The coffee had gone cold hours ago, but Aria barely noticed as she stared at the wall of her apartment.
In the span of forty-eight hours, she'd transformed one bare wall into what looked like the workspace of either a brilliant detective or an obsessed stalker. Probably both.
Photographs of the Blackwood Estate covered nearly every inch satellite images, street-view captures, photos pulled from society pages showing glimpses of the grounds during rare charity events. Red string connected various points, mapping out security camera placements, entrance points, guard rotation schedules she'd extrapolated from observation patterns captured over the past two days of watching traffic on their private road via traffic cameras she'd hacked.
In the center of it all was a collection of photographs: Damien Blackwood.
Professional shots from business magazines Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek. Him in perfectly tailored suits, leaning against desks or standing in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with the city skyline behind him. Always in control. Always commanding the frame.
There were candid shots too, paparazzi photos from charity galas and business conferences. Him exiting luxury cars, talking on his phone, occasionally caught mid-laugh at some comment from a colleague.
But it was one particular photograph that Aria found herself returning to again and again.
A recent shot from a tech conference in Singapore. Damien stood on a stage giving a keynote speech, but the photographer had caught him in an unguarded moment looking directly at the camera with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the lens. His expression was neither friendly nor hostile. Just... assessing. Like he could see through every facade, every lie, every carefully constructed mask.
Those gray eyes seemed to follow her around the room.
"Stop it," she muttered to herself, turning away from the wall. "He's just a man. A very rich, very powerful man whose house you're about to break into, but still. Just a man."
A man who was, admittedly, the most devastatingly handsome person she'd ever seen. Handsome in a way that felt almost dangerous like beauty designed as a weapon.
Focus, she commanded herself. Mother. Mission. Plant. That's all that matters.
She moved to her computer setup, pulling up the fabricated employment records she'd spent the last two days perfecting. Sarah Mitchell's entire life history was there school transcripts showing good-but-not-exceptional grades (exceptional would raise questions), recommendation letters from three wealthy families in other states, even a carefully curated Instagram account with two years of mundane posts.
It was good work. Maybe her best identity yet.
Her real phone, the one connected to Aria Chen's actual life, buzzed with a text from Marcus, her friend from medical school: Stopped by to see your mom today. She's asking about you. When are you visiting?
Guilt twisted in Aria's chest. She'd only been to the hospital once since getting the diagnosis, too consumed with planning this infiltration to spend time with her dying mother.
Tomorrow, she texted back. I'll come tomorrow.
Another lie. Because tomorrow she'd be submitting her application to Blackwood Estate, and if everything went according to plan, she'd be too busy preparing for her interview to visit the hospital.
She was racking up lies faster than she could keep track of them.
Her burner phone, the one she'd bought specifically for her Sarah Mitchell identity sat on the desk beside her laptop. It was time.
Aria pulled up the Blackwood Estate's private employment portal on her screen. The website was elegant, minimalist, clearly designed by someone with expensive taste. Just the application page exuded wealth and exclusivity.
Employment Opportunities at Blackwood Estate
The Blackwood family maintains one of the most prestigious private estates in the country. We employ a select team of highly skilled professionals dedicated to maintaining excellence in all aspects of estate management and personal service.
Current Openings:
- Housekeeper (Full-time, Live-in Position)
There it was. Her way in.
Aria clicked on the position, her heart rate increasing despite her outward calm. The job description was exactly what she'd expected:
Position: Housekeeper
Reports to: Head of Household Management
Compensation: Competitive salary, room and board included
Responsibilities:
- Daily cleaning and maintenance of assigned areas within the main residence
- Laundry and wardrobe care
- Assistance with event preparation and guest services
- Maintaining the highest standards of discretion and professionalism
Requirements:
- Minimum 2 years experience in high-end residential service
- Impeccable references
- Ability to live on-site (private room provided in staff quarters)
- Availability 6 days per week
- Absolute discretion regarding family privacy
- Must pass comprehensive background check
The Blackwood Estate is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the private nature of this position, all applicants will undergo extensive background verification.
Extensive background verification. Of course they would.
Good thing Sarah Mitchell's background was absolutely spotless.
Aria's fingers hovered over the keyboard for just a moment. This was it. Once she submitted this application, there was no going back. She'd be committed to this path to lying, to stealing, to potentially destroying her life if she was caught.
But the alternative was watching her mother die.
Not really a choice at all.
She began filling out the application, her fingers flying across the keys. Name: Sarah Mitchell. Age: Twenty-two. Previous employment: The Morrison family (Boston), The Chen family (Philadelphia) no relation, though they'd joked about it. References: Three carefully prepared contacts who would vouch for the fictional Sarah without hesitation.
The application asked about her skills, her experience, her reasons for applying.
Why do you want to work at Blackwood Estate?
Aria paused, considering her answer carefully. Too eager would seem suspicious. Too casual would seem unprofessional.
I'm seeking a position with a family that values excellence and discretion. The Blackwood Estate's reputation for maintaining the highest standards aligns with my own professional values. I'm also looking for a stable, long-term position where I can be part of a dedicated household team.
