As I rounded the corner back into the main hallway, I almost dropped the dustpan when I saw Madam Stella standing there, waiting. Her expression was unreadable, as always, but her arms were crossed, a silent sign of disapproval or... contemplation. I couldn't tell which unnerved me more.
"Well?" she asked, her gaze narrowing.
"It's clean," I said quickly. "Everything's in order."
She looked at me for a long beat, then nodded slowly. "Good. You'll return tomorrow. Same time. There's more to be done."
I stiffened. "Tomorrow?"
"Unless you'd prefer to go back to scrubbing bathroom tiles," she said coolly, already turning away. "Be on time."
And just like that, she was gone again, a wisp of mystery in her wake.
Back in my tiny room, I sank onto the edge of the bed, the air heavy with unanswered questions. Elias's warning echoed in my ears. Be careful. But how could I be careful in a place where every corner held secrets and every conversation felt like a test? I thought of how he would feel when he finds out of Liam's betrayal, I could only hear their voices back then, but I couldn't see their faces, I'm glad I didn't, it would means trouble if I did.
I barely slept that night, tossing and turning as dreams of shadowed corridors and Elias's voice haunted my mind. Why am I bothered about him, he's not my problem, I'm here to raise money for mother's treatment, he shouldn't be a problem, I've face bigger problem than this. The next morning, I dragged myself from bed, dressed in silence, and made my way to the west wing again.
The hallway felt even colder this time. The locked door loomed at the end like a sentry guarding something sacred, or dangerous.
When I stepped inside the study, I was surprised to find that someone had been there after me. The books were rearranged. A chair was pulled slightly away from the desk. And in the middle of the floor, lying like an accusation, was a photograph.
I knelt to pick it up, heart racing.
It was a faded picture, clearly old. A younger Elias stood beside a man I didn't recognize, tall, with striking eyes and an almost cruel smile. Behind them was the very same study I stood in now, but it looked warmer back then. Lived in. Less haunted.
I turned the photograph over.
Liam & Elias – Summer '17.
Liam. The name struck like a lightning bolt.
Elias's brother.
The one from the betrayal.
My hands trembled as I stared at the photo. "WOW this must be him, he's the younger one, how could he do that to his own sibling" I soliloquized as I gently placed the photograph on the desk.
I barely had time to think before the door creaked open again.
This time, it wasn't Elias.
It was a man I had never seen before, but I knew instantly who he was, a sad expression filled my heart and face, why I felt this way, I couldn't tell.
"Hello," he said with a slow, calculating smile. "You must be Kaitlyn. I've heard so much about you."
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click that sounded far too final.
"I'm Liam," he said, eyes glinting like polished steel. "And I think it's time we had a little chat."
"Good day, Sire....I ..I ...I am here to clean" I said stuttering.
He gave an usual and cruel smirk, just like the one I saw in the pictures, he had a dark eye lining beneath and a very masculine and cold voice like the ones I've heard of a villain in the cartoons I've watched while growing up. I really couldn't tell why I had so much resentment towards him and so much pity for Elias.
"No..it's alright, you can clean, I'll do the talking, please don't mind me" he said laughing like he had learnt how to laugh.
"You're married? Please pardon my manners, but your predecessors in this job always appeared to be married or betrothed to someone, somewhere" he said adjusting his ties and crossed his leg in a manner I couldn't detect.
"I am not married, Sire"
"Oh! Cut that crap of reference, I told you my name is Liam...Liam ..Liam okay?" He said temperamental
I got shocked and stood up immediately apologizing repeatedly "so sorry"
"Yeah it's alright, I get that all the time, I can't get upset with you beautiful" he said drawing closer to me.
"You must know Elias...my elder brother, the grumpy one?"
"Yes I do" I said nodding in respect.
"You're doing that reverence thing again, oh I guess it's just your life, it's fine" he said waving it off with his hands.
"Don't get too close to Elias, I noticed something recently, that flirting glare he gives to you, just don't.."
"I'm business minded" I interrupted
"Good, good girl, I love good girls" he said
"Then we'll see some other time, maybe here or maybe you serving me breakfast okay, first thing tomorrow morning? ... right Kaitlyn?"
"I'm the janitor " I said, opposing
" Well be my chef just for tomorrow, we have to be good friends, no one refuses Liam and you have to learn that" he said walking out furiously, still maintaining his composure.
" This is hard" I said biting my lips in frustration as I left the study to report the issue to Madam Stella.
*******
"Just do what he wants Kaitlyn, he's always like this, quite demanding, he means no harm okay, you serve him the wine over there, while the chef makes his breakfast" She said while patting my shoulder.
The next morning I took him breakfast and he made me stay, sit and watch till he was done eating, while telling me jokes unrelated to things I know. I scoffed and sighed as i closed his door gently, hoping this doesn't reoccur.
As I walked down the hallway, I saw Elias having breakfast at the grand dining hall, I walked quietly trying not to interrupt his breakfast, but he surprisingly finds a way of spotting my movement.
"I'm done, come pack mine too" I could smell the detest he had for me being in Liam's room and I thought to myself he sees me as other girls, but why do I need his validation.
" Okay Elias"
"Elias? Oh someone has grown massive wings" he said staring fiercely at me.
