Chapter 3

_ THREE YEARS LATER _

AMELIA

 I was setting the dining table for a formal dinner, a routine I had done several times that I had become an expert at.

I raised the back of my hand to clean the bead of sweat on my forehead, cleaning my dirty, sweaty hand on the side of my apron. It was never cold for me, even in the cold environment. The constant cleaning, sweeping, throwing the trash and arranging the dining had taken a toll over my body.

Or maybe it was the dirt. I only ever shower once a day and that was in the morning. I was always too tired to remember to shower at night. 

The clothes also given to me were old maids' clothes, and I only got three pairs. I had to wash them every two days or else I'd wear smelly clothes, but no matter how hard I washed, the kitchen smell stayed on the cloth like a perfume.

I couldn't even recognize my voice because nobody talked to each other. You would think that since we're all servants in this miserable place, we would come together and be friends, but even the servants hated each other.

Friendships only happened between siblings or lovers, and even lovers betrayed themselves most of the time.

One time, one servant had an affair with Zayn. It seemed the affair gave her a bit of hope that the Alpha's Heir would want to date a lowly Omega.

She was stupid to have thought so, and so she revealed to Zayn that her lover would sometimes piss in his wine and serve him just for fun.

She barely explained the entire story when Zayn ordered her lover's balls to be cut off and her tongue cut out right in front of us. He said it was to serve as a warning to us.

They gave us scraps for food, and if you wanted clothes, a good bar of scented soap and good food, Zayn said you had to earn it and the truth was no one ever earned anything. No matter how hard you tried, it was never good enough for him.

He thought so highly of himself and he had every right to, he was the Alpha's son but his cruelty was something I didn't understand. His hatred for the people who had devoted their lives to serve his father willingly or against their will, it was like he was trying to prove himself to everyone.

I tried to see a different side of him but each day his hatred for us only grew thicker and at some point, I started to notice a pattern. Whenever Alpha Hector came back he would always have some crime he had dealt with, it wasn't us he was trying to prove anything to, it was his father.

But why? Why did he need to prove anything to his father? He was the Alpha's Heir after all.

My thoughts were cut short as Zayn and his girlfriend, Nicole, stepped in and from their movement, I knew they were approaching me. I braced myself for another round of humiliation.

Oh Goddess, I exhaled, trying to control my temper. I was alone in the dining area, except for two motionless bodyguards by the entrance. 

"Why didn't you clean the bathroom? I slipped and nearly broke my jaw," Nicole, his girlfriend, yelled at me as a dirty slap landed on my cheek, taking me off guard. It was the second time I had received a slap in my life.

I bit my lip, fighting back tears as my hands curled into a fist by my side. 

"Haven't I told you to always clean my room whenever Nicole is coming around?" Zayn questioned angrily.

How was I supposed to know when your girlfriend was going to be around? Was cleaning your room thrice a day not enough? I thought having a girlfriend would distract him from us servants, but his stupid girlfriend was just the same as him.

"Look at how she is looking at you Zayn, she doesn't respect you," Nicole said to Zayn.

I didn't even know my anger had taken over my face and I was now looking at the two of them with disgust in my eyes. I despise them. 

"How dare you look at me like that?" Zayn yelled at me. "Lower your eyes, you stupid bitch."

I couldn't let them see my vulnerability. But as they continued to taunt me, something inside me snapped. I could no longer bear their cruelty.

I straightened up, meeting Zayn's gaze. "I may be in your debt, but I won't tolerate your disrespect any longer," I declared.

Zayn's eyes widened, taken aback by my sudden defiance. Nicole, however, laughed at the situation, but I knew she was only trying to get Zayn more angry. "Oh, look at her, trying to stand up for herself! Very soon, she will start hitting you."

Before the situation could escalate further, a deep, commanding voice echoed through the room. "That's enough, Zayn."

It was his father, Alpha Hector. 

I took a step back, bowing my head immediately as he stepped into our midst, his eyes darting from me to his son and his girlfriend. "What is going on here?" 

"Father, she was being disrespectful to Nicole, and I was only “

"Do I need to remind you that Nicole is just your girlfriend and not a part of this family?" Alpha Hector interrupted Zayn, his voice low but authoritative. "I heard that your girlfriend has been going around taunting my workers. Is this true?"

"Father she has not -"

"I am not speaking to you," Alpha Hector said, as Zayn kept quiet instantly. Nicole stared at Alpha Hector, realizing the question was for her. 

"I-I d-don't…" she stuttered, unable to find the words to express herself. 

"This is my first warning and last. If I find you ordering MY workers around, you will regret knowing my son," Alpha Hector warned, throwing her a mean glare. 

I used to think that they all loved Nicole, but it seemed I was wrong. It seemed the Alpha didn't love her. A smile curled on my lips secretly as I peeped at her through my lashes. She looked dumbfounded, and a bead of sweat was starting to form on her forehead despite the cold.

"Y-Yes Alpha," she managed to speak, bowing her head.

"Who placed the juice in a bowl?" Alpha Hector asked, taking his seat. 

I rushed to grab the bowl of juice, not wanting to remind him that he had asked for the juice to be placed in a bowl today. Zayn and Nicole also took their seats. I could feel their eyes boring into the back of my head. 

My heart raced as I carefully carried the bowl of juice back to the kitchen, hoping they wouldn't call me back to make another request, especially Zayn.

As I made a turn, I accidentally collided with a man. The bowl slipped from my grasp, and the juice splattered across his suit.

Fuck my life. It's too early for this. 

Startled, I gasped and took a step back. Was he a guest? If he was, then Alpha Hector won't let me go unpunished.

My body began to tremble at the thought of what my punishment would be but before I could fully process the situation, my leg made contact with the juice spilled on the floor as I found my body swinging back ready to fall to my death but his strong hand encircled my waist swiftly, preventing me from stumbling as he held me in place.

"Careful," he muttered. His accent sounded different? Was he from here?

I looked into his golden eyes as they bore into mine, and a strange power emanated from his intense stare surrounding us. 

My heartbeat began to echo in my ears, my lips slightly parted, but I couldn't find my voice, caught in the mesmerizing gaze that held me captive.

I instantly felt something stirring inside me. It felt like I could see beyond his golden eyes and straight into his soul. 

For a moment, we just stared at each other. It felt like we were the only one in the mansion, in the world, and the world had faded into the background. 

I wanted to look away, but I couldn't find myself doing so. It was like he was trying to tell me something without using his words, but I couldn't quite wrap my fingers around it.

As seconds passed like eternity, he suddenly leaned closer, our face inches apart as he planted a kiss on my lips.