Chapter 1 - The Cold Command & The Unmasking
The air inside the grand hallway of the Vance Manor froze solid. The glass of vintage Cabernet in Victoria’s hand trembled slightly, but her cruel smile remained etched onto her face.
"Alejandro, darling," Victoria sneered, her voice dripping with artificial warmth as she glided down the mahogany staircase. "Don't mind this useless rodent. The agency sent her this morning. She’s slow, filthy, and doesn't even know how to scrub marble without leaving streaks."
Alejandro Vance didn't move. Standing at six-foot-three in a bespoke Charcoal suit, his posture was as rigid as iron. His pitch-black eyes were locked onto the woman kneeling on the ice-cold floor. Her hands, red and chapped from harshly harsh chemical detergents, clung to a threadbare cleaning rag. Her hair was pulled back into a hasty, frayed bun, concealing her face—but he would recognize that soft curve of her jaw and the distinct cadence of her shallow breathing anywhere.
"Elena..." Alejandro whispered, his voice dangerously low, like thunder rumbling beneath the earth.
Victoria chuckled dryly, taking a slow sip from her glass. "Elena? Is that her name? Honestly, Alejandro, fire her already. Or better yet, let me call security to throw her out into the storm. She doesn't belong in our home."
Elena flinched, pulling her knees closer to her chest. A tear slipped past her eyelashes, splashing onto the soapy water bucket beside her. "P-please... I just need the pay for today... my child—"
"Shut up!" Victoria snapped, her heels clicking violently against the floor as she stepped closer, aiming to kick the bucket toward Elena. "Did I give you permission to speak?"
Clang!
Before Victoria’s designer heel could strike the bucket, Alejandro’s hand caught her by the wrist with crushing force. Wine spilled across Victoria's ivory silk jumpsuit.
"A-Alejandro! What are you doing?!" Victoria shrieked, her eyes widening in shock and pain. "You're hurting me! It’s just a maid!"
Alejandro released her wrist as if touching something toxic. His expression was no longer shocked; it had transformed into something lethal.
Without breaking eye contact with Victoria, he reached inside his jacket, pulled out his dark titanium phone, and pressed speed dial. He placed the phone to his ear, his tone dropping into a deadly whisper that resonated through the cavernous foyer.
"Marcus," Alejandro commanded coldly. "Execute Directive Zero immediately. Freeze every asset tied to the Sterling Group. Evict Victoria’s family from the penthouse by midnight. And get a tactical security team to the manor in five minutes. Anyone who touches my wife leaves in an ambulance."
The glass slipped from Victoria’s fingers, shattering against the marble floor. "W-wife...? What are you talking about, Alejandro?! Your wife died five years ago!"
Alejandro stepped past the stunned heiress and knelt down onto the wet marble. Ignoring the dirt and chemical water soaking into his three-thousand-dollar suit trousers, he reached out his trembling fingers and gently lifted the chin of the maid.
May you like
Elena’s wide, amber eyes met his.
"I looked for you in every corner of the world, Elena," Alejandro said, his voice cracking with an agonizing mixture of fury and heartache. "Who did this to you?"
