7

As I continued to perform my duties, I couldn't help but think of Salvatore. I found myself standing in one place, dusting the living room sofa for what seemed like hours, completely lost in my thoughts about him.

Various questions raced through my mind, consuming my every thought.

What was he injecting himself with?

Is he sick?

Could it be drugs?

I quickly dismissed the last question as a possibility. He always appeared well put together and composed, so I doubted he was an addict. If he isn't on drugs, then what could it be?

I am well aware that it is not in my place to ask such personal questions. I'm just supposed to take care of my duties and mind my business, but my curiosity is getting the best of me. I can't help but feel intrigued by him.

Why didn't he respond to me when I dropped off his food? Did he feel embarrassed because I caught him doing something I shouldn't have seen? I just hope he's all right.

I can't help but be drawn to him. Like a moth to a flame, I have this feeling of being pulled towards him. I don't know why. It's as if my heart and body have minds of their own.

When I look into his deep brown eyes, I see a whirlwind of emotions swirling within them. Salvatore, you're going to be the death of me.

I closed my eyes to picture his gorgeous face and strong build. His muscular arms never fail to make me think dirty thoughts. For some reason, I can imagine his arms tightening around my small frame. He could probably crush me if he wanted to.

My gaze shifted to the shape of his lips. I can imagine what it would feel like to have his lips on mine. I can already feel the goosebumps on my skin as he whispers sweet nothings into my ears. I can taste the -

"Melissa!" a voice shouted, jolting me from my thoughts.

I opened my eyes and flinched in fear. It was Jenny, one of the other maids.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. "Yes?"

She squinted her eyes in suspicion, clearly aware that I had been daydreaming. "Where is your head at? You've been dusting that sofa for over an hour now."

Oh my. I didn't realize it had been that long.

"I'm sorry. I-"

She raised her hand to stop me. "I don't care. You need to go to the closet upstairs to get cleaning supplies. Ms. Maria says it's your turn to clean the bathrooms in the east wing."

That's true. I can't believe I forgot.

"Okay," I nodded, grateful for the reminder. "Thank you."

"Get your head out of the clouds. There's work to do."

As soon as she left, I let out a huge breath. I was starting to feel sweaty on the inside due to the steamy thoughts I was having.

"Pull yourself together, Melissa," my subconscious cautioned me.

Jenny was right. I needed to get my head straight.

It doesn't matter how attracted I am to Salvatore.

My thoughts about him can only exist in my dreams. He will never see me in that way. I am what I am - his maid. With time, this curiosity of mine will die down. I'm probably just lusting over him due to his gorgeous looks. I'll get over it soon.

I left the living room and made my way upstairs to the storeroom to get the things I needed for my next job. As I was about to open the storeroom door, I heard the whispers of two voices coming from a nearby corner. It sounded like two men were talking.

"Isabella is dead! How dare she!" I heard one of the voices say.

Isn't Isabella Salvatore's assistant? Does this involve Salvatore?

I pressed my back flat against the wall to avoid being seen by them.

"The security men found her trying to poison him in the CCTV footage."

I had to cover my mouth to stifle a gasp.

Salvatore was poisoned? How come we didn't hear about this?

"She will pay for what she did."

"She sure will. Get the tools needed. We're meeting the boss down in the dungeon."

After that was said, I heard the sound of retreating footsteps.

Oh my gosh. I can't believe Salvatore was poisoned. If he's hurt, what's he doing in the dungeon? I didn't even know something like that existed in this place. He probably doesn't want anyone to know. Maybe that's why he hid there.

I need to see him. I know it sounds crazy, but my mind won't rest until I make sure he's okay.

"It's none of your business!" my subconscious shrieked.

I knew that, but I was currently torn between minding my business and going to see him. After a few minutes, I made up my mind. I would just go there to peek and then leave. I would be satisfied as long as I knew he was okay.

I needed to find Jenny. I rushed back downstairs and into the kitchen. The place was filled with the hustle and bustle of maids who were desperately trying to make lunch on time.

The sweet aroma of curry sauce filled the room. I saw Maria stirring the pot.

"Well done, Ms. Maria," I said.

She turned and smiled sweetly at me. "Thank you, my dear."

Across the room, I spotted Jenny cutting up some ingredients on a table. I walked over to her, careful not to bump into the other girls.

"Jenny," I whispered, making sure nobody could hear us.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Because I need a favor."

She rolled her eyes. "What now?"

"Can you tell me where the dungeon is?"

She looked at me with a confused expression. "Why on earth would you need to know where it is? It doesn't concern you or any of us."

"I know. I just want to check it out."

"I'm not telling you."

"Please, come on."

