the guards no one was to come in,” he cut her off. His voice was calm. That was worse. “Did I not?”
“We were worried about her,” Maria tried. “We thought-”
“You thought what?” He stepped fully into the room now. “That my orders don’t apply to you?”
I wanted to disappear. I pulled the blanket higher, even though it did nothing to hide the marks.
Alessandro’s gaze dropped to me again. For half a second, something flickered there. Anger? Guilt? I couldn’t tell.
“Out,” he said.
No one moved.
“I said OUT.”
June flinched. The three of them scurried past him without another word. At the door, June looked back at me, and mouthed: This isn’t over.
Then the door closed.
It was just me, Nena, and Alessandro.
He didn’t look at me for a long time. He walked to the window, hands in his pockets. The city lights reflected faintly on the glass.
“Are you hurt?” he finally asked, without turning.
I swallowed. “I’m... I’m fine, Sir.”
“Liar,” he said softly.
Nena quickly bowed. “Sir, I’ll... I’ll get more water.” She practically ran out, leaving us alone.
The silence was heavy.
“Why were you cleaning the east wing alone?” he asked.
“Because... you asked for me, Sir.”
“I did.”
A pause.
“June thinks you’re trying to get close to me.”
My heart dropped. “No, Sir! I would never- I’m just a maid-”
“I know what you are,” he interrupted. He finally turned to look at me.
And for the first time, he didn’t look angry. He looked tired.
“You were flogged for doing your job,” he said. “That’s on me.”
“It’s not, Sir. Please don’t-”
“It is,” he said firmly. Then he walked to the bedside table and picked up the tray Nena left. Cold soup. “Eat.”
“I’m full, Sir.”
“Eat anyway. You need strength.”
He didn’t feed me. He just... set the tray down and pushed it toward me.
For a boss like him, that was already a lot.
“I’ve told the butler,” he said. “No one enters this room without my permission. Not June. Not Maria. Not anyone.”
Tears stung my eyes. “Why are you doing this for me?”
He stared at me. A long, unreadable stare.
“Because someone has to,” he said simply. “And because I don’t like seeing people hurt in my house.”
He turned to leave, then stopped at the door.
“Rest, Alice.”
And he was gone.
Nena came back a minute later. “What happened?”
“He... he told them to stay away,” I whispered.
Nena’s eyes widened. “Alice... that’s the first time he’s ever done that. For anyone.”
I lay back, staring at the ceiling.
Protected. By the one person I was supposed to avoid.
And somewhere in the west lounge, I knew June was already planning her next move.
She loathed me so much and wouldn’t want someone like me near her brother.
Nena sat beside me and gently took my hand in hers. Her palms were warm, calloused from years of work, but comforting.
“It’s okay, dear,” she said softly. “It’s not your fault that all of this is happening. All you need to do is avoid their trouble. Sometimes you need to let someone go to get something more valuable in return.”
I looked into her eyes and saw nothing but concern.
“But how?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “How am I supposed to avoid them? You know how troublesome they are. And you know the rules that apply in this place. If the boss calls for me and I don’t go, I’ll be punished. If I do go, June will punish me. I’m trapped, Nena.”
Nena sighed and squeezed my hand. “Then maybe you should tell the boss to be more professional about it. For your sake, please. Ask him to assign someone else to the east wing. Ask him to stop singling you out. It’s the only way to keep them off your back.”
The thought made my stomach twist. Asking Alessandro for anything felt dangerous.
“I don’t want to see you worried,” I said quickly, changing the subject. “Nena, have you heard from Julie yet?”
“Oh,” Nena’s face fell a little. “I haven’t. I’ve been trying to reach her, but her line is always unavailable. Like she lives under a rock, haha.” She gave a slight chuckle, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
I leaned back into the bed, the pillows soft against my sore back. “I just hope she comes back soon.”
“Huh, you wish,” Nena said, shaking her head. “It’s been weeks now since she left, and I don’t think her reason was that valid to be away for this long.”
“Well then,” I frowned, curiosity getting the better of me. “What do you think she’s not telling us?”
Nena’s face suddenly lit up, like the mood was shifting to something more gossipy, more fun. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like we were sharing a secret.
“Well... you know the second brother, Sir Adrian, right? He’s in love with her. Madly in love. And I think he couldn’t stand the sight of seeing his girlfriend working as a maid in this house. Maybe that’s why she left. Maybe he took her away.”
My brows furrowed. “Sir Adrian and Julie? I had no idea.”
“Exactly,” Nena whispered, eyes sparkling. “They were very good at hiding it. But I saw them once in the garden, late at night. He was holding her hand. If June finds out, there’ll be hell to pay. That’s probably why Julie disappeared so suddenly.”
“Okay,” I said quietly, processing it all. Julie and Adrian. It made a strange kind of sense.
I turned onto my side, facing away from Nena. My body ached, but my mind was racing.
“Good night, Nena,” I murmured.
“Good night, Alice. Try to rest.”
I closed my eyes.
All thanks to June and her fellow maniacs, I’d finally gotten a few hours of rest. But deep down I knew it wouldn’t last.
The house was quiet, but danger never slept in this villa.
---
Hours later, I woke up to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Heavy. Measured.
The door didn’t open, but I heard a voice outside. Low. Male.
“Has she eaten?”
It was Alessandro.
“Yes, Sir. Most of it,” Nena answered.
“Good. Make sure the doctor comes again in the morning. And double the guards on this floor.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Then silence.
He didn’t come in. He just stood there for a moment, like he was deciding something. Then the footsteps faded away.
My chest felt tight.
Why was he protecting me like this? Bosses didn’t do this for maids.
Unless... unless there was something more he wasn’t saying.
I pulled the blanket over me and tried to sleep again.
But in the west lounge, I could almost hear June’s voice in my head:
This isn’t over, Alice.
And she was right.
The next morning would come, and with it, another test.
Would I be able to stay away from Alessandro?
Would June find another way to get to me?
Would I ever be safe in this house?
I didn’t have the answers.
All I had was Nena’s hand in mine, and the faint promise that for now, no one would touch me.
For now.
- Writer
