chapter 2

Lena – POV

I didn’t sleep.

Every sound in the hallway kept me on edge, every creak of the old pipes made me think of that cold voice again.

“We can’t keep it hidden forever.”

“Shut up. Not here.”

Those voices played on a loop in my head, like a warning I hadn’t fully understood yet. At 6 a.m., I gave up on rest and reached for the black uniform Ruby left behind. It fit snug, neat, and ironed to perfection. The Carter Group’s gold-stitched initials on the collar felt less like a logo and more like a brand.

The moment I slipped it on, I felt something shift.

It fit snug, neat, and ironed to perfection, black, with gold-stitched initials of the Carter Group on the collar. But as I stared at myself in the mirror, it didn’t feel like clothing. It felt like a warning label. Like a quiet message whispered into the fabric: belong or disappear.

I smoothed my hair, forced a breath, and stood up straight. The girl I used to be, the one who cried in her tiny apartment, who counted coins for noodles, was gone.

This place didn’t allow weakness. And this uniform? It wasn’t just a dress code.

It was a test.

And I had no idea what would happen if I failed.

I squared my shoulders and stepped into the hallway.

The estate was silent, like it was holding its breath.

I wandered the halls trying to find the staff dining room. Got lost twice. Took a wrong turn that led me to a dead-end lined with portraits, eyes that followed me even when I turned my back.

By the time I found the dining room, it was 7:30 a.m., and my heart was racing.

The room was plain, nothing like the rest of the estate. Long metal tables, pale walls, and a giant ticking clock that sounded louder than necessary. Most of the staff were already seated, eating in silence with their heads down like they were afraid to breathe too loudly.

No one laughed. No one spoke.

Ruby spotted me and waved me over.

“Sit,” she whispered. “Mrs. Hill hates latecomers.”

I slid in beside her, trying not to draw attention. The food was simple: toast, eggs, and fruit, but to me, it felt like a five-star buffet.

Ruby leaned in as I picked at my plate. “Don’t stare. Especially not at senior staff. They take offense even when they’re not supposed to.”

I nodded quickly, taking her word like gospel.

But the whispers started anyway.

Two maids paused as we passed on our way out. One nudged the other. “Is that the new girl?” she asked, not bothering to hide her tone.

“Funny how Ruby’s already attached,” the other said. “Didn’t think she liked anyone that fast.”

I kept my eyes forward, face burning. Why did it sound like a warning more than gossip?

Ruby just lifted her chin, unbothered. As we turned the corner, she finally muttered, “Ignore them. This place feeds on whispers, but it won’t save you if you fall.”

I swallowed hard.

Fall?

That word felt heavy in my chest.

The deeper we moved into the estate, the more suffocating the silence became. Every hallway looked the same, gorgeous and cold. Every staff member walked like they were dodging ghosts. Straight backs, silent steps, eyes averted.

“Does it always feel this heavy?” I whispered.

Ruby didn’t look at me. “You get used to it. Sort of.”

“But what if I mess up?”

She stopped then, turning to face me fully. “Messing up here doesn’t just cost you a job. It can cost you everything.”

I blinked.

Her words echoed in the air between us, heavy and sharp.

We kept walking.

The scent of fresh bread and bacon wafted from the kitchen, and my stomach grumbled. Ruby nudged me gently.

“Rule number one,” she said. “Never eat near the family. Never look too long. Never be alone where you’re not supposed to be.”

I nodded, clutching her words like armor.

“Zane’s the reckless one,” she added. “He plays games. But it’s the other two you should fear. Liam is cold and calculating. And the youngest? Kai? He sees everything, says nothing. All of them are dangerous in different ways.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Zane already gave me enough heat with just one look by the pool.

Later that morning, I was assigned to linen duty, fresh sheets for the east guest rooms. I clutched the hallway map like it was a lifeline, my fingers tracing every turn before I made it. Every step felt heavier than the last. Every hallway felt like it was watching me.

When I finally reached the guest wing, I pushed open the tall white door, balancing the stack of linens in my arms.

I bent to wipe a corner near the chaise lounge, focusing on the task, trying to disappear into it.

Then I heard it.

"New girl’s got good form."

I jerked upright, nearly dropping the cloth.

And there he was.

He stepped out from the shadows near a tall bookcase, like he had been carved from the silence. Tall. Sharp. Dressed in a dark, tailored shirt that fit like a second skin. His eyes locked onto mine, unblinking, cool, unreadable, and calculating. Like he'd been watching me longer than I could imagine.

A slow smirk curled at the edge of his lips, like he knew I had no clue what I was walking into.

I froze.

Liam Carter.

I recognized him instantly. The eldest. The quiet storm in every magazine feature. Sharp jaw, darker eyes, and a presence that sucked the air out of the room.

My breath caught.

I gripped the linens tighter. “Good morning, sir,” I said, trying to keep my voice even.

His eyes scanned me. Not in a lustful way like Zane. No. This was different. He studied me like I was a riddle, one wrong move and I’d break apart.

“You’re the new girl,” he said, voice low, calm, and dangerous.

“Yes, sir.”

He stepped closer, just enough to make me feel it in my spine. “Don’t let the stories scare you, Lena as he read my name tag. But don’t make yourself the story either.”

Then, just like that, he turned and disappeared into a hidden room behind the shelf, the door clicking shut like a secret.

I stood there for a moment, heart thundering.

His words echoed louder than the ones I heard last night.

Not the story.

What story?

What’s happening in this house?

I carried the linens to the guest room with shaking hands, but my thoughts stayed behind in that library, frozen where Liam Carter had looked at me like I already knew too much.