Chapter 8: Shadows in the Night  

The blonde maid looked at me as if I were crazy, smiling while covering her mouth.  

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Her gaze didn’t match her words. Her cold blue eyes looked down at me as if I were beneath her. “Shall we go?”  

We walked in complete silence, which I mentally appreciated.  

Cassian’s room was on the ground floor, which shocked me. I had always believed that the main bedrooms of wealthy people were on the upper floors, far from the staff and such.  

As soon as we entered, it became clear that the room might have been an office that had been converted. It wasn’t as grand as a master bedroom, but it was very well-decorated, airy, and conveniently located in the corner of the house, with one window facing the front and another facing the side.  

“You can start by cleaning the bathroom and then vacuuming the carpet,” the maid said. I looked around, and there were no cleaning supplies nearby.  

“And what exactly am I supposed to clean with?” I questioned, already irritated by the lack of sleep and that pointless charade.  

As if I had said something funny, the woman laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.  

“Another maid went to get them. Maybe you should hurry her along. In the meantime, you can start by taking the dirty clothes.” The maid left, slamming the door.  

I took a deep breath.  

I didn’t want to create problems that might cost me precious points, but this was clearly bullying against me. I would have to find a way to deal with it without generating even more resentment toward me, resentment I didn’t even understand the reason for.  

I walked around the room since there was nothing else to do, and it was exactly like the rest of the house. There was no personality, no sign that the room belonged to anyone.  

I sat on the extremely comfortable bed and smoothed the soft blanket with my hands.  

“That guy sleeps here.” A wave of warmth hit me, and I remembered the kiss Cassian had stolen from me at the club. I leapt off the bed at the exact moment the door swung open with force.  

I turned and saw Cassian, his eyes locked on mine as he held his phone to his ear. Behind him, the man he had called Harry looked at me with surprise and confusion.  

“Yes, Mr. Moore,” I said, standing straight and lowering my head.  

“What the hell are you doing in my room?” His voice was no more than a hoarse whisper, but it felt more terrifying than any shout I had ever heard in my life.  

I didn’t know what to say.  

My legs trembled, and all I wanted was to get out of that room alive.  

“Screw it. Just get out of here, now.” Cassian walked in, unbuttoning his shirt. I was so scared that I couldn’t move right away, and he approached, grabbing my face and forcing me to look at him directly. “Unless you’re here to relieve my stress.”  

My face grew very hot, and I quickly pulled away, running through the door that the man with Cassian was holding open. As soon as I turned into the first hallway, I leaned against the wall, feeling my racing heart and labored, uneven breathing.  

I covered my face with my hands and growled through my teeth.  

“What a despicable man! How can he say something like that, as if I were really there to…” I bit my lip, annoyed with myself for feeling a tingling sensation inside me. “Get a hold of yourself, Lilian Reed.”  

Calmer, I decided to go back and explain that I had been brought to that room to clean, but I froze with my hand raised, close to touching the doorknob.  

Cassian’s furious voice made me freeze. “Is everything set for tomorrow?”  

“Yes, Boss. The fastest enforcers will be there to receive the shipment.” I stepped away from the door, covering my mouth with my hands to stay silent.  

“This damn delivery cannot fail.” Cassian’s voice echoed, furious, reaching the hallway where I still stood. “If those bastards show up, make sure to leave at least one alive for us to talk to.”  

Not caring if I’d be scolded or not, I ran through the mansion until I reached my room. I entered, locking the door and sitting in the middle of the bed.  

I had no idea how I had fallen asleep.  

The stress and exhaustion had taken their toll on my body.  

I woke to loud knocks on the door. Instinctively, I got up and looked for something to use to protect myself before heading to the door. My hands trembled as I turned the doorknob, and that’s when I noticed it was different from the doorknob in my old room back home.  

I took a deep breath and opened the door. Maurice looked at me with fury in his eyes, and I knew exactly why. That maid had set me up, probably wanting me to be fired.  

“Good afternoon, sir.” The silence stretched on. Maurice kept his sharp gaze on me.  

“You need to prepare to go to the club. A driver is waiting for you. You have ten minutes.” With that, he simply turned and left. I closed the door, taking a deep breath.  

“I have to figure this out, earn those points, and get out before I end up dead in this house.”  

As soon as I arrived at the club, I only had time to change my clothes before the manager called me over.  

“Lilian, from now on, you’ll be working exclusively in the VIP area.” I looked at him in shock.  

“But the VIPs…”  

“It was a direct recommendation from the owner, so you’d better not mess anything up.”  

We passed through the heavy curtains; the atmosphere was quite different from the previous night. The manager wiped sweat from his forehead with each step until we reached a large room where Cassian sat, dressed in very elegant dark clothes, his black hair combed back.  

He didn’t seem to notice our entrance, or if he did, he paid no attention. His eyes still seemed clouded with anger, so I was grateful to go unnoticed by him. The man called Harry approached, stepping between Cassian and the manager in front of me.  

“You can leave now,” he said. My manager seemed nervous, struggling to find words, but soon lowered his head and left, casting me a brief warning glance. “You.” He called me over and gestured for me to go to where Cassian was, but I stayed put.  

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, and the man named Harry smirked sideways, his eyes sharp as knives.  

“You’d better do your damn job.” With that, he returned to Cassian’s side.  

“It looks like this night will be longer than usual,” I whispered as I walked to the side of the room, pressing my back against the wall and observing.  

“Hey, girl,” Cassian said from his seat, raising an empty glass. “Serve me another one.”  

“Yes, sir.” I took the glass from his hand and prepared the drink. When Cassian took it, he also grabbed my hand.  

That touch sent a whirlwind of sensations exploding inside me. Cassian seemed to notice and pulled me, bringing my face closer to his.  

“You seem nervous, little squirrel.” The mocking smile had returned to his face.  

I turned my face away, avoiding his gaze. “Not at all, sir. I’m sorry if my behavior made you think that.” Cassian smiled broadly, his tongue sliding over his teeth.  

It seemed like he was about to say something, but three men entered, dressed in expensive and extravagant clothes. Immediately, Cassian released me and signaled for me to leave. I didn’t wait for confirmation and exited the room.  

“Well, I’ll take the chance to stop by the bar.”  

My plan was to quickly talk to Chloe and return to the VIP area before anyone noticed.