Page 8 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

What was this woman thinking?

But Salvador had stated one fact. The Moretti family was now the most prestigious family in all of New York, with power and wealth beyond most people's reach. If Elena became the lady of this family, she'd transform from a pitiful maid into the most powerful woman in New York.

I narrowed my eyes. Such massive temptation was hard to resist. With such appealing conditions driving her, spendingsome effort planning our first meeting, calculating every word she said to me—it all made sense.

The more I thought about it, the deeper my suspicion of Elena grew.

Either way, next time we met, I had to figure out what she really wanted.

Chapter Three

Elena

Early summer. Thunder rumbled through the sky, and within seconds rain came down in sheets, turning everything gray and blurred.

I'd moved all the sun-loving flowers outside the greenhouse that morning. If I didn't get them back in now, the rain would destroy them. I ran out again and again, hauling the expensive, delicate plants back to safety.

Taking care of the greenhouse wasn't just my job—but right now, not a single person came out to help.

I knew the other maids at the manor had Salvador's blessing. This was their punishment, all of them united against me. I didn't care. Rain blurred my vision. I wiped my face with my arm. My clothes soaked through, clinging to my skin.

The rain came hard and fast, wind whipping around me. I could barely keep my footing. But I kept going, dragging pot after pot back inside until every last flower was safe.

When I tried to get back into the manor, the door was locked.

I pounded on it. No one answered.

Through the window, I saw Alfredo standing on the stairs. I understood instantly.

"Open the door, Alfredo!" I slammed my fist against it, furious.

He came down and opened the door. His eyes held a threat. "Elena, all those flowers are damaged. You'll need to pay for them."

He'd done this on purpose.

If he'd told me earlier, I wouldn't have needed to haul anything in the rain. I could've just paid from the start.

I laughed bitterly. "This is your move? Using work to crush a maid—that's very you, Alfredo."

"It's all within your job description." His gaze stayed cold. "You have complaints, take them to the lawyer."

"You—"

I couldn't speak. Then a shiver ran through me. My body had gone ice-cold.

All of this was their little game.

I forced myself calm. No point arguing. Salvador had used plenty of tricks on me before. I'd endured those too. This was no different.

Back in my attic room, I couldn't stop sneezing. I was about to take a hot shower when someone knocked.

A maid's voice came through the door. "Elena, Alfredo says laundry duty's all yours now. There's a ton left today. You'd better get going."

That bastard Alfredo.

The laundry room needed at least three people. He'd dumped it all on me. I knew this was the price for refusing Salvador's demand, but rage still burned through me.

No time for medicine. I threw on dry clothes and rushed to the laundry room. Mountains of clothes waited. I clenched my jaw and started washing.