The morning light filtered through the grand windows of the mansion, illuminating the busy hands of the maids as they cleaned, prepared breakfast, and exchanged whispers about the newest resident of the house: Lina.
“She thinks she’s the queen already,” one maid muttered as she dusted a vase.
“Did you see how she strutted in last night?” another added with a scoff.
“Poor Miss Aurora,” Luna whispered, shaking her head. “She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
Lina, however, was far from concerned about what anyone thought. She lounged in the sitting room like she owned the place, dressed in a silk robe with a smug smile playing on her lips. She waved at Luna, who was passing by with a tray.
“You, maid,” Lina called, her voice sharp and demanding. “Come here.”
Luna stopped in her tracks, hesitating for a moment before she walked over. “Yes, ma’am?”
“I need a drink. Go to the kitchen and get me something refreshing. And don’t take all day,” Lina snapped.
“Yes, ma’am,” Luna replied, bowing slightly before hurrying off to do as she was told.
A few minutes later, Luna returned, carrying a glass of iced tea on a tray. Her hands trembled slightly as she approached Lina. But as she reached out to hand her the drink, her foot caught on the edge of the carpet. The tray tilted, and the glass tipped over, spilling the cold liquid all over Lina’s lap.
“You idiot!” Lina shrieked, jumping up from the couch as the tea soaked her expensive robe.
“I’m so sorry! It was an accident!” Luna stammered, her face pale with fear.
“An accident?” Lina repeated mockingly, her eyes narrowing. “You clumsy little fool!”
Before anyone could react, Lina raised her hand and slapped Luna hard across the face. The sound echoed through the room, leaving everyone stunned.
Aurora, who had just come downstairs, froze when she saw what had happened. Her eyes darted from Luna’s shocked face to Lina’s smug expression, and a wave of rage surged through her.
Without thinking, Aurora marched straight to Lina, her footsteps firm and purposeful. She didn’t care about the consequences; all she could see was the injustice of what had just happened.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Aurora demanded, her voice shaking with anger.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Lina said, rolling her eyes. “Stay out of it.”
But Aurora wasn’t about to back down. Before Lina could say another word, Aurora raised her hand and slapped her across the face. Hard.
The force of the slap made Lina stumble backward, her hand flying to her cheek. Gasps filled the room as the maids stared in disbelief, their mouths open in shock.
“You slapped me?!” Lina shrieked, her voice high-pitched and incredulous.
“You deserved it,” Aurora shot back, her eyes blazing. “How dare you treat Luna like that? Who do you think you are?”
“You” Lina began, but before she could finish, Aurora slapped her again.
This time, the room fell into complete silence. Even Lina looked too stunned to speak. The maids exchanged wide-eyed glances, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Luna stood frozen, her hand pressed to her own cheek where Lina had struck her, but now her eyes were filled with admiration for Aurora.
From the doorway, Damian had been watching the entire scene unfold. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his lips twitching as he fought back a laugh. Aurora’s fiery reaction and Lina’s shocked expression were too much for him to handle.
He turned away quickly, walking down the hallway to keep himself from laughing out loud. His shoulders shook with silent laughter as he thought about how Lina’s arrogance had just been put in its place.
Back in the sitting room, Lina finally found her voice. “You’ll regret this,” she spat, glaring at Aurora. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Do whatever you want,” Aurora replied coldly. “But if I ever see you lay a hand on anyone in this house again, you’ll get worse than just a slap.”
With that, Aurora turned to Luna and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.
Luna nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Thank you, Miss Aurora. Thank you so much.”
The other maids, still in shock, quickly got back to work, their gazes flickering between Aurora and Lina. It was clear that things in the mansion were about to get even more tense.
Lina stormed out of the room, her face red with humiliation and anger. Aurora stood her ground, her heart pounding in her chest, but she refused to let Lina intimidate her.
As Damian re-entered the room, his face was calm, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. He glanced at Aurora, who was still standing tall, and a sense of pride filled him.
“She’s stronger than I thought,” he muttered to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
For now, Lina had been put in her place, but Aurora knew this wasn’t the end. If anything, it was just the beginning.