LADY EVELYN

CHAPTER TWO

I left Lady Evelyn in the sitting room, where she settled into one of the velvet chairs as though the space had been waiting for her all along. She didn’t rush, didn’t fidget, didn’t look around like someone unsure of their place. She simply crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap, calm and certain, her presence pressing into the room even after I stepped away.

That alone made my chest feel tight.

I drew in a breath, straightened my apron, and headed toward Mr. Orion’s chambers. Each step felt heavier than the last. I told myself this was routine, just part of my job, yet my thoughts wouldn’t settle. Lady Evelyn’s words, her eyes, the way she’d looked at me like she already knew how this would end, all of it followed me down the corridor.

I stopped outside his door and hesitated.

I didn’t know what her visit meant for me, or for this house, but I knew I couldn’t delay. I lifted my hand and knocked, softly at first, then again.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The sound echoed back at me, unanswered.

A flicker of worry slid in. I leaned closer, listening, then whispered, “Mr. Orion?”

Nothing.

My heart picked up speed. I told myself not to overthink it and pushed the door open.

The sight before me hit hard and fast.

Mr. Orion was in bed, the sheets tangled around him, a woman sprawled beside him, blonde hair spilling across his chest. The room smelled different, warmer, heavier. For a moment, my mind stalled, unable to catch up with what my eyes were seeing.

Heat rushed to my face, sharp and humiliating.

“Could you learn to use the door?” he snapped, sitting up and yanking the blanket higher, his bare chest still exposed. His tone wasn’t surprised. It was irritated, like I’d interrupted something he felt entitled to.

The woman beside him shifted, clutching the sheet as she looked me over, her lips curling. “Who is she? You sleep with her too?” Her gaze dragged over my uniform. “Didn’t know you went for ragged girls.”

The words stung more than I expected.

I swallowed and forced my voice steady. “Mr. Orion, Lady Evelyn is here to see you.”

His head snapped toward me, eyes sharp and blazing. “Selene, get out.”

The woman laughed softly. “Yes, dear, run along. This doesn’t concern you.”

Something inside me flared, hot and reckless. “Doesn’t concern me?” I heard myself say. “She’s in your bed, and I’m just supposed to pretend it doesn’t exist because I clean the floors?”

His expression hardened. “This is none of your business.”

“Oh, Ory,” the blonde said lightly, “your maid has quite a mouth.”

I looked at him, really looked, and felt something twist painfully in my chest. “I may be a maid,” I said, “but I won’t stand here and watch you embarrass yourself like this.”

Silence fell, thick and dangerous.

He swung his legs off the bed and stood. “You’re done here. Leave.”

My throat tightened, but I didn’t lower my gaze. “I will,” I said quietly. “But you deserve better than this.”

I turned before he could answer and walked out, my hands shaking, my head spinning with anger I didn’t want to examine too closely.

I didn’t stop until I reached the nearest room and slammed the door behind me.

The quiet didn’t help.

My thoughts raced, colliding with feelings I hadn’t asked for and didn’t want. I pressed my back against the door, breathing hard, trying to calm myself.

Footsteps echoed down the hall.

Slow. Heavy. Unmistakable.

My heart dropped.

“Selene.”

His voice carried through the corridor, steady and sharp.

I froze.

The handle turned, and the door opened.

He filled the doorway, tall and solid, his gaze locking onto mine like he’d been looking for me all along.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“I needed a moment,” I said, forcing myself to stay upright. “That’s all.”

“A moment?” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “In a room you’re not assigned to?”

“I got lost,” I said quickly. “It wasn’t intentional.”

He didn’t answer. He moved closer.

My back met the wall. I lifted my hands without thinking, palms flat against it, as if that could keep me grounded. My pulse thudded hard enough that I was sure he could see it.

“Don’t walk away from me like that,” he said. “Not after what you said.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came. My breath felt shallow. His presence pressed in on me, too close, too overwhelming.

My body reacted before my mind could stop it.

My breath caught, and I hated myself for it.

Heat rushed through me, confusing and unwanted, and I clenched my jaw, fighting it, refusing to let him see how close I was to unraveling. I focused on the wall, on the feel of the cool surface beneath my palms, anything to keep myself steady.

He leaned in, close enough that I felt his breath near my ear.

“You’re testing limits you don’t understand,” he said quietly.

A shiver ran through me, sharp and unwelcome. Fear was there, yes, but tangled with something else I didn’t want to name.

Before either of us could move, a voice cut through the tension.

“Ory, darling?”

The blonde appeared in the doorway, her eyes flicking between us.

He stepped back immediately, his face shifting into something unreadable. “Nothing,” he said. “Just correcting my maid.”

Her lips curved. “You shouldn’t let distractions get to you.”

He glanced at me once more, slow and deliberate, his eyes holding mine for a heartbeat too long.

“You’re right,” he said. “I’ll deal with Selene later.” with a last glance, he walked away.