Maid To The Three Mafia Kings

⋆ Chapter 47: Clara's Consequence

The following morning, Clara trudged through the back of the kitchen, her arms straining under the weight of a hefty garbage bag. As she made her way towards the large dumpster outside, Sheila suddenly appeared, voice rang out with a note of urgency as she called for her. "Clara, Ethan wants to see you in his study. You'd better hurry – he's not known for his patience."

Clara froze, the garbage bag slipping from her grasp and landing with a dull thud on the floor. Her heart began to race, and she felt the color drain from her face. In all her time working at the estate, Ethan had never requested to speak with her directly. And between the three Morettis, Ethan was the one who terrified her the most. He was a striking man, with chiseled features and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through you. But his good looks were offset by an aura of cold detachment. Clara often felt like a bug under a microscope when he was around, as if he was constantly searching for flaws and weaknesses.

And she made sure to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Are... are you sure he wants to talk to me?" Clara stammered. "Not Millie?" She could feel beads of sweat forming on her brow and under her arms, her body betraying her rising panic.

Sheila's expression was grim as she nodded in response to her question. "Yes. He specifically asked for you." She glanced around before leaning in close. "Listen carefully. When you're in front of him, don't say a word and just nod along. If he brings up the incident with Amelia, apologize profusely and beg for forgiveness. Promise him that you've learned your lesson and you won't break any rules again. Do you understand?"

Clara nodded vigorously, trying to commit Sheila's instructions to memory despite her frazzled nerves. "Okay, okay," she muttered, more to herself than to Sheila. With shaking hands, she smoothed down her uniform and took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever awaited her in Ethan's study.

Sheila's expression hardened as she continued, "I've already talked to him, explained that you didn't know any better. I asked him to forgive your ignorance." She paused, her eyes darting around. "But now it's all up to you. If you want to save yourself, tell him Amelia talked you into it. Say that your friendship with her made you go along with it."

Clara's jaw dropped, her face a picture of disbelief and horror. "What? I can't betray Millie like that! And it wasn't just her. I wanted to see Alfie too. I was the one reason he's in bed right now, fighting for his life."

Sheila's lips tightened into a thin line. "Well, it's that or face the consequences," she said coldly. As she turned to leave, she glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes sharp. "It's your choice. But we both know it was Amelia's idea, and she talked Evan into helping you two. How she convinced him, who knows. But I know you're not defiant enough to take such risks on your own."

As Sheila walked away, Clara felt her legs go weak. Her heart pounded so violently that she thought it might burst from her chest. The thought of facing Ethan made her wish she could just faint and escape this ordeal, even if only for a moment. Or maybe if she fainted long enough, she'd wake up on the day their contract ended. But deep down, she knew that fainting wouldn't save her; she'd still have to confront him eventually.

With trembling legs, Clara began her journey towards Ethan's study. Her feet felt like lead weights, each step a monumental effort. Soon she could see the door to Ethan's study just ahead; its dark wood imposing and unwelcoming.

Finally, she stood before the door, her hand hovering over the cold brass doorknob. Hastily, she wiped her eyes with trembling hands and smoothed her uniform, trying desperately to compose herself.