By this time, the day was already breaking, the sun was done taking its bath under the rain and was casually taking it's time to reveal itself, "Lisa" he called out angrily, but then he began smiling again like nothing happened, like he had not just called out her name in a tone that screamed rage
"Why do you have to treat me this way, lisa you know..... I've always loved you, there was never a time I didn't want you to be mine," he paused for a while as if waiting for her to digest everything he was saying, word for word, sentence by sentence slowly a grim smirk formed on his face, "are you happy knowing that I'm sleeping with one of your maids, do you not think it will lead to her disrespecting you and...."
Lisa suddenly cracked down hard, a sharp laugh erupting from her lips and slicing through his self-indulgent speech. He froze mid-sentence, astonished, his words trailing off into silence. But within seconds, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he gave in, chuckling alongside her—though his laughter lacked conviction. "Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm as she smiled down at him. "Sleeping with a maid just to get to me? Wouldn't that be a desperate attempt to stroke your bed-ridden ego.?" She questioned him still smiling, still looking so elegant as ever, John felt poked his ego slapped and he was beginning to find it difficult to control himself, he was trying to mirror her calm with calculated precision, hoping to match an aura that came to her effortlessly, but this only made his situation worse as he felt stupid, she made him feel so stupid without even saying a word
"Lisa....I...." Seemingly bored she interrupted him once again " I'll advise you leave, I do not have time for your boring chatters" Saying this, she turned and walked out of the room with quiet grace, never once looking back, unmoved by the anger in his voice as he called her name.
As soon as she stepped outside the room Edmund was standing outside with two young men, preparing get her bags " deal with him and assemble each and everyone of the maids down to the basement". The sinister smile which had appeared on her lips quickly disappeared " yes ma'am" he responded with a sudden urgency, her back was already turned to him, her stride composed and graceful, gliding forward with that effortless elegance she was known for. She didn't pause, didn't glance back, just continued down the corridor towards the elevator.
At the elevator, two of the boys stood waiting. As she stepped in, one of them wordlessly pressed the button. The motion was so fluid, so exact, it seemed so choreographed, like something they had been doing since childhood. The doors closed without a sound. A hush fell over the space, so absolute it was almost oppressive. The only sound was the low, mechanical hum of the elevator ascending, its movement steady, unhurried. No one spoke. No one needed to. Then, at last, the elevator came to a halt with a soft jolt. The doors slid open.
What greeted them wasn't the expected hallway of light and warmth,it was nothingness. A wide corridor lay ahead, swallowed in pitch darkness, as though no light had ever touched it. There were no flickers, no distant glow just nothingness. And yet, one of the boys stepped forward.
Unflinching, as if darkness had long since lost the power to frighten him, working with lisa was frightening enough. His figure disappeared into the void, and for a moment, there was only silence.Then a click was heard it's sound reverberated, revealing a long hallway passage, although it was dim, you could notice how old the architectural designs were, it looked like it was built in the 1600s with strong looking golden pillars and beautiful decorated golden lamps which was the only source of lighting, large portraits of different people hanging on the walls, with their names written beneath the portraits they all shared the same surname. They were her ancestors, generations that came Long before her. The hallway looked like it was frequently kept tidy even though it looked like it was an abandoned part of the mansion.
Her heels tapped steadily against the floor as she walked down the hallway, the sound echoing softly through the quiet space. Behind her, the two boys followed in silence, their footsteps falling in sync with hers. The corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit and still, giving off a sense of quiet formality. Soon, they stopped in front of a door, plain and unmarked, yet strange in its simplicity, as though it was meant to be overlooked. One of the boys stepped forward and opened it without a word. She walked in calmly. The room beyond was cool and dim, filled with glowing monitors. It was the surveillance room, where every corner of the building could be seen in silence. She carefully sat down and watched footages for a while the boys stood there waiting in solemnity.
