Chapter 2 - Invisibility Lost
Two days passed without Arthur seeing her.
Clara made sure of it.
She traded shifts with another girl to avoid the executive floors.
She scrubbed the baseboards in the grand ballroom until her knees ached.
She wanted to be invisible again.
But invisibility was no longer an option when the devil knew your name.
On the third afternoon, Clara was summoned to the grand library.
She carried her wooden caddy of cleaning supplies, keeping her eyes glued to the polished mahogany floor.
When she pushed the heavy double doors open, the room was empty.
Or so she thought.
She began dusting the massive bookshelves, moving systematically down the row.
Suddenly, a heavy shadow fell over her cart.
Arthur was sitting in a high-backed leather chair in the dark corner, watching her.
He wore a dark tailored suit, looking every bit the untouchable king.
Clara’s heart skipped a beat, but she did not drop her cloth.
“You missed a spot,” Arthur said softly.
“I am just getting started, sir,” she replied, turning back to the wood.
“You traded your shifts to avoid me.”
It was not a question.
Clara stopped dusting and turned to face him.
“I traded my shifts because my presence seemed to disturb your usual routine, Mr. Moretti.”
Arthur stood up and closed the distance between them.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek, black encrypted cell phone.
He placed it on top of her cleaning caddy.
“What is this?” Clara asked, her voice tight.
“A direct line to me,” Arthur said.
“I don’t need a phone, I need to finish my shift.”
“Take the phone, Clara.”
His tone brooked absolutely no argument.
“If you are ever in trouble, if anyone in this house or outside of it ever makes you feel unsafe, you press the only button on that screen.”
Clara looked at the device as if it were a bomb.
“I am a maid.”
“Nobody pays enough attention to me to cause me trouble.”
Arthur stepped closer, his scent of cedar and expensive cologne wrapping around her.
“I am paying attention to you.”
“And in my world, that makes you a target.”
He did not wait for her to argue.
He turned and walked out of the library, leaving her alone with the heavy weight of his protection.
Clara stared at the black phone.
May you like
She knew she should throw it in the trash.
Instead, she slipped it deep into the pocket of her apron.
