Chapter 3 - THE SHATTERED FACADE
Pandemonium erupted in hushed, frantic whispers. The string quartet practically fled the stage. Vanessa’s face drained of all color, her jaw dropping in sheer, unadulterated shock.
"You're joking," she stammered, reaching out to grab Nathaniel's arm. "Nathaniel, you can't be serious! Over a clumsy maid? We are merging our companies next month! My father will destroy you in the press!"
Nathaniel looked at the hand on his sleeve as if it were a venomous insect. He brushed it off with a flick of his wrist. "Your father’s company is bleeding capital, Vanessa. I was buying you out as a favor. And as for the press, I dare you to go to them. I have thirty-two security cameras in this ballroom. I saw exactly what happened."
Vanessa froze, the breath leaving her lungs in a sharp hiss.
"You purposely stepped into her path," Nathaniel continued, his voice ringing with lethal precision. "You knocked the tray out of her hands. And then you struck her. You are a petty, cruel woman, Vanessa. And I will not have my name attached to yours. Marcus, remove her. Now."
"You'll regret this!" Vanessa shrieked as two burly security guards flanked her. The elegant, poised socialite was reduced to a screaming, thrashing mess as she was dragged out of the grand doors.
Within ten minutes, the ballroom was entirely empty, save for the scattered champagne flutes, the quiet hum of the air conditioning, and the three of them remaining in the center of the floor.
Grace was still trembling, clutching Lily tightly. She felt as though the floor had vanished beneath her. Nathaniel Ashford, a man who built global empires and crushed rivals without a second thought, had just destroyed a multi-million-dollar merger to protect a housekeeper.
"Grace," Nathaniel said gently, turning back to her. "Come with me. Let's get some ice for your cheek."
"Mr. Ashford, you didn't have to do that," Grace whispered, her voice shaking. "She's right. I'm just a maid. You've ruined your engagement."
"I saved myself from a lifetime of misery," Nathaniel corrected smoothly. He looked down at Lily, who was now hiding her face in her mother's neck. "And I believe I owe this brave young lady some ice cream. My private study. Both of you. That is an order, Ms. Carter."
May you like
Grace swallowed hard, nodded, and picked Lily up. As she followed the broad-shouldered billionaire down the quiet, velvet-lined hallways of the estate, her mind raced. She had spent three years hiding in plain sight, scrubbing floors and disappearing into the wallpaper, terrified that this exact man would one day look too closely at her.
Because Grace had a secret. A secret that could bring the entire Ashford empire to its knees.