Professional. Earnest. Exactly what they'd want to hear.
She continued through the application, answering questions about her availability (immediate), her willingness to live on-site (absolutely), her comfort with signing comprehensive non-disclosure agreements (of course).
When she reached the final page, there was a text box for additional comments.
Aria's fingers paused over the keyboard again. What would make her application stand out? What would make them want to interview her specifically?
She thought about wealthy families, about what they valued most in their employees. Loyalty. Discretion. The ability to be invisible until needed.
I understand that working for a family like the Blackwoods requires more than just technical skills. It requires the ability to anticipate needs, to maintain absolute confidentiality, and to represent the family's values in every interaction. I take great pride in my work and would be honored to be part of the Blackwood Estate team.
Not too much. Not too little. Just enough to sound sincere without being obsequious.
Aria attached her carefully forged documents resume, reference letters, copies of her (fake) previous employment contracts. Everything looked legitimate because she'd made sure it was legitimate. She'd hacked into the systems of the families she claimed to have worked for and planted evidence of Sarah Mitchell's employment in their records.
If anyone called to verify, the records would support her story.
If anyone dug deeper than that... well, hopefully they wouldn't.
Her cursor hovered over the "Submit Application" button.
This was it. The point of no return.
Aria thought about her mother's face, pale against the hospital pillows. Thought about the doctor's words: six to eight months. Thought about doing nothing and watching the only person she loved in this world slowly waste away.
She clicked Submit.
The page refreshed with a confirmation message:
Thank you for your application. Due to the volume of applicants we receive, only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews. If your qualifications match our current needs, you will receive a response within 5-7 business days.
All inquiries should be directed to: [email protected]
The Blackwood Estate
Human Resources Department
Five to seven business days. She'd have to wait up to a week to even know if they'd consider her.
Aria sat back in her chair, staring at the confirmation message, feeling simultaneously relieved and terrified. She'd done it. She'd taken the first step.
Now all she could do was wait.
And prepare for every possible outcome.
The waiting was torture.
Aria spent the next twenty-four hours in a state of controlled anxiety, obsessively checking the burner phone for emails, jumping every time it vibrated with spam messages.
She distracted herself by refining Sarah Mitchell's backstory, memorizing every detail until she could recite the fictional woman's life history without hesitation. Where she went to high school (Lincoln High in Portland). Her favorite subject (English literature). The names of her previous employers' children (the Morrisons had three: Emma, James, and little Sophie; the Chens had two: Michael and Grace).
Details mattered. One small inconsistency could unravel everything.
She also visited her mother guilt finally overriding her obsession with the mission.
Mei looked slightly better than she had two days ago, which Aria knew was probably just a temporary reprieve. Wasting Syndrome progressed in waves periods of relative stability followed by rapid decline.
"You look tired," Mei observed as Aria settled into the chair beside her bed.
"I'm fine."
"You're a terrible liar. You always have been." Her mother's smile was gentle. "What's going on, baby girl? And don't tell me 'nothing.' I know that look."
Aria wanted to tell her. Wanted to explain her plan, to share the hope that maybe just maybe there was a way to save her.
But she couldn't. Not yet. Not until she had the plant in hand and knew it would work.
"Just job hunting," she said instead, which was technically true. "Trying to find something with better pay."
"Mmm." Mei didn't look convinced, but she let it drop. "You know what I realized yesterday? I never told you about how your father proposed."
The change of subject was so abrupt that Aria blinked. "What?"
"Your father. The proposal." Mei's eyes went distant with memory. "Everyone thought he'd do something elaborate he was always so dramatic about everything. But instead, he just asked me one morning over breakfast. We were eating terrible diner food at 3 AM because we'd both pulled all-nighters studying, and he just looked at me and said, 'I want to have terrible diner food with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?'"
Despite everything, Aria smiled. "That's actually really sweet."
"It was perfect. Because it wasn't about grand gestures or expensive rings. It was about everyday moments. The boring, mundane, beautiful everyday moments." Mei's hand found Aria's. "That's what love is, you know. Not the dramatic declarations. Just... wanting to share the ordinary moments with someone."
Aria's chest tightened. She didn't know why her mother was telling her this now. Didn't know what had prompted this trip down memory lane.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I see how you live, Aria. Always working, always pushing, always wearing different masks for different people. And I worry that you'll spend so much time being other people that you'll forget how to just... be yourself. How to let someone see the real you."
The real me is a liar and a thief, Aria thought but didn't say.
"I'm fine, Mama. I promise."
"You're alone. That's not the same as fine." Mei squeezed her hand. "Promise me something. Promise me that when you meet someone who makes you want to share those ordinary moments, someone who makes you want to stop wearing masks you'll let them in. Even if it's scary. Especially if it's scary."
Aria forced a smile. "I promise."
Another lie. She was so good at those now.
They talked for another hour about nothing important, about hospital food, the annoying nurse who kept forgetting to bring extra blankets, a funny story about the elderly man in the room next door who kept trying to escape to "make it to bingo night."
Normal things. Ordinary moments.
