Veronica bent down, bringing her face close to Genesis’s, wearing a fake look of sympathy.“You shouldn’t have done that, honey. Now you’ve pissed him off—so you need to apologize.”Tears glistened in Genesis’s eyes, and Veronica savored it. Genesis glanced at the man still gripping her hair tightly, as if he might pull it out. His nostrils flared with anger, but she didn’t flinch. She just stared back at him.Veronica bit her lip and turned toward him. “She’s new to all this. She’ll get used to it by the time we’re done.”The man studied her for a moment, then nodded. He tapped Genesis’s cheek sharply.“You better cooperate. And if you ever do that again, this pretty face won’t be so pretty anymore.”His slap was harder this time. He let go of her hair, straightened up, and Veronica glanced at Genesis, who stared at the floor. Then she moved closer to the man, whispering something in his ear.Two women—assistants, or maybe just accomplices—emerged from behind a divider. Without a wor
Amanda turned to Veronica and murmured in a low whisper, “How are we going to get them away from her long enough to do what we planned?”Veronica glanced behind at the two large men in suits trailing just a few feet behind Genesis. They had managed to get Genesis out of the house, but when they tried to approach her car on the way to the shoot, the men stopped them. “She has to come with us,” they said.Of course, Veronica hadn’t been happy. She argued that nothing would happen, that Genesis could be gone for just an hour and didn’t need bodyguards. But when the men insisted they could only stay if the boss approved, she quickly agreed — on the condition they follow in a different car.She looked back at Amanda with a smirk playing on her lips. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle them.”Then she turned her attention to Genesis, annoyance flickering across her face as she watched Genesis glance around nervously. Veronica plastered on a fake smile. “Genesis, come on, walk faster. We have
Veronica gritted her teeth in anger, but before she could speak, Amanda—who stood at her left—stepped in.“Who do you think you’re talking to like that? You’re just a maid,” she spat. Then she turned to Veronica. “Are you seriously going to let this filthy bitch talk to you like that?”Revelation cast her a calm glance but said nothing. Genesis, however, looked between Veronica and her friends, then at Revelation. She couldn’t quite understand the tension crackling in the air, but her instincts told her it was about to get worse.So she moved—stepping forward to stand between Revelation and Veronica.Vera didn’t even glance at her. Her eyes remained locked on the maid, her fists clenched.Genesis moved on instinct, holding out a hand in a calming gesture. She turned fully to Veronica and felt a chill creep up her spine at the dark look in her eyes. But just as quickly, that look vanished, replaced by a sugar-sweet smile.“There she is,” Veronica cooed, her voice syrupy. “The little si
Genesis sat on the floor of the cinema room, her back resting against a chair, eyes fixed on the screen. She watched the movie with such intensity, so fascinated, that the maids seated behind her exchanged surprised glances.When they were first told there would be a new madame in the house, they had assumed it would be someone like Veronica—sharp, commanding, maybe even more cold. What they hadn’t expected was her. A shy little thing with a childlike wonder for cartoons and movies, who couldn't speak and had a softness about her that tugged at them all.And they adored her for it.She was the reason they were even in the cinema room, lounging on plush chairs instead of doing their usual duties. After her classes ended—and with her dance class canceled—she had called one of them to help with the television. Mia had nearly squealed with joy when she saw the note asking for help. It meant the young madam was opening up, finally asking for something. So she’d set up the movie Wednesday
GENESIS“Class was so fun today, wasn’t it?” Calista said, her hand stretched wide as we walked toward the car waiting to pick up Daisy and me. Speaking of Daisy, my eyes darted around, searching for her. My heart suddenly started pounding fast until I spotted her near the car, chatting with some girls her age.I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.“…Yeah, you’re right. There is something different about her.”I turned back to the girls, but immediately felt five pairs of eyes lock onto me, putting me on the spot. I instinctively touched my chest—my silent way of asking why they were staring so intently.Stacy moved closer, stepping right in front of me and stopping me mid-step. I caught the driver’s eyes shifting toward us, and he straightened up like he sensed something was off.I looked back at my dance mates. “Yes, Calista, you’re right. There’s a glow in her eyes. Even during class, she seemed… more jovial.”My brows furrowed. What does jovial mean? Of course,
KIERANI leaned back in my chair, eyes closed, letting the leather groan beneath me as I slowly swiveled. The room was silent—just the steady hum of city life muffled by thick glass. As I opened my eyes, a knock echoed at the door.“Boss, it’s Alex,” came a familiar male voice.“Come in,” I said, eyes drifting to the glass wall ahead. The sky outside was gray—thick with the promise of rain. Just as the door opened, I checked my watch.Almost seven.My two princesses will be finishing up their classes soon.Alex stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. He approached my desk and stopped a few feet away, professional as always.“Boss, I have the information you requested.”I turned my head slowly, eyes narrowing on him.“Go on.”“The kid’s name is Jaden Night. Son of Morian and Rebecca Night—both dancers. He grew up in a stable home. The couple separated, but the father got custody. No criminal records. Clean.”I gave a slow nod. “So the boy’s from a family of dancers, huh.”My
GENESISMy heart was pounding in my chest with every step I took closer to the classroom. My stomach churned with queasiness, and all I wanted was to run upstairs and curl under the bed sheets. I didn’t want to face Miss Melissa—but I couldn’t miss class, and I needed to get my bottle from her.I knew there would be questions the moment I stepped through that door. Questions I didn’t want to answer. And yet, part of me was curious why she hadn’t shown the bottle to anyone else.I stopped just a few feet from the door and stared at the handle. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I told myself not to act nervous. There was nothing written on that bottle—she shouldn’t know what was inside.With that thought, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting it close with a soft click behind me. Slowly, I moved toward her.“You’re ten minutes late, Genesis,” her voice was firm, but she didn’t look up. Her eyes were fixed on the notes she was writing in her book.I rubbed the back of my neck
GENESISAs we walked into the house, he still didn’t say a word to me. The silence gnawed at me, keeping me on edge. I didn’t know what to expect—was this the moment he would finally lash out?Just then, Daisy leapt off the couch the moment she saw us.“Lily!” she shouted with pure excitement.I smiled, barely in time before she flung herself at me. I staggered back from the impact, but large hands caught my shoulders, steadying me before I could fall.“Daisy, you need to be careful,” Kieran said, his voice firm. Then his hands dropped away—and with them, his warmth.Daisy’s lips wobbled. “I’m sorry.” She turned to me quickly, brightening. “Lily, I heard you weren’t feeling well. You didn’t come to dance class today. We all missed you!”I bent down, kneeling to her height, and smiled. I touched my chest with two fingers, then gave her a thumbs-up—something Liam had taught me.She tilted her head, watching carefully. “That means… you’re okay?”I nodded, then pointed at her and formed a
INTERLUDEThe young maid's eyes darted around nervously, making sure no one could overhear her."Yes, ma'am," she whispered, nodding quickly."She was rushed to the hospital."A low hum came from the other end of the phone. "And you still have no information on what happened?""No. Ever since she was taken from the estate, they haven’t returned," the maid said, glancing over her shoulder. She pressed the phone closer to her ear, as if that would somehow guarantee privacy."I need you to keep me updated. Everything she does—everything—I want to know. Am I clear?""Yes, ma'am. I will.""Good." The line went dead.The maid straightened, adjusted her uniform, and scanned the hallway once more. Seeing no one, she slipped the phone into her pocket and began climbing the stairs.Unbeknownst to her, another maid had been lingering at the bottom of the staircase. As the first maid disappeared from view and the master bedroom door clicked shut, the second maid stepped forward with a small smile