*Lila's POV*
Two beautiful women walked in to greet him, and one of them headed towards me.
"Hi, I'm Holly, one of Vance's concubines." Her voice was welcoming and genuine.
"I'm Lila. Uhhh, Vance's new concubine," I replied, my gloomy expression betraying my feelings.
"C'mon, it's not that bad here," she comforted me. Maybe I was too quick to judge, but I could tell she was a good person. I felt a sense of safety in her presence.
"Lila?" The other woman called me over Vance's shoulder. My heart began to race when I saw her face.
"Oh no, not again! It's that bitch Jade," I muttered.
"You know her?" Vance asked, intrigued.
"Yes, I do. Good to see you again, Jade," I greeted my high school rival politely.
Jade and I had attended the same high school. She hated me and constantly bullied me, always looking for ways to humiliate me publicly.
"Good to see you too, Lila!" Jade laughed, her voice dripping with fake cheer.
I recognized that act anywhere; her gestures were completely insincere.
She hugged me tightly, too tightly. I started to feel dizzy and was about to pull away when she whispered in my ear, "You stupid bitch, how on earth did we cross paths again? You will regret ever coming here."
Shivers ran down my spine like a racecar speeding down a highway.
"That's enough! I don't have time for this. You can continue your reunion later," Vance bellowed, breaking us apart. I gasped for air as I watched Jade return to Vance's arms.
Vance commanded Jade to show me to my room. At that moment, I wished the ground would swallow me up. I knew instantly that trouble awaited.
"Follow me," Jade ordered, smirking mischievously.
This was not going to end well for me.
We climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway to the end, where a door awaited us.
"Here we are." Jade jeered as she opened the door.
"It's pretty dark; are you—"
"Ahhh!" I yelled in agony as Jade pushed me down the stairs into the dark room, bursting into laughter.
"Haha, just like the good old days. You gullible piece of shit! Does this part of the mansion look like it's for someone like you? Hahaha! Your room is in the maid's quarters, the very first one. Peasant!"
At that moment, I wanted to rip her throat out.
"Jade, you witch!" I shouted, storming up the stairs, but Jade was quicker. She shut the door and cackled devilishly. "Help! Help!" I banged my fists on the door, dust swirling around and forming a mist on my face.
I sneezed and wheezed until my eyes turned red. I covered my nostrils with my palm and continued banging on the door.
"Are you okay? What are you doing in there? That's the basement," Holly asked as she opened the door.
"Jade happened," I replied, still struggling to catch my breath.
"But why would she do such a thing?" Holly frowned in confusion.
"We go way back to high school," I stammered, still feeling the effects of the dust I had inhaled. I could taste it—yuck!
"Oh, I see. Don't let me keep you with questions. Come, I'll show you your room." Holly helped me up, and we went downstairs.
We headed straight to the maid's quarters, and Jade was right: my room was the first room in the maid's quarters.
"Thank you so much, Holly," I said, grateful for her help.
*********
A week passed by like a breeze blowing through the trees. By this time, I had already grown accustomed to my new life as a maid.
Holly and I also became very close during that period. She became my confidant, and it turned out I wasn't the only one harboring resentment towards Vance.
Holly's pack had been ransacked by Vance, forcing her to become his concubine to survive. It made me wonder how many others in this mansion secretly hated Vance.
"Alpha Vance has requested that everyone be present in the living room to welcome his son, Nolan," the guard declared.
"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes," I said, dropping the cleaning utensils in the storage unit just below the stairway before joining everyone else in the living room.
In walked a young man with broad shoulders and a strong jawline.
"Nolan," Vance called as he embraced his son.
"He resembles Leander remarkably. I hope he's different from his father," I snickered.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Lila, but he's a carbon copy of his father," Holly replied, leaving me to welcome Nolan.
Nolan had a nice—or should I say perfect—jawline. I couldn't help but stare at him. My mind went blank when he caught me looking; he smiled modestly and turned to his father.
"My son Nolan has successfully defeated and conquered the Crescentmoon pack. We'll be having a party tonight to celebrate his victory," Alpha Vance declared.
We started preparing for the party, and after several long hours, the work was finally done. All that remained was for Vance to signal the commencement.
Several of Vance's friends from different packs arrived to celebrate with him and his son, Nolan.
Vance kicked off the party with a toast to Nolan's victory, and the fest
ivities began. It escalated quickly into a loud affair, with everyone chatting simultaneously.