Alissa Kingsbury loved the feeling of the sun on her face as she laid in the garden, the smell of the flowers enveloping her and transporting her to another world.
"Alissa!" She heard her mother holler her name, the anger penetrating the ambience of the garden. What was it now? The chimney need cleaning?
"Alissa! Get in here and make tea! We have a guest!"
Alissa rolled over and got up. Escaping reality was getting harder and harder the less her father payed attention to her mother. If Edena didn't have the joy of torturing her husband she would trade it over to her daughter.
As Alissa entered the kitchen Jenna scowled in her direction.
"The least you could do is hurry up. Honestly, how are you even the daughter of the house?"
"I read a book the other night. It was quite interesting. How to cut out someone's tongue without them dying in the process. Could come in handy, don't you think?"
"You're such a horrible girl." Jenna sneered. Jenna was the favorite of the maid's when it came to Edena. Only because she attempted to make Alissa's life as hard as possible. Although, there was a time when the two girls were friends.
"Alissa! Is that tea ready?!" Edena's voice rand shrill from the den.
As Alissa entered she was taken aback from the sight. The man sitting in the chair had an air about him that darkened the room. It made your blood run cold and you wanted nothing more than to bow your head in an effort to not look at him.
"This is Elijah Adler, Alissa."
"Pleased to meet you, sir." Alissa courtseyed keeping her eyes locked with the man's. He may be terrifying to look at but that doesn't mean she had to give in to the fear. She had learned long ago, the more afraid you look to others, the more power they take from you.
Aside from the penatrating anger, he was startlingly handsome. His blue eyes held all the ice in them but looked more like the skies she peered at in the garden. She almost wondered if birds flew around in those orbs. His blond hair flopped just below his eyebrows, almost covering his left eye but not quite. His lips quicker up in a sneer as he stared at her. It was then she put all the features together and realized this man was pissed. At her? What had she done?
"As you know, Alissa, the Adlers run much of the corporations here. They're a good family to have on your side." Edena said proudly looking at Alissa.
"What if I weren't on your side?" His voice held fire and brimstone with lilt of anger.
Edena's face bleached as she dare not look at the man.
Alissa father sat straighter in his chair. "Bring the tea here, dear. And take a seat. This conversation has much to do with you."
Alissa sat the tea on the table and poured a glass for everyone. As she handed them out Elijah didn't move for his cup. He sat staring at her, anger palpable in the air. Alissa squared her shoulders and looked at him with indifference as she sat his cup on the table.
His anger seemed to grow.
What was his problem?
"You'll be staying with me as my personal maid starting today. Pack your things."
"She already has a job of a maid here in this household." Edena spat before bleaching at the tone she just spewed at the icy man.
"Are you denying me, bitch?" He spewed the word with such venom that it sliced straight through Edena's arrogance, making her face go white.
"Now, now, let's not make this more than what it needs to be. I assume you'll be paying a price for her?" Alissa's father exclaimed with no emotion.
"The wages she earns will be secured in your bank count every week. I may take things I want but I do pay for them."
"Very well, Alissa go pack. Anything left behind will be sent over by car."
Alex, Alissa's father, stood with his hand gestured to Elijah. "Pleasure meeting you, Elijah. I trust she'll behave with you more than she has with us."
Elijah ignored the man's hand and stood, heading to the door.
"I'll be waiting in the car. Don't take long. You'll regret it."
With that he left the house.
"Alex! What on earth do you mean by this?"
"I'll explain later. I've been warned not to say too much." He walked out to his study, the door closing behind him.
"You best behave in the presence of this man. When he is through with you, you'll regret it."
"Yes, mother." Alyssa walked up to her room, deep in thought.
Her life was not her own, her decisions based on others opinions of her life. She had no control over anything except how she handled things.
How would life be in the presence of this brooding ice sculpture? What would be asked of her? She may be a maid in this house but she wasn't anyone's personal maid. What did this man want with her? Her existence was barely acknowledged anywhere in this town. Why were his sights set on her?
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I'll be releasing two chapters today. From then on it will be one chapter a week, every Friday.
Please let me know if you are enjoying the story. I'm working really hard on it for you guys! I appreciate you all giving this story the time of day and I hope I do well on it for you!
Thank you, all!