Chapter 10

The Rolls-Royce Phantom glided silently through the dark streets, eventually turning into a massive, heavily wooded private road. It pulled up to the grand entrance of the Montgomery Manor, a sprawling estate that looked like a European castle.

The driver got out and opened the door. Evelina stepped onto the cobblestone driveway.

Doyle rolled down the window from the front seat. "I have to return to the office to handle the European merger fallout. The staff is expecting you."

The car pulled away, its red taillights disappearing into the night.

Evelina stood alone in front of the massive oak doors. The cold night wind whipped her black dress around her legs. Dust and dirt from the fight at the Barrett estate still clung to the fabric.

She walked up the stone steps and pressed the heavy brass doorbell.

A minute later, the door swung open. Finch, the elderly butler in a pristine tailcoat, stood in the doorway. Behind him stood Mrs. Gable, the head maid, wearing a stiff black uniform. Her face was pinched tightly in disapproval.

They looked Evelina up and down. They saw no luxury car waiting. They saw no luggage. They saw a woman in a dirty, unbranded black dress with messy hair.

Mrs. Gable crossed her arms. "You must be the new maid from the agency," she snapped, her voice dripping with condescension.

Evelina opened her mouth to correct her. She was about to say she was Sterling's wife.

But a slight movement caught her eye. She glanced up.

On the second-floor interior balcony, overlooking the grand foyer, stood Sterling. He wore a dark silk robe, holding a crystal glass of whiskey. He looked down at her, his gray eyes cold and amused.

He was watching. He had already instructed Doyle to call ahead and inform the staff that a 'guest' would be arriving late, ordering them to handle her arrival based entirely on their own judgment without any formal introduction. He was testing her. He wanted to see if she would throw a tantrum and scream her title like a spoiled child.

Evelina's jaw tightened. She swallowed her words. She lowered her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes. I am the new maid."

Mrs. Gable scoffed. "You are three hours late. You have zero respect for time. Follow me."

Finch pointed a stiff finger toward a narrow, unlit hallway. "Use the servant's entrance. Do not track dirt onto the Persian rugs."

Evelina kept her head down and followed Mrs. Gable into the dark corridor.

Up on the balcony, Sterling took a sip of his whiskey. He spun the gold ring on his finger. He was surprised. She had swallowed her pride instantly.

Mrs. Gable led Evelina down to the basement. She pushed open the door to a tiny, damp room that smelled of mildew.

She threw a scratchy, gray maid's uniform onto the narrow cot. "Put this on. Then go to the main banquet hall and scrub the carpets on your hands and knees." Mrs. Gable slammed the door shut.

Evelina stood in the dark room. She looked at the ugly gray uniform. Her eyes narrowed into deadly slits.

She did not touch the uniform. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out her micro-laptop. She sat on the edge of the cot and booted it up.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard. Within two minutes, she had hacked into the Montgomery Manor's internal management network. She pulled up the staff files and the accounting ledgers.

She scanned the numbers. A cold smile spread across her face. Mrs. Gable had been skimming off the top of the grocery and supply budgets for three years. The fake invoices were sloppy.

Evelina closed the laptop. She picked up the gray uniform and dropped it straight into the trash can.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a clean, fitted black turtleneck and dark jeans. She changed quickly. She pulled the pins from her hair, letting the dark waves fall freely around her shoulders.

She was done playing the victim. If Sterling wanted a show, she would give him one.

Evelina opened the basement door. Memorizing the blueprints from her hack, she turned left and walked straight up the grand spiral staircase, heading directly for the master bedroom suite on the second floor.