chapter 7

The meeting ended shortly after, and night fell quietly over the mansion.

I made my way to the kitchen to prepare dinner, with my mind drifting back to the scene from earlier. When Adams said he was seeing someone else.

I sighed.

Why did I even care?

I wasn’t here to care, I was here to survive.

Somehow, I found myself starting to count my days. My salary would come at the end of the month. From what I’d heard, Mr. Grey paid very well. Maybe, I could finally pay off a part of the debt I owe.

Mr. Grey hadn’t asked me anything about my background. Nothing about my family or where I came from.

But then again… do bosses ever ask why their maids come to work?

Maybe my expectations were too high.

Why would he even want to know?

It’s not like telling him would change anything.

but a small part of me wished he had asked, just once.

Maybe I just wanted someone to understand that I didn’t choose this life because I was lazy or without dreams, I wanted to go to school. I wanted a real career, and a normal life.

But instead, I’m here.

Because I have debt, a huge one, the kind that sticks to your skin like sweat on a hot day. The kind that follows you around like a ghost.

And the worst part?

It wasn’t even my debt to begin with, It belonged to my parents.

My older sister, Lira, and I are our parents' daughters. And now, I’m the only one left paying for everything.

My parents had borrowed money to grow their small business. It wasn’t much, just enough to survive.

But things went bad, the business failed.

Then tragedy struck, they died in an accident. After their funeral, everything fell apart.

Lira, the one they trusted the most stole the little money we had left and vanished.

She left me to drown alone.

That money could’ve helped us breathe, even for a little while.

Instead, the debts kept growing, the pressure became unbearable. and one day, the bank came and threw me out of the house with no mercy.

Since then, I decided to work, earn money, pay the bills, and clear the debt so I could survive.

*********

I portioned the food into two ceramic dishes, placed them neatly on a tray, and took a deep breath. My hands were trembling slightly, but I didn't know why.

Maybe it was the way the day had gone… or maybe it was the thought of facing them.

Both of them, Mr. Grey and Adam.

I carried the tray out to the dining room.

They were already seated, saying nothing to each other, their silence was heavy as the thick air around them.

Adam’s head was bent slightly, his hand was tapping against the side of his glass. while Mr. Grey sat at the head of the table, he was looking calm.

I swallowed hard and kept my gaze low, determined not to meet Adam’s eyes.

I served the food in silence, placing each dish gently before them. The sound of the plates against the table filled the awkward quiet like whispers in a dark room.

“Thank you,” Mr. Grey broke the silence when I was done serving. His voice was deep and warm.

I nodded quickly and said. “You’re welcome, sir.”

then I turned to leave.

And that was when it happened, Adam’s eyes met mine.

My steps faltered, just for a second. His gaze was unreadable, it felt like he was a completely different person from the one who had fingered me.

I looked away fast, with my heart hammering.

“Why don’t you join us, Amara?” Mr. Grey’s voice came again, calm but unexpected. “You’ve worked hard all day, you deserve to eat too.”

With this, my heart did a somersault.

Join them?

At that table?

Between the two men who had touched me in ways I still couldn’t explain?

“I....” I hesitated.

Then he gestured toward the empty chair beside him. “Here you go.”

I blinked, unsure if this was kindness… or something else.

“Thank you, sir.” I said and walked back to the kitchen.

I grabbed a small plate of food for myself, and returned, forcing a small smile as I sat between them.

I took a bite, chewing slowly and silently, my gaze stayed on my food.

It was almost a relief that Adam wasn’t even looking at me anymore, he didn’t acknowledge me at all. No smirk, no sneer. Nothing, It was like I didn’t exist to him.

Was it because of his father’s presence?

Or had I just been a moment of weakness?

I couldn’t tell.

Suddenly, something brushed against my leg.

I froze immediately.

It was warm and tingling, moving slowly upward

A chill spread through my body as I realized it wasn’t a mistake. It was someone’s leg, a foot sliding up from my ankle to my thigh.

My eyes widened slightly, but I didn’t move. I glanced at Adam, He was focused on his food. with his expression unreadable.

Could it be him?

I bit down a gasp, trying not to react. Maybe I was imagining things, but then the touch came again. This time, it was more deliberate and slow.

I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t. The foot moved higher, brushing against my thigh, tickling me. It felt intentional now.

I turned slightly and glanced at Mr. Grey, he was eating silently. His face was calm, he didn’t look like someone doing something suspicious.

Then suddenly, I felt it again. This time, it wasn’t just one. There were two different touches, two separate feet sliding up my legs at the same time, from different directions. One on the left, the other on the right.

My whole body stiffened, and my heartbeat spiked.

What was going on?