Chapter 1 - The Puppy and the Forbidden Door
Marin Holloway lunged across the polished floor and whispered, “Please drop it before he kills me.”
Dominic Castellano entered behind her and saw the confidential black folder hanging from the puppy’s mouth.
One corner of the folder carried a fresh red mark.
It was not ink.
Dominic stopped smiling.
Marin had been employed at the Castellano estate for exactly twenty-three days, and until that morning she had managed to obey the three rules every new servant learned before receiving a keycard.
Never enter the west garage.
Never answer questions about Dominic Castellano.
And under no circumstances enter his private office without being summoned.
At 10:17 that Tuesday morning, Marin broke the third rule while chasing a twelve-pound puppy named Nero.
“This is your fault,” she whispered desperately as the tan-and-white puppy skidded beneath a leather chair.
Nero wagged his tail.
Marin dropped to one knee.
“Do you understand what unemployment means?”
Another tail wag.
“Apparently not.”
She reached beneath the chair.
Nero darted away.
The puppy had stolen a black leather folder from a side table while Marin was dusting the upstairs library. She had chased him down two corridors, past a staircase, through a half-open door—
And straight into Dominic Castellano’s office.
Marin had known the moment she crossed the threshold.
The room was too quiet.
Too expensive.
Too private.
Three black folders rested across an enormous mahogany desk. A brass lamp cast warm light over a fountain pen and a silver letter opener. Floor-to-ceiling shelves held books no servant ever touched. Tall windows overlooked the gardens.
Nero sat beneath the desk with the stolen folder.
Marin stared at him.
“You and I are going to have a serious conversation about boundaries.”
A voice behind her said, “I’d like to hear that conversation.”
Every muscle in Marin’s body locked.
She slowly turned.
Dominic Castellano stood near the doorway.
He was taller than she had expected.
Everyone in Bellgrave knew his face even if nobody admitted knowing his business. He wore an all-black three-piece suit without a tie, the collar of his shirt open at the throat. Dark hair swept away from a face that looked carved from patience and bad decisions. A gold watch gleamed beneath one cuff.
Two men stood behind him.
Guards.
Marin swallowed.
“Mr. Castellano.”
His eyes moved from her to the puppy.
Then to the folder.
“I can explain.”
“I’m listening.”
“Nero stole it.”
Dominic glanced toward the dog.
Nero placed one paw on the folder.
Dominic looked back at Marin.
“He stole a confidential file.”
“Yes.”
“From my office.”
“Technically from the library.”
A pause.
Marin immediately regretted speaking.
Dominic stepped farther into the room.
“Technically?”
“I’m very sorry.”
One of the guards almost smiled.
Marin clasped both hands in front of her white apron.
“I was cleaning. He grabbed the folder. I chased him. He came in here. I followed because I thought losing the document would probably be worse than entering the office.”
Dominic walked around her.
Marin remained completely still.
He crouched beside Nero.
“Give it.”
Nero growled playfully.
Marin closed her eyes.
“Oh, wonderful.”
Dominic looked up.
“What?”
“Apparently even your dog has a death wish.”
For two seconds, nothing happened.
Then Dominic Castellano laughed.
It was quiet.
Genuine.
And apparently catastrophic.
Marin opened her eyes.
The two guards looked as though someone had fired a gun through the ceiling.
At the doorway, five women from the household staff had gathered after hearing the commotion. Every one of them stared at Dominic.
One covered her mouth.
Another blinked twice.
Marin frowned.
“What?”
Dominic straightened.
His smile remained faintly visible.
“Nothing.”
A maid named Celeste whispered from the doorway, “He never laughs.”
Marin looked from her to Dominic.
“That seems unhealthy.”
Dominic laughed again.
This time one guard actually turned his head to hide his expression.
Marin realized she had made the situation worse.
“I should stop talking.”
“That might be impossible,” Dominic said.
“I've been told that before.”
He held out one hand.
Nero immediately released the folder.
Marin stared.
“You could've done that five minutes ago?”
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
“He knows who pays for his food.”
“Traitor.”
Nero happily trotted toward Dominic.
Dominic picked up the folder.
His expression changed.
Marin saw it immediately.
The amusement vanished.
His thumb moved along one corner.
A small dark red smear stained the leather.
“Did you cut yourself?”
Marin looked at her hands.
“No.”
Dominic touched the stain.
Still fresh.
One of the guards stepped forward.
“Boss?”
Dominic handed him the file.
“Take it to Luca.”
The guard nodded.
Marin felt the atmosphere change.
Whatever had been funny seconds earlier was no longer funny.
She stepped back.
“I really am sorry.”
Dominic studied her.
“You didn't open it?”
“No.”
“You didn't read anything?”
“No.”
“You didn't see who left it in the library?”
Marin hesitated.
“No.”
Dominic noticed.
“What?”
She lowered her voice.
“It wasn't there when I started cleaning.”
One of the guards looked toward her.
Dominic remained still.
“What does that mean?”
“I dusted the table first. There was nothing on it. I went to get polish from the cabinet. When I came back, Nero had the folder.”
“How long were you gone?”
“Maybe forty seconds.”
“Did anyone enter?”
“I didn't see anyone.”
Dominic's gaze sharpened.
“Did you hear anything?”
Marin thought.
A door.
