Chapter 2

Graziel did not sleep well during her first night at Torres Mansion.

Her bed was comfortable, but her mind refused to rest. She was still extremely stressed because of everything that had happened. She had honestly thought that her first day at work would also become her last after the mistake she made yesterday.

She spent almost the entire night staring at the ceiling because the same scene kept replaying inside her head.

Kevin Torres' cold, emotionless face and his deep voice echoed in her ears.

"I hope you last longer than the others."

He hadn't shouted at her. He hadn't insulted her. But somehow, those simple words were enough to make her nervous. They felt like a warning. As if he was telling her not to get too comfortable because she could be replaced at any time.

She let out a quiet sigh.

Sorry, Mr. Kevin, she thought. But as long as my mother still needs medicine and treatment, I have no choice. I have to stay here no matter what.

She lay quietly in the small but neat bedroom that had been prepared for her. Honestly, it was much nicer than the room she and her mother used to rent. She still felt lucky. Even though she was only a maid, she had been given a clean and comfortable room.

It had its own bathroom, a soft bed, an air conditioner, and everything she needed. But no matter how comfortable the room was, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother. Her mother was alone in the hospital while she was here, living inside a mansion so enormous that it felt like it could swallow a person whole.

Graziel slowly closed her eyes. She had to keep this job, no matter how difficult it became. She would endure everything. For her mother.

~

The next morning, Graziel woke up before sunrise. By five o'clock, she was already dressed in her maid's uniform. She arrived in the kitchen before the first rays of sunlight reached the mansion. Just like yesterday, the entire house was unbelievably quiet.

It almost felt like making any unnecessary noise was forbidden. Ever since she arrived, she hadn't heard anyone playing music.

Maybe loud sounds aren't allowed here, she thought.

If it weren't for the servants occasionally walking through the hallways, she would have believed the mansion had been abandoned. While arranging the dining table, she couldn't help looking around. The inside of the mansion was breathtaking.

Everything looked elegant. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Expensive paintings decorated the walls and beautiful antique furniture filled every room. Even the decorations looked so expensive that she became afraid of touching them. One careless move might cost more than everything she owned.

Yet despite all its luxury, the mansion felt strangely lonely. Something was missing. She couldn't explain it. She simply felt it.

After finishing her work in the dining room, Mrs. Santos instructed her to clean one of the hallways on the second floor.

Graziel quietly carried her cleaning supplies upstairs. She began dusting the tables and carefully wiping the picture frames lined up along the hallway.

While cleaning them, she noticed that most of the photographs were of Kevin Torres. There were also several pictures of a beautiful woman and a little girl.

She paused for a moment.

That must be Mr. Kevin's late wife… And the little girl must be their daughter.

She remembered reading an article years ago about the billionaire's wife. According to the news, she had passed away shortly after giving birth.

Graziel didn't know if every detail in those reports was true but one thing was certain. Her death had deeply affected Kevin Torres. She remembered the cold expression he wore yesterday.

Suddenly, a different thought crossed her mind.

Maybe he isn't really a bad person. Maybe he's just someone who has been hurt too much.

She quickly shook her head.

Stop it, Graziel.

She wasn't supposed to think about her employer's personal life. She was here to work and nothing else.

"Don't interfere, Graziel, okay?" she whispered to herself.

She continued dusting the hallway. Only a few minutes had passed when someone suddenly wrapped their arms around her waist.

She gasped in surprise.

"Ah! Sweet buffalo butt!"

She almost dropped the feather duster she was holding. Quickly turning around, she froze. A little girl was hugging her tightly. The child had big sparkling eyes, long silky hair, and the sweetest smile Graziel had ever seen.

She looked exactly like a living doll.

"Uh..." Graziel blinked. "Hello?"

The little girl smiled even wider.

Instead of letting go, she hugged Graziel even tighter, as if they had known each other for years. As if this was completely normal.

Graziel couldn't help laughing. "And who are you?"

Instead of introducing herself properly, the little girl simply grinned. Then she said something that made Graziel laugh even harder.

