Chapter 3: The Matriarch’s Shadow

Lily's sneakers squeaked on the Blackwood mansion's marble floors as she hurried toward the parlor, Mrs. Grayson's command ringing in her ears: "Victoria wants the new staff. Now." Her heart hammered, Victoria Blackwood, Ethan's mother, was a legend, a steel-willed matriarch who'd built the family's tech empire alongside her late husband. One wrong move under her gaze, and Lily's $4,000 a month lifeline for Noah's scholarship would vanish.

Ethan's stormy eyes and the mysterious photo in his study already haunted her; now, Victoria's scrutiny loomed like a guillotine.

The parlor doors loomed ahead, ornate mahogany carved with vines. Lily smoothed her gray maid's uniform, its stiff fabric hiding her curves but not her nerves. Claire's venomous threat "You're nothing" and Ethan's warning to stay away from the photo twisted in her gut. And Noah's panicked call about his exam? That was the real weight crushing her. She couldn't fail him.

Mrs. Grayson stood at the doors, her stern face a mask of impatience. "Chin up, Harper.

Don't embarrass me." She shoved Lily inside with three other maids, their aprons starched to perfection. The parlor was a cathedral of wealth. Velvet drapes, gold-trimmed furniture, a chandelier dripping crystals. But the air felt cold, heavy with power.

Victoria Blackwood sat in a high-backed chair, her silver hair pulled into a flawless chignon, her navy suit tailored to intimidate. At sixty, her green eyes were sharper than Claire's, cutting through the room like a blade. Ethan stood beside her, his black suit hugging his muscled frame, his jaw tight. Claire perched on a sofa, her blonde hair gleaming, a smug smile curling her lips. The sight of her made Lily's stomach lurch, Claire knew about the changing room, maybe the study. One word to Victoria, and Lily was done.

"Line up," Mrs. Grayson barked. Lily shuffled into place, her hazel eyes fixed on the floor.

Victoria's gaze swept over them, lingering Lily like a hawk spotting prey. "New staff," Victoria said, her voice crisp, "are invisible. You clean, you serve, you disappear. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the maids murmured. Lily nodded, her throat dry. Invisible. That's what she needed to be, for Noah.

Victoria turned to Ethan, her tone softening but firm. "The gala's in two days. Claire's family is crucial to the merger with Donovan Enterprises. Their Al patents will secure our dominance." She glanced at Claire, her smile approving. "She's the perfect match for you, Ethan. Don't disappoint me."

Ethan's face was stone, but his gray eyes flickered, a storm brewing. "The merger's not finalized," he said, his voice low, controlled.

Claire's smile faltered, and Lily's pulse quickened. A merger tied to Claire? That explained her claws and Ethan's tension.

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "It will be. Your father's mistakes cost us enough. You won't repeat them." Her words were a whip, and Ethan's fists clenched, a crack in his icy facade. Lily's mind raced, what mistakes? The photo of the woman who looked like her mother flashed in her memory. Was it connected?

Mrs. Grayson stepped forward, gesturing to the maids. "They're trained, Mrs. Blackwood.

Harper here's new but diligent." She nodded at Lily, a rare crumb of praise.

Victoria's gaze snapped to Lily. "Diligent?" she said, her tone skeptical. "She looks... distracted." Lily's cheeks burned, but she kept her head down, praying Claire wouldn't pounce. Claire's green eyes glinted, but she stayed silent,for now.

Ethan's voice cut through. "She's fine," he said, his tone clipped but firm. "The silver in the dining hall was spotless." Lily's head jerked up, shock rippling through her. Was he... defending her? His eyes met hers for a split second, a spark of something—protection? Desire? before he looked away.

Victoria's lips thinned. "If you say so." She waved a hand. "Dismissed. Except you." She pointed at Lily. "Stay."

Lily's heart stopped. The other maids filed out, Mrs. Grayson's glare warning her not to screw this up. Claire shot her a venomous look before sauntering out, her heels clicking. Ethan stayed, his presence a dangerous heat at the edge of Lily's vision.

Victoria rose, her movements regal, predatory.