"I'm sorry sire, I didn't meaAs I rounded the corner back into the main hallway, I almost dropped the dustpan when I saw Madam Stella standing there, waiting. Her expression was unreadable, as always, but her arms were crossed, a silent sign of disapproval or... contemplation. I couldn't tell which unnerved me more.
"Well?" she asked, her gaze narrowing.
"It's clean," I said quickly. "Everything's in order."
She looked at me for a long beat, then nodded slowly. "Good. You'll return tomorrow. Same time. There's more to be done."
I stiffened. "Tomorrow?"
"Unless you'd prefer to go back to scrubbing bathroom tiles," she said coolly, already turning away. "Be on time."
And just like that, she was gone again, a wisp of mystery in her wake.
Back in my tiny room, I sank onto the edge of the bed, the air heavy with unanswered questions. Elias's warning echoed in my ears. Be careful. But how could I be careful in a place where every corner held secrets and every conversation felt like a test? I thought of how he would feel when he finds out of Liam's betrayal, I could only hear their voices back then, but I couldn't see their faces, I'm glad I didn't, it would means trouble if I did.
I barely slept that night, tossing and turning as dreams of shadowed corridors and Elias's voice haunted my mind. Why am I bothered about him, he's not my problem, I'm here to raise money for mother's treatment, he shouldn't be a problem, I've face bigger problem than this. The next morning, I dragged myself from bed, dressed in silence, and made my way to the west wing again.
The hallway felt even colder this time. The locked door loomed at the end like a sentry guarding something sacred, or dangerous.
When I stepped inside the study, I was surprised to find that someone had been there after me. The books were rearranged. A chair was pulled slightly away from the desk. And in the middle of the floor, lying like an accusation, was a photograph.
I knelt to pick it up, heart racing.
It was a faded picture, clearly old. A younger Elias stood beside a man I didn't recognize, tall, with striking eyes and an almost cruel smile. Behind them was the very same study I stood in now, but it looked warmer back then. Lived in. Less haunted.
I turned the photograph over.
Liam & Elias – Summer '17.
Liam. The name struck like a lightning bolt.
Elias's brother.
The one from the betrayal.
My hands trembled as I stared at the photo. "WOW this must be him, he's the younger one, how could he do that to his own sibling" I soliloquized as I gently placed the photograph on the desk.
I barely had time to think before the door creaked open again.
This time, it wasn't Elias.
It was a man I had never seen before, but I knew instantly who he was, a sad expression filled my heart and face, why I felt this way, I couldn't tell.
"Hello," he said with a slow, calculating smile. "You must be Kaitlyn. I've heard so much about you."
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click that sounded far too final.
"I'm Liam," he said, eyes glinting like polished steel. "And I think it's time we had a little chat."
"Good day, Sire....I ..I ...I am here to clean" I said stuttering.
He gave an usual and cruel smirk, just like the one I saw in the pictures, he had a dark eye lining beneath and a very masculine and cold voice like the ones I've heard of a villain in the cartoons I've watched while growing up. I really couldn't tell why I had so much resentment towards him and so much pity for Elias.
"No..it's alright, you can clean, I'll do the talking, please don't mind me" he said laughing like he had learnt how to laugh.
"You're married? Please pardon my manners, but your predecessors in this job always appeared to be married or betrothed to someone, somewhere" he said adjusting his ties and crossed his leg in a manner I couldn't detect.
"I am not married, Sire"
"Oh! Cut that crap of reference, I told you my name is Liam...Liam ..Liam okay?" He said temperamental
I got shocked and stood up immediately apologizing repeatedly "so sorry"
"Yeah it's alright, I get that all the time, I can't get upset with you beautiful" he said drawing closer to me.
"You must know Elias...my elder brother, the grumpy one?"
"Yes I do" I said nodding in respect.
"You're doing that reverence thing again, oh I guess it's just your life, it's fine" he said waving it off with his hands.
"Don't get too close to Elias, I noticed something recently, that flirting glare he gives to you, just don't.."
"I'm business minded" I interrupted
"Good, good girl, I love good girls" he said
"Then we'll see some other time, maybe here or maybe you serving me breakfast okay, first thing tomorrow morning? ... right Kaitlyn?"
"I'm the janitor " I said, opposing
" Well be my chef just for tomorrow, we have to be good friends, no one refuses Liam and you have to learn that" he said walking out furiously, still maintaining his composure.
" This is hard" I said biting my lips in frustration as I left the study to report the issue to Madam Stella.
*******
"Just do what he wants Kaitlyn, he's always like this, quite demanding, he means no harm okay, you serve him the wine over there, while the chef makes his breakfast" She said while patting my shoulder.
The next morning I took him breakfast and he made me stay, sit and watch till he was done eating, while telling me jokes unrelated to things I know. I scoffed and sighed as i closed his door gently, hoping this doesn't reoccur.
As I walked down the hallway, I saw Elias having breakfast at the grand dining hall, I walked quietly trying not to interrupt his breakfast, but he surprisingly finds a way of spotting my movement.
"I'm done, come pack mine too" I could smell the detest he had for me being in Liam's room and I thought to myself he sees me as other girls, but why do I need his validation.
" Okay Elias"
"Elias? Oh someone has grown massive wings" he said staring fiercely at me.