A SPY?

"We'll continue this conversation some other time, Miss Roosevelt." Liam released me and walked away with Wadsworth, leaving me on the balcony.

I sighed as I watched him walk away with an unsteady heartbeat. I've only spent less than 48 hours with this man and I feel suffocated. What then will happen to me when I spend the remaining months of the year with him?

Probably death.

My eyes never left him until he was completely out of sight. Liam's a dangerous person. He's affecting me in ways I'm not comfortable with, not to mention his hoarse, sexy voice that thrilled me more than I cared to admit.

This is bad. He shouldn't have this much effect on me, especially when he's my assignment, and even worse, my contract forbids it.

I was about to return to the couch when a silhouette caught my attention. Someone is there, but the person took notice of me just as quickly as my eyes shifted to him and ran away.

Anxiety overtook my whole body as my mind played what happened just a few seconds ago.

Am I being spied on?

The chills I felt on my skin told me otherwise, even if my mind rejected that introspect with the conclusion that I may be hallucinating.

Maybe I'm overthinking just a little bit. This is the Anderson's mansion, probably the most secure place I've ever been to. There is no way an intruder will enter without being detected.

I couldn't look away from the place where I saw the silhouette as I thought of many possible speculations - It could be the household maid, looking for gossip, or even a guard. I've read and watched rich series where some idle maids go around looking for interesting chitchats.

Could this be one of the scenarios?

A maid suddenly appeared from there just at the right time to clear my doubts, and I heaved in relief.

Why did she run away when I spotted her though?

She wore a perfect smile as she approached me in her beautiful maid wear. Everything here is so organized, down to the maid's outfit, which is also gorgeous compared to the type of job they offer.

She bowed when she stood a few feet from me, a little courtesy I noticed all the workers did to the masters and guests in the mansion, "Miss Roosevelt."

I spoke in a calm tone, hiding my anxiety. "Address me as Abigail, instead."

Being addressed as Roosevelt instead of Mckay as my last name by all these people brought a weird kind of uneasiness to me.

With a slight nod, she said, "noted, Miss Abigail. I came to inform you that the lady request your presence in the dining room. Apparently, everyone's waiting for you."

How come everyone's waiting for me when they just left this balcony a couple of minutes ago?

I looked at her skeptically. Something felt off but I didn't want to raise any false alarms. Maybe, just maybe, my mind is still in bewilderment about what happened a couple of minutes ago.

"Let's go then," I forced a smile, "I wouldn't want to make them wait any longer."

She bowed and led the way, while I followed quietly behind her. Even as we walked in absolute silence, my uneasiness grew with every second I followed her.

My instincts had never failed me. They were always right. Now that they warned me blatantly about something not being right, half my doubt about nothing being wrong faded.

I stopped when we got close to where I saw the silhouette peep at me earlier and my eyes darted between the maid and the corner.

"What's your name?" My question made her lull and she turned to see me standing still.

I think she now became aware of my suspicion cause she swallowed unconsciously when her eyes fell on my face, before looking down to the floor.

"My name is Audrey, Miss Abigail, a nobody who is leading you to the dining room to join in the Anderson's evening feast."

Now, my suspicion grew. "Were you the one?"

"Pardon me, Miss Abigail, but I don't seem to get the question." Her eyes never left the floor after the first time she turned to look at my face when I made her stop.

"The one who was sneaking on me earlier. Are you the one?"

"Of course not, Miss Abigail." She denied it almost immediately, "I was in the dining room only after a couple of minutes ago when I was ordered by the lady to come fetch you to dine with them." She raised her head, wide-eyed as if hit by reality, "Miss Abigail, was there someone who sneaked up on you, earlier? If that's the case, I think we need to notify the security team at once and the chairman, lady, and young master."

Raising awareness about this is the same as bringing me to the spotlight. I can't afford to do this. I gave her the side-eye.

"I don't think that's necessary, Audrey. I think I may have seen wrongly," I smiled, "Let's go over to the dining room for now."

She nodded and continued leading the way, while I followed her behind, making sure to keep a good distance between us, just for security purposes.

Everything she said just happened to have a loophole and I just confirmed my suspicion that something really is wrong somewhere. I can't raise a false alarm either. I should be with the Andersons who I know wouldn't want any harm to befall me.

We walked further and further into the mansion until we finally arrived at a door and she stopped. Opening the door with a slight turn of the knob, she gestured for me to go in.

I looked at the door skeptically. This was another room and not the dining room. I knew cause it was completely different from the one Wadsworth had led Mirabel and me into earlier in the day for breakfast.

"Please, go in, Miss Mckay."

I gasped as I looked around the place perplexed, and in fear that someone might have heard her calling me that.

"You don't have to be afraid, Miss Mckay. I was sent by Miss Roosevelt to deliver a message." 

A spy?

At the mention of Monica's name, my anxiety dropped and was replaced with pure amazement. She knew who I am and the fact that I worked for Monica. This just answered a thousand questions that sprung into my head when I heard my last name from her.

Hesitantly, I walked into the room after taking one quick look around and she followed me inside before shutting the door.