Chapter 4 Meeting The Brothers

Daisy's Point Of View

Daisy stirred in her sleep, with a throbbing pain in her head. She had no idea that she was supposed to be working.

Sleeping during working hours wasn't professional for her. But right now, in her sleep, she saw herself back at home.

'Home' was a cramped apartment where she lived with her parents. Her father was a struggling alcoholic, who often brought chaos and despair into their home.

Her mother, a gentle soul like herself, bore the brunt of his anger. She was a victim and every day, Daisy would watch as her spirit slowly faded away.

Despite their hardships, Daisy remained hopeful. She took on odd jobs to help support her family. One day, hope appeared in the form of a job advertisement for a maid at a grand mansion.

Everyone in the town had different things to say about the mansion-none of them good.

"It's a haunted old building."

"Ghosts whisper there at nights."

"It's as old as mankind itself."

"I heard the owners are cursed."

Those were the popular opinions about this place in their little town but Daisy was desperate.

With trembling hands, Daisy applied for the position. To her surprise, she was hired.

The DuSang mansion was a sprawling Victorian estate, and was a world away from her humble apartment. The extravagance and grandeur were both intimidating and compelling.

On her first day, Dahe was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mansion and the number of rooms.

She had met the Madame. The young woman was surprisingly younger than Daisy had anticipated. However, according to her, she had three brothers, to whom she wanted Daisy to be on her best behavior around.

She was assigned to the spare room which was a spacious chamber with a four-poster bed. As she unpacked her meager belongings, she couldn't help but be awestruck.

It was weird that they were only employing her as a worker. Perhaps, they wanted to settle in first without a dozen of strangers in their home. Perhaps, they'd hire other workers in a week or two.

What mattered was she finally had a good-paying job. Her father would be happy. The funds for his booze would keep flowing in. Her mother would be safe.

Daisy was content.

.

.

Finally, her eyes fluttered open, but her mind was foggy and disoriented. She was lying in her room-in bed.

A figure hovered above her, his face inches from hers.

What the heck?! She clutched her chest with both of her hands, her heart rate increasing.

Oh, she was startled at first. But then, her shock dissolved into fascination as her eyes widened while she took in his appearance.

He had brown eyes that sometimes looked like they were burnt red, chiseled features, and jet-black hair that fell across his forehead in messy wave.

A black leather jacket adorned his broad shoulders, and a white T-shirt clung to his torso, revealing toned muscles. His dark jeans were ripped in strategic places, giving him a rugged, biker-like appearance.

Something told her to run. It was almost like a voice in her head, except this one felt so real. Oh, wait... how did she end up in bed?

Someone had hit her. It had to be.

Daisy's heart raced, she opened her mouth to scream, but the stranger's persuasive voice halted her.

"Lookey here, sleeping beauty awakes."

His words wrapped around her like a tease, tingling her cores. She gazed up at him, still wary, but her panic began to dissipate for some unknown reason.

It was then that she remembered.

Her memories returned, she recalled the events leading up to this moment: arriving at the mansion, meeting the DuSang brothers, and... fangs? Her mind recoiled at the thought.

Vampires didn't exist. It was impossible.

She was about to scream for real this time when the figure stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he cooed. "You're safe."

Daisy tried to pull away, but his grip was firm. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the nightmare. "Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone. I promise. I don't want to die."

He chuckled mischievously like he was enjoying her misery. "Don't worry, you're not going to die. At least, not like this. It would be a waste of... anyway, you just had a bad dream."

Daisy shook her head, her sobs growing louder. "No, it wasn't a dream. I saw you. I saw the fangs. They were real."

The figure leaned closer, his breath warm against her face. "There's no such thing as people having fangs," he whispered. "It was just a nightmare."

"But, I saw..." She couldn't finish.

The stranger's expression softened, and he gently brushed away her tears.

"You tripped, hit your head, and fell. You might have had a bad nightmare. That's all."

His words were reassuring, but Daisy's mind wouldn't seem to unsee the impossible images. She pushed herself up, determined to escape, but her legs buckled beneath her, and down, she went!

However, the stranger, whom she now knew was one of her bosses caught her just in time. He wrapped his hands around her waist to steady her.

The motion made their bodies brush, sending a jolt of electricity through Daisy. She felt an inexplicable attraction to this stranger as if their bodies were magnetized.

He gazed into her eyes, his stare intense, and then drifted to her lips, as if contemplating a kiss. Daisy's heart skipped a beat.

Why was her throat suddenly running dry? It was as if she wanted it too. She was rooting for it... for the kiss.

Time seemed to freeze.

Suddenly, he seemed to come to his senses and released her, making Daisy drop to the floor with a nasty thud.

"Ouch!" She groaned in pain, and the stranger rushed to help her up.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drop you like that."

"It's fine, thank you," Daisy said, brushing herself off.

Well, if he was one of her masters, it wouldn't do well for her to play crazy by thinking she saw him baring his fangs at her. It was definitely not a good idea for her to think her bosses were some monstrous creatures.

Gosh, what the hell was she thinking? That this was some blockbuster?

"Hi, sir, I'm Daisy," she introduced herself, trying to leave the right impression.

The stranger's smile was captivating. "Daisy? That's cute."

Daisy's cheeks flushed. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Now that you're fine, I should probably-"

"You haven't told me your name," Daisy interrupted.

The stranger's grin turned prideful, arrogant. "I'm Lyriq DuSang, the last brother. The most charming, of course." He winked.

Huh?

What was that wink for? He was also speaking to her so informally. Daisy wondered if that was how rich folks talked.

Lyriq walked out, leaving her feeling bewildered and intrigued.

She decided to introduce herself to the other masters. She walked through the halls, keeping her most polite smile on. She listened for sounds from each room, trying to locate them.

As she approached the library, she spotted another male figure. He sat with his back to her, surrounded by stacks of books.

Yet, another one of her masters.

Daisy's shoulders relaxed as she took in his appearance. He had short, dark hair, perfectly styled, and wore a white dress shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders. His tailored black pants radiated sophistication.

The first one was dressed like a rebellious teenager and the next one she met was dressed the exact opposite.

What other surprises could the DuSangs possibly hold?

As she watched, mesmerized and lost in studying him without even realizing it, he suddenly spoke.

However, he didn't turn around.

"Books are like portals to other worlds, aren't they? They allow us to escape reality, to experience lives beyond our own."

Daisy's heart skipped a beat. Was he talking to her? How did he know she was there?

So much for making good first impressions. Now, he might think she was a snooper or something.

She cleared her throat, announcing her presence.

He turned, and their eyes met.

His gaze was goring, intelligent, and captivating. Daisy felt the same attraction she had experienced with Lyriq.

Why was she drawn to these strangers?

"Hello, sir. My name is Daisy Flynn. I'm the new maid." she stammered.

His smile was enigmatic. "Hello, Daisy. Welcome to our home.

"Ah, yes," he said. "You're the one who fainted."

Daisy nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," the man said. "Everyone faints the first time they come to this place."

Daisy smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I was just looking for... the masters and thinking of making a formal introduction to make up for my blunder," she explained.

He nodded and kept the book in his hand on a shelf. "You've found one. I'm Tristan DuSang."

"Nice to meet you, Master Tristan."

Tristan's eyes crinkled at the corners. "The pleasure is mine, Daisy."

Much to her surprise, he held out his hand, inviting her to bring hers.

Daisy felt unworthy to touch him like that, but he was the master. She had to obey.

She placed her palm on his and he closed his on hers. Until he raised her hand and began to move it upward, aiming for his mouth.