Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Katherine swiftly shoved the file into the hidden pocket of her maid’s uniform just as the door creaked open, the very door she had made sure to lock minutes ago.

Her heart skipped.

It was Ma’am Racheal. She stepped inside with narrowed eyes, her gaze scanning the room like a hawk.

“What are you doing locked up here all alone, Katherine?” she asked, voice low but sharp. “I waited for you to come out after Master Massimo stormed out of the mansion. But you never did.”

Katherine clenched her damp palms into fists, forcing calm into her voice. “Ye—yeah, he told me to stay here… said I shouldn’t go anywhere until he came back.”

Racheal nodded slowly, though suspicion danced in her eyes. “Alright. But are you okay?” She asked, noticing Katherine's nervousness like she was hiding something.

“Yeah, I'm fine." Katherine said. Thank goodness her voice was steady this time around.

Ma'am Racheal nodded. “I’ll bring you your lunch soon,” she said, her glance flicking toward the bookshelf, right where Katherine had found the document.

She turned to leave, but paused at the doorway, eyes narrowing further.

“I hope you’re not doing anything dangerous, Katherine. If you are… stop now. Before it’s too late.”

With that cryptic warning, she walked out and shut the door behind her.

Katherine exhaled shakily. Her mind whirled.

Does she know? Did she somehow find out about the deal with Uncle Ryan? What exactly did she mean by that?

Racheal’s words echoed in her head, leaving her rattled, and more afraid than she cared to admit.

*****

Katherine stood stiffly before Uncle Ryan, the document gripped tightly in her hands. For the first time since she’d known him, he was smiling, wide, smug, satisfied. That smile alone made her stomach twist. What exactly is in this document that gives it so much power? she wondered for the umpteenth time.

“Hand it over,” he said smoothly, extending his hand.

She shook her head. “Not until you fulfill your end of the deal,” she said firmly. “Only then will you get this.”

Uncle Ryan chuckled, clearly entertained. “Smarter than I thought,” he mused.

Katherine didn’t smile back. She stayed perfectly still. “And one more thing,” she said. “I want to take Thelma with me when I leave.”

His smile vanished instantly.

“No,” he said flatly, his tone now as cold as steel. “That’s not part of the deal.”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“Because she’s Massimo’s daughter,” he snapped. “And the last thing I want is to incur his wrath. She may resemble your little sister, but she’s not her.”

Katherine’s heart dropped. How does he even know about my sister? she thought, stunned. How much did he really know about her past?

Everyone kept insisting Thelma wasn’t her sister. But in her soul, Katherine knew the truth. Still, now wasn’t the time to argue. Once she was out of here, she would find the truth herself, even if it meant turning the world upside down. That missing sister who'd ended up in Massimo's household. Her sister couldn't probably be a twin, right?

Uncle Ryan’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. At exactly 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, you escape. That’s when the entire Hollingsworth family will be out for their weekly meeting at Granny’s estate in the next town. It’s your best, and only window.”

Katherine nodded slowly. “And the staff?”

She hadn’t told Ma’am Racheal anything, not yet. A part of her wanted to. But the woman might try to stop her. And she couldn’t risk that now. She’d reach out to her after she got away, safely.

Uncle Ryan stepped closer, his voice dropping low. “You’ll take care of them.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll drug them,” he said casually. “Slip an aphrodisiac into their dinner. Nothing harmful, will be done. It’ll just knock them out for the night.”

“What!?” Katherine gasped, recoiling. “I can’t do that! That’s—”

He raised a brow, cutting her off. “Do you want to get caught?” His eyes flicked pointedly to the document in her hand. “Because if you’re having second thoughts, I can take that off your hands and pretend this conversation never happened.”

Katherine clenched her jaw. She hated this. Hated the manipulation. But she had no choice.

She looked down at the document again, her one shot at freedom. A key to everything she’d suffered for.

And maybe… a key to finding her sister. But, could she really go through with this? Drugging the staff, even if it was harmless felt like a betrayal. Especially to Ma’am Racheal, who had shown her nothing but quiet kindness.

But then she thought of her father. Of her unborn child. Of everything that was on the line. This isn’t just about me anymore.

She swallowed hard. I’ve to do this.

Ma’am Racheal’s cryptic warning echoed again in her mind. But she pushed it aside. She’d make sure the drug did no real harm. And she’d keep her guard up. Uncle Ryan was cunning. She knew better than to trust him completely.

“Okay then,” Katherine finally said. “I’ll do it.”

Uncle Ryan’s lips curled into a satisfied grin. “Good. Now... the document.”

Katherine didn’t move. “We’re not done yet.”

His smile vanished. His eyes narrowed into slits, dark and hard. “What else?” he growled.

She met his glare, unmoved. “You’ll have my father relocated to safety, out of the country. Somewhere Massimo can’t find him. And under no circumstance should Massimo ever learn about it.”

Ryan said nothing, but his jaw tightened.

“And secondly,” she continued, “you’ll transfer the exact amount my father owes Massimo, which’s one million dollars, into my father’s account. He’ll pay the debt himself so it doesn’t raise suspicion. The transfer must come from an untraceable account. I don’t want Massimo knowing it came from me. He’ll start asking questions I can’t answer.”

She knew she wasn't working and it would raise suspicion if she paid directly from her account.

She watched Uncle Ryan closely, expecting resistance. But to her surprise, Uncle Ryan let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

“Done,” he said. “Now, give me the document.”

His fist curled tightly at his side. The audacity of this girl, he thought. So many demands. If this document wasn’t so critical, he would have ended this conversation minutes ago.

“I want proof,” Katherine said firmly. “I want everything done while I watch. No tricks.”

Uncle Ryan glared at her, but she merely shrugged.

With a low growl of annoyance, he pulled out his phone and made a call. Katherine listened intently as he gave brief instructions. After a few moments, he ended the call.

“Wait,” she added. “I’ll handle the relocation myself. I already have a plan for that.”

He nodded curtly. “Fine. But the transfer is done. Your father has the money.”

He held up his phone and showed her the confirmation screen. The wire had gone through. Exactly one million dollars. No sender ID.

Katherine quickly retrieved the small burner phone she’d been secretly using, the one Ma’am Racheal had gotten for her. She dialed her father’s number.

He picked up on the first ring.

“Kath! You won’t believe it! I just received a whooping one million dollars from an unknown account. That’s the exact amount I owe Massimo! I’m freaking out. Should I report it to the police? Or just send it to Massimo and be done with it? Maybe it’s fate. Maybe this is how you and Thelma finally get free.”

Katherine’s heart clenched at the mention of Thelma. Even now, her father believed the little girl was his, just from a photo.

“Dad,” she said gently, “just pay off the debt. Transfer it to Massimo. I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.”

She ended the call and looked at Uncle Ryan.

“It’s done. Now you can have the document.”

She stepped forward and handed him the file.

Uncle Ryan took it with a triumphant smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Finally, the very piece that could shatter Massimo’s empire and the best part? Massimo wouldn’t come for him.

He’d come for Katherine.

She just ruined her own life.

“I hope this doesn’t bring me more trouble,” Katherine muttered, her voice low. “I’ve played my part. Now I just want the quiet life I deserve. And don’t even think about playing smart, Sir Ryan.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the room without another word.

Behind her, Uncle Ryan chuckled darkly.

“Oh, Katherine,” he whispered to himself. “Your life is only just beginning… its ruination.”