The Kane estate seemed even larger in the daylight, every hallway echoing with footsteps and whispers. Liana kept her eyes on the polished floor as she carried a bundle of linens, though she could feel the weight of the other maids' glances. Their voices drifted through the corridors, too low to be direct, but sharp enough to sting.
"Poor thing… straight into the master's wing."
"She won't last a week."
"Better her than me."
Liana pretended not to hear. She pressed the sheets tighter to her chest, moving with quiet determination. She'd learned long ago that reacting only fed their curiosity. But still, the words clung to her like dust she couldn't shake off.
The mention of Adrian's name sent ripples through the staff. Even without seeing him, his presence was carved into the silence, into the stiffened shoulders and lowered eyes. Stories of his temper—cold, swift, unforgiving—seemed to live in the walls themselves.
Liana straightened her back, though her stomach coiled with unease. She had no room for mistakes, no desire to stand out. If she was going to endure this place, she would have to become what she already knew best: unseen.
~~~~~~~
The corridor to the master's suite was hushed, the air heavier there than in the rest of the house. Liana balanced a stack of freshly pressed linens in her arms, her steps careful on the gleaming marble floor. She was nearly to the door when a shadow stretched across her path.
She froze.
Adrian Kane stood at the far end of the hall, tall and still, his gaze fixed on her. For a heartbeat, the house itself seemed to fall silent. Liana lowered her eyes, willing her pulse to steady, and continued forward as if she hadn't noticed. But his presence pressed against her skin like heat.
When they finally passed one another, he stopped. So did she.
The silence lengthened, each second dragging heavier than the last. She could feel his eyes on her, searching, weighing, and yet he said nothing. The linens in her arms grew unbearably heavy, her fingers tightening to keep from trembling.
At last, his voice cut through the air, smooth but edged. "You missed a spot, back in the study. Careless."
Liana kept her gaze on the floor, nodding once. "It won't happen again, sir."
No apology. No stammer. Just quiet acceptance.
He waited, as though expecting her to fumble or shrink. When she didn't, a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face. Irritation—or curiosity.
Without another word, Adrian moved on, his footsteps fading into the silence he left behind.
But as Liana slipped into the master's suite, her breath uneven, she knew one thing with certainty: she had not gone unnoticed.
~~~~~~~
Lyra adjusted the clasp of her diamond necklace in the mirror, her reflection flawless, practiced, untouchable. The gown hugging her figure shimmered under the golden lights of the dressing room, but the elegance felt more like armor than beauty. She'd worn it a thousand times before—polished perfection, the kind that demanded a room's attention.
As she descended the grand staircase of the hotel ballroom, laughter and crystal glasses chimed in the air. She smiled faintly, offering polite nods as she moved through the crowd, her heels clicking in deliberate rhythm. And then she heard it.
Two women at the bar, voices hushed but not hushed enough.
"Adrian Kane's different lately. Distracted."
"Perhaps a woman?"
The words sliced through her composure. Lyra's smile faltered for half a breath before she forced it back. Different. Distracted. She knew what that meant, and more importantly, who it pointed to.
Her nails dug into the satin clutch in her hand as she excused herself, leaving the glittering laughter behind. Outside, the night air was sharp, her anger sharper. She slipped into the back seat of her waiting car, every movement precise, as if control alone could smother the fury rising inside her.
Liana. That name still tasted bitter, even years later. Lyra had made sure she was gone once. Forced out. Forgotten. And yet, here she was again—haunting, threatening to undo everything.
Not this time.
Lyra pulled out her phone, her tone icy calm as she spoke into the receiver. A quiet order, veiled but firm. The beginning of something deliberate.
As the car pulled away from the curb, her eyes gleamed in the dark. If Adrian Kane was distracted, she would make sure the distraction was destroyed.
~~~~~~~
The tiny apartment felt worlds apart from the grandeur of the Kane estate. Its walls were worn, the furniture mismatched, but to Liana, it was the only place she could exhale. She slipped off her shoes by the door and sank onto the old sofa, fatigue pulling at her bones.
Angela emerged from the kitchen with a dish towel in hand, her eyes narrowing as she studied her daughter. "Long day?" she asked softly, though it wasn't really a question.
Liana managed a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Just work."
Angela set the towel aside and sat beside her, close enough that Liana could feel her warmth. "You're quieter than usual. Don't think I don't notice."
For a moment, Liana said nothing. The silence stretched, filled only by the faint hum of the refrigerator. She wanted to pretend it was nothing, to shield her mother from the unease that lingered in her chest. But Angela knew her too well.
"Men like Adrian Kane don't notice people like us unless they want something," Angela said finally, her tone carrying both warning and weariness. "And when they want something, it's never simple. Be careful, Liana."
Liana nodded, still smiling faintly, as though the words had been absorbed and dismissed. "I will. Don't worry."
But later, when Angela had gone to bed and the night pressed quietly against the window, Liana sat awake. She stared at the city lights in the distance, her mother's warning echoing in her mind. She wanted to believe she could remain invisible, untouched.
Yet deep down, a knot of unease had already taken root.
~~~~~~~
The office was silent, save for the faint scrape of cloth against wood as Liana polished the last corner of the heavy desk. The hour was late; most of the estate slept, its vast halls surrendered to shadows. She moved carefully, every gesture precise, as if the walls themselves demanded respect.
When the task was done, she set the cloth aside and drifted to the window. The night stretched wide and endless beyond the glass, the city lights scattered like distant stars. She pressed her palm lightly to the cold pane, her breath fogging faintly as she whispered to herself, "I'll endure. I have to."
The words hung in the quiet, fragile but firm, like a promise no one else would ever hear.
She turned to leave—only to feel it. A presence. The weight of eyes on her.
Her breath caught, and in the dim corner near the shelves, she saw him. Adrian Kane. Half in shadow, tall, unreadable, watching her with unnerving stillness.
Neither spoke. The silence was louder than words, charged and heavy. Liana lowered her gaze, her heart pounding, and slipped past him.
She had wanted to be invisible. But in that moment, she knew she no longer was.