All Chapters of Maid for Him: Chapter 31 - Chapter 38

The sun beamed brightly across an azure sky, clouds drifting lazily in its path. At a stunning beach, framed by coconut trees and lush vegetation, a waterfall tumbled from a towering mountain, its crystal-clear waters cascading into a river that met the sea in rhythmic waves.On the shore, Rhea lay unconscious.The waves lapped at her, nudging gently until she stirred. A cough escaped her lips as her eyelids fluttered open. Above her, birds wheeled across the sky, the sunlight glaring down with an almost personal intensity.With her hand, she shielded her eyes from the brightness, blinking away the daze. Bit by bit, she remembered how she got there—and why. Treasure. The thought of it had her sitting up sharply. There was no time to waste.She backed off the beach and scanned the unfamiliar landscape, heart pounding in excitement. She didn’t have to wonder where she was—or how she had gotten there.The memory was there. She smiled smugly. The mermaid had taken the bait and seized her,

Rhea approached the beautiful bungalow and stopped before its sturdy door, carved with the image of a mermaid. She smirked, thinking, Perfect. I’ve found the right place. Let’s see you now, Mermaid.“Hello!” she called. Silence answered her. Irritated, she pounded her fist on the door. “Mermaid, I know you’re in there!”Still no response.Her eyes drifted back to the carving. This time, she noticed the faint outline of a bird etched into the mermaid’s fishtail. Curiosity prickled. She pressed it—and to her astonishment, a great eagle-bell burst into the air before the house, squawking furiously.Rhea’s face lit up. “How clever,” she murmured. “What amazing sorcery. Grandmother will be pleased.”She pressed it again. The eagle shrieked louder. Rhea laughed and pressed it again, and again, until her laughter echoed through the clearing. At last, exhausted with her own game, she stopped. The bird fell, trembling.A creak drew her attention back to the door—it had opened a crack, by its

A few seconds later, the four stood outside before Mermaid’s fish-shaped pool. Rhea clutched the box tightly to her chest, as if it might vanish if she loosened her grip.Mist curled above the water, soft at first, then thickening. It began to rise, spiraling upward until it became a human-sized water tornado. The sight made Rhea’s stomach twist.“That water tornado will take you home,” Mermaid said calmly.Rhea’s lips trembled. “I’m petrified.”For the first time, she showed true fear. Mermaid almost pitied her—almost. But she only wanted the girl gone. Unlike Amber, Rhea had been nothing but a nuisance.“Close your eyes and jump in,” Mermaid told her. “If you waste any more time, you will be stuck here forever.”The mermen exchanged horrified glances at the thought. Rhea trapped in their realm? None of them wanted her there. Rhea caught their looks and scowled, displeased that they shared the same thought she dreaded. She certainly didn’t want to stay either.So she obeyed.She lea

“Men, be alert!” Commander Benjamin barked, then raised his voice toward the cry for help. “We are coming!”Bibo heard him and nearly collapsed with relief. “Over here!” he shouted.The Commander halted, then followed the voice off the road and into a narrow path through the woods. The soldiers pressed close behind, the cry guiding them nearer.“I swear, we would have passed this place without knowing,” Arnold muttered, and the men nodded in agreement.“We’re close,” the Commander called. “Keep shouting!”“Over here!” Bibo’s voice rang out again. Moments later, they spotted the hut—and Bibo waving frantically in front of it. Their pace quickened until they reached him.“She needs help,” Bibo said desperately, spinning back toward the door.Benjamin motioned for half the men to remain outside while he, Arnold, Edgar, and the others stormed in.Inside, Bibo pointed to Amber, bound and slumped against the chair. Benjamin dropped to her side and felt for her wrist.“She’s alive,” he breat