"What do you want? Why do you need to go there anyway?"

I sighed. There was no need to hide it. She was my only option, so I might as well tell her.

"I heard Salvatore is sick and he's down there. I need to make sure he's okay."

"Ah ha!" she shrieked. "I knew it!"

"Shh!" I hushed her.

"Sorry," she lowered her voice. "I knew he was the reason you've been absent-minded lately."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. It's a bad idea. You have to get in line, girl. Every single woman fantasizes about him. All the maids have tried, but no one succeeds. He doesn't go for women like us ever."

Her words stung my heart a little. I knew they were true. Why did I still care, though?

"I know," I pouted. I gave her the best puppy dog eyes I could muster.

"Fine," she groaned. "I'll tell you where he is, but hey! You owe me big-time."

After Jenny gave me directions, I located the spot. At first, I thought I hadn't gotten the directions right. The dungeon was in a secluded center of the grounds - hidden in plain sight. Apparently, it was underground. I squatted down and removed the four corner metal cover. The opening underneath led to a flight of stairs that went further underground.

I gulped. I could feel my nyctophobia kicking in.

"It's not too late to turn around now," my subconscious reminded me.

No, I couldn't. I was here now, so I might as well see this through.

Slowly, I walked down the stairs. At the bottom, there were so many pathways at my sides. I couldn't decide whether to move forward or left or right. What should I do?

"I was good to you!" I heard a voice say. "I fucking trusted you!"

That was Salvatore's voice. I thought he was sick. How come his voice was so loud?

I followed the direction of his voice to my right until I reached a room. It was really dark and looked like a cellar.

I saw Isabella tied up to a chair. Matthew and Charles stood by her side with guns in their hands.

"Say your last prayers," Salvatore's voice boomed.

I gasped. He was holding a gun. Never in a thousand years would I have mistaken him for a killer.

Why did he want to kill her? I could see the cold look in his eyes. I had never seen his eyes look that way.

"Stop!" I blurted out before I could even control myself.

All eyes turned to me.

I could see Salvatore's expression shift from a cold glare to utter confusion.

"Melissa," my name rolled off his lips.

"How did you get here?" Matthew asked me.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Salvatore shouted. "This place is off-limits for you!"

I flinched in fear as he raised his voice at me. My heart rate increased, and my whole body shook. I was confused. I thought he was sick. What on earth was going on?

"I-I-" I stuttered.

"Speak up," Salvatore growled.

"I thought you were poisoned," my voice was barely a squeak at this point. "I heard someone saying you were poisoned and you were in the dungeon. I came to see if you were alright."

"Oh, for the love of -" Matthew groaned.

If eyes were daggers, Salvatore's gaze would have left me in a pool of my own blood. His chest heaved up and down with heavy breaths. He clutched the gun tightly, an angry look in his eyes. He looked like a killer - like he wanted to kill me.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, feeling embarrassed.

"I hate nosy people around me. By the time I'm done with you, I-"

The grunting of one of the men interrupted us. Isabella had freed herself. Matthew tried to attack her, but she dodged his punch quickly.

She picked up her chair and hit the back of his head. Charles was knocked out cold. Salvatore shot at her repeatedly. She ran swiftly, using the chair as a shield until she reached the other exit.

"Fuck!" Salvatore shouted. He ran after her, still firing shots.

Charles brought out a walkie-talkie from his pocket. "Code Red!" he said. "Keep your eyes on Isabella. She has escaped."

The two of them managed to get up from the floor before limping in the same direction as Salvatore and Isabella.

I ran after them until we reached a tunnel. We had to run through it until we reached the grounds.

Out there, there were several of Salvatore's men on the floor. Did she do this?

"How did she do this?" I muttered to myself.

"Because she's a fucking trained assassin," Matthew yelled at me. "All she needed was an opening to escape, and you gave her that."

My heart beat increased from fear and from the marathon I had just run.

I was screwed.

"There she is," Charles pointed.

Across from us, Isabella ran towards the gates, which were closing. She was running fast enough to get out in time. Salvatore was hot on her trail.

Just as she was on the brink of making her escape, Salvatore, with a cold and calculated precision, aimed his gun at her and pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out, echoing through the air with a deafening intensity that felt as though it could make my eardrums go deaf.

I instinctively brought my hands up to cover my mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape my lips. My heart raced, pounding against my chest as I realized the gravity of the situation. All this chaos, this danger, was a direct result of my actions.

A wave of guilt washed over me, and I couldn't help but ask myself, "What have I done?" The weight of my action bore down on me, I knew I had to find a way to make things right, to somehow atone for the trouble I had caused.

How could I possibly fix something that had spiraled so far out of control?