Night dawned on the Stone's Main Villa where the couple stays. All of them are in black and the sadness inside it was all too heartbreaking. There won't be any jolly strict Madame who will order them around now. No more smiling figure behind the Master's bedroom every weekend. No more Mrs. Nehemia Stone. One of the new servants asked the oldest maid in the villa, "Excuse me, Mrs. Marie, but who are we mourning for? The curtains have been changed to black, our clothes, the bright colors of the mattresses and doilies but not a coffin nor an urn displayed?"
As they were heading to the front yard, Mrs. Marie, the oldest maid explained, "Child, in this business, nobody knows that the Madame has died. And none shall spread that news. Because another Madame will soon be here after the mourning."
"A new Madame?" Amy's brows furrowed. "Will master marry instantly?"
"Aye,"
"But... "
"Hush, marriage is all for business for others. We wouldn't know for sure unless we see it so just shush now and attend to your orders."
They both cleaned up the fallen leaves in the front yard. Winter was fast approaching giving a chilly air around the Villa which was located on top of a hill in an exclusive subdivision.
This Villa was erected just a few years ago by the master and barely has visitors except for the Madame who married him five years ago.
But neither him nor she stayed too long in the villa so the servants never formed any sense of affection towards their employers.
Inside the wide villa, the twin staircase leads up to eight bedrooms on the sides. Each one embracing nobility and elegance in design with knots and carved patterns on the wooden doors and knobs. At the end of the hallway stood the master's bedroom that was rarely occupied. The whole room could fit almost a family of four's whole apartment. There was even a center table in the middle of the room. The king-sized bed was facing the ceiling to floor window with white curtains sheltering the whole bed. The maids have always been asked to change the sheets but knew it was never used. They all knew their madame and their master slept separately in the guestrooms even if they hide it. They never sensed any real affection between Mr. and Mrs. Stone. Now that one would never go back in the villa, they aren't expecting any great changes. Or so they thought...
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"Where is the CEO?! We need answers, she has been out of the country for weeks now. Who is going to lead this company?"
A thin old man coughed angrily at the board of directors on the meeting room of the Stone Inc.'s building. The directors fell in a sea of arguments as they try to carry their own names in the spotlight.
"I own 15% of the shares here and I am very close to Nehemia. I can take over her work!" it was a female director with a sly smile aiming for something more than the CEO's job.
"Rubbish! There are two more people who own 15% shares here and Mrs. Stone has never even revealed any news about your friendship."
Truly currying favor with each other is a dirty job and the directors just want to get hold of the position of CEO. Since nobody was even close to Mrs. Stone, nobody knows who can also be appointed by the board. This also resulted to the uncertainty that none among them can argue against another when it comes to their relationship with the CEO. Nobody was close enough.
"Silence!" Maia's voice was loud and clear. Her penetrating gaze scanned the room.
"Excuse me! But you are just the secretary-"
"And I hold Mrs. Stones records and all the files of this company. Everything she wants to do is sent through me. Mrs. Stone signed a letter a decade ago. Her attorney will be reading it on Monday."
"We don't have anything to do with her letter. It's the company we are talking about." sneered the thin woman as she sized up Maia at the center of the table.
"And I thought you were close? Now you are not interested what she has written on her letter? Interesting." Maia retorted. The woman shut her mouth since she got caught by her own tongue. The other directors inside the room agreed to wait for the will before deciding who to vote as CEO.
"Young girl, since you knew most of the ins and outs of this company, we expect that you are running it the time Mrs. Stone went missing. You better keep it steady until this storm passes." the oldest of the directors told her.
She sighed heavily and looked outside the window. "I did. And trust me, I will."
After the last member of the board has left the meeting room, the telephone in the room rang.
"Ms. Maia, a guy named Daemon is looking for you an hour ago and is waiting for your meeting to end. Shall I send him in?" the secretary's voice was almost squeaking like a mouse cowering in fear. Maia knows how the presence of this man can affect anyone. His aura was too domineering, too cold, too aloof for anyone to go near. Add the scar on his right brow that had been because of a fight or something. Who knows where Mr. Stone has picked up this new Butler of his who seems more of an assassin.
"Let him in."
The door instantly opened as if the man couldn't wait any longer.
"Took you long enough to let me in." he spoke as he stared at her intently at the other side of the room.
"What is it this time? " it was a direct question and no beating around the bush. She had enough problems for the day and this one wants to add more? "I came for you. Let's go."
"Where?" She blinked twice thinking she might have misheard him.
He went in strides in front of her and held her shoulders. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Mr. Stone asked for you."
"I already sent the files he needed regarding his wife." She softly removed his hands on her shoulders feeling awkward with his sudden closeness.
"He told me to fetch his wife." His tone became cold and his eyes searching in her own.
Her heart raced fast as her hands went cold. He sensed her uneasiness and he walked nearer while whispering to her.
"So, ready to go home again...Mrs. Stone?" Her eyes went wide in fear as she bit her lower lip. 'He knows. He definitely knows.' she grabbed his arm fast and twisted it with all the strength she could muster.
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