Chapter 2 - The Maid Who Had Been Watching the Wolves
Kayla woke at 9:42 a.m.
She sat upright so quickly her head spun.
For several seconds, she had no idea where she was.
Then she saw the room.
The bed.
The navy walls.
The unfamiliar ceiling.
The silence.
Her blood froze.
“Oh, no.”
She scrambled upright.
Her shoe hit the floor.
She looked at herself.
Her uniform was still on.
The blanket was still around her.
She had fallen asleep in Gunther Woods's bed.
She covered her mouth.
“No.”
The bedroom door opened.
Kayla nearly screamed.
Mrs. Gable stood there.
The older woman looked furious.
Kayla immediately climbed out of the bed.
“I'm sorry.”
Mrs. Gable stared.
“Are you aware whose bed you were sleeping in?”
“Yes.”
“Do you understand what you did?”
“Yes.”
“You could be dismissed.”
“I know.”
“You could be arrested.”
“I know.”
“You could have been—”
“I know.”
Kayla's voice broke.
“I was exhausted.”
Mrs. Gable stopped.
For a second, the older woman's expression softened.
Then hardened again.
“Mr. Woods knows.”
Kayla's stomach dropped.
“He does?”
“He found you.”
Kayla closed her eyes.
“I'm dead.”
“No.”
Mrs. Gable sighed.
“He ordered two days paid leave.”
Kayla opened her eyes.
“What?”
“And he asked whether your brother's medical care is covered.”
Kayla stared.
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Neither of them noticed the man standing in the hallway.
Gunther.
He had heard every word.
Mrs. Gable straightened.
“Sir.”
Kayla turned.
Their eyes met.
The first thing she noticed was that he wasn't angry.
The second thing she noticed was that he was far more handsome than she had ever allowed herself to admit.
That was inconvenient.
“Mr. Woods.”
“Kayla.”
Her heart jumped.
He knew her name.
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you hungry?”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I woke up ten minutes ago.”
Gunther looked at Mrs. Gable.
“Breakfast.”
“I can—”
“You can eat.”
His tone ended the argument.
Ten minutes later, Kayla sat in a dining room larger than her apartment.
A full breakfast covered the table.
Eggs.
Fruit.
Toast.
Coffee.
She looked uncomfortable.
Gunther sat across from her.
He didn't eat.
“You don't have to stay.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
“Because I have questions.”
Kayla put down her fork.
“About what?”
“The night you slept in my bed.”
Her face turned red.
“I am very sorry.”
“Why did you do it?”
“I fell asleep.”
“That's not what I mean.”
She looked down.
“I was tired.”
“I know.”
“I didn't mean to.”
“I know.”
Silence.
Gunther studied her.
“You said your brother's name.”
Kayla's fork stopped.
“Sam.”
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“He needs physical therapy.”
“How long?”
“Three more months.”
“How much?”
“That's private.”
His expression changed.
“Fair.”
That answer surprised her.
He looked at her.
“I'm not going to interfere.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Your life.”
He leaned back.
“You have my word.”
Kayla studied him.
“You're different from what people say.”
“No.”
He took a sip of coffee.
“I'm worse.”
Despite herself, she laughed.
It was quiet.
Small.
But Gunther heard it.
His entire expression changed.
He had never heard her laugh.
For some reason, he wanted to hear it again.
Kayla looked away.
“Why are you helping me?”
“I don't know.”
The honesty startled both of them.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Victor.”
A pause.
Gunther's expression changed.
“Now?”
Another pause.
“I'm coming.”
He stood.
Before leaving, he looked at Kayla.
“You're off for two days.”
“But—”
“That's an order.”
“Yes, sir.”
He walked out.
Kayla watched him go.
She should have been relieved.
Instead, she felt strangely disappointed.
That annoyed her.
Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Gable approached.
“You need to understand something.”
Kayla looked up.
“What?”
“Mr. Woods does not help people.”
“He helped me.”
“That is why I'm warning you.”
“About what?”
Mrs. Gable lowered her voice.
“Men like him don't do anything without a reason.”
Kayla looked toward the empty doorway.
“What reason?”
Mrs. Gable didn't answer.
That night, Kayla returned to her apartment.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
She stopped.
The vehicle looked familiar.
It had followed her once before.
She quickly entered the building.
Inside her apartment, she checked the curtains.
Nothing.
Then her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a man's voice.
“You were seen with Woods.”
Kayla froze.
“Who is this?”
“You need to stay away from him.”
She hung up.
Her hands shook.
She opened her drawer.
Inside was an old photograph.
A courtroom.
Three years ago.
She had been twenty-four.
Her father had been dead six months.
Her mother had disappeared.
And Kayla had been the only witness to a warehouse robbery.
A robbery connected to Gunther Woods.
She had been told never to speak.
She hadn't.
Until the wrong man tried to find her.
She had never told Gunther.
She had never told anyone at the estate.
Because she had been hired under her maiden name for exactly one reason.
To disappear.
At the same time, Gunther sat in his study.
Victor placed a file before him.
“Kayla Hughes.”
Gunther opened it.
The first page contained the police report.
The second contained her witness statement.
The third contained a photograph of her father.
Gunther stared.
“I know this man.”
Victor nodded.
“Daniel Hughes.”
“He worked for my father.”
“Yes.”
Gunther turned the page.
“Why wasn't I told?”
“Because your father buried the case.”
Gunther's eyes narrowed.
“What did Daniel know?”
“That is the problem.”
Victor placed another photograph down.
Daniel Hughes standing beside Gunther's father.
And beside them—
Gunther's uncle.
A man who had supposedly died twelve years earlier.
Gunther's face hardened.
“He's alive.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Victor shook his head.
“We don't know.”
Gunther looked at Kayla's photograph.
Then at the date of the report.
Kayla had been a witness.
But she had never testified.
Someone had made the case disappear.
And now she was sleeping in his bedroom.
Gunther closed the file.
“Find out everything about Daniel Hughes.”
Victor nodded.
Then paused.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Kayla visited the estate three years ago.”
Gunther's eyes sharpened.
“Why?”
“She applied for a job.”
“What happened?”
“She withdrew her application.”
“Why?”
Victor looked uncomfortable.
“Your father was still alive.”
Gunther stared.
His father had died two years earlier.
That meant Kayla had walked into his world while his father was still alive.
And had left.
Then returned three years later.
Under a different name.
Gunther stood.
“Bring me the old staff records.”
Victor nodded.
But before he could leave, the door opened.
Mrs. Gable entered.
She was holding a small envelope.
“This was in Kayla's old personnel file.”
Gunther took it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
Only one sentence.
Don't let Gunther Woods know what happened to his mother.
Gunther's face went completely still.
His mother had died when he was eleven.
He had been told she died of illness.
May you like
But suddenly the story did not feel complete.
And Kayla Hughes was somehow connected to it.
