Chapter 12

Clara's POV

I entered the hotel building, and it welcomed me.

Nervousness gripped me throughout the first several days after my interaction with Derek. I was always afraid that if I ran into him again, he would be fired.

I've grown more composed lately. It was practically a given that I wouldn't work for him again since I traded shifts with another maid. He got access to the presidential suite via a private elevator. When I totaled up my possibilities, there was almost no chance I would see him again. This is why I said I may have gotten away with it.

I entered the break area.

"Why do you feel like this today?" Ivy enquired.

"It's a lovely day," I grinned in response. "I sense that wonderful things are about to occur." I went on.

"Well, I hope you become a billionaire and win the lottery. In this manner, both of us may leave our jobs here." She responded.

As Marcus entered, he distributed the day's instructions.

"Clara, please tidy up the suite in room 346 for me. Today, we have several visitors coming in." Marcus gave the order.

With a nod.

"Ivy, please go to Madison's room. Marcus went on.

Ivy let out a sigh.

Today was a fantastic day for me since I avoided being trapped with Madison again.

Madison has become worse these days, particularly in light of the rumours that she and Derek are now formally dating. She already acts like she owns the house.

The room gradually became empty as everyone continued with their jobs.

I went into the lift. Maddison, clad in a bulky black coat and shades, approached me.

"Dreak!" Maddison screamed.

The elevator doors began to shut, and I glanced up.

He wasn't even visible, so why was she calling him? Perhaps she was on the phone with him.

A guy hurried in as a hand prevented the doors from shutting. He knocked into me, knocking me off my feet. Just before I struck the ground, his hands came over me and held me in place.

It took me a few seconds to realise, and then I glanced up.

Yes, that would be Derek Montenegro.

Before he could further identify that it was me, I hurriedly pulled myself together and stood up. I withdrew from his embrace and turned my head to face the corner.

I hit the floor button that was closest to me.

He said, "I'm sorry about that, Miss."

My hair hung down the sides of my face, and I maintained a bent head.

He leaned over to my side, and I noticed. I freaked out; maybe he wanted to see my face and find out I was lying. I made every effort to look away from him.

He leaned back and shifted to his side as his hand went for the elevator controls and pressed the button for the top level.

Safe was I. Until today, anyhow.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I hastily exited.

After the elevator doors shut, I exhaled deeply, like I had just finished a marathon. I was holding my breath without even realising it.

For an instant, I thought about using the stairs rather than the elevator so I wouldn't run into the danger of running into him again. However, even I saw that walking up thirty stairs was insane.

I pushed the elevator button and waited.

I didn't feel comfortable, even in the elevator. There was no escaping from him; all I could do was hope for the best.

I entered the hotel room.

Although most of the suite had previously been cleaned, more was still to be done. It was merely the routine of replacing the towels in the rooms and changing the bed linens. The rest had already been arranged.

I finished what I had to do in two hours.

I quickly looked to check whether Derek was visible before leaving the suite. My level of paranoia was reaching new heights. Why would he be on this floor, anyway?

I went to get some tea in the break room. I didn't have as many things to do every day. Although I had several rooms to clean afterward, no one was staying in them either.

Marcus entered the room as my shadow did. Strangely, we keep running into one other in this large hotel.

Marcus said, "Why don't you go and assist her out since your buddy is still not done?"

Getting up made me sigh.

When I got to Maddison's apartment, she was pacing the space while Ivy was busy tidying up the living area.

At the seven bags, Maddison said, "I need to put my clothing in the closet." Since there was no room left when I last looked, I was unsure where she expected me to place those garments. She was the first visitor to fill the enormous walk-in closets.

I moved the suitcases to her dressing room.

I was pleased with my ability to stay organised after moving some items and packing others closely together. I grinned at the finished result. I never would have guessed that I could fit into these outfits.

Entering the room, Maddison was talking on the phone.

"Mom, I knew what I was doing," said Maddison.

She headed to the closest to choose something to wear.

She didn't even want to wear the clothing, so I saw her take them off the hangar and pile them onto the floor rather than going through the wardrobe like an average person would.

I couldn't help but look in shock at her.

"Powerful guys like him, as everyone knows, only want some stupid bimbo to carry about as his trophy wife. I knew I had to move on to something wiser, so I did what I could to give them a taste of the genuine Maddison Riley.

At last, she took out the desired jacket.

"The elderly lady is intolerable; you should have seen her mother. I need to take care of her right now before she causes me any trouble because I believe she will be a problem." She said,

I would hate to turn against her after hearing how she sounded on the phone.

Maddison said, "I need this plan to succeed before everyone finds out our family is going bankrupt."

