Elara's POV
The car that came for me didn't belong on the streets I called home. Sleek, black, and polished like glass, it drew stares from every neighbor as it pulled up in front of the boarding house. I wanted to disappear, but instead I climbed inside, clutching the strap of my worn bag as if it might anchor me to reality.
The ride was silent, the driver focused, his expression unreadable. My stomach knotted tighter the further we drove, the city's grit giving way to sprawling gates and tree-lined avenues.
When the car finally turned through wrought-iron gates that rose taller than any building I'd ever lived in, my breath caught.
The Veyra villa.
It wasn't just a house—it was a world. Marble steps stretched like something out of a dream, fountains whispered in the courtyard, and tall windows gleamed like watchful eyes. Everything about it said power, money, and danger.
I felt small. Insignificant. Like one wrong step would shatter the illusion that I belonged here.
A maid in a crisp uniform led me inside. The air smelled of polished wood and roses, the walls adorned with art I couldn't begin to understand. I tried to memorize every direction she gave, but my mind spun too fast.
"This way," she said, stopping in front of double doors. "Mr. Veyra will see you now."
My heart jumped. Already?
The doors opened, and there he was. Lucian Veyra, framed by sunlight streaming through tall windows, his suit as perfect as the cold set of his jaw. He looked like he belonged to this place—like it had been built to match him.
His gaze flicked over me, sharp and assessing. "You're here."
"Yes, Mr. Veyra," I whispered, my voice almost breaking.
He studied me for a long moment, then gestured toward a small table where a silver tray waited. "You'll start simple. Meals will be prepared by the kitchen, but sometimes I prefer things delivered directly. Discretion is not a request—it's an order."
I nodded quickly, clutching my hands together to keep them from trembling.
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if testing me, then shifted back to the papers on his desk. Dismissed without another word.
I stepped out, the door clicking shut behind me, and only then let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
I had survived the first meeting.
But as I glanced down the long hallway lined with portraits of Veyras past, I couldn't shake the feeling that this house wasn't just a place to work.
It was a cage.And somehow, I had already stepped inside.