Elena's grip on the envelope tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Victoria Hale. The name was whispered in the mansion corridors like a curse. She wasn't just Adrian's ex-fiancée—she was a powerful businesswoman in her own right, glamorous, ruthless, and still bitter over their very public breakup.
And now she stood in front of Elena, heels clicking like gunshots on the marble floor, lips curved in a mocking smile.
"Hand it over, little maid," Victoria drawled, her eyes sharp as daggers. "I'll see that Adrian gets it."
Elena swallowed hard. "N-no. Mr. King told me to deliver it personally to the president of Hamilton Corporation."
Victoria's smile didn't falter, but her eyes darkened. "Do you think Adrian would rather trust you—a nobody from the gutter—than me? I was by his side for years. I know his business better than anyone. He'll be furious when he finds out you defied me."
Her voice was sugar-sweet, but Elena felt the venom underneath.
She's testing me, Elena realized. If I hand it over, I'll fail Adrian's trust. If I refuse, I'll make an enemy out of her.
Her heart thudded painfully.
For a moment, she thought about Liam. His schoolbooks, his hungry little smile. She couldn't afford to be fired. She had no choice.
Elena drew a shaky breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Hale, but I can't give this to you. Mr. King's orders were clear."
The air between them crackled with tension.
Victoria's smile turned razor-sharp. "How quaint. The maid has a backbone."
She stepped closer, her perfume expensive and suffocating. "Do you even know who you're working for? Adrian King doesn't care about loyalty. You're just another disposable servant in his empire. Trust me, I know."
Her words sliced through Elena like knives, but she forced her chin up. "Maybe. But right now, I still have a job. And I intend to keep it."
She sidestepped Victoria and marched toward the office door, her heart hammering in her chest.
Victoria's heels clicked sharply as she followed, her voice icy. "You'll regret this."
---
The president of Hamilton Corporation was a stout man with silver hair and a warm smile. He accepted the envelope graciously, nodding. "Mr. King trusts you to deliver this? That's… impressive."
Elena flushed. "I-I'm just doing my job, sir."
But the praise gave her a flicker of pride. Maybe she wasn't completely useless after all.
As she turned to leave, though, Victoria was waiting outside the office, arms crossed, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Well, well," she purred. "Looks like you actually did it. But let's see how long you last."
---
The trap was sprung at lunch.
Elena returned to the mansion exhausted, hoping for a moment of peace. Instead, she found herself summoned to the grand dining hall.
The long mahogany table was set with fine china and glittering silverware, chandeliers blazing overhead. Adrian sat at the head of the table, looking as cold and untouchable as ever.
And to Elena's horror—Victoria sat beside him.
Her red dress shimmered under the lights, her smile poised and perfect. She looked every inch the queen she believed herself to be.
Elena froze in the doorway. What is she doing here?
Adrian's gaze flicked to her. "You're late."
She stumbled forward, cheeks burning. "S-sorry, sir."
Victoria's laugh was like broken glass. "Oh, Adrian. Is this your new maid? The one who thought she could outsmart me today?"
Elena's blood ran cold.
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly, shifting between the two women. "Explain."
Victoria leaned forward, her tone honey-sweet. "Your little maid refused to give me the envelope. Imagine my shock when she implied she trusted your word over mine." She pressed a manicured hand to her chest dramatically. "It almost felt like betrayal."
Adrian's gaze pinned Elena. "Is this true?"
Elena's palms sweated. Her voice wavered. "Y-yes, sir. You told me to deliver it personally, and I… I followed your instructions."
Silence fell over the room. Adrian's eyes lingered on her, unreadable, while Victoria smirked triumphantly, as though expecting Elena to be dismissed on the spot.
But instead, Adrian leaned back in his chair. "Good."
Victoria blinked. "What?"
"She followed my orders. That's what matters." His voice was firm, final.
Elena nearly collapsed with relief.
But Victoria's eyes blazed, though her smile didn't falter. "Of course, darling. Always so loyal, isn't she?"
The rest of the meal was torture. Elena stood awkwardly behind Adrian's chair, serving wine and dishes, while Victoria's sly comments pricked at her like needles.
"So clumsy. Look, Adrian, she almost spilled again."
"Poor thing, probably never seen silverware this expensive."
"Imagine trusting someone like that with important tasks."
Elena clenched her fists, biting her tongue until it nearly bled. She couldn't fight back. Not here, not with Adrian watching.
But her silence only seemed to amuse Victoria more.
---
When the meal finally ended, Adrian dismissed everyone. Elena gathered plates with shaking hands, praying to escape unnoticed.
But as she reached the doorway, Victoria's voice rang out.
"Tell me, maid," she said sweetly, "do you honestly think Adrian will ever see you as anything more than… dirt beneath his shoes?"
The words stabbed Elena's chest. She froze, unable to answer.
Adrian's gaze flicked to her, then back to Victoria. His expression remained impassive, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Enough," he said coldly.
Victoria tilted her head, smiling like a cat who'd cornered a mouse. "Of course, darling. Just making conversation."
Elena fled the hall, heart pounding, shame and anger swirling inside her.
---
Later that evening, she sat on her narrow bed, hugging her knees. Her mind replayed Victoria's cutting words over and over.
Do you honestly think Adrian will ever see you as anything more than dirt beneath his shoes?
She told herself she didn't care. Adrian was her boss, nothing more. She didn't want him to see her as anything else.
But deep down, a tiny voice whispered…
Then why does it hurt so much?
---
Meanwhile, in his study, Adrian poured himself a glass of scotch. Victoria's voice echoed in his mind, but it wasn't her words that lingered.
It was Elena's stubborn little face, clutching that envelope like her life depended on it.
For the first time in years, something stirred inside him—something dangerous.
Curiosity.
And interest.
End of Chapter Four.