Chapter 16 : Cole Harrington

Aria's POV 

I was dusting the long console table near the front entrance when the sound of car doors and footsteps reached me.

The main door stood open to let in the mild afternoon air. For a brief second my stomach tightened. I turned, half-expecting to see Julian stepping inside, already preparing to lower my gaze and disappear down the staff corridor before he could speak to me.

Instead I saw two men in dark uniforms carrying polished leather bags through the foyer.

Bags.

I frowned slightly. Who was moving in?

Then he stepped through the doorway.

Tall. Broad-shouldered without being heavy. Blond hair that caught the light, styled with the kind of careless precision that only looked effortless. Sharp bone structure. A clean, expensive coat worn open over a crisp shirt. And green eyes that moved across the entrance hall with lazy confidence before they stopped on me.

His gaze lingered.

Not polite. Not passing. The kind of look that assessed and already decided something. The air in the foyer seemed to thin under it. I forced myself to keep dusting, though my hands had gone still on the cloth.

A high, delighted squeal cut through the moment.

“Cole!”

Sienna came down the stairs in a rush of perfume and pale silk, practically launching herself into his arms. He caught her with practiced ease, smiling down at her as she hugged him tightly.

“You’re early,” she said, pulling back just enough to look at him. “I thought your flight landed this evening.”

“I took an earlier one.” His voice was smooth. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Mrs. Vance appeared from the drawing room, her expression warmer than I had ever seen it. “Cole, darling. What a pleasure. You’re just in time. We were beginning to think the traffic had swallowed you.”

He kissed her cheek with easy familiarity. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday week.”

Only then did his attention return to me. He nodded slightly in my direction, still holding Sienna loosely.

“And who is this?”

Sienna glanced over her shoulder as if only now remembering I existed. Her smile didn’t change, but her eyes cooled.

“No one important,” she said lightly. “Just one of the staff. Ignore her.”

Mrs. Vance’s gaze flicked to me for the briefest second, already dismissive. “Aria, that will be all. Return to your duties.”

I inclined my head, gathered the dusting cloth, and left without a word. I could still feel the weight of those green eyes between my shoulder blades as I walked away.

——

Later, in the kitchen, I pushed the door open with my shoulder, still turning over the image of the blond man in the foyer.

Lila looked up from the silver she was polishing. Rosa was at the sink. Tasha was stacking clean plates.

I set the dusting cloth aside and asked, half-sarcastic, “Who is the new prince in town?”

All three of them paused.

“Who?” Lila asked.

“The tall one who just arrived,” I said. “Blond hair, expensive coat, green eyes, walks in like the house already belongs to him. There were people carrying bags.”

Lila let out a short, humorless breath.

“That’s no prince,” she said. “That’s the devil. Cole Harrington. Old money, worse habits, and unfortunately Sienna’s boyfriend.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sienna has a boyfriend?”

“She does. Birds of a feather flock together.”

Rosa glanced over from the sink. “He’s here for Mrs. Vance’s birthday. Problem is, the man can’t keep himself to one bed. When Sienna’s busy or out shopping, he wanders down here like he owns the place. Picks whoever’s closest. Most of the girls don’t refuse. They know what Mrs. Vance can do if there’s a complaint.”

I frowned. “Has he tried anything with you?”

Lila’s mouth twisted. “Once. Came up behind me on the second-floor landing while I was cleaning. Handsy. Made it very clear what he wanted. I kicked him as hard as I could between the legs. He went straight to Sienna and claimed he’d only asked for towels and I’d been rude. I didn’t correct the story.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m hoping he stays with her long enough for her to find out what he really is. Maybe then she’ll finally get what’s coming to her.”

The conversation drifted after that. Tasha started complaining about her younger brother who kept asking for money. Rosa mentioned a cousin who had finally gotten a better job across the city. Lila asked if anyone had seen the new detergent Mrs. Lang ordered because the old one left streaks on the glassware. Ordinary things. Small complaints. The kind of talk that made the kitchen feel almost normal for a while.

I was drying a stack of plates, half-listening to Rosa describe the ridiculous rent her cousin was being charged, when the kitchen door opened.

Cole Harrington stepped inside because of course he did.

Tall frame,carefully tousled blond hair. His green eyes swept the room once before settling—deliberately—on me.

He smiled slowly.

“You,” he said. “I don’t believe we’ve properly met.”

I set the plate down. “Can I help you, sir?”

“You can.” He walked closer, hands in his pockets. “Come to my room and serve me.”

The kitchen went still.

I kept my voice level. “I’m assigned to the kitchen right now. If you need something brought up, I can—”

“I wasn’t asking for a discussion.” His smile remained, but it had thinned. “I said come to my room.”

“And if I refuse?”

He tilted his head, almost amused. “Then you can wait until Mrs. Vance and Sienna return from their shopping and hear from them .”

He reached for my wrist.

I moved first.

The metal bucket used for ice sat on the counter. I grabbed it and flung the entire contents at his head and shoulders. Cold water and ice hit him with a sharp splash. He shouted and staggered back, water dripping into his eyes. Before he could recover, I snatched the heavy serving tray from the sideboard and swung it hard against his shin. When he bent forward with a curse, I struck once more across his shoulder.

He dropped to one knee on the wet tile.

When he pushed himself up, water streaming from his coat, his expression had turned ugly. He closed the distance in two steps and slapped me hard enough that the taste of copper filled my mouth.

“You little bitch,” he snarled. “You’ll hear from Mrs. Vance the moment she walks through that door.”

He stormed out, leaving a trail of water across the floor.

For a moment no one spoke.

Then Lila let out a low, impressed breath.

“Well,” she said. “I didn’t think you had that in you. Honestly? That was fantastic.”

My hands were still trembling. I set the tray down carefully.

“He’s going to make trouble.”

“Oh, he will,” Lila agreed. “But it was still worth watching.”