Footsteps.
And something else.
“I heard somebody say a name.”
“Whose?”
“I couldn't tell.”
Dominic took one step closer.
“What name?”
She tried to remember.
“It sounded like… Victor.”
One of the guards looked sharply at Dominic.
That reaction frightened Marin more than anything else.
Dominic's voice lowered.
“Are you certain?”
“No. Not completely.”
The hallway behind them filled with hurried footsteps.
Celeste entered before anyone stopped her.
She had worked at the estate nearly four years and treated that seniority as if it were hereditary nobility.
Her eyes landed on Marin.
Then on Dominic.
Then on Nero.
“What happened?”
“Nero stole something,” Marin said.
Celeste ignored her.
“Mr. Castellano, I'm sure Marin didn't understand the rules. She's still new.”
Marin looked at her.
“I understand them.”
Celeste smiled thinly.
“Of course.”
Dominic said nothing.
That seemed to encourage Celeste.
“We've all been concerned about whether this position is appropriate for her.”
Marin's stomach tightened.
She knew that tone.
She had heard versions of it throughout her life.
Sometimes disguised as advice.
Sometimes concern.
Sometimes a joke.
Celeste looked at Marin's uniform.
“The dresses aren't really designed for everyone.”
Nobody spoke.
Marin felt heat crawl upward across her neck.
Celeste continued.
“And running through the house isn't exactly flattering.”
One of the younger staff members looked uncomfortable.
Marin forced herself to smile.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
Celeste laughed softly.
“Don't embarrass yourself, sweetheart. You're just the maid.”
The word just struck harder than Marin expected.
She lowered her eyes.
She refused to cry.
She had worked too many bad jobs and survived too many cruel people to cry because Celeste Harrow wanted an audience.
Then she noticed the room had gone unnaturally still.
Marin looked up.
Dominic was staring at Celeste.
His face showed no anger.
That was worse.
“Say it again,” he said.
Celeste's smile disappeared.
“I didn't mean—”
“You spoke clearly.”
“I was only reminding her—”
“Of what?”
Celeste glanced around.
“Her position.”
Dominic turned toward Marin.
She expected him to dismiss her.
Instead, he stepped beside her.
Close enough that his sleeve brushed hers.
“No,” Dominic said.
Celeste blinked.
“No?”
Dominic's gaze never left Marin.
“She isn't just anything.”
Marin's heart beat once, painfully hard.
“Mr. Castellano—”
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“My name.”
“I know your name.”
“Then use it.”
Behind them, somebody inhaled sharply.
Marin whispered, “Dominic, I think this situation has already become strange enough.”
That tiny smile returned.
“You entered my office chasing a dog carrying classified information.”
“Fair point.”
Dominic reached down.
His fingers moved toward the heavy gold signet ring on his right hand.
Every person in Bellgrave's criminal underworld knew that ring.
The Castellano crest.
An old symbol.
A promise.
A threat.
Marin didn't understand any of that.
She only saw Dominic remove it.
“What are you doing?”
He took her left hand.
Marin froze.
His touch was unexpectedly gentle.
He slid the ring onto her finger.
It was too large.
It settled against her knuckle.
Marin stared at it.
Then at him.
“Dominic…”
He turned toward the room.
Celeste had gone completely pale.
The guards looked stunned.
Dominic's voice remained calm.
“Since everyone appears interested in Marin's position in this house, I'll make it clear.”
Marin's pulse thundered.
Dominic lifted her hand.
“Meet my future wife.”
Silence.
Marin stopped breathing.
Celeste whispered, “What?”
Dominic looked at her.
“You heard me.”
Marin pulled her hand closer to herself.
“Could I speak with you?”
“Yes.”
“Privately.”
His mouth twitched.
“Probably wise.”
The staff scattered almost immediately.
Celeste remained frozen for another second before one of the guards guided her toward the hallway.
Marin waited until the door closed.
Then she held up her ringed hand.
“What was that?”
Dominic leaned against his desk.
“A solution.”
“To what?”
“Celeste.”
“You don't solve workplace bullying with engagement.”
“You do now.”
“Dominic.”
He smiled.
Marin stared.
“You cannot announce I'm your future wife because somebody insulted me.”
“I just did.”
“But I'm not.”
“Not currently.”
She blinked.
“Currently?”
A knock interrupted them.
The guard who had taken the folder returned.
His expression was no longer amused.
“Boss.”
Dominic straightened.
“What?”
The man glanced toward Marin.
“We checked the blood.”
Marin's stomach dropped.
Dominic's voice hardened.
“And?”
“It belongs to someone inside the estate.”
“Who?”
Before the guard could answer, Marin's phone vibrated inside her apron.
She pulled it out.
Unknown number.
One message.
YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED OUT OF HIS OFFICE.
A second message arrived.
WE KNOW WHERE YOUR MOTHER LIVES.
Marin's face went cold.
Dominic saw the screen.
His expression changed.
Then a photograph appeared.
Marin's mother stood outside her apartment building.
The picture had been taken less than ten minutes earlier.
Dominic reached for the phone.
Before Marin could hand it over, somebody screamed downstairs.
A door slammed.
One guard shouted Dominic's name.
Then the office lights went out.
May you like
And in the darkness, someone whispered from the hallway:
“Marin Holloway.”