The kind of moments Aria was terrified of losing forever.
When she finally left the hospital, her phone buzzed with an email notification.
Her heart stopped.
The sender: [email protected]
Subject: Interview Request - Housekeeper Position
Aria's hands were shaking as she opened it:
"Dear Ms. Mitchell,
Thank you for your application for the Housekeeper position at Blackwood Estate. Your qualifications and experience are impressive, and we would like to invite you for an in-person interview.
Please arrive at the main gate tomorrow at 2:00 PM. Inform security that you have an appointment with Mrs. Elizabeth Chen, Head of Household Management.
Please bring the following items:
- Valid identification
- Original copies of your reference letters
- Social Security card
- Proof of current address
We look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Chen
Head of Household Management
Blackwood Estate
Tomorrow. The interview was tomorrow.
One day to prepare. One day to make sure every aspect of Sarah Mitchell's identity was perfect. One day before she walked into the lion's den.
Aria read the email three more times, her mind already racing through contingencies and preparations.
Then she started laughing a slightly hysterical sound that echoed in her car.
She'd done it. She'd actually gotten an interview at one of the most exclusive private estates in the country.
Now all she had to do was convince them to hire her. Convince them that Sarah Mitchell was exactly who she claimed to be.
And then, once inside those walls, find the Vitalis Radix and steal it without getting caught.
Simple.
What could possibly go wrong? she thought, and laughed again.
Everything. Everything could go wrong.
But she was committed now. There was no turning back.
Tomorrow, she will become Sarah Mitchell.
Tomorrow, she will meet the formidable Mrs. Chen.
And if everything went according to plan, she'd never actually meet Damien Blackwood at all. She'd be just another invisible employee, beneath his notice, forgotten the moment she left the room.
That was the plan.
The universe, as it turned out, had very different ideas.
That evening, Aria stood in front of her bathroom mirror, practicing.
"Hi, I'm Sarah Mitchell. Thank you so much for this opportunity."
Too eager.
"Hello. Sarah Mitchell. Pleased to meet you."
Too formal.
"Hi. Sarah Mitchell."
Better. Simple. Not trying too hard.
She studied her reflection critically. She'd dyed her hair that afternoon, nothing dramatic, just took her natural black and added subtle warm brown undertones that caught the light differently. Enough to look slightly different from the woman whose face appeared in her medical school records and artist profiles, but not so different that it seemed like she was trying to hide.
Sarah Mitchell would be wholesome. Trustworthy. Unremarkable in the best way, the kind of person who blended into the background, who wealthy people felt comfortable having in their homes because she posed no threat.
Forgettable.
Aria had built a career on being unforgettable in her various identities: the brilliant hacker, the sought-after artist, the medical prodigy. But for this role, she needed to be the opposite.
She needed to disappear.
"You can do this," she told her reflection. "It's just another role. Another identity. You've done this a hundred times."
But even as she said it, something felt different about this one. The stakes were higher. The target is more dangerous. The margin for error is nonexistent.
One mistake could cost her everything.
But doing nothing would cost her mother's life.
Not really a choice at all.
Aria laid out her outfit for tomorrow a modest navy dress that hit just below the knee, low heels, minimal jewelry. Professional but not trying too hard. The kind of thing a young woman interviewing for a housekeeping position would wear.
She'd practiced her backstory until she could recite it in her sleep. Had memorized the layout of the estate from satellite images. Had researched Elizabeth Chen and found that she'd worked for the Blackwood family for fifteen years, was known for being strict but fair, valued efficiency and discretion above all else.
Everything was ready.
Everything was perfect.
So why did Aria feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump into darkness?
Because you are, a voice in her head whispered. You're about to walk into the home of one of the most powerful men in the country and lie to his face. You're about to steal something irreplaceable. And if you're caught, there won't be any coming back from it.
But her mother was dying. And that was the only thing that mattered.
Aria climbed into bed but didn't sleep. Just stared at the ceiling, running through scenarios, preparing for every possible question, every potential complication.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
Tomorrow, she would step through those gates and become someone else entirely.
Tomorrow, her carefully ordered life would collide with Damien Blackwood's world.
She had no idea couldn't possibly have known that he was already aware of her. Already watching. Already ten steps ahead in a game she didn't even know she was playing.
Had no idea that the moment she submitted that application, it had landed on his desk personally. That he'd looked at her photo the carefully staged professional headshot of "Sarah Mitchell" and felt something shift inside him.
Couldn't have imagined that he'd already run his own background check, had already discovered exactly who she was and what she wanted.
Didn't know that he'd made a decision at that moment: to let her in. To let her play her little game. To watch her move through his house like a beautiful thief in the night.
To let her think she was in control, right up until the moment he decided to take it all away.
Aria fell asleep finally around 3 AM, dreaming of gray eyes and locked doors and plants that glowed in the darkness.
She woke at dawn with her heart racing, though she couldn't remember the details of t
he dream.
Just the feeling of being watched.
Of being seen.
Of being caught in something she couldn't escape.
Tomorrow had arrived.
And nothing would ever be the same again.