The maid disaster

**Ivery Clark POV** 

A cold chill crawled down my spine, clashing with the unbearable heat of my humiliation. The servants stood still, their heads lowered, pretending they heard nothing—*saw* nothing.

Would he really—?

Of course, he would. Alrigo never made empty threats. My throat went dry.

He leaned in closer, his lips just barely brushing my skin. “Would you like that, *cara mia*? To have everyone watch while I teach you your place?”

His strong hands brushed against the line of my backbone drawing shivers. He was so sshameless. He was openly showing his dominance. He was openly showing that I was his. 

I swallowed hard. My pride screamed at me to resist, but my body—my *survival instincts*—knew better.

This psycho. Slowly, shakily, I turned back to him. His smirk deepened.

“Good girl.” He lifted the fork, pressing the bite of steak to my lips. I hesitated.

*Don’t fight. Don’t resist. Don’t give him another reason to break you.*

Gritting my teeth, I parted my lips and took the bite. The taste of rich, perfectly cooked meat filled my mouth, but it might as well have been ash.

Alrigo hummed in satisfaction, watching me chew, as if I were some pet performing tricks for him.

He didn’t move the fork away. I had to swallow while he watched.

A dark glint flickered in his eyes, a quiet sort of pleasure at seeing me obey. When I finally forced the food down, he chuckled, placing the fork back on his plate.

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” His fingers traced lazy circles against my waist, a mockery of gentleness. “You listen well when you want to.”

My cheeks flamed, my body stiff with anger and shame.

He lifted my chin with a single finger, forcing me to meet his gaze. “This is my last warning, ma bella. Never skip a meal again.”

I glared. “I eat when I want.”

His expression darkened. His grip firmed. “You eat when I tell you to.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, my pulse racing. His eyes flicked down to my lips, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth, making me shiver under his touch, his warmth, his presence. 

“Never disobey my rules.” Alrigo murmured, his voice smooth, lethal, "If you want to survive here, Ivery, you'll learn to obey. No mistakes. No questions. *No hesitation*."

"Because you are no ordinary maid, cara mia." He tilted his head, his dark eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "You’re Alrigo Valerie King’s maid. And a pet of course. "

“You'll have many more coming in, Ivery.” His fingers trailed along my waist, a slow, teasing movement that made my breath hitch. "So you better buckle up." 

With that Alrigo pushed me up and got up  standing to his full height. “Also you better not think of escaping anywhere, misusing the freedom I give you…" he murmured, his voice like silk over steel. "Or use that little head of yours for something foolish.”

"Don’t forget," he added, his smirk deepening, "Your brother Rowan is still at my mercy.”

He lingered, letting the silence stretch, letting my own thoughts suffocate me. Then, with one last smirk, he whispered—

"I’ll look forward to coming back home, Ivery.”

And just like that, the leash around my neck tightened. I watched him go, my fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my skin.

Bastard.

He thinks I’ll just roll over, nod my head, and whisper yes, sir like the rest of them?

Not a chance.

If Alrigo Valerie King wants a maid, then fine. He’ll get one. But I won’t be the meek, helpless thing he expects. No, if he wants to degrade me, if he thinks he can tame me, he’s in for a rude awakening.

I’ll make his life a living hell.

I wore the maid's dress given by the head maid. The black-and-white maid dress was modest enough, but the ruffled skirt and lace-trimmed collar made me feel like I had walked straight out of some old-fashioned play.

“Today you’re assigned to clean Mr. Alrigo’s office room,”

“Yes. He prefers it spotless, and since you’re new, consider this your test. Do it well, or you’ll be scrubbing floors for the rest of the month.” She gave me a pointed look. “Understood?”

“Yes.” I nodded and walked upstairs.

The dim glow of the desk lamp cast flickering shadows across the office as I slipped inside, careful to close the door without a sound. 

What were the odds I could cause just a little bit of harmless chaos before he noticed? 

I grinned evilly. First, I rearranged every single drawer. Pens? In the safe. With practiced fingers, I shuffled the papers just enough to be unnoticeable—some contract pages subtly switched, others conveniently missing. 

But my favorite touch? Slipping in a completely irrelevant sheet I had swiped from the kitchen earlier.

Next, I turned my attention to his laptop. A simple password reset wasn’t enough—it had to be something truly special. Now, the only way to unlock it was to type: Ivery is the best.

I giggled, envisioning the absolute fury that would flicker across his face the moment he realized.

And then, my masterpiece. The coffee swap.

Alrigo’s day did not start until he had his strong, black espresso. A single sip of anything else would be considered a personal attack. Which is why I made sure that when he took that first morning sip, instead of bitter perfection, he’d be met with a sickly sweet, bubblegum-pink strawberry milkshake.

With my work complete, I stepped back, surveying the masterpiece of chaos. My heart pounded with excitement. Now, all that was left was to wait.

I didn’t have to wait long.

A low, ominous silence settled over the mansion. The kind that made even the toughest men in the house suddenly remember they had somewhere else to be.

Then—

“IVERY.” His voice cut through the air like a blade.

Footsteps pounded against the floor, growing closer, faster. I scrambled up, already looking for an escape route, but there was nowhere to run.

The door swung open with force, and there he was—Alrigo, towering in the doorway, his sharp eyes locking onto me like a predator catching its prey.

“Come to my office room. Right. Now.” He sneered and walked away and I had no choice but to follow.

I peeked into the office, biting back a smirk. Papers were strewn across the floor. The drawers had been yanked open in frustration. 

His chair sat at an awkward tilt, and his laptop screen blinked stubbornly, demanding he admit my superiority before it would grant him access.

And there he was, standing in the center of the disaster, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought I heard it crack. His fingers twitched like he was deciding between wringing my neck or throwing his ruined coffee at the wall.

Alrigo inhaled deeply, rolling his neck like a man barely holding on to his patience.

Then, in a voice that sent a shiver down my spine, he murmured, "Come. Here. Now."