Shadows of the heart 18+

13 His domain

Days passed, and Serena settled into her routine of working for Nathaniel. She made it a point to leave before he returned home from work, usually by 7 pm. As for breakfast she hardly comes infront of him to serve. Most of the time Florence serves him breakfast too.
There were two other maids who handled cleaning and other tasks.
She often spends hours on video calls with Sarah or Lily, but let's be real, sometimes it gets dull. So, she's considering reaching out to Florence for a hand with the cleaning chores. With the amount she's getting paid, she figures she can handle all the household tasks without breaking a sweat.

As Serena tidied up the kitchen "I should stay and greet him like any other staff member would," she mused, "but every time I see him, I feel this... inexplicable tension. It's like there's a whole other side to him that I can't quite grasp." Just then, Florence entered the kitchen, breaking Serena's train of thought. "Everything alright, dear?"

She forced a smile. "Yes. Just preparing dinner."

Florence gave her a knowing look. "You know, dear, it's not good to keep things bottled up. If there's something on your mind, you can always talk to me."

Serena nodded, grateful for the offer but hesitant to share her thoughts .

As she worked, Serena couldn't help but think about the other staff members. The two more maids who work here, but they hardly ever talk. She doesn't even know their name. Maybe that's just how Nathaniel likes it. Boring. She really missed working with Sarah and Lily, who brought life and laughter to the workplace.

She glanced at the clock, noting the time. "I should finish up soon," she mumbled to herself, eager to leave before Nathaniel returned home.

"Miss Florence, I'll be heading out now. Could you please serve dinner to him? I've prepared it already."

Miss Florence nodded, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Serena, you know I always handle dinner duty. You go on, dear."

As Serena hurried towards the door, she suddenly collided with Nathaniel, "Oh, look, it's the weekly bump-into-Mr Archibald tradition. Can't wait to put this on my resume," she thought, her heart leaping into her throat. he reached out and caught her by the waist, his fingers gently but firmly grasping her slender frame. Through the soft fabric of her dress, he could feel the warmth and softness of her skin

She felt his touch through the thin fabric of her dress, sending a shiver down her spine. It was a sensation she had never experienced before, and it left her breathless.

With a slight frown, he straightened his posture. He took a step back, releasing her from his embrace, and watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across her face. He saw the conflict in her eyes, the struggle between her desire to feel and the need to maintain control.

"I... um... I'm sorry," she murmured,

Nathaniel's voice was smooth, but with an underlying edge of authority. "Watch where you're going, Serena ," he remarked,"One would think you'd have learned to be more careful by now."

Serena swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks. "I...I was just on my way out," she managed to say, stepping back slightly to put some distance between them. he remarked, his voice smooth "You seem to have a talent for disappearing when things get tough."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" He questioned

"I... am not."she hesitated, not sure how to respond.

"You're not very good at lying, serena ," he observed. "Is there a reason you leave before I come home every night?"

She cursed herself inwardly realising she had made her intentions too obvious."I... I just try to finish my work early,"  she insisted, her voice betraying her nerves. "And Now...my work is finishe-"