The Leviste hacienda was a place of grandeur and secrets. Its gardens were a facade of calm, blooming with hibiscus and jasmine. The house itself whispered stories through its high ceilings and century-old walls.
It stood as a towering symbol of wealth and influence, its grandeur casting an imposing shadow over the skyline. The Leviste hacienda was where only the elite could gather, at the top of the food chain, and the upper echelons of society. Your affluence could only be measured by your ability to be in the Leviste residence.
Being in the Leviste hacienda was the dream for most socialites, but only the cream of the crop could make it through. The godfathers, the politicians, and the socialites who measured power in whispers. A mere word from one of the elites could affect the lives of thousands. This was the haven for the decision-makers.
Tonight, the hacienda was bustling with life and activity. The maids rushed around the hall, refilling the empty champagne glasses of the elite. The grand hall was bustling with life and activity. It was the perfect show of glamour and elegance. Gorgeous and expensive gowns trailed around the dance floor, the dignified ladies showing off their elegance in grand style. It was a work of art.
Camilla moved through the halls like a ghost, silent and unnoticed, except by one.
Rafael Leviste watched her from across the hall. The chattering around seemed to freeze as his gaze stalked her like a hawk. Camilla moved around the hall in her shabby maid attire, serving wine and drinks to the overdressed people.
She was out of place, surrounded by the elite. They were at the top of the food chain, and she was only a bottom feeder. Her black and white uniform contrasted with the elegantly dressed females in the hall. She stuck out like a sore thumb.
There was an irresistible pull in his chest every time he saw her. The way she fidgeted with the hem of her dress and how her eyes widened slightly when she almost spilled champagne. Everything about her was magical and enchanting.
He was attracted to her naivety and unrefined nature. Her unpolished and wild aura drew him in. She was a breath of fresh air from all the fake people he was surrounded by. Life was a game of chess to the elite. Forced and practiced smiles, cold and calculating gazes. Always plotting and scheming. But Camila smiled warmly and gazed earnestly. She was his escape from his cruel reality.
He, an heir of the Leviste dynasty, knew that loving her was dangerous. But he also knew it was a lost battle, for he was already too far gone. Camilla was done refilling a glass, and she finally gazed in his direction. She blushed when she noticed his eyes were already on her. She tried to hide the blush that crept on her cheek as she hurriedly looked away from him and continued with her work as her heart pounded wildly with excitement.
She looked up at him again, and he tapped his wristwatch with his finger and winked. It was a silent reminder and promise of what was to come. She nodded subtly and smiled before another wave of demands from the guest swamped her with work.
A clicking sound of glass echoed in the hall as all the hushed whispers and discussions quietened as soon as they saw who was soliciting their attention.
Lenora Leviste. The current head of the Leviste empire. A woman of timber and caliber. She had piercing brown eyes that seemed to cut through everything in the room. She had fine lines and a few soft wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth, with streaks of grey hair lining her previously brown hair. She stood at the center of the room in her elegant black dress and held up a glass. Her presence was as commanding and imposing as always. She stood tall and proud.
"I have an important announcement to make," she began in a calm and authoritative voice. "Tonight's celebration is to announce the union of my great family, the Leviste family, with the Beaufort family."
Gasps of astonishment filled the hall as murmurs of surprise echoed. The two most powerful families in their region were uniting. The Leviste family was untouchable, and now their union with the Beaufort family has increased their reach and made them an unstoppable force, a true powerhouse. Affluence and politics uniting.
"A toast to Amelia Beaufort and my son," Lenora allowed her silence to linger for a while as the hall was plunged into guessing games. Would it be Damien, the older son, or Rafael the younger one, who would have the privilege of marrying the only child of the Beaufort family? They all held their breath in anticipation.
"Rafael Leviste!" Lenora said to the anticipating guests. As soon as she said that, Damien stormed out of the hall, visibly vexed by their mother's decision. She had boycotted him for his younger brother again.
"Cheers!" The crowd roared in unison as they downed their drinks in one gulp. The people closest to Rafael began congratulating him, but he was too stunned to respond.
"What the hell was his mother thinking? Why would she announce his engagement without his knowledge?" He wondered. She did not even give him the courtesy of informing him about such arrangements.
His eyes inadvertently went up to meet Camilla's broken-hearted expression. She tried so hard to blink back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.
"What was I expecting?" She thought as she used her sleeves to wipe her tears. "Did I think an heir to the Leviste empire would fall for a maid like me? How foolish."
Rafael's gaze remained on Camilla as she rushed out of the hall, with tears glossing her eyes. No matter how much he wanted to rush to her and console her, he could not leave now as he was swarmed by people who congratulated him. Their fake smiles and calculating eyes were not lost on him. They would try to ingratiate themselves into his life now that he had become even more powerful, such parasitic leeches.
Soon, the laughter and spectacle in the ballroom died out, and he was free to look for the woman he loved. He hoped she would show up at their meeting spot. He hurriedly went to the stables under the cover of night and was waiting patiently.
"What would he do if she did not show up?" He thought. The sad and broken expression on her face, when his engagement was announced, was something he could not get out of his mind, no matter how much he tried. If she did not show up, he would go to the servant quarters to look for her. Consequences be damned.
A sudden rustling by the bushes drew his attention. He stood up and scanned his surroundings wearily, but then, a familiar figure approached him. A relieved breath escaped him as he walked hurriedly to Camilla. The maid who owned his heart. He embraced Amber and allowed the hug to last a little longer. He thought he had lost her completely after the stunt his mother pulled at the party.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I thought I lost you." He said, relaxing his hold and peering into her eyes.
"I came here to say goodbye," Camilla whispered sadly. "I have always known there was no place for me in your world, and now you are getting married. I cannot come between you and the woman you love or your happiness."
"You are my happiness, Camilla. I did not know my mother would pull something like this off. I would have stopped her. I want to be with you, Camilla, and I will do whatever it takes to be with you."
He wiped away the stray tears on her face and captured her in a passionate kiss that ignited a fire within them. There was nothing slow or sensual about it. It was fiery and hungry like a man at war against expectations against the life planned for him. It was a kiss filled with promises and the desperation not to lose the one good thing in his life.
Rafael gripped her tightly as he pulled her flush against him. She gasped, and he took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss with hunger that took her breath away. They pulled away breathlessly but surged forward again. Hands roamed and nails and nails dug into fabric and then skin. It was a night filled with pleasure and quiet moans as Camilla's heart trembled, not from fear, but from the weight of what their love meant.
"We can't keep doing this," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his. They lay naked and tangled on the haystack, savoring the euphoric feeling of their passionate encounter.
He cupped her cheek, voice barely a breath. "Then let's stop pretending we can live without it. I love you, Camilla, and it is you that I will spend the rest of my life with. I promise. The next time I make you mine will not be in hiding or in a stable."
He captured her lips again, but this time his thrust was slow and passionate. Filled with a promise.
Neither heard the soft crunch of gravel behind them. Damien Leviste, leaning against a beam in the shadows, smiled without warmth. He had found the crack in his brother's perfect world. And it was shaped like Camilla.