CHAPTER 3 — THE FALL
"My name is Isabella Hart."
The room remained silent.
Nobody understood.
Then she added six words.
"I am the owner's daughter."
The world stopped.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
Several maids gasped.
The head housekeeper's confidence disappeared instantly.
"No..."
The word barely escaped her lips.
But Isabella wasn't finished.
"My father wanted to know how employees were treated when nobody important was watching."
The room froze.
The head housekeeper's hands started shaking.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The simple uniform.
The first day.
The silence.
The observation.
It had all been a test.
A test she had failed spectacularly.
Then the dining hall doors opened.
Everyone turned.
The mansion owner entered.
His expression was cold.
Disappointed.
And already fully aware of what had happened.
The head housekeeper immediately tried to speak.
To explain.
To defend herself.
But the owner raised one hand.
And she fell silent.
He looked at the ruined meal on the floor.
Then at his daughter.
Then back at the head housekeeper.
His voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"You're finished here."
The room fell completely silent.
The head housekeeper's face drained of color.
Years of power vanished in a single moment.
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And for the first time...
She understood exactly how it felt to be powerless.
