Chapter 2 - The Golden Cage and the Viper
The uneasy peace of the mansion shattered with the arrival of Victoria. As Daniel’s fiancée—an arrangement built on corporate mergers rather than affection—she wore her entitlement like a diamond necklace. She was stunningly beautiful, with perfectly coiffed blonde hair and a wardrobe that cost more than Elara would make in a lifetime, but her eyes held a cold, calculating cruelty.
From the moment Victoria stepped her stiletto-clad foot into the foyer, she zeroed in on Elara. Perhaps it was Elara's youth, or the quiet dignity she maintained despite her station and condition, but Victoria saw her as an easy target for her frustrations.
"You missed a spot," Victoria sneered one afternoon, pointing a manicured finger at a perfectly clean windowpane. "Are you blind, or just lazy? I suppose carrying that burden around makes you slow."
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Elara swallowed the lump in her throat, refusing to let the tears fall. "I apologize, Miss. I will clean it again."
As she scrubbed the spotless glass, she noticed a reflection in the adjacent mirror. Daniel was standing at the end of the hallway, his dark eyes fixed on the scene. He didn't intervene, but his jaw was clenched tight. When Elara turned around, he was gone, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined the brief flicker of fury in his gaze.
