Chapter 7: The Bitter Taste of Poverty

Upon entering the apartment, the space proved to be small, but it was remarkably clean and carried a warm, homey atmosphere. Chloe, however, looked around every corner with absolute disgust. Without offering a single hand to help, she marched over to the couch and sat down heavily, leaving Aria, Damian, and his assistant, Leo, to haul all the heavy luggage up the narrow stairwell.

While the three of them were sweating and hauling the massive trunks inside, Chloe lounged on the sofa, loudly barking orders. "Be careful with that trunk! Those are custom designer silks! If you scratch that leather, you couldn't afford to replace it in a lifetime!"

Once the bags were finally inside, Chloe pulled out her phone and immediately called her parents, her voice echoing shrilly through the small apartment. "Mom! Dad! You won't believe this place! The entire apartment is smaller than my walk-in closet back home! It's an absolute dump! I am already exhausted and I want to come back right now!"

While she was screaming into her phone, Damian and Leo quietly finished organizing the space. With a final respectful nod to his boss, Leo excused himself and left the apartment.

Aria stood in the center of the unfamiliar living room, her small tattered bag clutched tightly against her stomach. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she walked toward Damian, her steps hesitant and anxious. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, bracing herself, hoping desperately that this new master wouldn't yell at her.

"Um... excuse me, Sir," Aria asked, her voice a fragile, quiet whisper. "Where... where should I sleep?"

By the time Damian was done showing Aria her quarters, Chloe had finally slammed her phone shut. She stormed into the hallway, blocking Damian's path with her arms crossed. "Let's get one thing straight, loser," Chloe sneered, glaring at him with pure entitlement. "We are sleeping in separate rooms. I don't want a penniless, ruined man anywhere near me. Keep your distance."

Damian didn't argue. Maintaining his humble facade, he merely nodded. "Of course, Chloe. You can take the master bedroom."

With a arrogant huff, Chloe marched into the largest bedroom and slammed the door. Damian quietly walked to the very end of the hall, settling his things into the last remaining space—a tiny, cramped second guest room.

A few minutes later, Aria was inside her new room, carefully placing her mother’s ashes and photograph on a small wooden nightstand.

Suddenly, her door was violently kicked open.

Before Aria could even turn around, Chloe barged into the room. A brutal, unexpected CRACK echoed through the space as Chloe slapped Aria squarely across the face. The sheer force of the blow sent Aria stumbling backward, her lip instantly splitting open as a trail of dark blood trickled down her chin.

"What are you doing sitting around like a lazy pig?!" Chloe screamed, her face contorted in rage. "Why hasn't dinner been made yet?! I am starving, and you’re in here slacking off! Get your worthless ass into that kitchen right now!"

Chloe gave Aria a harsh, violent shove, forcing her out of the room and toward the stove. Satisfied with her cruelty, Chloe turned on her heel and stomped back to the master bedroom, locking herself inside to chat with her friends and Marcus on her phone.

Aria stood in the small kitchen, trembling slightly. She didn't cry. Instead, she quietly wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, tied a plain apron around her waist, and began to cook.

Damian, who had stepped out briefly to ensure Leo had cleared his trail, quietly unlocked the front door and stepped back into the apartment just as the cooking was nearing completion. The rich, mouth-watering aroma of home-cooked food instantly drew him toward the kitchen.

Stepping into the doorway, he paused. Aria was carefully dishing the steaming food onto plates, her movements graceful despite her fatigue. But as the kitchen light caught her face, Damian's sharp eyes instantly locked onto the dark, swelling bruise on her cheek and the fresh, dried blood on her lip.

His eyes darkened into a terrifying, lethal shade, the aura of the underworld dictator flaring up for a split second. Damian stepped closer, his large, warm hand gently reaching out to cup her chin, tilting her face up into the light.

"What happened to your face?" Damian asked, his voice low, vibrating with a dangerous, hidden tension.

Aria flinched slightly at the contact, her eyes widening in fear. She quickly averted her gaze. "Nothing, Sir. I... I just tripped and bumped into the counter."

Damian knew exactly who did it. A counter didn't leave a distinct fingerprint bruise on a person's cheek. He let his hand drop, his jaw clenching tightly as he suppressed the urge to go tear Chloe apart. "I'll help you take the food out," he said quietly, his voice returning to its calm, bankrupt tone.

Aria was stunned. A master... helping a maid? She watched in silence as the mysterious man effortlessly carried the heavy serving dishes to the small dining table.

Once the table was completely set, Aria walked to the master bedroom and knocked softly. "Miss Chloe... dinner is served."

Chloe strutted out, looking at the modest dining setup with a sneer. Damian was already seated at the head of the table, waiting. Chloe silently sat down, her expression sour as Aria carefully served a portion of food onto her plate. After serving Damian, Aria quietly stepped back, standing strictly by the side of the wall with her head bowed, waiting for them to finish eating so she could clean up.

Damian lifted his face, his piercing gaze settling on the fragile girl standing in the corner like a ghost. His brow furrowed. "Aria," he ordered calmly but firmly. "Sit down and join us."

Fear gripped Aria’s chest. She looked up, her hands trembling. "Oh, no, Sir... I am just the maid. I cannot—"

"I said sit down," Damian repeated, his tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

Terrified of angering him, Aria reluctantly pulled out a chair and sat down at the edge of the table. She picked up her fork, her heart racing as she prepared to take a bite.

SLAM!

Chloe violently slammed her heavy silver cutlery onto the table, the sharp noise echoing like a gunshot in the quiet room. She stood up, her eyes flashing with pure disgust as she glared at Damian and Aria.

"This is disgusting!" Chloe hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "Sitting at a table with two pathetic losers has completely ruined my appetite! Eat this garbage yourself!"

Turning on her designer heels, Chloe grabbed her purse, stormed out of the apartment, and slammed the heavy front door shut behind her, the force shaking the walls.

Panic completely overtook Aria. She instantly stood up, her face pale as she bowed her head repeatedly toward Damian. "I'm so sorry, Sir! Please forgive her! I'll go call her back right now!"

She turned to rush after her step-sister, but before she could take a single step, Damian’s large hand shot out, firmly gripping her wrist. The warmth of his grip anchored her in place.

"Sit down," Damian said, his voice completely calm, devoid of any anger. "Let her go. Eat your food."

Aria looked at him, paralyzed by his steady composure. Slowly, she sat back down in her chair. She picked up her fork and continued to eat in a suffocating silence, her heart heavy with dread. She stared at her plate, closing her eyes as she silently prayed to God that nothing bad would happen to Chloe tonight. Because she knew, with absolute certainty, that if Chloe got hurt or upset out in the city, her stepfamily would make sure Aria paid for it with her life.