Bound to the Don

Chapter 23

Salma

I trembled as Lady Victoria's shrill voice cut through the air. Her dark curls, once pristine, now clung damply to her face. "You imbecile!" she spat, her eyes blazing with indignation. "Look at what you've done"Do you have any idea who I am?"

I dropped to my knees, bowing my head. "I-I'm so sorry, my lady! It was an accident. I didn't—"

"An accident?" Lady Victoria's voice sliced through the air, cold and venomous. She took a slow, threatening step forward, her heels clicking ominously against the marble floor. "Do you think that matters to me, you filthy girl?"

I began to apologize, my words tumbling out in a frantic bid for forgiveness. "Please forgive me, my lady, I'm terribly—"

But Lady Victoria cut me off, her voice slicing through the air like a razor. "Don't you dare speak!" she spat, her eyes blazing with fury. "Do you have any idea how much these shoes cost? And my dress! You've ruined it, you clumsy wretch! How dare you!"

I felt Lady Victoria's angry gaze on me, her pure irritation palpable. I was mortified, my heart racing with fear. I had vowed to avoid her at all costs, and yet, here I was, facing her wrath after accidentally pouring soapy water all over her. It seemed like my luck was always this bad.

I was consumed by regret and fear, my mind racing with thoughts of what could have been. If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have dared to clean Louis's office in the first place. It wasn't even part of my assigned chores. I had simply wanted to do something nice for him, a small thank you for treating me to breakfast. But now, I realized how foolish that had been. Louis wouldn't care about my gesture, and now, I was facing the consequences of my actions.

Lady Victoria's gaze swept over me, her expression twisted in disgust. I felt a sting of shame, my shoulders slumping under the weight of her contempt. Her voice dripped with malice and venomous anger as she spoke, each word cutting through the air like a knife.

Lady Victoria loomed over me now, her lip curling. "Servants like you need to learn their place." She raised her hand as if ready to strike. "I'll make sure you never forget it—"

"Causing a scene again, Vittoria?" I could recognize that voice anywhere, Louis. Louis's tone was calm, but the edge in his voice was unmistakable. He emerged from the opposite hallway, his gaze flickering briefly to me before landing on Victoria with open disdain.

Lady Victoria turned sharply, her expression twisting with irritation. "Stay out of this, Louis."

"Why?" Louis drawled, stepping closer. His gaze flicked briefly to me, kneeling on the ground with the empty bucket, before landing back on  Lady Victoria with barely concealed disdain. "Because I'm interrupting your lesson?"

"She poured water on me!" Lady Victoria snapped, gesturing to her ruined gown. "This servant—this nobody—dared to—"

That's enough, Vittoria." The calm, cutting voice broke through lady Victoria's tantrums. His hands were thrust deep into his pockets, and his stance was stiff and unyielding, radiating an air of quiet authority. His icy stare  was fixed on Lady Victoria.

"Do  you think that throwing a tantrum in the middle of the hallway will fix your wardrobe?" Louis's voice was soft, almost bored, but his words were sharp as a blade. "She's a maid, Vittoria. Making mistakes is the most human thing she's done today."

Lady Victoria's face burned crimson, her fists clenching at her sides. "Do not take her side in this."

" You must be mistaken Vittoria because I take no one's side," Louis said, though his gaze shifted briefly to me—hard to read, but unmistakably softer than before. "But I won't watch you act like a spoiled child just because you've been inconvenienced."