"You're prettier than the last nanny."

Graziel burst into laughter. The child was unbelievably honest. Not even a little embarrassed.

"Really?" she asked between laughs.

The little girl nodded seriously. "Much prettier."

"Well... thank you."

The child smiled proudly, obviously happy that she had made Graziel laugh.

"What's your name?" Graziel asked. "I'm Graziel."

The little girl smiled brightly. "I'm Junie."

That was how Graziel finally met Kevin Torres' daughter.

Junie Torres.

She didn't know why but she immediately liked the little girl. Maybe because Junie's cheerful energy was so warm and refreshing. As strange as it sounded, she felt like a tiny ray of sunshine inside this huge, lonely mansion.

For the first time since arriving, she had finally found something bright in this cold place.

"What are you doing here?" Graziel asked.

Junie immediately pouted and finally let go of her waist.

"I'm bored. I have nobody to talk to."

Graziel laughed again. The little girl was simply too adorable. She looked like a real Barbie doll.

"Where's your nanny?"

"I fired her."

Graziel's eyes widened. She stared at the little girl in complete shock.

She fired her own nanny?

Maybe Mr. Kevin wasn't the scariest person in this mansion. Maybe it was this tiny little girl standing in front of her.

"What?"

Junie casually nodded, looking completely unconcerned.

"I didn't like her, you know. She was so annoying. She talked too much and I didn't even like her voice."

Graziel didn't know whether to laugh or be surprised. Junie looked only about seven years old but she talked like the CEO of a giant company.

She definitely inherited that from her father, Graziel thought. Even her attitude came from him.

She quietly shook her head. She honestly didn't know what to say. So Junie didn't like noisy people either.

That's dangerous. What if she ends up hating my voice too? I might lose my job before my first week even ends.

Trying to change the subject, Graziel smiled.

"I'm the new maid here."

She thought it was better to make things clear. She didn't want Junie to mistake her for a new nanny.

"I know."

Graziel blinked. "You know?"

Junie nodded. "I saw you yesterday."

"You did?"

Another nod. "You're nice."

Something gently tugged at Graziel's heart. Those two simple words warmed her more than she expected.

You're nice.

Maybe Junie wasn't difficult at all. Maybe she simply hadn't liked her previous nanny because something had happened between them. Or perhaps, the little girl wasn't looking for another nanny.

Maybe what she truly wanted… Was a friend.

Someone who would listen to her. Someone who would spend time with her. Despite her beautiful clothes and her bright smile...

Junie still looked lonely.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Graziel asked.

Junie nodded. "Yes."

"Good."

"I'm still bored."

Graziel laughed again. She had a feeling this little girl loved talking and she was right. Within just a few minutes, it already felt like they had known each other forever.

Junie asked one question after another.

"How old are you? Where do you live? What's your favorite food?"

Then suddenly…

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Huh?!"

Graziel nearly choked on her own saliva.

Junie burst into laughter. She looked completely entertained by Graziel's shocked reaction. As they continued talking, Junie's face slowly became brighter. She smiled more and she laughed more.

And for the very first time since Graziel met her… The little girl looked genuinely happy.

~~

Kevin quietly watched his daughter from a distance. He had just finished an important business call when a loud, cheerful laugh reached his ears. He immediately stopped walking. It had been months since he last heard Junie laugh like that.

Curious, he turned toward the sound and there he saw them.

Junie and the new maid were sitting on the floor together. They were talking and laughing. Completely absorbed in their conversation.

Kevin remained silent as he watched them. Whatever they were talking about must have been very funny because Junie couldn't stop laughing. He noticed how much brighter her face looked. It was an expression he rarely saw these days.

Without realizing it, he had been standing there watching them for several seconds. Then Junie noticed him.

Her face immediately lit up.

"Daddy!"

She happily waved at him. Kevin walked over to his daughter. He gently kissed the top of her head.

Junie immediately smiled and kissed his cheek in return. But just as he was enjoying seeing his daughter so happy… She suddenly looked at him with sparkling eyes and made a surprising announcement.

"Daddy, I like her."