Chapter 1 - The Weight of Gold
Mave Sullivan stood completely frozen in the silent, luxurious bedroom.
Her trembling fingers traced the cold enamel of the heavy gold cufflink.
She intimately knew every single piece of jewelry in this massive house.
This elegant piece definitely did not belong to Ronan Castellano.
The letter T was engraved sharply into the shiny yellow metal.
T stood for Tomas.
Tomas was Ronan’s ruthless underboss and his closest, most trusted friend.
Panic closed heavily around Mave's throat like a tight, suffocating hand.
She knew she had to leave the room before someone discovered her holding the evidence.
Just as she slipped the cufflink into her apron pocket, the bedroom door clicked open.
Adriana Castellano stepped inside, her beautiful face uncharacteristically pale and her eyes frantic.
She clearly did not expect to see the quiet maid standing near her expensive vanity.
"What exactly are you doing in here?" Adriana snapped, her voice cracking like thin ice.
Mave immediately lowered her head and kept her fearful eyes fixed on the floor.
"I was just bringing fresh towels, ma'am," she lied as smoothly as she could manage.
Adriana rushed past her to the velvet chair and dropped heavily to her knees.
She frantically swept her manicured hands over the thick, expensive Persian carpet.
She was desperately looking for the missing piece of gold that could destroy her life.
Mave held her breath as the wealthy woman grew more and more unhinged.
"Did you find anything on this floor?" Adriana demanded, standing up slowly and glaring at the maid.
Mave shook her head silently and backed carefully toward the open door.
She knew that if she confessed to finding it, she would not live to see tomorrow.
Adriana narrowed her dark eyes, a cruel and calculating shadow falling over her flawless face.
"You are dismissed for the rest of the day, Mave," she ordered with a cold, dismissing wave.
Mave bowed slightly and hurried out into the long, empty hallway.
She needed to find Mr. Castellano immediately and hand him the damning evidence.
But as she turned the corner toward his private study, a heavy hand grabbed her shoulder violently.
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She spun around in absolute terror, expecting to see her terrifying boss.
Instead, she found herself staring directly into the cold, smiling eyes of Tomas.
