Chapter 3

**ARIA**

My hand hovered over the doorknob for a second.

He didn't say come in. He said come here, like I was a disobedient child being summoned for punishment.

I pushed the door open.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

No lights. No windows glowing. No sound except my own ragged breathing and the soft scent of expensive cologne mixed with something darker underneath, something that made my thighs clench.

"Hello?" My voice cracked, embarrassingly small in the silence.

I pressed my palm to the wall, searching desperately for a light switch. I didn't feel anything. What kind of billionaire penthouse had no fucking switches?

My fingers brushed smooth marble, cool wood, nothing helpful. "Um... Hello?—"

A sharp clap cracked through the darkness.

Instantly, warm golden lights bloomed around the room, slow and deliberate, like a stage reveal designed to make me feel exactly as small and powerless as I was.

I froze.

On the far side of the office, lounging in a deep leather chair like he owned the world and everyone in it, sat Jade Black.

The Devil Alpha.

My new boss.

He didn't look real at all.

Sharp jawline covered in dark stubble. Straight nose. Black hair falling messily across his forehead like he'd just run his hands through it. His white shirt was unbuttoned halfway down, exposing a sculpted chest I absolutely had no business staring at, smooth skin over hard muscle and the edge of a tattoo I couldn't quite make out.

My stomach dropped.

Oh God. He's hot. Too hot. This is the man I'm supposed to work for?

Fuck!

His gray eyes dragged over me like he was cataloging every inch, every curve, every flaw, deciding what to do with his new acquisition. The silence stretched until I felt like I was suffocating in it.

I swallowed hard. "Um... you sent for me."

His gaze continued its slow journey down my body and back up again, taking his time, making sure I felt every second of his attention.

Then, finally, he spoke. His voice was deep and smooth, like something crafted specifically for temptation.

"You're prettier than your photograph."

Heat crawled up my neck, flooded my face. I didn't know what to say to that. Thank you? Fuck you? My brain short circuited somewhere between terror and the unwelcome heat pooling between my legs.

“... okayyy,” the words slipped out.

Okay?! So stupid.

His brows lifted lazily, amused. "You're late."

"I came as soon as I was called,” I spat.

I bit my tongue so hard I tasted copper. What did he mean by I was late. Did he expect me to teleport?

He gestured to the chair across from him with one elegant hand. "Sit."

I sat.

The leather was butter soft, expensive, the kind of chair that probably cost more than my car. I perched on the edge, back straight, hands clenched in my lap.

Jade reached into a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers, sleek and thick, clipped together with black metal. He set them on the glass table between us with a soft thud that felt final.

"Sign."

The single word sent a jolt through my chest.

I reached for the papers with shaking hands. My fingers brushed the top page and I pulled the stack toward me, scanning the first lines.

My stomach tightened into a knot.

"What... is it?" I asked carefully, still staring at the incomprehensible legal jargon.

"An agreement," Jade said, leaning back in his chair, expression completely unreadable. 

My heart sank.

I flipped to the pages. House rules. Employer rights. My obligations spelled out in cold, clinical language that made my skin crawl. The document felt endless, twenty pages at least, maybe more.

My breath hitched as I read up to a point that said: “By signing this, you will become Master Jade's private maid.”

Private maid?

That's not what I want to be.

"Here,” I said, pointing to it, “it's says I'll be your private maid.”

My voice was slightly shaky. I steadied it instantly.

“Yes,” he answered coldly. 

The way he said it made my heart pound in my throat.

He spoke like this wasn't anything. Like it wasn't my life we were talking about.

“I won't force you to sign it,” he said, eyes burning into mine. “But you will.”

My blood ran cold. The way he said it was simply certain I would obey. Completely confident that whatever he wanted, I would give him.

And the worst part?

Some traitorous part of me already wanted to.

I read to the end.

My hand trembled as I picked up the pen he slid across the table.

I steadied my hand and signed my name in one small, terrified sweep at the bottom of the last page.

The moment my pen left the paper, Jade reached forward and pulled the contract back. His fingers were long, elegant, and they moved with complete confidence as he flipped back through the pages.

“You're smart.” He put the file in the cabinet of his desk and locked it. It clicked with a deadly finality.

Maid.

Private maid.

Images flooded my brain. The clothes in that closet. The short skirts and tight tops. The uniform that screamed exactly what kind of service he expected from me.

His lips curved into something dangerous. 

The heat in his eyes told me something dangerous. Told me that this year wouldn't just be about cleaning and cooking and serving dinner. It would be about serving him. His needs. His desires. Whatever the fuck he decided he wanted from me.

"Tomorrow morning at six AM, Lydia will bring you your uniform. You'll put it on. You'll learn your duties. And you'll begin serving me the way a good maid should." His hand reached out, fingers brushing my jaw, sending shivers down my spine. “Do you understand?"

Wow. So this was life now. A sexy bastard's personal maid…things couldn't get any worse.

"Answer me, Aria."

"I..." I swallowed hard. "I understand."

"Good girl."

The words hit me hard. “Good girl” like some pet. I wasn't no pet, and soon he'd learn that.

"Get some rest,” he said as he walked towards the door. “You'll need it.”

My blood ran cold. I didn't even know what to think. What the hell was he talking about? Need it for what?

I stood on shaking legs and walked past him, so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body, could smell that intoxicating scent of cologne and power and danger.

As I stepped into the hallway, his voice stopped me.

"Goodnight, Aria.”

I looked back.

A smirk was drawn across his face.

“Goodnight, Mr. Black”

The door closed.

I stood there in the empty hallway, heart racing.

What had I just gotten myself into.