Chapter 4

"Who the hell are you?" he asked arrogantly after sizing her up from head to toe.

"I... I'm the new..."

"Jacqueline," Penny called, interrupting her before she could finish."Alexander, this is Jacqueline Cruz, your new personal maid," Penelope said.

A dark glint formed in his eyes as if he had just uncovered her darkest secret. He said nothing, and Penelope led her away from his room.

His phone began ringing. He checked the caller ID and saw 'Viper' displayed. He answered the call.

"Boss, she has arrived in Rome, and her mission has begun," Viper reported before Alexander ended the call.

He noticed a silver bracelet on the floor—clearly, it had fallen from the maid's wrist. He picked it up, and a dark glint formed in his eyes.

"Game on," he said with a sadistic smirk on his lips.

Penelope escorted Jacqueline to her room. It was already late, and Penelope knew Jacqueline needed her beauty sleep. She would need all her strength to handle that twisted brat.

"Get some sleep, Jacqueline," Penelope said with a smile.

Jacqueline nodded. "Goodnight, Granny Penelope," she said before entering her room and shutting the door.

Jacqueline wondered how someone so kind and nice had become entangled with that devil’s spawn. She took out her phone and texted Chain Alexander's full name. She lay on her bed, and it took an extra hour before she could fall asleep.

……

"I know you must feel incredibly tired, but the young master rises with the sun. If you intend to attend to his needs, you must rise even earlier, or perhaps you’re not cut out for the job," Penelope drawled.

It was exactly 4 a.m., and Jacqueline couldn’t see the point in becoming a hawk just for that cruel man.

However, she consoled herself with the fact that she needed this job. Chain had also offered to pay her $2 million upon successful completion, which would be enough to give her some breathing room.

Jacqueline could barely keep her eyes open; even a blind man would see she was sleep-deprived.

Penelope handed her a tray with hot coffee and omelets.

"Make sure you serve this to him," she said, and Jacqueline nodded.Was there any way she could just poison this guy herself? The job would be completed faster if she did.

Jacqueline bit her lip as the thought wreaked havoc in her mind.She exited the elevator and reached the front of his room after a few more seconds. She gulped nervously before knocking on his door, but there was no response. She knocked three more times, still receiving no reply.Jacqueline gulped again before opening the door, finding herself in a dark room. She imagined bats might hold meetings there. Was he still asleep? She bit her tongue to prevent herself from scoffing.

Her feet padded softly on the ground as she made her way to the table and gently placed the tray down.

She couldn’t see the bed and wasn’t sure if she was alone in the room. She didn’t care; she just wanted to get out.She swiftly turned and headed for the door, but as she tried to open it, his loud voice resounded in her ear.

"Who said you could leave?" he asked from behind her, and Jacqueline felt like her heart would leap to her throat.She turned slowly and saw his silhouette behind her. How had he gotten so close without her noticing?

"Good morning, Mr. Vladimir," Jacqueline greeted politely, immediately breaking eye contact when she couldn’t withstand the intensity.

"I didn’t realize you were here; everything is so… dark," she muttered, though it was loud enough for him to hear.

He kept staring at her.She took a step back from him. Did he recognize her from their encounter at the club? He had been between her legs; her face turned red, and she was glad the lights were off. He would have seen her flushed cheeks otherwise.

"Who are you?" he asked, examining her as though she were a specimen."My name is Jacqueline Cruz, and I’m Italian," Jacqueline said, fidgeting. The way he stared at her made her feel as if she might drop dead at any moment.

Jacqueline shifted backwards until her back was pressed against the door.

"Alright, Jacqueline, but know this: if I detect any insincerity or false play, I will crush you myself. Understood?" His voice was raw and deep, affecting every part of Jacqueline's senses. It screamed danger, and running for her life seemed like the best option now.He stared deeply into her soul, and Jacqueline nodded as his gaze demanded an answer.

