Chapter 3

"Caitlin!" It was the first time Alexander actually raised his voice at a woman, his tone sharp, clearly out of patience. Lucas, standing awkwardly in the corner, couldn't help but sweat for her. He'd never really liked that timid, forgettable Caitlin, but right now, even he felt nervous on her behalf. Because last time Alexander used that tone, a manager from the company who messed with a few female employees ended up practically begging the gods to take him early... Unless she apologized fast, maybe Alexander would at least go easy on her for being a woman. Lucas stared at the woman upstairs, silently praying she'd get a clue. Ma'am, please don't ask to die today. But very quickly, Lucas realized he'd overestimated her. That woman—cold as stone—not only didn't apologize, didn't plead, she didn't even bother to respond. Just shot a look down, turned around and left like she couldn't care less. The silence was brutal. It was the first time a woman had outright ignored Alexander. His face didn't twitch a muscle, but anyone watching could feel that strange, uncomfortable shift in the air. "Ma'am! You're savage!" Lucas blurted, giving a thumbs-up in genuine admiration. A glare sharp enough to kill shot at him, and Lucas zipped his mouth shut, quickly fake-laughing as he ran over to boss around the housekeeping team—trying to look busy and avoid death. The reflection of Alexander in his laptop screen turned dark and stormy. Still, that woman who just walked all over him like it was nothing... he was starting to find her kind of interesting. Five days ago, Caitlin was barely a shadow in the house. Meek, forgettable—housemaids could talk down to her and she wouldn't say a word. Whenever she saw him, that forced smile was basically her default setting. She was boring to the core. Who'd have thought, barely a week later, her eyes now held this fierce, untouchable fire. Her attitude? Blunt, chaotic, borderline reckless. She didn't give a damn about anything. To Alexander, sure—it looked like she'd completely lost her mind. But for a woman to dare act like this in front of him? Caitlin was one of a kind. "Sir, it was Mrs. Perkins who told us to throw away the vacuum! None of this was our fault!" one of the maids said, clearly anxious. "That vacuum's a brand-new model—it's super quiet! We tried explaining but she wouldn't hear it. Just lashed out at us!" the other added, barely hiding her attempts to throw Samantha under the bus. "Mrs. Perkins?" Alexander repeated, lips twitching into something that almost looked like a smile. Before, the staff at the mansion would only ever say "she" when talking about Caitlin. They wouldn't bother attaching a title unless it was formal. He wasn't clueless. The swelling on one maid's face, the red mark on her neck, the other two clutching their stomachs like they'd been punched in the gut—Caitlin wasn't just losing her temper. She was making a statement. As his gaze turned to rest on them, Eliza's eyes lit up with a spark of hope—finally, he was paying attention to her! "Sir, I don't know what got into her," Eliza said, stepping closer and unbuttoning her shirt ever so slightly to show off her collarbones. "She said the vacuum noise was driving her crazy, and when I mentioned you were downstairs trying to rest, she completely snapped and tried to strangle me! Look—" Her voice soft, innocent, she even pushed her chest forward a little. The other two housemaids quickly nodded, moaning and doubling over more dramatically, retelling Samantha's earlier outburst with an exaggerated flair, throwing in every detail they could remember, real or not. Especially when Samantha lifted one leg to press down on the maid's shoulder, her hand gripping her throat hard, saying, "I don't like repeating myself," the smirk on Alexander's lips grew colder. "Pfft..." Lucas couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Realizing he'd gone too far, he quickly cleared his throat and chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, sorry... Are you guys seriously talking about Caitlin? Hahaha..." "Madam's eyes were seriously scary back then, like a wolf ready to bite! Mr. Perkins, you have to stand up for us!" The young maid clutched her face and started sobbing hysterically, tears streaming down like someone had turned on a faucet. "Oh? Ratting people out behind their backs now? Didn't anyone at the great Perkins estate teach you that's bad manners?" Samantha stood at the top of the stairs, looking down with a calm yet commanding air. The reappearance of Caitlin made everyone turn their heads—almost like a spotlight had just hit the stage. She had on a slightly worn off-shoulder dress that hugged her frame perfectly. The neckline revealed her subtle collarbones, and beneath her full chest was a tiny waist wrapped neatly by a stylish belt. The slit in the skirt flashed a glimpse of fair skin that was hard to look away from. Her makeup was light and natural, the nude lipstick highlighting her flawless complexion. Her bright eyes sparkled as she spoke, the slight tilt of her lips giving off a sense of effortless charm. Alexander was momentarily stunned. He remembered her wearing this same blue denim dress before—plain, unremarkable. But right now? She looked... stunning. Even though he'd never liked her, maybe even straight-up disliked her before... he couldn't deny—Caitlin was beautiful. He used to see her as weak and pale, with a detached look in her eyes, like she couldn't care less about the world. Always dressed plainly, she gave off a sense of lifelessness. Honestly, he'd never had the curiosity to try and get to know her. But this Caitlin—subtle makeup, sharp features, a killer figure, and an energy that pulled people in—was a whole different force. Like someone had flipped the switch. "Whoa...Mrs. Perkins looks absolutely stunning ..." Before Lucas could finish that sentence, a sharp glare shut him right up. Samantha casually strolled over to Eliza, and right in front of Alexander, she lifted the girl's chin with a finger and smiled faintly. "Guess I didn't hit hard enough. Some people still don't know their place." "Mr. Perkins..." Eliza trembled, clearly frightened, and quickly turned to him with pleading eyes, hoping he'd step in. "Three months' pay. Then get out of the estate," Alexander waved her off, then turned to Samantha. "Happy with that, Mrs. Perkins?" "Hey, don't look at me. I'm just an innocent bystander here. Don't go blaming me. Your staff, your rules—you deal with them," Samantha clapped her hands and walked off nonchalantly. The corner of Alexander's mouth twitched up slightly. That over-the-top attitude of hers? Weirdly enough, he didn't find it annoying. Actually, it was kind of... intriguing. Because of his height, Alexander easily caught sight of her phone screen—it was a map, and the destination? A trendy hotspot in downtown Lichester. "Where are you going?" Samantha rolled her eyes and replied curtly, "Out for food." "I don't permit that," The word left Alexander like steel. His brows furrowed, his patience clearly at its end. She was out of line, and he would put a stop to it—now. Disappeared for five days and now she couldn't wait to run off again? What—was something outside really that tempting?