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She was the maid. He was the heir. But a kiss in the dark changed everything. Secrets, betrayal, and a love that defies the rules how far will they go before the truth tears them apart?
Chapter 1 Unexpected Beginnings
Emma wiped her hands on her apron, nervously glancing around the grand hall of the Whitmore mansion. The chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the rich scent of fresh flowers filled the air. This was a world she had only seen from a distance, but now, it was her reality. Her new job as a maid wasn't what she had dreamed of, but it was a start-a way out of the struggles of her old neighborhood. Little did she know, this job would change everything.
As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with Jackson Whitmore, the heir to the family fortune. His sharp eyes softened for a moment when they met hers, but the look quickly vanished behind a mask of cold formality. "Watch where you're going," he said quietly, then walked away. Emma's heart raced-not just from the near collision, but from something she couldn't quite name.
Emma took a deep breath and steadied herself. The Whitmore mansion was a maze of polished marble floors and endless corridors, but her mind was tangled with a single thought-Jackson Whitmore. She had heard stories about him: the ruthless CEO who ruled the family empire with an iron fist, feared by employees and adored by shareholders. But standing before him, she saw something else-a flicker of something hidden beneath the surface.
Later that evening, as Emma carefully arranged fresh roses in the grand foyer, she caught a glimpse of Jackson watching her from the balcony above. His gaze was intense, unreadable. Was it curiosity? Or something more dangerous?
Suddenly, the door slammed behind her, and footsteps echoed sharply in the hall. Emma turned quickly, heart pounding, only to see Kiera-the head housekeeper-with a sharp look in her eyes. "You don't belong here," Kiera whispered, stepping closer. "And if you want to survive, you better learn the rules... fast." Emma swallowed hard, knowing this was only the beginning.
As Kiera's eyes bore into hers, Emma felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "This family hides more than money," Kiera whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "There are things in this house-secrets so dark, they've ruined lives. You don't know what you're stepping into." Her gaze hardened, warning clear. "If you want to survive here, you have to play their game, Emma. Trust no one. Not even Jackson."
Before Emma could respond, Kiera's footsteps faded into the shadows, leaving her alone with a rising sense of dread. The silence in the grand hall pressed down on her, suffocating and heavy.
Emma's phone buzzed suddenly, jolting her heart into overdrive. She pulled it out with shaky hands to see a message from an unknown number: "Trust no one. Especially him."
Her breath caught. Who was watching her? Who was warning her? And most terrifying of all-why?
A cold breeze swept through the hallway, as if the mansion itself was breathing, alive with secrets waiting to be uncovered. Emma's resolve hardened. She didn't know what lay ahead, but she knew one thing for sure: nothing in this house was as it seemed.
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Chapter 1 Unexpected Beginnings
28/05/2025