Chapter 5 - A Name in the Courtyard
Marcus rose slowly from the ground, towering over the gathered crowd like an oncoming storm.
Victoria scrambled back to her feet, desperate to regain control of the narrative before the silence condemned her.
She shrieked that the maid was a dangerous criminal who belonged in handcuffs.
She demanded that Marcus summon private security immediately to throw the trash off their property.
Marcus did not raise his voice, yet the word he spoke sliced through the courtyard like a guillotine.
He told his wife to be silent, and the sheer venom in his tone caused her to choke on her own breath.
Victoria froze mid-sentence, her hands fluttering helplessly at her sides.
Marcus turned his gaze away from his wife and fixed his piercing eyes entirely upon Elena.
The young maid felt her heart hammering violently against her ribs, but she held her chin high.
She prepared herself for the inevitable dismissal, knowing she had no defense against the word of billionaires.
Yet Marcus did not look at her with wrath or corporate arrogance.
His gaze was an intense, piercing appraisal that searched the very bottom of her soul.
He stepped closer until he stood only two paces from the young woman in the stained apron.
In a voice that carried clearly across the silent expanse of the swimming pool, he asked for her name.
Elena swallowed the dryness in her throat and announced her name clearly without a single stutter.
May you like
Marcus nodded once, acknowledging the courage that resonated behind her simple syllables.
He then commanded her to tell him every single word and action that had transpired before he stepped through the glass doors.
