Chapter 2: Echoes in the Marble Hall
In the grand foyer, the house manager, Mr. Vance, was busy reviewing the monthly luxury catering expenses on his tablet, a smug, self-satisfied grin plastered across his face. He prided himself on "cutting costs"—which, in reality, meant pocketing the withheld wages of the defenseless estate staff.
"Vance," a voice boomed from the top of the marble staircase.
Vance looked up, his grin faltering slightly as he saw Mr. Sterling descending the stairs, shirt sleeves rolled up, devoid of his usual business jacket. "Ah, Mr. Sterling! I was just finalizing the budget. We managed to save an extra fifteen percent on maintenance this month—"
"By starving my staff?" Mr. Sterling cut him off, his footsteps heavy and rhythmic against the polished floor.
May you like
Vance’s face drained of color. He swallowed hard, trying to maintain his professional facade. "Sir, if this is about the maid, Clara... she is highly inefficient. I merely applied standard disciplinary measures to maintain the mansion's standards—"
"You abused a position of authority to torment a young woman who works around the clock to keep this place running," Mr. Sterling hissed, standing mere inches from Vance. The billionaire’s presence completely suffocated the manager's remaining confidence. "You stole her dignity, and you stole her wages."