She looked up at me to check whether I was paying attention, so I immediately looked aside and appeared to be mending the flowers.

"I have to go now," was her response.

She ended the call.

She pointed to the heap of clothing she had made and said, "I need you to put all these items back in my closet."

She tossed her coat into the pile after taking it off.

She put on her jacket as she left the room.

A few minutes after Maddison departed, Ivy entered.

I sighed and got to work on the heap of garments.

Ivy said, "Promise me that you will never be so intolerable if you ever get wealthy."

I said, "I still don't see how her parents could have possibly messed her up so severely for her to be this way."

"Ivy concluded that, like other wealthy people, she was raised by her nannies, and her parents never had any time for her."

Ivy assisted me in moving the load. It was almost time for us to clock out by the time we had completed folding all the clothing and doing the other tasks.

My feet hurt as Ivy and I left Maddison's apartment.

"After this, I find it unbelievable that we still have to stand in the bus. We can probably both agree that it's about time for one of us to start dating someone wealthy." It was Ivy.

I dragged my steps and said, "I'm banking on you for that; I have horrible luck at love."

"That's only because you reject every man who even bothers to smile at you." She responded.

Awaiting the elevator, we waited.

Marcus stopped me in my tracks and said, "Clara."

Then I pivoted.

"I need you to steal the boss's tuxedo before you clock out." I need you to deliver it; it has been at the dry cleaners." He gave guidance.

I knew whose boss he was talking about, and my heart pounded, ready to burst out of my chest. Didn't I already have enough of an issue with him earlier? I was sure now that Marcus was working against me.

I entered the elevator with Ivy.

Ivy said, "What happens when Marcus discovers we don't heed instructions? I'd agree to go to your place."

Ivy gave me her black scarf when we initially got to our lockers. I wrapped it around my head and gazed in the mirror.

Ivy said, "I don't have any spectacles."

"It's okay, I'll just make sure my face stays hidden," was my response.

Ivy then went with me to the washing room.

What's new? Mara gave me Derek's tuxedo and asked.

Ivy said, "She met a new boyfriend; she is considering converting."

I gingerly handled the tuxedo as I left the washing area and went to the elevator.

His apartment seemed peaceful. I made an effort to walk as quietly as possible.

He was talking on the phone in the bedroom when I checked on him.

I followed his gesture to place the tuxedo on his bed.

I made sure to keep my head down while I did so.

I turned to go, setting his tuxedo down on the bed.

The scarf caught on the nightstand's crystals as I walked out.

Since I hadn't noticed, I kept walking, which caused the scarf to slip off and reveal my whole body.

I clutched my palm over the side of my face as I stood there, terrified.

Derek bit me as I bent down to save my scarf.

He handed me the scarf and said, "Here you go."

At that moment, our gazes met, and he locked upon mine.

I was speechless as I stood there.

"You," Derek murmured, mirroring my response.

With haste, I got up and turned my back on him.

He glanced aside briefly before ending the conversation.

"I fired you, didn't I?" He said

I turned my back on him and shook my head.

After a few steps back, my back hit the wall after only two steps.

"You seem to be mistaking me for someone else, sir," I said as I fixed my gaze on the ground.

"That voice is familiar to me; you are the one who entered my flat wearing sunglasses the other day. Did you believe you could trick me? He said.

Before I knew it, he had taken a stride in my direction, and we were inches away.

I twisted to my side to get out of there, but before I could move, he shut the door and locked me there with his hands on my side.

Why was he shutting the door, and should I be alarmed?

"What has to happen for a man to stop being around you?" He muttered.

I couldn't tell whether my heart was racing from our unexpected intimacy or his having uncovered me from concealment.

"I asked you to go politely, but you wouldn't. I'm simply going to have to work harder from now on. You may explain, and I'll lead the security guys out of this hotel.

"Excuse me, sir," I begged.

He withdrew his arms.

It would help if you now endured the humiliation because you chose not to take the simple route. I would be pleased to share with your prospective employer the additional extracurricular activities you like. You won't ever be able to work again." He said.

"Please," I pleaded more. I must have had tears running down my cheeks.

This time, I was prepared to quit my work if necessary, but I wasn't ready to deal with everything.

He told me, "I'm contacting security."

He listened to his phone ring and phoned a number.

And what would I do? I could never face anybody; imagine how my mother would react if she knew about this.

I cried out, "I'm pregnant."

"It doesn't matter; congrats on your pregnancy to you and whomever loser it was." He kept listening to the ring and answered.

I shouted, "You are the father." By accident, the words escaped my lips.

How come? He gave me a sceptical look. He was Removing the phone from his ear.

A/N: I appreciate your reading, and I hope you will leave a comment, vote, and spread the word about the novel.