The night air was cool as Ere'ana untied her apron, exhausted from a long shift. She had barely stepped out of the restaurant when she heard his voice again.
"Yo, Prez!"
She groaned inwardly and turned around to see Kikidori leaning casually against a sleek black car, his smirk brighter than the streetlights.
"What do you want now, Kikidori?" she snapped, not in the mood for his antics.
He pushed off the car and walked toward her, hands stuffed in his designer jacket pockets. "You said earlier you could crush me, right? Well, I'm here to return the favor."
She raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm offering you a job," he said simply, as though that made perfect sense.
She stared at him, dumbfounded, before laughing bitterly. "Yeah, no thanks. I don't need anything from you."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "You need money, don't you?"
Her body stiffened, but she quickly masked her reaction. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb, Daniels," he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "You're working at that dump for a reason. I'm offering you a way out."
"Not interested," she said coldly, turning to leave.
"Two thousand a week."
She froze mid-step. Slowly, she turned back to him, her expression wary. "What?"
"You heard me," Kikidori said, grinning. "Two thousand a week. You do a little work for me, and you'll have enough cash to save that pathetic excuse of a house you live in. Hell, you might even afford that surgery for your dad."
Her blood ran cold. How the hell did he know about her father?
"You've been spying on me?" she hissed, her fists clenched.
"Calm down, Prez," he said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I have my ways. Are you in or not?"
She glared at him, hating everything about this moment—his smug face, his confidence, the fact that she had no choice. "You're an asshole," she muttered.
He smiled. "So, that's a yes?"
"Unfortunately," she said through gritted teeth.
---
The next day after school, Ere'ana followed the GPS on her phone to an address Kikidori had texted her. When she arrived, her jaw dropped.
The "house" was a sprawling mansion, complete with towering gates and perfectly manicured lawns.
"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, walking hesitantly to the front door.
A woman in a crisp uniform greeted her, ushering her inside without much explanation. "Sit here," the woman instructed, gesturing to an ornate chair.
Ere'ana sat down awkwardly, her eyes darting around the lavish interior. Chandeliers, marble floors, and gold accents—it was everything she expected from Kikidori's world.
The woman returned a few moments later, holding what looked like a maid's uniform. "This is your uniform. You'll wear it while you're here."
Ere'ana frowned, taking the outfit reluctantly. "Wait, a maid? I didn't agree to this."
The woman ignored her protests and walked away.
Muttering curses under her breath, Ere'ana changed into the uniform in a nearby bathroom, her face burning with humiliation. The skirt was shorter than she liked, and the whole outfit screamed "rich people fetish."
"This is so stupid," she muttered as she walked to the first room she was assigned to clean.
She reluctantly grabbed a duster and got to work, wiping down shelves and trying to ignore the fact that she was now officially a maid.
As she bent down to pick up a misplaced book, she bumped into something—or rather, *someone*.
"What the hell—"
She looked up, and her face turned bright red. Kikidori stood there, shirtless, a towel slung over his shoulder. His hair was damp, and his usual smirk was firmly in place.
"Enjoying the view, Prez?" he teased.
Ere'ana scrambled to her feet, glaring at him. "What are you doing here?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I live here? You're in my house."
Her heart sank as realization hit her. "You're my boss?"
"Ding ding ding," he said with mock enthusiasm. "Welcome to the team, Maid Daniels."
She groaned, rubbing her temples. "I hate you so much."
"Get used to it," he said with a wink, walking past her.
---
The next morning, Ere'ana dragged herself out of bed, barely awake as she made coffee in the massive kitchen. Kikidori strolled in, fully dressed this time, and took a seat at the island.
"Morning, Maid Daniels," he said cheerfully.
"Don't call me that," she grumbled, sliding the cup of coffee toward him.
He took a sip, nodding in approval. "You're not half bad at this."
"Whatever," she muttered, grabbing her bag. She glanced at the clock and cursed under her breath. "I'm gonna be late for school."
"Relax," Kikidori said, standing up. "I'll give you a ride."
She hesitated. "I'll walk."
"You'll be late," he pointed out, grabbing his keys. "Let's go, Prez."
Reluctantly, she followed him outside and climbed into his car, keeping her eyes firmly on the road as he drove.
When they pulled into the school parking lot, Ere'ana could already feel the stares. She stepped out of the car, only to be met by Ava and her crew.
"Well, well, well," Ava said, her voice dripping with venom. "What's this? *Prez* is getting cozy with Kikidori?"
"It's not what it looks like," Ere'ana said quickly, but Ava wasn't listening.
Without warning, Ava threw her coffee at Ere'ana, the liquid soaking her uniform.
Ava and the others burst into laughter. "Did you enjoy his bed, too?" Ava taunted, making an obscene gesture with her hand and mouth.
Ere'ana's face burned with embarrassment and rage. "You're disgusting, Ava."
"And you're pathetic," Ava shot back, pulling out a marker and scribbling something on a piece of paper. She slapped it onto Ere'ana's forehead, and the laughter around her grew louder.
The word "WHORE" was written in bold letters.
Ere'ana ripped it off, her hands trembling.
She didn't cry. She wouldn't cry.
But as she walked into the school, soaked and humiliated, she realized she was in way over her head.
End of Chapter 2