Chapter 5 - Victoria’s Master PlanDown the dimly lit corridor of the second-floor east wing, Victoria Sterling stood by her bedroom window, watching the moonlight glinting off the manicured gardens below.
A soft tap sounded at her door, and her personal assistant, Mrs. Gable, stepped inside.
“You wanted an update, Madam Sterling?” Mrs. Gable asked respectfully.
Victoria turned around, her diamond rings catching the ambient light as she took a slow sip of herbal tea. “Tell me, Gable. How is our little housemaid handling the wolves downstairs?”
“Better than expected,” Mrs. Gable reported with a faint smile. “Serena cornered her in the pantry earlier today, trying to intimidate her. But Maya didn't even blink. And... Mr. Adrian spent over an hour locked in the library with her tonight.”
Victoria’s lips curved into a sharp, triumphant smile. “Good. Very good.”
“If I may ask, Madam...” Mrs. Gable hesitated. “Why Maya? Out of all the girls, why pick a housemaid to disrupt Serena and her mother’s social plotting?”
“Because, Gable, high-society women like Serena are blind to anyone wearing an apron,” Victoria said, her voice dropping into a cold, calculated register. “They think pedigree is armor. They don't realize that true power belongs to the person who holds the ledger. Maya didn't come to Sterling House to find a husband. She came to settle a score. And she is the only woman in Massachusetts sharp enough to bring my nephew Blake down to his knees.”
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“And Adrian?”
“Adrian has been drowning in corporate sharks for five years,” Victoria murmured, looking back toward the library windows. “He needs a queen who knows how to spot a traitor before the blade falls. Maya is that queen.”
