Lorna's Pov;We were on standby, waiting to be called into the dining hall to serve dinner, and I can't lie—I'm so nervous that my hands have been trembling for the past ten minutes. I've been taking deep breaths over and over again, trying to calm myself. From where I stood, I could hear Lady Stella's laughter blending with Sir Arrow's.It was strangely pleasing to the ears, echoing lightly through the house. A wave of anxiety washed through me. My thoughts were scattered.What if I embarrassed myself in front of him? What if I ruined everything?“Lorna, you'll be in charge of serving the drinks. Don't worry about the dishes–I'll handle that,” came the soothing voice of Head Chef Katherina, her tone warm and reassuring.I gave her a small smile, even though it does not change the fact that I was already panicking within me. “Start serving dinner, Katherina.” Lady Stella’s voice rang out from the dining room. Finally,Chef Katherina took the lead and I followed behind the others, k
Lorna couldn't help but smile to herself whenever memories of her little moment with Arrow crept in.That sweet instant played over and over again in her mind, making her heart flutter in ways she couldn't understand.They hadn't crossed paths again since then, and the realization that she couldn't see him whenever she wished saddened her, pulling her thoughts back to him. He had made a promise to her that day–to keep what they had together a secret. Not even his sister, Lauren, was to know.He had also promise to stay out of her way and not come after her, unless she was sent to his quarters or they encounter unexpectedly.It was a huge mansion, and the maids on duty were changed everyday.She couldn't risk her job and her life at the same time. “You seem to be always lost in your thoughts these days, Lorna. Are you alright?” A loud British accent rang out from across the field, jolting her back to reality. Lorna blinked rapidly and turned towards the maiden who had spoken. They
“Mother.” Lauren said, announcing her presence at the ranch. It was unusually cold and quiet that morning, the cattles were all out and about on the greenlands.“Come my dearest, sit.” Lady Stella, who had given her a short glance, ushered her forward to take a seat beside her. She dismissed the maids around with a wave, telling them to keep their distance at the other end of the ranch. This was a family matter.Lauren sighed, settling down beside her mother, already eyeing the exit. “I see you've already visited your brother at his quarters.” she smiled watching her daughter’s face lit up. Lauren nodded. She has always been fond of Arrow, since she was a little girl. Even when his brothers had kept their distance during the commotion about their father cheating on their mother, Arrow still took Lauren as his responsibility.“He bought a lot of things for me during his travels. He's really considerate.” Lauren replied, mentally applauding Arrow. “Your brother knows you better th
Lorna forgot how to breathe for a second. She should have walked away–ignore whatever strange feelings she was having. But, she stayed, glued to the ground. Her lips parted, the words were about to be spilled when the sound of the door opening jolted them back into reality. Lorna quickly moved away from Arrow's grasp before Lauren walked in. Lauren stared at the both of them wondering why the atmosphere was tensed all of a sudden. She had only left for few minutes and they were both in an awkward position. “Did you…find your phone?” Arrow asked, trying to make the situation less awkward. Distracted, Lauren nodded, waving it. “Turns out that I left it inside my closet, i always be missing things at just any random spot. Last time I misplaced my laptop, I had to replace it again.” She complained with a tired sigh. Lorna smiled to herself remembering how they searched through the whole house only to find out that the had left it at the airport few days after arriving at the man
Arrow shook his head, a smile curling at his lips as he stood on the balcony of the estate's west wing. It's been three days since he last saw Lorna–three long days since she'd run out of his quarters after he kissed her. He had been shut in his room for far too long, buried in work and endless business calls even though this was supposed to be a holiday. He needed a break, yet he wasn't getting one. “Jasper.” He heard his middle name called from inside the room. He knew that voice. Lauren. She always called him by his middle name, reasons best known to her. Arrow walked back into the room and, as he suspected, found her there. Lauren smiled softly staring at her brother's tired eyes, he really did need rest. He was the busiest person she knew, yet he always made time to be with family. “Why are you staring at me like that?” Arrow chuckled, pulling her in for a bear hug. Lauren shrugged, inhaling her brother's familiar musky scent with a deep breath. “I've just misse
“It was my mistress, sir,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. For a moment, Arrow went silent. His hand, still cupping her face, stiffened. Without thinking, Lorna stepped back, his hand falling away. Panic rushed through her. What had she done? His face was unreadable, an unknown expression clouding his features. “Does she hit you like that all the time? Or the other maids too?” he asked with a slight frown on his face, tugging at his brows. Arrow stared at the mark on Lorna's face, he'd known Lady Stella had a temper but this was different. It was intentional. Violent. “I..I did something wrong, sir. I deserve the punishment,” Lorna replied softly, eyes lowered, silently praying he wouldn't mention any of it to her mistress. “No one deserves to be hit like this. Like a slave.” he said, giving himself a mental note to confront his step mother. What kind of man stands by while this happens? She had never laid a hand on her own daughter, why was someone else