002: Meet Liora

ELARA'S POV 

The next morning, I was back. The atmosphere was different this time; instead of a fill-in maid, I was now a "temporary personal aide." The pay was triple the amount offered by the agency, billed directly to the Raye family. Lucian Raye had personally arranged it.

The main house staff, led by a stern housekeeper who looked like she swallowed lemons, eyed me with open suspicion. The unspoken message was clear: You’re too expensive and too new. You won’t last.

My first task wasn't cleaning, but organization specifically, Lucian Raye's massive, antique library.

"The young master wants everything alphabetized by the original publishing date," the housekeeper said, her voice dripping with dislike. "And do not touch his desk."

I nodded, happy for the detailed work. It gave me a chance to be alone and, more importantly, to observe.

The library was huge, stretching two stories, filled with rare leather-bound volumes and banned books that I was amazed to see were in existence. 

I started at the bottom shelf, my fingers running over the spines. Observing everything. I was looking for anything related to fire, old records, or criminal history. Anything to connect the phoenix pendant to the men who killed my parents.

An hour into the work, the library door opened, and Lucian walked in. He looked even more severe than yesterday, his face pale and drawn. He was holding a stack of files and moved with a careful, almost stiff slowness.

"Elara." He didn't ask what I was doing; he clearly knew. "You're still here."

"You arranged it, sir," I reminded him quietly.

He gave a dry sigh, placing the files on a massive oak table near a reading chair. He settled into the chair, the leather creaking slightly, and closed his eyes, his breathing sounding shallow and uneven.

My survival instincts screamed at me to leave, but my curiosity, and the phantom memory of the phoenix, anchored me. I pretended to organize a high shelf, watching him from the corner of my eye.

He looked vulnerable, almost fragile. It contradicted the cold arrogance he projected yesterday. The news reports mentioned he had a chronic health condition, although it wasn't revealed. 

He was the powerful heir cursed with a weak body.

"Are you all right, Mr. Raye?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself.

His eyes snapped open. They were darker now, shadowed with pain. "Did I ask for your concern?"

"No, sir. Just making sure you don't require assistance."

He chuckled, a short, sharp sound that quickly turned into a dry cough. "I require nothing from the staff but silence and efficiency." He reached into his inner pocket, pulling out a small, metallic inhaler and used it discreetly, taking a slow, shaky breath.

I felt a strange twist of conflicting emotions: anxiety and confusion on how to find my parents'murderers , and a strange, grudging pity for this man clearly suffering.

"If you need me to call anyone, I can," I insisted, descending from the ladder.

His cold irises rested on mine with a hard stare. "I need you to work. The only way you can assist me is by not trying to notice me or my actions, Elara. Understand?"

"Understood." I said stiffly, turning back to the books.

As the afternoon wore on, Lucian remained in the chair, occasionally opening a file, mostly just breathing heavily. The silence was thick, filled with unspoken suspicion and the suffocating tension of closeness.

Around 3:00 PM, a young woman—all sharp features and expensive clothes swept into the room. Liora Raye, one of Lucian's adopted siblings. She was elegant, classy and precise, but her eyes held a predatory glare.

"Lucian, darling, still engaged in your sad thoughts?" Liora purred, not even glancing at me. "Don't scare the help."

Liora looked at me then, her gaze cold and assessing. "She's new. And she's still here. Strange, brother. You usually prefer them to be invisible."

Lucian didn't open his eyes. "Elara is efficient. Leave her to her work, Liora."

Liora ignored him, walking straight up to me. She picked up a heavy, antique volume I’d just placed on the shelf. With a casual flick of her wrist, she sent it tumbling down. It crashed onto the polished wood floor with a deafening sound.

"Oops," Liora whispered, her eyes shining with malice. "Looks like someone is clumsy, Lucian. Perhaps she is messing up."

My hands clenched into fists, the cold anger I always carried threatening to boil over. She was testing me, trying to intimidate me. I would not give her the satisfaction.

I slowly bent down, retrieving the book. "No damage, Ms. Raye. I'll secure it properly."

Before I could stand, Liora spoke again, her voice suddenly losing its playful tone and becoming a venomous whisper meant only for me.

"Be careful, new girl. This family doesn't take kindly to people who overstay their welcome. Or people who hide their true intentions."

I froze. Hide intentions? Did she know something about my past? Or was she just guessing? I looked up, but Liora was already walking away, her attention back on Lucian.

"See you later, brother," she said, tapping his shoulder lightly before exiting.

I stood there, the antique book heavy in my hands. The implied threat was clear. They were watching me. Every move, every glance.

I placed the book back on the shelf, my gaze drifting to Lucian's desk, the one area I was forbidden to touch. Hidden beneath a stack of financial ledgers was a flash of red and gold.

My breath hitched. It was a file folder, slightly opened, with a single, recognizable, hand-drawn sketch: the red-and-gold phoenix mask.

I had to get to that desk. But Lucian was still there, sitting less than ten feet away, watching my every move and trying to detect what I was thinking.

I knew if I moved toward that desk, everything would be over and I would be doomed. But I couldn't look away from the symbol that haunted my dreams and brought me this far.