Maya hesitated for a second, remembering the strict rules of the contract Marcus had handed her. Discretion. Not a word outside.
"It's an estate liquidation job," Maya said, keeping her voice casual. "Big manor on the outskirts of the city. Old, dusty, and full of heavy furniture. I spent the whole day moving sheets off ancient sofas in the living room."just like it has always been"
Kim whistled, walking over to the fridge to grab two sodas. She handed one to Maya. "Must be paying well if you're willing to look like a chimney sweep. Is it as creepy as it sounds?"
Maya took a cold sip of the soda, the sugar hitting her system and waking her up slightly. The image of the gothic portrait flashed in her mind—the five unsmiling faces and the cold, grey eyes that looked exactly like Kevin Clarke's. She could still feel that icy chill on the back of her neck.
"It's... historic," Maya chose her words carefully. "Huge stone spires, ivy everywhere, and portraits that seem to follow you around the room. I thought I heard a noise right before I left, but it was probably just the house settling. My nerves are just shot because I haven't had a breakthrough in so long."
Kim sat on the edge of the coffee table, looking concerned. "Hey, don't let the place get to you. It's just a house, Maya. A big, expensive house that is going to pay our electricity bill and then some, right?"
"Right," Maya nodded, trying to force a smile. "Half a million dollars, Kim. That's what the contract says."
Kim nearly dropped her drink. "Five hundred thousand? Maya! You're just a liquidator,not you're a treasure hunter! Who owns this place? A vampire king like in the novel"?
Maya laughed for the first time that day, the tension in her shoulders finally beginning to melt. "Well, it's just for some Rich man"
She couldn't risk the contract. She trusted Kim, but secrets had a way of spreading like a virus once they were out. She wasn't going to lose the biggest paycheck of her life just to gossip.
"Well, that person must be so rich they don't even know how to spend their money," Kim said, shaking her head.
Just then, Maya's phone began to vibrate on the table. She glanced at the screen and felt her stomach drop. Father.
She let it ring, the buzzing sound feeling like a drill against her skull. Kim didn't even have to ask. She knew that whenever Maya ignored a call, it was him.
"Seriously?" Kim asked, crossing her arms. "Why do you even keep his number?"
"He's still my father, you know," Maya replied, standing up from the couch to avoid the conversation.
"A father who treats you like a money-making machine? Great," Kim snapped back, her voice full of protective annoyance.
Maya didn't answer. she headed back to the bathroom to finish scrubbing the last of the Rosewood grime from her fingernails. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but wonder about that sound again.
While Maya was scrubbing the dust of the past off her skin, the man who owned that past was sitting in a high-rise office, staring at a city that looked like a toy set beneath him.
At twenty-seven, Kevin Clarke was a name that carried the weight of an empire. He was aloof, cold, and possessed an arrogance that made most people avoid his gaze. He didn't have siblings to share the burden; he was an only child, and his father was the last surviving member of the Rosewood bloodline.
To the media, Kevin was the man who had everything. But to Kevin, life felt like a debt he could never fully pay. He never talked about his parents. The very thought of Rosewood made his chest feel tight, like he was breathing in the same thick dust Maya was currently scrubbing off. He had tried to run away from his problems by studying abroad for years, hoping the distance would make him forget the shadows that followed him. But like people say, a problem is always there until you face it.
He had tried to let someone in once. He had dated a girl for a long time, and he thought things were going well. But one day, she just walked away. No explanation, no fight, and no reason. She just disappeared from his life, leaving him with a million questions and a heart that he decided to lock up for good. Since then, Kevin had stayed alone. He didn't have time for people who could just abandon him without a word.
The door to his office swung open without a knock. Only one person dared to do that.
"Still sitting in the dark, Kev? You're going to turn into a bat," a cheerful voice said.
It was Jake, Kevin's only real friend and his business partner. Jake flicked on the light, making Kevin wince.
"I'm busy, Jake," Kevin said, not looking up from his tablet.
"You're always busy. Have you you finally hired someone to clear out that creepy old house?," Jake said, leaning against the mahogany desk.
"Yes. Marcus is handling her," Kevin replied coldly.
"You know, you could just keep the place. It's history, man. It's your family history, you can't let the place die, you are even change your first name".
" No," Kevin snapped, finally looking up. His eyes were icy. "I don't want the history. I want it gone. Every chair, every rug, and especially every portrait. If it were up to me, I'd level the building and salt the earth."
Jake sighed, his playful mood dropping. "I know you hate that place, but at least make some money off it. That's why I convinced you to do the auction. Don't be a brat; just let the liquidator do her job so you can close that chapter forever."
"That's the plan," Kevin muttered.
Later that night, Kevin stepped into his luxury condo. He was met by total silence. He walked over to a small drawer in his bedside table and pulled out a single, crumpled photo of the girl who had left him. There was no writing on the back. No "I'm sorry." Just her smiling face from a time when he felt human. He stared at it for a second before shoving it back into the darkness of the drawer.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Marcus
"Sir," Marcus said. "I'm calling to let you know the liquidator, Miss Rush, finished her first day at the house."
Kevin loosened his tie, staring out the window at the city. "Did she have any issues?"
"None," Marcus replied. "She spent the whole day in the main living room. She seems to be working hard, though she looked a bit tired by the time the driver picked her up."
"Monitor her progress," Kevin said, his voice cold. "I want to know how fast she's moving. And Marcus? Send over those documents for the merger. I want to review them tomorrow morning."
"I'll have them sent over tonight, sir."
Kevin hung up and tossed the phone onto the couch. He wanted that house empty and gone. He wanted the memories sold off so he could finally stop feeling like the weight of his parents were following him.