Chapter 2.10: Getting the hell outta dodge

Cale's presence in the estate caused its fragile peace to shatter. He was like a virus that rotted its victim from the core. The younger maids who didn't know better foolishly flirted with him. They let their breasts show more, jumped at the chance to clean his room, and forgo their stockings. His deep green eyes and height were like bait to them. They wanted to be in his arms, which controlled a powerful whip and sword during battle. To be offered a ride on his trusty steed after a hard day of work. It was like a romance protagonist had come to life before their dainty eyes. The older servants who remembered him or heard second-hand accounts of his antics steered clear. They kept extremely formal faces when serving him. Because they knew if they didn’t, their life would be hell.

Without the siblings even telling them, they paid special attention to Lili. They would try to sate her growing anxiety, but nothing worked long-term. The pull Cale had over her mind was too strong. Even the girls who flirted with him knew she was being mistreated. She was scared of her own shadow and isolated herself in the gardens. Maintaining eye contact was impossible, and she would stutter constantly when speaking. Obvious signs something was going on with her relationship. Leila’s disgust, they brushed it off as her being difficult. They believed the blonde brought it upon herself. The rare love-struck maid who didn't was too scared to do anything. Leila didn't blame them for feeling this way. If the estate's owners refused to help, why should they?

Being stuck with an abusive prick made the heiress restless. She made it clear that he better not lay a finger on Liliko'i in her presence. But her words could only go so far. The country girl was terrified of her. Whatever image of the heiress she had in her head couldn't be changed. No matter how many times Leila got in between the two, Lili still froze when they faced one another. With Alek, it wasn't much better, as Cale had a hold over him too. Their training sessions became more aggressive as bursts of decade-old rage came out. One moment he didn't care what their brother thought, then the subsequent anxiety struck him. She was forced to take the brunt of it and naturally; she became incredibly frustrated that he was full of fear, too.

For years, he had been the lapdog of their siblings. And now that he was barking back by choosing to care for her, a target was on his back. To her surprise, the older man hadn't been violent with Alek, but just cold and cruel. It was as if Alek's change of heart erased any usefulness in their older brother's eyes. Meaning he needed a new puppet to pull around. Leila wasn't going to let him find one. She was trying to protect multiple people from his reach. She instructed Elissa to report any abuse she had witnessed immediately. And keep an eye on Jisu, who openly despised the man. All of this left her exhausted beyond belief. Her weight was going down rapidly, there were bags under her eyes and she lacked sleep. The jade-eyed girl knew she had to get out of this house to really plan ahead.

She needed to be somewhere free of his overwhelming aura to breathe freely. Then she'd be at her most crafty. That's when she was woken up, two and a half weeks later, by a knock on her door. She was still in her nightgown when she heard it. Her skin was dampened with sweat and she groaned as she swung her door open. One of the nameless maids of the estate met Leila. The woman was a freckled faced ‌that reminded her of a strawberry. In her olive-skinned hands was what she instantly recognized. Her jaw dropped, and she stumbled a bit. Quincy's letter. It looked the exact same, but was free of water damage. Still, she eagerly accepted it with such vigor. The maid gave her a confused glance before walking away.

The teenager shuddered and ripped the envelope open. Her eyebrows arched downward as she read it all. The letter was from Quincy, but it wasn't the one she lost all those months ago. The paper was a different color; the ink was darker, and it had a perfumed scent that surprised her. It was brand new. Shockingly, it was an invitation written by the rich girl with no mention of what she wrote before.

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"Quincy's inviting me and Lili to a girl's night? In the middle of a frozen island, what?" The teenager muttered as she reread the letter in her hand. From the looks of it, word had spread about her sister-in-law. She was the talk of the town. "Shit."

The green-eyed heiress wanted to slap herself upside the head. She hadn't really thought about how Lili would be seen by outsiders. She had assumed people wouldn't know much about her until the wedding. Or at least till she had her baby. But it made sense that people would be curious about her and want to meet her immediately. The dark-haired girl read about the excitement that came with the news of her brother's engagement. People wanted to meet the foreign woman who caught his eye. The tone of the entire letter was hyperactive, with Quincy asking if Lili could come. More so demanding, she did. Apparently, all the ladies had baby fever, which confused Leila. They saw her as a success story, marrying rich with a beautiful child on the way.

It was very confusing. She had expected to see some hint or clue about the previous letter. The heiress knew it would be risky to outright say it. But there was no inkling the woman even remembered it. A sigh left her mouth, her shoulders tensed up, and she started to pace around. There was no way she could bring Liliko'i with her. The blonde couldn't be told about the trip either. She would tell Cale right away. There was plenty of time to gather her funds for her time away and to talk to Alek about it. As Quincy stressed multiple times and multiple ways that no men would be on the trip with them. The brat spoke about the island being a frozen tundra that would be free of any prying eyes. Meaning the heiress had to hope that Alek could keep it together. A relapse was possible, which filled her with fear to think of.

'I'll pay his nurse extra under the table.' Leila knew the woman was already uncomfortable with Cale's sudden entrance. She wasn't told about him prior and acted cold as of late. 'I'll be careful about it.'

The pacing got quicker and quicker as she struggled to formulate a plan. A proper plan about what to do when she met up with Quincy. The woman was highly unlikable to the teenager. They didn't mesh well. Like oil and water, the two would never mix together through friendship. Instead, the two would potentially become allies against the royal family. Leila squeezed the letter in her hands as she took a moment to calm down. To try to keep herself from panicking in the room's tiny space. Sadly, this calm didn't stay for long. The dark-haired woman jumped up in shock at the noise. It was a loud thud that reminded the girl of a sudden fall. Which worried her to the point she opened her door. She cracked it open, then felt her chest tighten painfully.

"Elissa? Elissa!" To her utter shock, the maid stood by the stairway frozen in panic. Her hand was gripping the banister tightly as she gasped for air.

Leila threw the letter down onto her dresser and ran out to the woman's side. It was so early in the day that no one else was up. When she made it over, Elissa turned and nearly collapsed against her. Thankfully, the jade-eyed woman caught her preparing to ask what was wrong. But a small muffled groan of pain from below interrupted her. Elissa pointed downward with an expression that showed she was scared out of her mind. And when Leila looked down to see, she immediately knew why. It was Liliko'i who somehow fell down the flight of stairs and landed on her side. Her legs were sitting awkwardly, ‌which looked painful, along with her arms. She looked to be unconscious, but her chest was still moving. Leila didn't know what to do or what to think.

From how far Elissa was from the first step, she couldn't have pushed her. The distance was too far, and she knew the woman better than that. In the short time the maid worked with Lili; she grew to care for her like a friend. Still, the woman sat unresponsive under their gaze. Hundreds of questions swam in her head as she ran down the stairs. Her bare feet thundered against the wooden steps and echoed in the hallway. She bent down and hurried to look for blood. There wasn't any she could see and when the heiress touched her, she was feverish. Her skin was hot to the point that Leila was shocked the blonde wasn't covered in sweat. The heiress hesitated at first to move her. But her fear grew worse about what had happened and she started to lift her up.

Her head whipped around to meet the worried maid's eyes. The heiress grits her teeth. "Elissa! Quick, help me carry her up to her room!"