Chapter 9

By the time the clock neared ten, they were almost finished cleaning up. Thanks to Emily's help, the work had gone by much faster.

Once everything was done, the two headed to shower before eating. Since there was only one bathroom, they had to take turns. Iris went first while Emily waited. When she was done, Emily took her turn, and soon after, she emerged, feeling refreshed.

Without hesitation, she walked over to Iris's wardrobe and pulled out a nightgown.

Iris shifted uncomfortably. "I know I don't have a lot of fancy clothes…" she murmured, feeling a little embarrassed.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Iris. There's nothing wrong with your clothes, so stop acting like it's a big deal."

She held up the nightwear with a grin. "In fact, I love them. They make me feel free—like I don't have to act like some royal highness all day. Just for tonight, I get to be myself."

She let out a laugh, and Iris couldn't help but join in.

Once they finished getting dressed, they headed out to grab their food.

"Iris, why don't we eat in your room instead?" Emily suggested.

Iris immediately nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Honestly, I don't like all the stares and attention from everyone."

Emily smiled. "No problem. Let's grab our food and go."

With that, they quickly gathered their meals and made their way back to Iris's room.

As they sat in the room, eating and chatting, Emily hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Hey, girl, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Emily began.

Iris looked up. "Okay, what is it?"

Emily sighed. "I've been thinking... Why don't you stop working here and do something you actually love? I can support you. I'll get you a house where you and your dad can stay, and even a car—if that's okay with you. I just hate seeing you struggle here. They don't treat you right, and it's not fair. I hope you understand where I'm coming from."

Iris set her fork down, smiling softly. "Emily, I really appreciate your care and love for me, but honestly, I'm fine. You don't have to stress or worry about me, okay? Your girl is strong—I can handle this. It's not like I don't want to do something different, but for now, I just want to keep working here. Maybe when I'm ready for a change, I'll let you know, okay?"

Emily studied her for a moment before nodding. "If you say so."

With that, they continued their conversation while finishing their meal. Once they were done, they went to wash the dishes and headed back to the room for a good night's sleep.

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Emily let out a long yawn as she stretched, while Iris was already sitting up, fully awake.

"Good morning," Iris greeted.

Emily rubbed her eyes. "Morning, girl. What's up? How was your night?"

"It was good. Yours?"

"Fine," Emily replied with a small smile as they exchanged pleasantries.

Emily got up to freshen up while Iris waited. Once Emily was done, Iris went in to do the same. When she returned, she saw Emily applying lotion and picking out clothes from the wardrobe.

"I'm sorry again for my choice of clothes," Iris said hesitantly.

Emily sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Iris, why don't you get it? I really don't care about things like that. It's fine, okay? I mean, I was once in your shoes before I got to where I am today, so there's nothing to apologize for."

Iris smiled softly. "If you say so, then."

Once they finished dressing, they headed out. Iris had her morning chores to do before breakfast, so she quickly prepared breakfast for Emily. But, being Emily, she refused to eat until Iris was done. Once Iris finished her chores, they sat down and ate together.

Just as they were washing the dishes, a worker rushed into the kitchen, breathless.

"Iris! Have you heard the news going around all morning?"

Iris looked up, confused. "No, what's going on?"

The worker leaned in, lowering his voice. "We overheard Mr. and Mrs. McCall's phone call. Everyone thinks that Stanley McCall is coming back to L.A. soon."

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Stanley McCall? I can't believe it. If he was here, why didn't he show up at the event last night?"

The worker shrugged. "That's what we don't know yet. But people are saying he might already be here, just keeping a low profile."

Another worker chimed in excitedly. "Imagine—he's supposed to be super hot and handsome. He's got that mysterious, rich guy vibe!"

Iris let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Alright, enough gossip for now."

With that, she and Emily left the kitchen.

"I guess you have to start going now, Emily. Honestly, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you yesterday. You're truly a blessing to me." Iris said sincerely.

Emily waved her off with a smile. "Ah, come on, Iris. It's really no big deal. You don't have to thank me all the time."

"No, you don't understand. I have to. I really appreciate everything you did for me."

Emily rolled her eyes playfully. "It's fine. What are best friends for? You're like a sister to me, so I'll always be here for you, okay?"

Iris smiled warmly. "If you say so, then."

As they walked, they overheard a group of girls gossiping about the return of Stanley McCall. Emily and Iris exchanged amused glances and giggled but didn't stop to listen.

When they reached Emily's car, Iris's phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was her dad.

"Hello, Dad. Good morning."

"Good morning, sweetheart. How are you? How was your night?"

"I'm good, Dad. And you?"

"It was good, my love. Honestly, I still can't believe what happened yesterday. It felt like a dream. I guess I'm still in shock," he chuckled. "I just wanted to check up on you."

Iris laughed. "It's fine, Dad. I'm so proud of you. You really deserved it. I'm sorry I couldn't spend more time with you last night—I was caught up with work."

"It's okay, my love. I understand. And help me thank Emily too—she helped us a lot yesterday."

"I will, Dad. Talk to you later."

With that, the call ended.

Emily started the car and turned to Iris. "Alright, girl, I really have to go now."

"Sure. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"No problem," Emily said with a grin. "We'll keep in touch. See you soon."

As Emily drove off, Iris turned back toward the mansion. While passing through the hallway, she overheard someone mentioning that Mr. and Mrs. McCall would be leaving for a trip soon.

That reminded her—Mr. McCall had called her over earlier to inform her about their departure.

"It's going to be peaceful for a little while without them here," Iris thought with a small smirk.

With that, she made her way to her favorite spot—the garden.