As soon as she was done checking what she came for, they silently made their way out of the room and down the hallway, heading toward the basement, the last room tucked away at the very end. The corridor grew dimmer as they walked further, the walls narrowing slightly, lined with old portraits and flickering wall lamps that cast long, wavering shadows along the floor. The air was cooler down there, heavier, as though the space held secrets it had no intention of letting go. The basement door, solid and aged, creaked open to reveal a low-ceilinged room lit by a single hanging bulb that swayed gently as though disturbed by their arrival. The walls were bare concrete, damp in patches, and the faint scent of disinfectant mixed with thue metallic smell of hung in the air.
Inside, all the maids were already gathered. They were on their knees in a scattered line, heads bowed, their faces pale and their bodies trembling. Some clutched their aprons tightly, while others shook uncontrollably, their eyes wide with fear.Without pausing, without softening her tone, she stepped further into the room and spoke her voice calm, but edged with cold authority.
"Who let him in?"
Her words cut through the silence like a blade, and the weight of them seemed to press down even harder on the trembling maids. It seemed as though they found it even more difficult to speak, lines of sweat dropped down from each of them sparing no one except claire the head maid who was a middle aged woman, Edmund who stood behind them cold and expressionless and the two boys she came in with. A faint chuckle escaped her lips as she slowly paced before them, her eyes scanning each face with unsettling calm as though she were reading beneath their expressions, searching for the slightest flicker of guilt or hesitation.
"Are you all really this frightened," she began, her voice laced with a quiet amusement, "or do you think this is some kind of performance... a drama you can act your way out of?"
She paused deliberately, letting her words settle into the silence like dust. Her gaze lingered, sharp and unwavering, taking in every twitch, every shiver, every downcast glance.
"The more time passes," she said softly, almost a whisper, "the worse this becomes for each of you."
Her tone was not raised, yet it held weight an invisible pressure that made the room feel smaller, colder, and more dangerous.
One of the maids shifted nervously, the soft rustle of fabric echoing in the stillness. Another let out a shaky breath, quickly lowering her gaze when her eyes met the woman's. She took another steps to forward, her heels clicking lightly against the concrete floor, the sound sharp in the heavy silence. Stopping just before the nearest maid, she crouched slightly not enough to level with her, but just enough to let her presence loom.
"You do understand," she said, her tone smooth and deliberate, "that silence is as damning as a confession."
No one moved. Even the air felt frozen.
She straightened again, brushing invisible dust from her palm with elegance. "I'm not here to beg for the truth. I don't threaten. I simply allow consequences to unfold exactly as they should."
Turning her back to them, she began walking slowly toward the far end of the room. "So let me ask one more time," she said, this time not turning to face them. "Who. Let. Him. In?" The silence stretched, tight and fragile until a small, choked sob broke it. One of the younger maids, barely older than a teenager, was trembling uncontrollably now, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles were white.
The woman didn't need to look back to know who it was.
She paused in her stride, eyes fixed on each of them once more before speaking again calm, measured, and terrifyingly quiet.
"Very well. We'll start with you."
Lisa stood in the center of the room, her presence alone enough to keep the air rigid. The silence had stretched just long enough to become unbearable, and then softly she spoke.
"Theresa."
A quiet gasp broke from the line of maids.
The woman flinched, barely able to lift her eyes. "Y.....yes ma'am…"
Lisa took a step toward her. "You were on morning shift today. Did you notice anything strange by the service gate?"
Theresa swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "N..n...no, ma'am. I didn't see anything unusual…"
Lisa studied her for a long second. Just enough time to be sure. Then she moved on.
Behind her, Margaret slowly exhaled. Her shoulders loosened, the panic on her face softening into something almost smug. She looked down to hide the smirk curling at the edge of her lips. A faint chuckle escaped her.
Lisa heard it.
She didn't look at her yet.
"I see," she said, tone casual, as though remarking on the weather.
Then, finally, she turned.
"Margaret."