All Chapters of Love, Lies, and Billion-Dollar Secrets: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I slowly lowered both hands and carefully stepped out of the sudsy basin, one foot at a time.Head down, lips pressed together—I was dying inside.The footsteps drew closer, and my heart legit dropped to my stomach. I instinctively grabbed the hem of my skirt even though my hands were still dripping with soap. Then I saw it—his shoes stopping right beside the basin.I tilted my head up… and boom. Eye contact.The full heat of Master Ryou’s glare hit me like a ton of bricks.He looked down at the overflowing foam, his jaw tightening, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he exhaled hard through his nose. When he looked back at me, I couldn’t do anything but lower my gaze again.“Care to explain this mess, Amelia?”The sound of my name from his lips froze my brain. Sure, it wasn’t even my real name—but still, that was a first.I opened my mouth, ready to pull some random excuse out of thin air... but nothing came. I had nothing. Nada. And judging from the way his brows lifted, he’d probably been

I woke up feeling like I’d just come back from a desert trek—my throat was dry as hell. A quick glance at the wall clock made my jaw drop.10:30 PM.I sat up, holding my throbbing head like it owed me money. No wonder I felt like a zombie. I must’ve knocked out hard and missed dinner, too. Now here I was—starving and parched.“Screw it,” I mumbled, sliding off the bed.No way was I gonna survive the night like this. I cracked open the door and peeked out. The hallway was dead silent, with half the lights out, giving it major haunted mansion vibes. I padded barefoot down the corridor, trying not to make a sound.When I finally reached the kitchen, the fridge was my first stop. I grabbed a cold bottled water like it was gold, twisted the cap, and chugged it like a college kid at a frat party. Still thirsty. I grabbed another bottle and snagged a slice of blueberry cheesecake and a piece of mascarpone brownie.Yeah, I was that hungry. And no, I wasn’t feeling guilty about it. This was te

This is torture.I swear my arms were about to fall off just from changing all those stupid curtains. My whole body was already begging for mercy, but Miss Pen wanted me to wipe windows too? Yeah, no thanks. They looked clean enough, and I already felt like I was gonna pass out. She’ll live.I finally clipped the last emerald curtain in place and dragged myself down the ladder, staring at it like it personally offended me. That thing looked heavy—and I had to get it out of here by myself because, of course, no one's around when I actually need help.With a deep breath, I started dragging it across the floor, only to flinch when I heard that awful screeching noise. My eyes dropped to the floor, and… oh no.Scratch. A real one.Shoot. I mean, I do want to get fired eventually, but not by wrecking something expensive. That’s just asking for drama. I quickly changed tactics and lifted the ladder in chunks, shuffling it slowly toward the hallway.Once I finally got it out, I wiped my hands

He met Miss Pen halfway and said something quietly before heading off.I stood there, stunned and lowkey shaken.Miss Pen rushed over, looking worried. She grabbed my arm.“Amelia, are you okay?”“I—I think so…”She pressed the back of her hand to my forehead, then checked my neck. Her eyes narrowed.“You didn’t tell me you were burning up. Come inside. Eat something so you can take medicine.”I didn’t argue. She gently pulled me along, and I followed, still glancing back at the chair like it would explain what just happened.My mind kept replaying it. The weird chill, the invisible touches, and then Ryoushin—randomly showing up and grabbing me like some weird protector with a leaf.He’s so confusing.Just like Miss Pen promised, she gave me lunch and made me take medicine. Then she ordered me to rest in the maid’s quarters so I could recover faster.I crashed on my bed and knocked out instantly.When I woke up, it was dark.My whole body was on fire, and my head throbbed like someone

“…he’s persistent. Tsk. What’s going on in the dungeon? Yeah. Pretty much alike…”Dungeon? What the actual—?Who has a dungeon unless they’re a villain or a cop? And Ryoushin is definitely not a cop. Oh my god. Don’t tell me this man’s a freaking kidnapper.THE BIGGEST RED FLAG I’VE EVER MET.I waited forever downstairs and he never came. An hour passed. Trolley? Returned. Miss Pen’s orders? Done. Ryoushin? Still MIA.Seriously? Ghosted by my own boss?With an annoyed sigh, I stood and looked around. I didn’t want to go back to my room—that place was basically a boredom prison. So I headed out of the mansion.The moment I stepped into the sunlight, I smiled. Flowers were blooming everywhere like a scene from a fairytale.A couple caught my eye—probably the estate’s gardeners. The guy was trimming some santan flowers, and the lady was planting roses. Both wore wide hats made of woven pandan leaves, long-sleeved shirts, and heavy boots. They looked like someone’s cool, retired parents w