I was still in disbelief as Clara led me to the kitchen. Everything started to look different, and everyone seemed to hold a secret I didn’t know about. All I could see were mafia people. People who could kill me in the blink of an eye.
The only choice I had was to leave this place.
Two days passed so fast—two days of letting the reality sink in. I watched and learned on the job while quietly witnessing and planning everything. I was in a Russian mafia territory.
Night had fallen, and as the new usual, I was to serve Renat. He was mostly unavailable when I served. So I always asked Clara to wait for him since she enjoyed his presence, then I would hide in our dormitory.
Tonight, I was in the kitchen after the other maids had left to serve their respective masters.
One thing I learned was that the mansion wings were divided among the family. But Artur, the boss, had the east wing all to himself.
I perched on the edge of a table in the massive kitchen, the aromas of simmering sauces and freshly baked bread wafting through the air. My stomach grumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten well lately. Twirling pasta on my fork, I took a small bite, but the knot in my throat made swallowing difficult.
Tears pricked my eyes, but I shook them off. There was no time to cry; I had to stay strong. But memories of my quiet dinners back home crept in. I’d give anything to hear Mamma’s soft humming as she cooked or the faint clatter of plates in the sink.
Footsteps snapped me back to reality. My gaze darted up, and my blood ran cold.
Renat’s presence in the kitchen signified one thing. This would not end well.
“You didn’t follow my orders,” he said, his voice low andthreatening.
“What orders?” I asked.
“I want you to be mine,” he said bluntly, stepping closer. His audacity made my stomach churn. How could he act like this after trying to kill me days ago? “Serve me, and I’ll make you my concubine. I’ll even let another woman serve you.”
“Sir,” I said, hoping to end this. “I don’t belong here. My parents are doing everything they can to get me out of this mess.”
His laughter was sharp, devoid of any humor. “You still don’t get it, do you? No one leaves this mansion unless they’re dead. This is private territory. You’re nothing here, Alessia.”
“The boss said—”
“The boss?” Renat interrupted with a mocking tone. “You’re just a maid. But if you behave, I’ll make you more than that. You’ll dine with us, share our table.”
“No, thanks.” I stepped away. “The boss said my parents—”
“Enough!” he barked, his grin vanishing. He closed in on me, his eyes dark with menace. “You know what? Strip,” Renat ordered.
My breath hitched. My gaze snapped to the open door, and I prayed for someone to walk in.
“Sorry?”
“Don’t worry,” he sneered. “No one’s coming. Now, strip for me.”
“No,” I said, my voice wavering. “N-no.”
“What was that?”
“Sir. I was told I am just a maid.”
His lips curled into a wicked smile. “You’re mine. I have the right to see your body whenever I please. Now strip, or I’ll rip those clothes off you myself.”
Panic tightened my chest, and I backed into the kitchen island. My eyes scanned the counters. A spatula was within reach, butclose to it were the knives.
“For the last time, Alessia—”
“No, I’m not stripping.” I had to get a hold of something, a weapon. Twisting my hand behind me to test my strength, I waited until he was distracted before leaning toward the knife.Yes. I could get it. “I’m not yours.”
He took a step forward. I grabbed a knife from its confinement and hid it behind me. Thankfully, he didn’t notice. If he did, he didn’t act like it.