Sophia Chen adjusted her uniform in the mirror of the staff bathroom. The black dress with white trim felt like a costume, which, in a way, it was. She smoothed a wrinkle, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. The woman staring back at her looked nothing like Dr. Sophia Chen, PhD in Quantum Computing and former lead researcher at MIT's Advanced AI Lab.
That woman had disappeared six months ago when Nexus Technologies stole her research and framed her for data theft.
"You can do this," she whispered to her reflection. "Just until you find proof."
A knock at the door made her jump.
"Miss Chen? Mrs. Harrington wants all new staff in the main foyer in five minutes." The voice belonged to the head housekeeper, a stern woman who'd already made it clear that tardiness wouldn't be tolerated in the Sterling household.
"Coming," Sophia called, taking one last look at herself. The uniform fit well enough, though it felt strange after years of lab coats and casual clothes. But it was perfect camouflage. No one would look twice at a maid, especially not Ethan Sterling, whose company had acquired Nexus Technologies three months ago.
The same Ethan Sterling whose neural interface technology she'd been tracking with growing alarm.
Sophia made her way through the sprawling mansion, a modernist masterpiece of glass and steel perched on a cliff overlooking Puget Sound. The place was obscenely beautiful, all clean lines and breathtaking views, with art pieces worth more than her entire life's earnings casually displayed in every room.
She found the other new staff members already assembled in the foyer—two housekeepers, a groundskeeper, and a cook. Mrs. Harrington, the household manager, stood before them with a tablet, her silver hair pulled into a tight bun.
"As I was saying," Mrs. Harrington continued as Sophia slipped into line, "the Sterling household operates with absolute precision. Mrs. Sterling expects perfection. Mr. Sterling expects efficiency and, above all, privacy."
Sophia nodded along with the others, mentally cataloging the layout of the house, noting security cameras and access points. Somewhere in this mansion was evidence that would clear her name, proof that Nexus had stolen her quantum encryption algorithm before selling to Sterling Innovations.
"The east wing is Mr. Sterling's private area. None of you are to enter without explicit permission, with the exception of Miss Chen, who will be responsible for its maintenance."
Sophia's heart skipped. She hadn't expected such direct access.
"Me?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Mrs. Harrington raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Mr. Sterling's previous housekeeper left rather... abruptly. You come highly recommended from the Andersons." She checked her tablet. "Four years with them?"
"Yes, ma'am." The lie came easily. The reference was fabricated, courtesy of a former colleague who owed her a favor.
"Very well. You'll..."
The security system chimed, and Mrs. Harrington glanced at her tablet. "Mr. Sterling is home earlier than expected. He's not usually here during staff orientation." She straightened her already impeccable posture. "Remember what I said about first impressions."
Sophia's pulse quickened. She wasn't prepared to face him so soon. She needed time to access his systems, plant her monitoring devices, search for evidence. Meeting him now risked everything if he somehow recognized her from academic circles.
The front door opened, and Ethan Sterling walked in.
Sophia had seen him before, of course, in news articles, tech journals, the occasional television interview. But those images hadn't captured the sheer presence of the man. Tall and lean, with the coiled energy of someone perpetually in motion. Dark hair slightly disheveled, as if he'd been running his hands through it. Eyes the color of storm clouds, currently narrowed in what appeared to be pain.
He stopped short when he saw them, his gaze sweeping over the assembled staff before landing on Sophia. Something flickered across his face, recognition? Impossible. They'd never met.
"Mr. Sterling," Mrs. Harrington stepped forward. "We weren't expecting you until this evening. I'm just orienting the new staff."
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he continued staring at Sophia, his expression shifting from surprise to something she couldn't quite identify.
"Mr. Sterling?" Mrs. Harrington prompted.
He blinked, seeming to remember himself. "Sorry. Headache." His voice was deeper than Sophia had expected, with a slight rasp. "Carry on."
He moved to walk past them toward the east wing, but Mrs. Harrington, apparently determined to follow protocol, began introductions.
"This is Mr. Patel, our new groundskeeper. Mrs. Lopez, who will assist in the kitchen. Mr. Diaz and Mrs. Washington, household staff. And Miss Chen, who will be maintaining your private wing."
Ethan nodded absently at each person until Mrs. Harrington mentioned Sophia. Then he turned fully toward her, that strange expression returning.
"Miss Chen," he repeated, studying her face.
Sophia lowered her eyes, the way a proper servant might. "Sir."
"Have we met before?" he asked.
Her heart stuttered. "No, sir. I don't believe so."
He took a step closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne, something expensive but subtle, with notes of cedar. "You look familiar."
"I have one of those faces," she offered with a small smile, desperately hoping he wouldn't make the connection to her academic publications or conference presentations.
Ethan opened his mouth as if to say something, then winced, pressing his fingers to his temple. When he spoke again, his words seemed to surprise even him.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
The statement hung in the air, shocking in its bluntness. Mrs. Harrington's mouth fell open. The other staff members exchanged glances. Sophia felt heat rush to her face.
Ethan looked equally startled, his eyes widening as if he couldn't believe what he'd just said. He took a step back, that pained expression intensifying.
"I apologize," he said stiffly. "That was... inappropriate."
Mrs. Harrington recovered first. "Perhaps you should rest, sir. Dr. Chen mentioned you might be experiencing side effects from your medication."
Dr. Chen? Sophia's attention sharpened. Not her, obviously—another Chen. But medication? Side effects? She filed the information away for later investigation.
"Yes," Ethan agreed, still looking uncomfortable. "Side effects. Excuse me."
He turned and strode quickly toward the east wing, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
Mrs. Harrington cleared her throat. "Mr. Sterling has been unwell. Please disregard that... outburst." She gave Sophia a look that somehow managed to be both sympathetic and suspicious. "Miss Chen, perhaps we should reassign your duties."
"No," Sophia said quickly, too quickly. She moderated her tone. "I mean, I'm not offended. If Mr. Sterling is unwell, he probably needs consistency in his staff. I'm happy to continue as assigned."
Mrs. Harrington studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. But if there are any further... incidents, you'll report them to me immediately."
"Of course."
As the orientation continued, Sophia's mind raced. Something was wrong with Ethan Sterling—something beyond a simple headache or medication side effects. The way he'd blurted out that compliment had been almost involuntary, followed by genuine shock and discomfort.
And that reference to Dr. Chen... Could it be related to Sterling Innovations' neural interface project? The timing aligned with rumors she'd heard about accelerated testing.
By the time orientation ended and she was shown to her quarters, a small but comfortable room in the staff wing, Sophia had formulated a new plan. Whatever was happening with Ethan Sterling might be connected to her stolen research. And his strange behavior might provide the opening she needed.
She unpacked her few belongings, carefully removing a false bottom from her suitcase to reveal her real tools: a custom tablet with advanced hacking software, miniature surveillance devices, and a quantum encryption module of her own design.
Tomorrow, she would begin her real work. But first, she needed to understand what was happening to Ethan Sterling, and why he couldn't seem to lie.