Eli's POV
[24 hours before meeting the grandfather]
That honor belonged to the moment I first met one of his grandsons.
And unfortunately for me…
That meeting happened last night, that most expensive cleaning job of my life.
Which just proves a very important rule about the universe:
If something sounds like big money, It's probably a trap. High pay usually comes with high trouble.
The cleaning van pulled up in front of the house that noon.
I stepped out first. Then I looked up.
And up. And up.
"…Oh hell no," I muttered.
Because that wasn't a house. That was a mansion.
The kind you only see in billionaire documentaries or those ridiculous reality shows about people who own private islands.
Beside me, Lina….mybestfriend stepped out of the van and followed my gaze.
She blinked slowly.
"Eli."
"Yeah?"
"Okay," she whispered beside me, staring up at the gates. "Tell me we're robbing this place."
I adjusted the strap of my bag.
"Nope."
"Kidnapping a billionaire?"
"Still no."
"Okay but seriously," she sighed dramatically. "How rich are these people?"
"Rich enough to hire a whole cleaning crew!"
The van driver leaned out the window.
"You kids done admiring rich people property?"
Lina sighed.
"Give us a second. We're processing the economic inequality."
I grabbed my cleaning supplies and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
My name is Eli.
I'm twenty years old, permanently exhausted, and currently juggling six part-time jobs just to survive.
Morning café shifts.
Night shifts at an adult store.
Tutoring.
Food delivery.
Weekend cleaning gigs like this one.
And whatever random work paid enough to keep my life from collapsing.
Because money wasn't just money for me.
Money meant freedom.
Freedom from my stepmother's house. From being reminded every day that I was 'a financial burden.'
Freedom to actually finish college without drowning in debt.
And the maintenance fund for my mom's cemetery? Still painfully short.
Adult life was basically a never-ending game of "Which bill do you cry over today?"
Which meant I was still very broke.
Our supervisor clapped her hands, gathering the small cleaning crew.
"Everyone listen up."
"We have approximately six hours before tonight's event begins."
Six hours.
I glanced up at the mansion again.
This place had at least three floors.
I was pretty sure one alone was bigger than my entire neighborhood.
Then the front doors opened.
A tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit walked out.
He looked at us calmly.
"Good afternoon."
Our supervisor straightened instantly.
"Good afternoon, sir."
The man nodded politely before addressing us.
"You will be preparing this residence for tonight's private event."
His voice was calm. He handed each of us a small folded paper.
Maps.
Actual maps of the mansion.
I stared at mine.
Because apparently this place was big enough to get lost in.
Lina peeked over my shoulder.
"Eli."
"Yes."
"If I disappear in this house, tell my mother I died cleaning rich people furniture."
I patted her shoulder.
"You lived a brave life."
The man in the suit cleared his throat.
"And before we begin…"
He paused.
"This residence belongs to the Donovan family."
Everyone gasped.
Then Lina grabbed my arm so hard I dropped the map.
"Oh my god."
The entire crew started murmuring.
"The Donovan family??"
"You're joking right?"
"Like THE Donovan family??"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
Lina turned to me with wide eyes.
"Eli."
"…Yes."
"You heard him right??"
"Yes."
She grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me.
"Do you know what it means?"
"I'm afraid to ask."
"That means…."
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"We are currently standing inside the house of my future husband."
I blinked.
"…Your what?"
"My crush!"
She pointed toward the mansion like she was pointing at heavens.
"Dylan Donovan!"
Several of the other cleaners laughed.
"Oh my God," one girl said. "They are all handsome. Always listed amongst the top five bachelors in the city."
Lina grabbed my arm again.
"Omg Eli. This is destiny."
"Lina focus."
"But imagine this," she whispered excitedly.
"What if I accidentally bump into him in the hallway? And then I slip."
"You will not slip."
"And he catches me."
"That's not…"
"And we stare into each other's eyes…"
I rubbed my face.
"…Here we go."
"And he says 'Are you okay?' and I say 'Only because you caught me.'"
"Please stop."
"And then we fall in love."
"Lina!"
"And we get married and live happily ever after."
I stared at her.
"…You've been watching too many dramas."
She grinned shamelessly.
"You never know."
I sighed.
"Lina, life is not a fairy tale."
She crossed her arms.
"Excuse you. Cinderella literally met a prince."
"Yes," I said flatly.
"After magical mice, a fairy godmother, and a pumpkin carriage. That's a fairytale."
She shrugged.
"It still happened."
The man cleared his throat, and pointed at different sections.
"You two will clean the west wing."
"You'll handle the main hall."
Then his gaze landed on me.
"You will take the east wing."
I nodded.
"Yes sir."
Once he walked away, our supervisor turned to me.
"You're doing the double shift tonight too, right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Of course you are." Lina gave me that soft look again. "You work too much."
"I work the exact amount required to not starve."
"That's not healthy."
She sighed.
I grabbed a broom and lifted it like a motivational speaker holding a microphone.
"Alright team."
My coworkers stared at me.
"We can do this."
Someone laughed beside us.
"Let's survive this shift and get paid."
Lina gave me a thumbs-up.
"Good luck."
"Same."
"If Dylan Donovan accidentally falls in love with me tonight…I'm quitting my job."
I snorted.
"To become a billionaire housewife."
I glanced at her.
"Dream big, Lina."
She grinned.
"Oh I will."
I walked into the east wing of the mansion.
Completely unaware that one rude billionaire heir was about to ruin my entire evening.