All Chapters of THE DON'S MAID: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The bus dropped me off two streets away from the Romano Estate and my shoes hurt immediately because they were the only black pair I owned, second hand, and the sole on the left side was coming loose and flapping every time I took a step. I pressed my hand to my side, right under my ribs, because it was hurting again and I really needed it to not hurt right now. Not now. Please not now. I pulled the small bottle from my pocket with two white pills inside and swallowed them dry because there was no water and no time, it was just kidney medication and if I didn’t take it I’d be on the ground in an hour. The Romano Estate was a gate and then another gate and then trees for forever and then a house so big it didn’t look real, white walls and black iron and cameras on every single corner, and two men stood at the gate with guns like this was a prison not a job interview. My stomach turned. "Name," one of them said without looking up. "Maya Carter," I said and my voice came ou

The morning after the attack the house was too quiet and it was weird because usually there was at least someone dropping plates or Carla gossiping but today it was just footsteps and people whispering like someone died. I stayed in my room until Mrs Delaney knocked. "Up Doctor is coming at 10." My stomach dropped straight to the floor. "I don’t need a doctor." "Not your choice Mr Romanos orders." I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. "Yes maam." I took my pills with tap water that tasted like metal and put on the uniform even though the apron felt tighter today like my body was already swelling or something. At 9 45 there was another knock and it wasn’t her. I opened the door. Sal. He wasn’t in a suit which threw me off because he’s always in a suit but today it was just black pants and a black shirt and his hair was a mess like he’d been dragging his hands through it all night and his eyes looked tired as hell. "Ready" he asked. "For what" "The doctor

Three nights after the family dinner the house felt off. Quieter. Like everyone was holding their breath waiting for something bad to happen and pretending they weren’t. Sal was cold again. Back to one word answers and that Don face. But he still pulled my chair closer at dinner. Two chairs away now. And he still knocked on my door before bed and peeked in like he had to see me with his own eyes. I pretended not to notice because if I noticed it meant something and I couldn’t handle something right now. My side was better. The new pills actually worked and I was drawing more. Little sketches of the garden, the kitchen, his hand holding mine that one night. I hid those under the mattress like they were illegal. It was 2am when I woke up. Not from pain. From sound. Glass breaking downstairs. I sat up and my heart was already pounding before my brain even caught up and my first thought wasn’t about me it was Sal is he okay. Another sound. Footsteps. Fast. "Sta

Three days after the gala life was different and it felt weird in a good way. I didn’t wear the uniform anymore, I wore normal clothes, jeans and sweaters and the dress Sal bought me, and I ate at the table for every single meal right next to him, and I still took my pills and still went to the doctor but I slept in his room every night like it was normal. It felt like a dream until it wasn’t. It was Tuesday morning and I was in the garden drawing with the sun on my face when a guard walked up. "Miss Carter" "Yes" "There’s someone at the gate Asking for you." My stomach dropped. "Who" "He didn’t say Just said his name is Daniel Says he’s family." Daniel. The name hit me like a punch because Daniel was my brother. "I’ll be right there," I said with a voice that was way too small. I found Sal in the study. "Sal Someone’s here For me." He looked up. "Who" "My brother." His face went still. "And" "He wants to see me." Sal stood up. "Then he can wait." We

4:30am and the house felt like it was holding its breath and I couldn’t sleep even though I’d tried for hours because my stomach was in knots and my brain wouldn’t shut up. I was already dressed in the hospital gown under my robe and sitting on the edge of the bed because if I lay down I was going to cry and I didn’t want to start the day like that. Sal came out of the bathroom with wet hair and a white shirt and he looked scared and it was weird to see because the Don was never supposed to look scared. "Hey," he said quiet. "Hey." He sat next to me and our shoulders touched and it was the only thing keeping me grounded. "How bad is it" "10 out of 10." He nodded. "Same." He took my hand and his was cold and mine was shaking so bad I thought I’d drop him. The car ride to the hospital was silent except for his thumb rubbing circles on my hand like he was trying to tell me don’t let go and I kept staring at the city going by because if I looked at him I’d lose it. At