Chapter 1 The New Maid
The massive iron gates slowly opened with a loud creak, revealing a mansion so large that Aria Lawson felt her breath catch in her throat.
She had never seen anything like it before.
The building stood tall and elegant, its white walls glowing under the early morning sun. The gardens were perfectly trimmed, and luxury cars were parked neatly in the driveway. Everything about the place screamed wealth.
Aria tightened her grip on the small bag hanging from her shoulder.
This place is bigger than my entire street, she thought nervously.
But she had no choice.
She needed this job.
Taking a deep breath, Aria walked toward the grand entrance. Her worn-out shoes clicked softly against the marble floor as she stepped inside the mansion.
A tall woman with sharp eyes stood near the staircase, holding a clipboard.
“You must be the new maid,” the woman said coldly.
Aria quickly nodded. “Yes, ma’am. My name is Aria Lawson.”
The woman looked her up and down, clearly judging her simple clothes.
“I’m Mrs. Carter, the head housekeeper of this mansion,” she said firmly. “And let me make one thing very clear. Working here is not easy.”
Aria swallowed nervously.
“You will follow every rule,” Mrs. Carter continued. “You will clean, cook, and do whatever is required without complaining. If you make a mistake, you will be fired immediately.”
“I understand,” Aria replied quickly.
Mrs. Carter crossed her arms.
“And most importantly,” she added, lowering her voice, “you are to stay out of Mr. Blackwood’s way.”
“Mr. Blackwood?” Aria asked.
Mrs. Carter looked almost afraid as she said his name.
“Damien Blackwood. The owner of this mansion.”
Aria nodded slowly.
She had heard the name before.
Everyone in the city knew about Damien Blackwood.
A billionaire CEO.
Cold.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
People said he had built his business empire before the age of thirty. Others said he was ruthless in business and impossible to please.
Some even said he had fired employees for the smallest mistake.
Aria felt a small knot form in her stomach.
Mrs. Carter handed her a uniform.
“Put this on and start with the second-floor hallway,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
An hour later, Aria was carefully wiping the marble floor of the long hallway upstairs.
The mansion was unbelievably quiet.
Too quiet.
She tried her best to focus on her work, remembering the reason she came here in the first place.
Her mother.
The hospital bills were getting worse every month.
If Aria lost this job, she had no idea how she would pay for the treatment.
So she worked carefully, making sure every corner was spotless.
But as she walked backward while cleaning, something unexpected happened.
Bump.
Aria collided with someone.
Her cleaning cloth dropped to the floor.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, looking up.
And then she froze.
Standing in front of her was a tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His dark hair was slightly messy, and his sharp jawline made him look intimidating.
But it was his eyes that made Aria’s heart skip a beat.
Cold.
Dark.
Powerful.
He stared at her as if she were a stranger who had just stepped into his world.
Aria suddenly remembered Mrs. Carter’s warning.
Stay out of Mr. Blackwood’s way.
Her heart started beating faster.
“I'm sorry, sir,” she said nervously. “I didn't see you.”
The man didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, his gaze slowly moved over her maid uniform.
Then back to her face.
“You’re new,” he said in a deep voice.
It wasn’t a question.
Aria nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”
A strange silence filled the hallway.
Damien Blackwood studied her like she was some kind of puzzle.
For some reason, the sight of the nervous young maid standing in front of him made something unfamiliar stir inside him.
Something he didn’t like.
Something he couldn’t explain.
“Be careful next time,” he finally said coldly.
Then he walked past her.
But after taking a few steps, Damien stopped.
He turned slightly, glancing back at her.
Aria was already kneeling down to pick up her cloth, trying to hide how nervous she felt.
Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly.
For the first time in a long time…
Something about this girl caught his attention.
And Damien Blackwood was not a man who liked distractions.
