Chapter 2

The inside of the Sterling mansion was even more intimidating than the outside. The foyer was vast, with a marble floor so polished I could see my own frightened face in it. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, glittering like a captured star. Everything was silent, cold, and perfect.

Mr. Sterling was not there to greet me. It felt deliberate, a message that I wasn't important enough for his time.

Instead, two people stood at the top of a sweeping staircase, looking down at me. They were twins, a boy and a girl, and they were flawless.

The girl, Olivia, had long, dark hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. She wore a silk dress that probably cost more than my mother made in a year. Her posture was perfect, her expression a careful mask of boredom. She was a social media influencer, my mother had told me, with millions of followers who watched her every move.

The boy, Liam, stood beside her. He had the same dark hair and intense eyes, but his were colder. He was dressed in a simple, expensive-looking black sweater and pants. He was a prodigy in the tech world, already making a name for himself in his father's company.

They just watched me as I stood there with my single, shabby suitcase. The silence stretched on, thick and heavy.

Finally, Olivia spoke. Her voice was smooth, but with an edge.

"So you're the one."

She walked down the stairs slowly, her heels clicking on the marble. She stopped a few feet in front of me, her eyes raking over me from head to toe. It was a dismissal, not an assessment.

"A word of advice," she said, her voice low. "Stay in your lane. Don't touch our things. Don't speak to our friends. Don't exist too loudly."

Liam descended the stairs after her, his movements economical and precise. He stopped next to his sister, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at me as if I were a piece of code that had failed to compile.

"This isn't a charity," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "You're here because of a promise. That's it. Earn your keep. Don't cause problems."

I swallowed, my throat dry. I understood their message perfectly. I was an intruder, a stain on their perfect world.

"I won't," I whispered.

Olivia raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "See that you don't."

She turned and glided away, disappearing down a long hallway. Liam lingered for a moment longer, his gaze sharp.

"Ms. Davis will show you to your room," he said, before turning to follow his sister.

I was left alone in the giant foyer, the weight of their hostility pressing down on me. I wanted to be invisible. I wanted to shrink until I disappeared completely. That was my new goal. Survive by being nothing.

The butler, who had been standing silently in the corner, stepped forward.

"If you will follow me, Miss," he said, his tone professional but without warmth.

He led me up the grand staircase, past portraits of people with cold, wealthy faces. We went down a long, carpeted hall to a door at the very end. It was clearly the staff wing.

"This will be your room," he said, opening the door.

It was small, but clean. It had a bed, a desk, and a small window that looked out over the back of the gardens. It was nicer than my old room, but it felt like a prison cell.

"Thank you," I said.

He just nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

I put my suitcase on the bed but didn't open it. There was no point in unpacking. I didn't feel like I belonged here. I was just a ghost, haunting the edges of someone else's life. I would try to do exactly as they said. I would be quiet. I would be invisible. I would earn my keep, whatever that meant.