Chapter 2 - Shadows of Suspicion
Victoria Brooks glided into the marble foyer, the sharp click of her red bottom heels echoing against the high ceilings. She handed her leather gloves to the butler without a glance, her sharp gaze sweeping over Grace, who was stepping down the grand staircase holding an empty tray.
"Daniel," Victoria purred, her voice dripping with artificial warmth as she turned toward her brother. "I heard you hired a new girl from the streets. Is this really appropriate? The media is already watching us like vultures after Amelia's... tragic passing. We cannot afford scandal, nor can we allow unvetted strangers around the Brooks heiress."
"Grace accomplished in three days what your panel of high-priced doctors couldn't do in three months," Daniel replied coldly, stepping between his sister and the maid. "Lucy spoke today. She ate."
Victoria’s posture stiffened for a fraction of a second, a flash of irritation crossing her refined features before she masked it with a tight smile. Lucy’s recovery was bad news for Victoria’s quiet campaign to have Daniel declared emotionally unfit to run Brooks Global, which would allow her to step in as interim CEO and alter the board structure.
"A fluke," Victoria dismissed, eyeing Grace with open hostility. "Or perhaps a calculated act. Desperate people do theatrical things when they see a billionaire in mourning, Daniel. Have you even run a background check on this girl?"
Grace stood her ground, remaining polite but firm. "My record is clean, Miss Brooks. I am here to clean the mansion and help little Lucy if I can."
"You are here because my brother is blinded by grief," Victoria sneered. "I will be looking into you personally, Grace Ellis."
Over the next two weeks, a quiet war began within the walls of the mansion. Grace continued her gentle routine with Lucy. Every morning, she brought Milo and introduced new storybook characters carved from simple wood. Bit by bit, Lucy began to sit up, to take full meals, and even to offer hesitant, tiny smiles. She began to hold Grace’s hand during short walks through the sunlit garden.
However, Victoria was determined to break this growing bond. She hired a private investigator to dig into Grace's past, looking for any flaw, any past mistake, or any shadow that could be magnified to ruin the maid's reputation.
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Late one night, as Grace was preparing Lucy’s nightcap in the kitchen, she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Victoria standing behind her, holding an official-looking document.
"Your father was a convicted felon who died in prison, Grace," Victoria whispered venomously. "Did you forget to mention that on your application? Let us see how my brother reacts when he learns his daughter's new savior is the daughter of a criminal."
