Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Past
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of anxiety. I arranged for Mrs. Gable, the kindly head housekeeper, to watch Mia in the basement breakroom for twenty minutes while I went upstairs for my five o'clock meeting.
At precisely 4:59 p.m., I stood outside the massive double doors of Vincent’s study. My hands were clammy, and my pulse hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I knocked twice.
"Enter," his voice boomed from inside.
I pushed the heavy door open and stepped into the dim, wood-paneled room. The afternoon sun was setting, casting long, golden shadows across the Persian rug. Vincent was sitting behind his desk, reviewing a stack of thick legal documents. He didn't look up immediately.
I stood in front of the desk, keeping my hands neatly folded behind my back. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Castalano?"
He signed the bottom of a document, capped his silver fountain pen, and finally looked up. His intense dark eyes locked onto mine, searching my face with uncomfortable precision.
"Your file says you've worked here for eight months," he began, his voice calm and measured. "Your background check was clean. No record, no debts, except for a lingering hospital bill from three years ago."
I swallowed hard, feeling exposed. "Yes, sir."
"Your husband?"
"Ex-fiancé," I corrected softly, holding my head up. "He left as soon as he found out I was pregnant. He wanted nothing to do with a child, or the financial responsibility."
Vincent leaned back in his leather executive chair, resting his elbows on the wooden arms and steepling his long fingers. "And your family?"
"My sister is a nurse. My parents passed away when I was twenty," I replied, keeping my voice neutral. "It's just Mia and me."
Vincent stared at me for a long, silent moment. "You worked two jobs before coming here, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir. I worked night shifts at a diner and morning shifts at a laundromat."
"And yet you were late with your rent three times last year," he noted coldly.
I felt a flash of defensive anger spark in my chest. "I do everything I can to provide for my daughter, Mr. Castalano. I don't ask for charity, and I don't make excuses. Today was an emergency. If you are going to terminate my employment, please just do it so I can go find another job."
Vincent raised an eyebrow—the exact same eyebrow Mia had mocked hours earlier. "Did I say I was firing you?"
I blinked, thrown off balance. "No... but..."
"You are a hard worker, Elena. Mrs. Gable speaks very highly of your thoroughness and your honesty," Vincent said smoothly. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sleek black folder. "I am making changes to the security and management of this estate. Starting tomorrow, your duties as a housekeeper are concluded."
My heart sank instantly. "Sir, please—"
"You are being reassigned," he interrupted, sliding the black folder across the desk toward me. "As my personal household coordinator. Your salary will be doubled. You will have full health benefits, including coverage for your daughter."
I stared at the folder, then looked up at him in complete shock. "Doubled? I... I don't understand. Why?"
Vincent stood up, walking over to the wide glass window that overlooked the manicured gardens below. "This estate requires someone trustworthy to manage the internal affairs, the staff schedules, and the private events. But more importantly, I require someone who does not lie to me out of fear."
He turned back to face me, his dark silhouette framed by the setting sun. "You spoke to me with honesty today, despite being terrified. I value that."
"What about Mia?" I managed to ask, my voice barely a whisper.
"She will have a private nanny provided by the estate during your working hours," Vincent stated plainly. "She will not be hidden in laundry rooms like a criminal."
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, but I forced them down. "Thank you, Mr. Castalano. I... I don't know what to say."
"Say you accept the position," he said.
"I accept," I answered without hesitation.
May you like
"Good. You start at seven tomorrow morning." He picked up his pen again, dismissing me. "You may go."
I took the black folder and walked out of the study, my head spinning. But as I closed the heavy double doors behind me, I didn't see the shadow standing at the end of the dark hallway—watching me with eyes full of quiet, venomous rage.
