Marcelo's POV“Oh, hi!" She chirped, her fingers intertwined. I noticed how red her fingertips had gotten, and I could tell she was nervous. “I mean, good day sir. I'm sorry.”“Hey, take it easy,” I fought back the urge to smile.“You can call me by my name.”“But that's not proper —"“I insist,” I said, turning for the cabinets. “Ella had told me something about you being a wonderful chef. She wouldn't let me breathe in peace unless I brought you here.”Her cheeks flushed red in an instant, “Well, it's not like I’m that good, but I do offer catering services to people from time to time.”“How long have you been doing this?"“Six years," she said, turning away from me. “I mean, there was nothing else for me to do.” I felt a hint of sadness in her voice, and somehow, it struck me.“You don't have to do that anymore, I guess. If you pass today's test, we will be tripling the offer we originally gave you to work in our restaurant. Do you think that's okay?”I couldn't tell if she had
Stacy's POVWhen I got to the front gate, I was so nervous but then Ryan came up to me as my guide.The mansion was so big, the building looked like an ancient palace from the outside but the inside was grand.I wondered if I got lost in this kinda place, maybe I will be found.Then when I got inside, Ryan told me Marcelo was coming and I was suddenly restless, my stomach fluttered.He offered me a job here in the mansion. It is still my work as a chef but just to cook in the mansion.I can’t believe he still remembered my pancake, he asked me to make it for him, when i finished and walked inside his office. He was making a phone call when I entered, I couldn’t pick up what he was saying as I was distracted looking at him. Gosh he looks so hot. I thought while still holding the tray of the pancake in my hand. And then he started a conversation with me and offered me a present. My heart skipped a beat when he leaned in closer.“Give me the honor to put this on for you." He said, and
Stacy's PovElle burst into the kitchen, her face beaming with excitement.“Stacy, come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and practically dragging me towards the stairs.“Elle, what’s going on?” I laughed, trying to keep up with her infectious enthusiasm.“Just come with me!” She said, her eyes sparkling. “I have the best news ever!”We rushed up the stairs and down the hall to her room, where she finally let go of my hand and turned around, her joy barely contained.“My brother finally hired you as the cook!” she announced, clapping her hands together. “Can you believe it? You are officially the chef of the house!”“You told him to hire me?”“I gave him an ear full of disturbance and he didn’t listen.” She calms herself. “I never knew he would eventually give in to my request.” she exclaimed, giggling.“I’m really glad to see you, Elle,” I said, trying to take the conversation in a different direction, but the little time I have spent with her has shown me just how smart she is.
Cassie George sat alone in the dimly lit study of her mother’s subtle house, a place that had always felt more like a prison than a home. The house, though tidy, was filled with an oppressive sense of lost dreams and bitter memories. Her fingers traced the edges of an old photograph, the edges worn from years of handling. It was a picture of her mother, Margaret George, and a man who had once promised her the world—Donald Wilton.The story of Donald Wilton's betrayal was one Cassie had heard countless times, each retelling fueling the fire of resentment that burned within her. Margaret, a beautiful and ambitious woman, had fallen in love with Donald when they were both young. They had dreams of building a future together, dreams that were shattered when Donald abandoned her for another woman—Marcelo’s mother.Cassie’s mother had been left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and shattered future.Meeting Robert George who loved her, and he loved him too but her heart was far f
Stacy's POVI missed another opportunity to get a job. Even when I had a smiley face on, my shirt and skirt were crisp and smooth. My makeup is lightly done.One that wasn't going to have the female employees wondering if I've gone to steal the favor of their superior and colleagues, or one a female superior would disagree with.I made sure I did everything right, but the moment I heard the man say with a weak smile,"I'm really sorry,"I needed no further explanations. A vacancy I had well applied for. An interview I earned. How was another candidate suddenly given the bag just yesterday? I thought on my way home as the afternoon sun hit my face. “Thank goodness I reused my sunscreen before leaving home.” I said to myself.I could see my mom trailing down the stairs, and I knew her hawk eyes, firm but gentle, were gawking at me from where I sat down. I fought back the tears in my eyes, preparing to pretend all was okay. I couldn't bring myself to her. I have failed again; I don’t k
Stacy's POV“Phew!” I exhaled loudly, a huge grin on my face as I waltzed back into Jennifer's office. “That was quite the deal!” I chirped, taking a seat opposite her. She laughed in response, her eyes following the wad of dollar notes I had received in exchange for a job well-done.“All it took was convincing the knucklehead you were the best to consult when it came to yummy bites,” she scoffed, turning her head to her work desk. I rolled my eyes in response.“Right, but that knucklehead over there, well he recommended me to another person! I had barely walked out of his office when I got a call.” I said, my voice now high-pitched. The day started out well, and it was all thanks to Jennifer. It made me wonder for a moment how things would have been different if she wasn't present, because she made most of the jobs that I have landed in the past a possibility. She has been my best friend since high school and made sure to stick around even when I hadn’t been the consistent friend.
THE NIGHTMAREElla tries to wriggle her hand free from where she laid buried, her little frame covered in splinters of wood, rubbles and fire. She steadies her breath, her demeanor calm and collected when she pries one of her hands free. In no time, she is out of the rubble, her forehead gashed with a deep cut.“Mom!” She called out, her tiny voice echoing as the night wind, chilly and unforgiving, caressed her battered skin. The mansion was torn apart, most of the rooms set on fire. Panic slowly crept up her throat. “Mom!”She yelled, her eyes trying to fight away tears.She turns around in circles, and she should hear a gunshot from somewhere. Instinctively, she ducked, afraid she was the only one in the building. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed drops of blood pooling a hair's length away from her feet. Her mind was telling her not to stare upwards, but she did.Her mother's face stared back at her, bloated, her body missing, blood still squirting from her neck.Ella scr
LOSTMabel was another maid in the mansion, but a sinister bond kept her close with Naomi. "Your outbursts are becoming more extreme by the day," Naomi said.Mabel growled, "watch it or I'd have to report you to the boss."Naomi chuckled, "Which one is it again? Our boss? Or Marcelo?"The question seemed to have caught Mabel off guard, because a flash of confusion clouded her expression. "And what do you mean by that?"“I can see your spirit is beginning to waver from the very mission that brought us here.” Naomi chuckled, grunting as she swat Mabel's aim at her forehead, rising to her knees, “I see how you stare at Marcelo, she spat, That brat!”“Anyway, you need not to worry. You can settle in this mansion and spend the rest of your life being a spy for whomever pays your bills. That's okay. But as for the rest of us who still have their heads in this game, we are not faltering.Naomi brushed past Mabel, shoving her hard against the wall. Mabel chuckled, holding back the urge to bre