Fiona glanced at her with a sneer on her face. Lana knew she'd be in severe danger if she became her maid. Even before they met, Fiona had built an unjustified animosity for her.
"She's already taken; choose another one," he remarked, leaving Fiona with a shocked expression.
"Since when? I mean, I thought Kate was already your personal maid; do you need her?" She asked, giving Lana a sour look.
"Well, not anymore. I can switch to another person at any time. Do you have an issue with that? Because if you do, it would be lovely to leave my mansion for your flat." He frowned, instantly quieting her.
Lana felt uncomfortable standing there. She had not agreed to attend. She bit her lips, fighting the desire she was experiencing. Despite having eaten lunch, it appears that it had little influence on her seeing this, although she was a bit of a heavy eater.
And watching them eat didn't assist her at all. She believed Axel purposefully kept her there to watch them eat. She felt her legs ache and instantly regretted agreeing to be the one to serve him the day before.
She was relieved when Axel finally let her go after their dinner, but she didn't enjoy how he made her hungry on purpose, and she had no freedom to seek food unless it was time to have theirs.
"But, Axel, it's not fair. She appears to be fit to be my maid. I hate to say that, but she is not only attractive, but she is also quite composed." She smirked and sipped from the glass she was holding.
"Fiona, I've known you and your intentions. You want to mistreat her as you normally do, right? Well, get it into your head that she is already taken. You can summon all of the maids and choose one for yourself. I'm done having this conversation with you. "He rose up and walked out of the dining hall.
He directed his guards to notify Jane about the exchange of his personal maids. Fiona, on the other hand, was at the door to the servants' quarters, with a guard next to her.
All of the maids were present, exactly as she had said. Lana stood by Gwen, trying to figure out what was going on. The last time she organized a meeting like this, a maid was punished.
"The reason I called you all here is because I want to pick one of you as my personal maid." She uttered something that made them whisper among themselves.
"What happened to the girl she punished?" Gwen asked Lana, who was buried in thought. She debated if she wanted to punish her or force her to become her maid.
"She died," she replied, leaving Gwen to react in whichever way she wanted. She pondered why a person like Fiona was so nasty. With silence, they all studied Fiona, taking in each person as she passed by. She had an irritated expression on her face, which intensified as her gaze fell on Lana. She noticed Lana whispering something to Gwen.
"Who is that blonde girl beside the brunette, whose name might be Lana, I guess?" She murmured to Jane, who stood near her.
"Her name is Gwendolyn, and she is really close to Lana. I mean, they are friends, Miss." She replied, noting the smile on Fiona's face. She was completely unaware of her actions.
"Bring Gwen to me," she murmured, and Jane bowed slightly before heading towards Lana, whose heart was thumping so quickly. She wondered whether Axel had changed his mind.
She pushed Lana away while maintaining her intense glare and holding onto Gwen. Lana opened her mouth slightly and noticed tears welling up in Gwen's eyes. Not everyone wanted to be with someone as heartless as Fiona.
"From now on, you will only attend to me. Do you understand?" Ignoring the tears in her eyes, she asked. Gwen felt Fiona's claws digging into her flesh, and she gave an abrupt nod.
"you will be fine Gwen." She continued to cry despite Lana's whispers to her. Gwen noticed that everyone was staring at her with sympathy.
"Come with me, your duty starts now!" She walked away from her with a chilly mutter. The guard who accompanied Fiona gave Gwen a warning stare as she brushed away her tears.
Lana was perplexed by her unexpected sense of guilt. She was aware that this was connected to her, The way Fiona had looked at her as soon as she saw her.
"Master please, don't swap me with someone else, i didn't do anything wrong please." Kate got down on one knee and begged. She didn't care what Axel did to her, but she didn't mind because she enjoyed spending time with him.
"You want me to listen to you?" With such composure, he posed the question while glaring at her from his couch. She looked at the marble floor, where she could partially see her reflection.
"As you well aware, Kate, I don't mince words. This is where your work as my personal maid ends. You will now work with the other maids and follow Jane's instructions. Now get out of my room; I'm fucking sick to see you here."
Kate is aware that unless she wants to die, she cannot make him change his decision. After three years of service, he now wants to replace her. Wiping her face, she exited his room and started to reflect.
She recalled spotting Lana from a distance and trailing him into the eating area. This idea incensed her.
"Kate?" Gwen was walking behind Fiona, facing the floor, when Fiona called.
"What happened?" Kate did nothing but cry as she asked again. She made a beseeching gesture by bringing her hands together.
"I have worked for Master Axel for three years, and he got me switched. Please, Miss Fiona, please. I do not wish to be substituted for another person. Help me talk to him, please."
Gwen furrowed her brow, observing Kate's look. She questioned why someone would find pleasure in working as a maid if they weren't compensated well.
"I cannot do that. Although I've spoken with him about him, knowing who he is, he'd rather make me mute or cut off my throat than do that. Simply embrace your fate; it isn't personal in any way. or do not tell me you liked him." When Kate heard that, her eyes grew wide, and she got up fast to wipe the tears from her face.
"No! It's not as you think. He is a great person." Fake smiling, she traced her gaze over to Gwen.
"He is not a great person." She interrupted, turned away, and left Gwen trailing after like a stray kitten. She did not enjoy the idea that Lana would be his new maid. She had even gone so far as to frame others in order to justify her own viewpoint.
Lana was waiting for Gwen on her bed at this late hour of the night. She had observed that she didn't arrive at the dining hall for her meal. She pleaded with Jane to grab extra for her. She kept her eyes on the door, worried that the meal might get cold.
Not long after, the door opened and Gwen broke down in tears. Her cheeks were red, and her face was somewhat puffy. She appeared worn out and realized it was Fiona's fault.
"what happened?" She questioned as she gently took Gwen by the arm and led her to her bed. She handed her a tissue so she could dry her tears. It took her five minutes to return to her regular state of mind.
"She is awful. She repeatedly slapped me for little things that I had never done. Would it be possible for me to braid her hair? She hit me after I told her I couldn't. I'm not sure what I did wrong for her to treat me this way." With her head lying on Lana's shoulder, she let out a whine.
"I knew she was up to something, and it was related to me; she was furious when master urged her not to select me as her maid. I know you would be hungry, so I packed some food for you. It will be okay don't let her disturb you." She smiled comfortingly at her and took a dish of food, saving it for herself.
She smiled and continued, "I kept this for you after learning that you were hungry." Gwen accepted the dish and looked at it gratefully. She dove into the dinner with such hunger evident.
...
Axel was smoking a cigarette on his mansion's roof. A call came through from his company's senior manager.
"I believe the media is concerned about Mr. Gray's death, boss. As one of our investors, we received word that this was the last spot he had reached." Axel remained silent. He grinned, as though the news he had received was good for him.
"Additionally, the same media reported to the world that he died in an accident in the middle of a deserted road, so tell them what they want. Then tell the security personnel at work that I don't want to see any media representatives or paparazzi there unless they want to lose their jobs."
"Yes, boss Axel," he said, hanging up the phone. He exited the roof after tossing the last of his cigarettes into a metal bucket. Anyone who attempts to divulge his identity as the head of a criminal organization would be murdered without showing any mercy.
When it reached the hallway that led to his chamber, it noticed an unknown female figure, with her on her way to the kitchen. Even though he had no business being involved, his gut prompted him to follow her. His rules said that nobody should access any place he owned at night unless they were there on his behalf, which infuriated him.
He watched her from the doorway while carrying an empty bottle. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he grabbed his revolver, primed it, and felt that familiar aura surrounding him. She screamed as she spun around.