Ariana barely slept that night.
The rain had stopped hours ago, but its echo still lingered in her mind—just like him.
Alexander Kingston
His voice.
His eyes.
The way he said her name.
"Don't avoid me next time."
She turned in her small bed, staring at the cracked ceiling of the maid's quarters. The room was nothing like the rest of the mansion—simple, worn, almost forgotten.
Just like her.
"This is bad…" she whispered to herself.
She knew the rules.
Every maid did.
Stay invisible. Don't get noticed. Never attract attention from the master.
And yet…
She already had.
The next morning felt heavier than usual.
Ariana moved through the kitchen quietly, helping prepare breakfast along with the other staff. The air buzzed with quiet chatter, but today, something was different.
"They say he came back early last night," one maid whispered.
"Did anyone see him?"
"No—but Mrs. Dalloway looked furious this morning."
Ariana's grip tightened slightly on the tray she was holding.
So it wasn't just her.
Something had shifted.
"Ariana."
She flinched at the sharp voice.
Mrs. Dalloway stood behind her, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"You were in the study last night."
It wasn't a question.
Ariana lowered her gaze. "Yes, ma'am. I was assigned—"
"You crossed paths with him, didn't you?"
Silence.
That was answer enough.
Mrs. Dalloway stepped closer, her voice dropping to a cold whisper.
"Listen carefully. Girls who get noticed here don't last long."
A chill ran down Ariana's spine.
"I didn't do anything wrong—"
"It doesn't matter," she cut in. "Men like him don't need a reason."
Her words hit harder than expected.
Ariana swallowed.
"I understand."
"Good," Mrs. Dalloway said, straightening. "Then stay out of his way."
That became Ariana's goal for the day.
Avoid him.
She chose tasks in the farthest corners of the mansion, kept her head down, and moved quickly whenever she finished something.
Every sound made her tense.
Every footstep made her heart race.
But hours passed…
And nothing happened.
Maybe he forgot.
Maybe last night meant nothing to him.
That thought should've relieved her.
But for some reason—
It didn't.
Late afternoon.
The sun dipped low, casting golden shadows across the long hallway.
Ariana carried fresh linens toward one of the guest rooms, her steps quick and quiet.
Almost done.
Just one more room.
She turned the corner—
And walked straight into someone.
The impact wasn't hard, but it was enough to make the linens slip from her arms.
"I'm so sorry—!"
She stopped.
Her breath caught.
Of course.
It was him.
Alexander looked down at her, his expression unreadable.
"You're avoiding me."
Not a question.
A statement.
Ariana's mind went blank.
"I—no, sir. I was just working—"
"Lying isn't a good habit."
Her cheeks flushed.
"I'm not lying."
"Then why haven't I seen you all day?"
The question was simple.
But the answer wasn't.
Because I'm trying to survive.
But she couldn't say that.
"I've been assigned to different areas, sir."
A pause.
Then—
"I didn't assign that."
Her heart dropped.
The hallway suddenly felt too small.
Too quiet.
Too dangerous.
Ariana bent down quickly to pick up the fallen linens, hoping the movement would give her a moment to breathe.
But before she could stand—
His hand caught her wrist.
Firm.
Unyielding.
Her entire body froze.
"Look at me."
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Slowly… hesitantly…
She did.
Something had changed.
His gaze was sharper now. More focused.
Like he had made a decision.
"You're trying too hard to disappear," he said.
Her voice came out softer than she intended. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"
A flicker of something crossed his eyes.
"No."
The answer stunned her.
No?
"That's what everyone else does," she added carefully.
"I'm not interested in everyone else."
Her breath hitched.
The words hung between them, heavy with meaning.
"You should be," she said quietly.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Why?"
"Because it's safer."
"For who?" he asked.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
For me.
For both of us.
Alexander stepped closer.
Too close.
Ariana could feel the warmth of his body, the faint scent of his cologne—dark, sharp, intoxicating.
"You're afraid of me."
It wasn't mocking.
It was… observant.
"Yes," she admitted before she could stop herself.
Silence followed.
Then—
"Good."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That means you understand the risk."
Her heart pounded harder.
"Then why—" she stopped herself.
"Why what?"
"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked.
The question lingered in the air.
Even she didn't fully understand why she asked it.
Maybe she needed to hear the answer.
Maybe she needed a reason.
Alexander studied her for a long moment.
Then, slowly—
"Because you didn't look away."
Her breath caught again.
"That's all it takes?" she whispered.
"For now."
That was worse.
Much worse.
Ariana gently pulled her wrist free.
This time, he let her.
"That's not enough," she said, gathering the remaining courage she had. "Not for someone like you."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"And what does that mean?"
"It means…" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"It means this won't end well."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"Who said I want it to end?"
Her stomach dropped.
"You should stop," she said softly.
"I won't."
"Then you'll regret it."
Another step closer.
"I don't regret things."
That confidence…
It was dangerous.
Unshakable.
And completely terrifying.
For a second, time seemed to stop.
No movement.
No sound.
Just the space between them—
Charged with something neither of them could control.
Then—
"Ariana."
Her name sounded different this time.
Lower.
Deeper.
Possessive.
"Stay out of my way… or don't."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"That's not a choice."
"It is now."
He stepped past her without another word.
Just like that.
Leaving her standing there, frozen, confused, and shaken.
What just happened?
Her heart refused to slow down.
Her thoughts refused to settle.
One thing was clear—
He wasn't going to let this go.
From the end of the hallway, Alexander paused.
Just for a second.
Without turning back, he said quietly—
"You're mine to notice now, Ariana."
Her breath stopped.
And in that moment…
She realized something terrifying.
This wasn't just attention anymore.
This was the beginning of something far more dangerous.