The knock came at 2:17 PM.
Not rushed. Not hesitant. Measured.
Mira wasn't expecting anyone. She hesitated before opening the door.
Impeccably dressed. Cream blouse. Pencil skirt. Sunglasses resting lightly on her head. She looked out of place in the modest apartment corridor — like luxury stepping into poverty without apology.
"Oh," the woman said smoothly. "You must be Mira."
Her tone was sweet.
Too sweet.
Mira didn't open the door wider.
"Yes?"
The woman smiled politely.
"I'm Elise." Elise tilted her head slightly.
"May I come in? Or would you prefer the neighbors overhear?"
A calculated statement. Mira stepped aside reluctantly.
Elise walked in slowly, eyes scanning the apartment without trying to hide her judgment.
"Cozy," she commented lightly.
Mira closed the door.
"Who are you and why are you here?"
Elise turned to face her fully.
Straight to the point.
"I'm here because you're making a mistake."
Mira's fingers tightened slightly at her sides.
"You're not marrying him!" Elise continued calmly. "You're dragging him into something emotional he isn't built for."
Mira's expression went wild. "Wait, who are you!?"
Elise smiled faintly.
"You don't need to know. I just here to remind you not to marry him"
Silence.
The distinction cut cleanly.
Elise continued. "If you go ahead, you will be embarrassed. Remember you are just a MAID!
"You don't understand the world you're stepping into."
Mira met her gaze steadily.
Elise's smile thinned slightly.
"I understand that men like Nathan do not fall in love with women like you."
The words were delivered gently.
Which made them crueler.
Mira inhaled slowly.
"Women like me?"
"Temporary," Elise replied smoothly. "Emotional. Complicated."
She stepped closer.
"You're pregnant. That gives you leverage. But leverage fades."
Mira felt heat rise in her chest.
"I'm not trapping him."
"I know," Elise said calmly. "You're too proud for that. Which is why this is dangerous."
Ellise lowered her voice slightly.
Mira's breath stilled.
"Your past employment. Your finances. Your family history. Everything can be reframed."
The words were soft.
Precise.
"You won't survive that kind of pressure."
Mira refused to look shaken.
"You came here to threaten me?"
"I came here to warn you."
Elise's gaze softened just slightly — but not enough to feel genuine.
"You think this is romantic. The heir choosing the maid."
"And?"
"And you will be the battlefield."
Silence filled the small apartment.
Mira's hand rested protectively over her stomach.
"You don't know him," she said quietly.
Elise laughed lightly.
"I know men like him."
She stepped back slightly, adjusting her sleeve.
"They like intensity. Drama. Emotional challenge."
Her eyes sharpened.
"But they also like power."
"And what happens when you become the one thing that weakens him?"
The implication lingered.
"You're wrong," Mira said firmly.
"Am I?" Elise asked.
"Did he come home to you last night?"
Mira froze.
"He was at a bar."
The statement landed like a stone.
"He didn't touch me," Elise added quickly. "But he was there."
The cruelty wasn't in the lie.
It was in the timing.
Mira's jaw tightened.
"You're lying."
Elise tilted her head.
"Call him."
Silence.
"Go on," she whispered.
Mira didn't move.
Because she didn't want to know.
Elise smiled faintly.
"You see? Doubt grows easily."
She moved toward the door.
"One more thing."
She turned.
"If something happens to that baby under stress…"
Her gaze lowered briefly to Mira's stomach.
"…you'll carry that alone."
The threat was subtle.
Wrapped in concern.
"I'm trying to save you from heartbreak," Elise added softly.
"And him from regret."
She opened the door.
Paused.
"And Mira?"
"Yes?"
"You may have his announcement."
A faint smile.
"But I have his world."
The door closed behind her.
The apartment felt smaller.
Colder.
Mira stood still for a long moment.
Her mind replayed everything.
Bar.
Announcement.
Pressure.
Discredit.
She moved slowly to the couch and sat down.
Her hand resting over her stomach again.
Her breathing uneven.
Was he at a bar?
Why hadn't he told her?
Why hadn't he come straight to her?
Doubt.
It crept in quietly.
And that was exactly what Elise wanted.
Across the city,
Nathan's father sat in his study.
Phone in hand.
"Did she waver?" he asked calmly.
"Yes," Elise replied. "But she's stronger than she looks."
"That can be adjusted."
A pause.
"And Nathan?"
"He chose her last night."
Silence.
Then...
"That will change."
He ended the call.
And for the first time, this was no longer about inheritance.
It was about control.