"Leave," Alexander said, putting more distance between them.Jacqueline immediately bolted out of the room, panting nervously. Damn, he was scary.

A man with blood-red hair and similar red eyes made his way past the grand door of the mansion.

"Where is Alexander?" he asked a maid who was passing by.

"Lord Alexander is in his study, sir," she replied. He nodded and headed in that direction.He went for the elevator, but the door opened to reveal a beautiful damsel who was apparently... a maid?His black boots swept across the floor, and within minutes, he arrived at Alexander's study.

Alexander was dressed in a white long-sleeve shirt, black loose pants, and black boots. His tall figure stood in front of the window as he smoked leisurely.

"I didn't know you were hiring models to be your maids now," Romano teased.

Alexander turned to look at him with his bored, tired eyes.Romano Rocco could boldly say he had never seen life in those eyes.

"Why are you here?" Alexander asked nonchalantly. Romano smirked.

"I've been receiving calls and distressed messages since we changed ships," Romano said.

Alexander continued to stare at him as a thick frown settled on his face.

Nighttime came too soon for Jacqueline as she turned uncomfortably in her bed. It was the same nightmare again: the haunting memory of her parents' car accident.

"No!!!!" Jacqueline yelled as she woke fully, beads of sweat dotting her forehead as she held the sheets tightly. The trauma always hit harder than before.She scrambled out of bed, dressed in a thin black singlet and jean shorts.

Unable to sleep, she left her room and went to the garden.She sat on one of the benches; the cold air hit her skin, but she was too sad to feel it. Her parents had done nothing wrong, but they had been killed mercilessly. She had been with them that day, and it was a miracle that she and Jennie survived. Investigations revealed their deaths were planned—someone had murdered them and, in doing so, stripped her of her happiness.

Jacqueline heard a loud noise that she couldn't immediately identify. It sounded like the cries of a wolf, and Jacqueline looked up to see the full moon shining gloriously in the sky. Could it be true? Was there really a wolf around?Fear nearly consumed her, and Jacqueline scrambled out of the chair.

She reached the back door, which led to the servants' quarters, and there it stood—mighty and menacing—a big black wolf that stared at her as if already imagining devouring her.Jacqueline stood rooted to the spot as fear gripped her.

She screamed loudly before fleeing, the large wolf chasing after her. Jacqueline ran desperately for her life.

Alexander stood by his room window with a glass of wine in his hand, watching the scene unfold.

"Well, someone is going to be Damon's midnight snack," Alexander said with a chuckle.Jacqueline ran as fast as she could, not daring to look back.

She reached the maze in no time and continued running, not knowing where she was headed.The wolf was hot on her tail, and Jacqueline knew it would catch her soon. She began to cry.

She saw a tall silhouette emerging from the darkness, a figure that seemed to belong there.

Alexander! She began running toward him but stopped midway. It felt as if time had slowed to a crawl. The wolf appeared to have stopped chasing her upon seeing Alexander.

Jacqueline was trapped between Alexander and the wild wolf, her heart pounding in her ears. Both were dangerous; she couldn’t tell which was more perilous. She knew that either could devour her if she made the slightest mistake.

She knew both were capable of devouring her if she made the slightest mistake. More importantly, both were her enemies; making the wrong choice would place her in an early grave.Alexander stared at her with dark mirth in his eyes and a sinister smirk on his lips.

Jacqueline knew she couldn't afford to make the wrong choice. She would forget the fact he was her enemy for now. With that, Jacqueline ran to Alexander, hoping for some protection, and hid behind him.

"Please help me," Jacqueline begged in tears, but how wrong she was. She had made the wrong choice in the end.Alexander pulled her from behind himself.

Jacqueline's eyes widened crazily beyond their sockets, and more tears fell freely. He pushed her towards the wolf, and as if the wolf knew his master had given him permission to devour, he charged towards her with utmost zeal to complete the quest.