Chapter 6 - the maid's confession
Theodore turned his gaze sharply back to Marisol. His aura darkened, the frightening presence of the city's most dangerous man settling over the study like a heavy cloak.
"Marisol," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "Who brought you to this estate?"
Marisol began to tremble violently. "I... I applied through the agency three years ago, sir! You know my resume—"
"Who recommended you apply here?" Theodore demanded, stepping around the desk until he stood just inches from her. "Someone put you in this house. Someone who knew this estate's layout better than my own security detail. Answer me."
Marisol broke into quiet tears, dropping to her knees. "I didn't know who he was! Three years ago, when I was broke and pregnant with Coraline, a man saved me from being evicted. He paid my hospital bills. He gave me a sealed envelope with cash and told me to get a job at the Marquetti estate as a maid. He said if I ever needed help, I just had to stay here and keep my head down."
"What did he look like?" Theodore asked, his breath catching.
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"I never saw his face clearly," she sobbed, holding her pink-dressed daughter close to her chest. "He always wore a dark jacket with a hood. He had graying hair at his temples... just like you. And he walked with a slight limp."
Theodore stepped back, his mind putting the pieces together with cold precision. Julian hadn't died in the fire. He had survived, gone into hiding, and had been living like a phantom on the fringes of the empire—and inside the secret hollow passages of this very mansion.
