“???”
All the maids froze, staring in disbelief.
Was Mrs.
Thompson seriously kneeling before Summer Knight like she was begging for forgiveness?
Some couldn’t help but want to laugh—it was just too absurd—but given Mrs.
Thompson’s usual authority, they had to hold it in so hard their faces nearly twitched.
“Well, since you realized your mistake and even knelt down to apologize, I’ll be the bigger person and forgive you,”Summer said, lips slightly pouted.
Then she added sweetly,“But hitting this pretty sister wasn’t right.
You need to apologize to her, too.”
“In your dreams!”Mrs.
Thompson shot back furiously, her mouth twisting with rage.
She tried to get up, but pain shot through her leg every time she moved—no matter how many times she attempted, she just couldn’t stand.
“What are you all standing around for?
Help me up and take me back!”she snapped at the group of maids who usually followed her lead.
Snapping out of it, the group rushed forward and helped her up, half-carrying her away.
But even as she left, she threw Summer a venomous glare.
“You little fool, this isn’t over!”
Summer’s eyes flashed coldly, and she sneered inwardly.
Guess Mrs.
Thompson didn’t realize that all her bullying, especially what she’d done to Summer, had been caught on the villa’s surveillance cameras.
She’d soon find out who really wasn’t done yet.
After that messy scene, no one in the villa dared to cross Summer again.
Now they all stood to the side, stiff and respectful, waiting for her instructions.
Summer wasn’t interested in their fake courtesy.
Instead, she turned to the maid who’d helped her—Emma—and looked at her with concern.“Pretty sis, does your face still hurt?
Want me to blow on it for you?”
She stood on tiptoe, lips puckered, actually ready to help soothe her.
Emma couldn’t help but laugh through her tears.“I’m okay, thank you, ma’am!”
“You’re okay?
Then can you help me make breakfast for my big brother?
I don’t really know how to cook…”Summer said, lowering her head and fidgeting with her fingers like a guilty kid.
Emma smiled, helpless but kind.“Of course.”
Just before heading into the kitchen, she paused, then added,“By the way, ma’am, my name’s Emma Lane.
You can just call me Emma.”
Summer looked up and gave her a bright smile.“Thank you, Sister Emma.”
Looks like she just gained a new ally!
And with that, her confidence soared.
With Emma helping out, breakfast prep became much easier.
Still, when it came to frying eggs, Summer ended up getting splattered by hot oil.
It stung, but for Alexander Barron?
Totally worth it.
She packed the food and followed Emma happily toward the back mountain.
If Alexander saw she’d made breakfast just for him, maybe—just maybe—he’d stop being upset.
Heart full of hope, Summer picked up the pace.
She was eager, practically skipping. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
The back mountain was covered in woods and strictly off-limits to the staff—except for Alexander or anyone being punished.
No regular maid had ever dared go in.
Rumor had it, there was a ferocious Tibetan Mastiff in there.
One Alexander had brought from City A as a child, known to attack anyone on sight.
Emma dropped Summer off at the edge, then waited outside.
So, Summer headed in alone, clutching the lunchbox tightly.
She’d heard plenty of scary stories about the mastiff in her past life, whispered by villa staff—but she’d never seen it.
Never even come this deep into the forbidden woods.
Right now, she was actually kind of curious.
This Tibetan mastiff that Alexander Barron had supposedly kept for over ten years—just how scary could it be that everyone was terrified of it?
And those rumors about him feeding wrongdoers to the beast?
Total nonsense, if you asked her.
Alexander would never do something that cruel.
The deeper she went, the denser the trees became.
They blocked out the sunlight almost completely, leaving the place shaded in a thick blanket of green.
The path was rough—rocks everywhere, weeds tangled underfoot.
Summer had a hard time making her way through.
“Big brother, big brother, it’s me—Summer!
Where are you?”
Her voice echoed through the woods as she called out repeatedly, obviously eager to find him.
With every branch she pushed aside, she thought she could catch faint growling noises in the distance.
“Awooo!”
It wasn’t just one howl—it came again and again.
Summer froze, her pretty eyes narrowing, holding her breath.
The sound was getting closer, creeping up step by step.
Her fingers moved almost instinctively, a silver needle sliding silently from her sleeve into her grasp, ready for a fight.
Then out of nowhere—bam!
A massive shadow leapt straight from a mossy rock above, landing with a solid thud right in front of her.
Leaves and dust flew everywhere.
When it settled, she saw those eyes—icy blue, eerily piercing.
And that scar over one of them?
Made its already intense face even more striking.
It started padding toward her, tongue hanging slightly, threads of drool dripping as if it had just spotted its next meal.
Summer narrowed her eyes, gripping the lunchbox tighter.
She stepped back.
It followed, eyes locked onto her like she was fascinating prey.Really fascinating.
She backed up again. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
It moved with her.
Not even blinking.
Her back hit a broad, ancient tree—no more room to retreat.
Okay.
It was go time.
Just as she was about to strike, the beast lunged.
A flash of snowy white flew through the dim forest lighting.
For a second, Summer thought this might be it.
“Watch out!”
A low, rough voice rang out not far behind.
Alexander!
Summer stopped mid-motion, needle pausing right at her fingertips.
The next second, the huge dog had tackled her to the ground, one paw pressing her shoulder down.
She honestly thought, even if it didn’t bite, it’d at least leave a scratch or two.
Then—
What the—?
It was licking her.
Her face.
Happily.
Summer:“???”
What just happened?
Lying there, Summer just blinked, completely thrown off.
She caught a shaft of sunlight filtering through the trees and got a good look.
This thing—huge, fluffy, and ridiculously white—was clearly a Tibetan mastiff.
Except with those striking blue eyes, which had totally fooled her into thinking it was something out of a nightmare.
So… it was just a gigantic, goofball floof?
Kind of cute, actually.
“Snowball, off!”
That was Alexander’s voice again.
He rushed up, voice firm and sharp.
The dog jumped off immediately, ears drooping, plopping itself down beside her, tongue lolling out, looking at Summer like it was waiting for praise.
“Summer, are you alright?”
Alexander came closer and helped her up, worry evident across his face.
He checked her over, his hands moving quickly, only relaxing when he saw no scratches.
“I’m fine, big brother.”Summer looked up and gave him a soft, sweet smile.
Then turned back to the big fluffball.“Wait—is this your dog?
It’s adorable!”
She couldn’t resist and reached out to pet Snowball’s huge head.
The moment her hand touched its fur, though, something flickered in her mind—split-second flashes, images she couldn’t quite grasp.
Like… she’d forgotten something seriously important.