Elena lowered her eyes calmly.
"Just a maid trying to survive, sir," she replied quietly.
Adrian continued looking at her for a moment.
The air inside Vanessa's bedroom suddenly felt heavier, quieter.
Outside, rain tapped softly against the large glass windows while the expensive chandelier lights reflected across the polished floor.
Vanessa was still inside the bathroom, angrily throwing things around.
But neither of them paid attention to it.
Adrian's eyes remained fixed on Elena's face, calm yet unreadable.
For some strange reason, her answer annoyed him.
Too careful.
Too controlled.
As though she had practiced hiding herself for years.
"You speak well for a maid," he said finally.
Elena's fingers tightened slightly by her side.
"I only try to be respectful, sir."
"Hm."
His gaze lingered on her briefly before he stepped away.
"Go back to work."
Relief quietly passed through Elena's chest.
"Yes, sir."
She turned immediately and walked toward the door.
But just before leaving, Adrian spoke again without looking at her.
"Vanessa loses her temper easily. Don't take her words personally."
Elena paused for half a second.
Then she answered softly, "I understand."
She left the room quickly after that.
The moment the door closed behind her, Elena finally released the breath she had been holding.
This was dangerous.
Not because Adrian suspected anything.
But because he was beginning to notice her existence more than he should.
And that could ruin everything.
Downstairs, the mansion remained busy despite the late hour.
Several workers cleaned quietly while Madam Martha supervised the dining area.
The second Elena entered the hallway, one of the maids rushed toward her.
"You're lucky," the girl whispered.
Elena frowned slightly. "Why?"
"That Madam Vanessa didn't slap you."
Another maid nodded immediately.
"She once fired a worker for touching her perfume."
Elena said nothing.
She already understood the kind of woman Vanessa was.
Proud.
Cruel.
Spoiled by wealth and power.
Madam Martha approached them calmly.
"Enough gossip," she warned quietly before turning toward Elena. "The guest rooms upstairs still need cleaning."
"Yes, Madam Martha."
Elena picked up the cleaning basket again and headed toward the second floor.
As she walked through the long hallway, her expression slowly hardened.
This mansion truly had not changed.
The rich still treated workers like objects.
The powerful still believed they could destroy lives without consequences.
But this time was different.
This time, someone had returned to destroy their perfect world from the inside.Elena entered the first guest room quietly and placed the cleaning basket near the door.
The room smelled faintly of expensive perfume and fresh flowers. Everything inside the mansion carried luxury, yet none of it impressed her anymore.
Not after what this family had done.
She pulled the curtains open slowly, allowing moonlight to spill across the room.
Her mind kept replaying the scene from Vanessa's bedroom.
"You speak well for a maid."
Adrian's voice echoed inside her head again.
Elena frowned slightly while dusting the shelves.
She did not like attention.
Attention created curiosity.
And curiosity created danger.
Still, Adrian Cole himself was not the problem.
The real problem was this mansion.
The secrets hidden inside it.
The lies buried years ago.
As Elena bent to pick up a magazine from the floor, something suddenly slipped from between the pages.
A photograph.
She paused.
The picture showed an older couple standing beside a much younger Adrian during what looked like a formal event years ago.
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
The woman beside Adrian was elegant and beautiful.
Vanessa's mother.
The woman responsible for destroying her own mother's life.
Even after all these years, Elena still remembered her face clearly.
Cold eyes.
Perfect smile.
Cruel heart.
Elena stared at the photograph for several long seconds before quietly slipping it back into the magazine.
A knock suddenly sounded behind her.
She turned immediately.
Madam Martha stepped inside.
"You're still cleaning?"
"Yes."
Madam Martha looked around the room before lowering her voice slightly.
"You should rest after this room. Madam Vanessa has already caused enough trouble for one night."
Elena nodded politely.
But before Madam Martha could leave, loud voices suddenly echoed from downstairs.
Vanessa.
Again.
"I don't care!" Vanessa shouted angrily. "Cancel tomorrow's charity event if you have to!"
Madam Martha sighed tiredly.
"That woman will drive everyone mad one day."
Elena remained silent while listening carefully.
Footsteps suddenly crossed the hallway outside.
Strong. Calm. Unhurried.
Adrian.
He passed by the open door without stopping, his attention fixed on the phone in his hand.
"Move the meeting to Friday," he said coldly into the call. "And tell them I'm not interested in excuses."
Even without raising his voice, authority followed him naturally.
Elena looked away quickly before he could notice her watching.
But just as he reached the end of the hallway, Adrian suddenly stopped.
For one brief second, silence filled the corridor.
Then he turned slightly.
"Elena."
Her heartbeat tightened unexpectedly.
"Yes, sir?"
His expression remained calm.
"The study should be cleaned tomorrow morning before nine."
"I understand."
Adrian gave a small nod and continued walking away.
Elena watched his figure disappear around the corner before slowly exhaling.
Madam Martha noticed the look on her face immediately.
"Be careful around Young Master Adrian," she warned softly.
Elena lowered her eyes again.
"I know."
But deep inside, something already felt unsettling.
Because Adrian Cole was beginning to remember her name too easily.Madam Martha picked up the empty basket beside the door and looked at Elena carefully.
"You should finish quickly and sleep," she said softly. "Tomorrow will be busy because of the charity event."
"Yes, Madam Martha."
The older woman nodded before leaving the room quietly.
The moment the door closed, silence returned again.
Elena continued dusting the shelves slowly, but her thoughts were elsewhere now.
A charity event.
Interesting.
Rich people loved pretending to be kind in front of cameras.
Especially families like the Coles.
Elena moved toward the bedside table and opened the drawer carefully to clean inside it.
Nothing unusual.
Just documents, magazines, and expensive watches neatly arranged.
She was about to close it when something caught her attention.
A key.
Small.
Silver.
Different from the others.
Elena paused.
The key had a black tag attached to it with only one word written across it.
ARCHIVE.
Her heartbeat slowed instantly.
Carefully, Elena picked it up.
Why would a guest room contain a key like this?
And what exactly was hidden inside the archive room?
Before she could think further, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed outside the hallway.