"What's your name?" she asked, circling Lily like a shark.

"Lily Harper, ma'am," she said, her voice steady despite the panic clawing her chest.

"Harper." Victoria tasted the name, her eyes narrowing. "You're not from money, are you?

No polish." Her gaze raked over Lily's uniform, her chestnut hair pinned messily. "Why this job?"

Lily swallowed. The truth, Noah needs me felt too raw. "It's good work," she said.

Victoria's laugh was sharp, mirthless. "Honest? Maids see too much to stay honest." She stopped, inches away, her perfume suffocating. "Keep your eyes on the floors, not my son. He's spoken for."

Lily's face burned, Ethan's changing-room stare flashing in her mind. "I'm just here to work," she said, meeting Victoria's gaze.

Defiance flickered, reckless but alive.

Victoria's eyes glinted, amused or annoyed, Lily couldn't tell. "We'll see." She turned to Ethan. "The merger meeting's tonight. Be ready." She swept out, leaving a chill in her wake.

Ethan lingered, his gaze heavy on Lily. "You heard her," he said, voice low. "Eyes on the floors." But his tone wasn't cold-it was a warning, laced with something softer. Before she could respond, he strode out, leaving hor alone in the parlor's oppressive silence.

Lily's knees buckled, and she sank onto a chair, her breath ragged. Victoria's words, Ethan's defense, Claire's threat, it was too much. She needed to focus, scrub floors, survive. For Noah. But the photo, Ethan's eyes, Victoria's cryptic jab about his father's

"mistakes" they pulled her deeper into a web she didn't understand.

The rest of her shift was a blur of polishing and dodging Claire's icy stares. By late afternoon, Lily's arms ached from scrubbing the library's oak shelves. Another maid, Sarah, a wiry redhead with freckles, worked beside her, her chatter a welcome distraction.

"Victoria's a dragon, huh?" Sarah whispered, dusting a leather-bound book. "Runs Ethan like a puppet. Poor guy's trapped with Claire."

Lily forced a smile, her mind on Ethan's clenched fists. "He doesn't seem like the puppet type," she said, keeping her voice low.

Sarah snorted. "He fights her, but she always wins. Ever since his dad's scandal." She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "Rumor is, Mr.Blackwood senior got too close to a maid years ago. Disappeared after that. Victoria never forgave the staff."

Lily's blood ran cold. A maid? The photo—chestnut hair, hazel eyes-flashed in her mind.

"Disappeared?" she asked, her voice tight.

Sarah nodded, oblivious to Lily's panic. "Poof.

Gone. Some say he ran off with her, others say... worse." She shrugged. "Keep your head down, new girl. This place eats people."

Lily's hands shook as she dusted, Sarah's words sinking in. A maid. A scandal. The woman in the photo-could she be tied to her mother? No, that was impossible. Her mom had died in a car accident when Lily was ten.

But the resemblance... it gnawed at her.

That evening, Mrs. Grayson sent Lily to the staff quarters to change before the late shift.

The mansion's lower level was dim, the air damp. In the cramped changing room, Lily peeled off her uniform, her body aching. As she hung the gray dress, something clinked in the apron pocket. Frowning, she reached inside.

Her fingers closed around cool metal. She pulled out a silver locket, its surface engraved with delicate swirls. Her breath caught. She clicked it open, revealing a tiny photo of a woman-chestnut hair, hazel eyes, just like the one in Ethan's study. Her heart pounded as she turned the locket over. Etched on the back were two initials: E.M.

Lily's vision blurred, her mind racing. E.M. not her mother's initials, but close enough to chill her. The woman in the photo, the scandal Sarah mentioned, was this her? And how had the locket gotten into her pocket? Had someone planted it? Ethan? Claire? Victoria?

Footsteps echoed in the hall, sharp and deliberate. Lily shoved the locket into her jeans, her pulse thundering. The door creaked open, and a shadow fell across the room. She spun, her heart in her throat, as a voice-low, familiar, and edged with danger, cut through the silence.

"Lily," Ethan said, his gray eyes locking onto hers. "We need to talk. Now."