Shady Dealings

As the relentless knocking continued, Isadora finally gathered the courage to open the door, bracing herself for the unknown. But to her surprise, she found Marcus standing there, his face etched with concern.

"I was worried something terrible had happened to you in there," he said, his relief visible.

Isadora's confusion was clear as she asked, "What do you mean?" Her mind, which had been racing with worst-case scenarios, began to calm down as she realized the situation was not as dire as she had feared.

Marcus explained, "I've been knocking for over 10 minutes, but you didn't respond. I thought something was wrong, so I knocked louder." His words brought a sense of relief, and Isadora felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

"I didn't hear you knocking, I'm sorry," she replied, knowing  her hearing was muffled by her inner turmoil.

"Maxwell wants to know if you're doing all right," Marcus said, his concern  in his tone. Isadora's surprise was palpable - why would Maxwell care about her well-being?

"I'm fine," she forced a weak smile, despite her obvious distress. Marcus's gaze lingered on her face, taking in the dark circles, puffy eyes, and redness that betrayed her true state. Yet, he chose not to probe further.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out," he offered, his kindness genuine. "Okay," she replied softly, her gratitude silent but sincere. With that, Marcus departed, leaving Isadora to her thoughts as she closed the door behind him.

Isadora was perplexed by Maxwell's sudden concern for her well-being, especially since he had shown no kindness or compassion towards her since her arrival. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that his interest in her well-being was not genuine.

Isadora decided to refresh herself with a quick wash and then take a leisurely walk outside her room, perhaps searching for a bite to eat, as she had yet to have breakfast that morning.

After preparing herself, Isadora exited her room and began her stroll. As she walked, her gaze fell upon a piece of paper lodged under her shoe. She stooped to retrieve it, and upon standing, she examined the image.

"This person resembles Maxwell, yet it's not him," she mused, her curiosity stirred. Determined to uncover the truth, she headed towards the garden, seeking Mrs. Agnes's insight. As she approached the garden entrance, she spotted Vanessa, who seemed to be lost in thought.

Isadora approached Vanessa and gently tapped her on the back. "Hey, Vanessa," she said.

Vanessa turned around, "Hi, Isadora. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good, thanks. How about you?" Isadora replied. "I'm good too," Vanessa said.

"Have you seen Mrs. Agnes around?" Isadora asked. "She's out running an errand at the market for the garden," Vanessa replied.

"Oh, I'll have to wait for her return, then," Isadora said.

"If you need help with something, feel free to share. I might be able to assist," Vanessa offered.

"How long have you been living in this mansion?" Isadora asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Longer than you might think, my mum must have told you," Vanessa said with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" Isadora pressed.

"My mom is Mrs. Agnes," Vanessa revealed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Isadora's eyes widened in shock. "No way! I had no idea!" she exclaimed.

"Oh that means she didn't tell you, I believe she was going to tell you soon enough," Vanessa said.

"I think so, how old are you?" Isadora asked.

"I'm 37 , came into this mansion with my mum when I was 22," she answered.

"Wow, that's long, you don't look it though" Isadora said, gazing at her.

"I get that a lot, so how old are you?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm 26," she answered.

"Wow, you're still young," Vanessa answered, full of surprise.

"Yep, I finished college last year," she answered. "Then you should be working," Vanessa replied.

"Yeah, non of my application have been approved yet, so I decided to look for something to do while I wait," Isadora explained.

"Everything will work out just well. But in the meantime, what is it you wanted to tell Mrs. Agnes?" Vanessa asked.

Isadora handed Vanessa a picture. "I wanted to ask if she knew who this is," she said.

Vanessa's eyes widened as she took the picture. "Where did you find this?" she asked, her curiosity aroused.

"I found it on the floor," Isadora replied.

Vanessa's gaze lingered on the image before she handed it back to Isadora. "This is Ethan, master  Maxwell's brother.  He's the second of the Sterling brothers."

Isadora's eyes lit up with realization. "No wonder he looks so much like Maxwell," she thought to herself.

Vanessa's expression turned thoughtful. "It's been years since we've seen him in this mansion."

Isadora's curiosity was whetted. "What happened?" she asked.

Vanessa's voice dropped to a whisper. "From what I've seen, the brothers don't get along. There's been a rift between them for years."

"I remember Mrs. Agnes mentioning something about a family feud when I first arrived," Isadora said, remembering the conversation she first had with Mrs. Agnes.

Vanessa's expression turned puzzled. "Yeah, and I wonder what this picture is doing on the floor? It's strange, to say the least."

Isadora shrugged. "Maybe one of the staff members dropped it by mistake."

Vanessa nodded. "Probably one of Master's men, careless as usual."

Isadora prepared to leave. "Well, I'll see you later, then."

Vanessa smiled. "Bye for now. Take care, Isadora."

As Isadora headed to the kitchen to satiate her growling stomach, she crossed paths with Marcus. He halted her with a query, "Have you come across a picture?"

His eyes seemed to hold a hint of urgency, but Isadora opted to hand it over, curiosity getting the better of her. "Yes, I found it on the floor," she replied, surrendering the image.

Marcus's expression turned relieved as he tucked the picture into a file he was carrying. "I've been searching everywhere for this," he said, his tone laced with gratitude. "Thanks, Isadora," he added, before hastening off, leaving her to wonder what significance the picture held.

Isadora's curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to temporarily ignore her growling stomach to tail Marcus discreetly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious documents.

She trailed behind him, her eyes fixed on his back as he headed towards the private lounge. But her focus wavered, and she didn't notice when Marcus stopped abruptly. Before she could react, she had walked right into him, her forehead bumping against his back.

Marcus spun around, his hand shooting out to grasp her wrist, his grip tightening as he turned her to face him. Isadora's heart skipped a beat as she found herself trapped, her eyes locking with Marcus's piercing gaze. She tried to wriggle free, but his hold was unyielding, leaving her no choice but to confront the situation head-on.