The First Warning

Servants' Quarters – Virello Estate – 2:00 AM

Belle pressed her back against the wooden door of her small servant's quarters, her breath slow and measured despite the tension coiling inside her.

Dante Castellano was suspicious.

And in her world, suspicion was the same as a death sentence.

She exhaled quietly, forcing herself to relax. Her quarters were small and simple—just a narrow bed, a wooden dresser, and a tiny window overlooking the estate's back gardens. A far cry from the luxury she had been raised in before her life shattered into secrecy.

Her hands shook slightly as she unbuttoned her uniform, slipping into a black tank top and loose sweatpants. The weight of the day pressed on her, but she couldn't sleep.

Dante had seen something in her tonight. He had tested her. And she had barely passed.

She needed to be more careful.

Belle pulled out the hidden switchblade from beneath her pillow, flipping it open with practiced ease. The cold steel gleamed in the dim light. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Enough to remind her that no matter how dangerous Dante Castellano was—

She was dangerous, too.

A soft knock on the door shattered the silence.

Belle tensed, fingers tightening around the blade. No one ever came to her room this late.

She moved silently, pressing her ear against the wood.

Nothing.

A warning bell rang in her mind.

Shifting the blade into her sleeve, she unlocked the door and cracked it open just enough to see—

A folded note on the floor.

Belle glanced left, then right. No one.

She bent down, picked it up, and unfolded it with steady fingers.

You're not as invisible as you think.

Her stomach dropped.

The handwriting was unfamiliar. The message was clear. Someone was watching her.

Belle inhaled slowly. Dante? No. He would be more direct.

So who?

Her mind raced. The Virello Estate was full of criminals, spies, and enemies hiding behind alliances. Someone had noticed her—someone besides Dante.

But what did they know?

Belle slipped the note into her pocket and locked her door. Sleep wasn't an option anymore.

She needed to find out who left that message.

Before it was too late.

---

Elsewhere in the Estate – Dante's Office

Dante Castellano leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he watched the security footage on his laptop.

The grainy black-and-white screen showed a single hallway—the servants' quarters. The timestamp read 2:03 AM.

A hooded figure stepped into frame. They crouched near a door, slipped a note under it, and disappeared back into the shadows.

Dante's smirk was slow and sharp.

Someone else was playing games with his little maid.

How interesting.

He closed the laptop, tossing back the last of his whiskey.

Whatever secrets "Elena" was hiding—

She wasn't the only one in danger.