Chapter 1 - The Shattered Glass in the Grand Hall
The crash of fine crystal shattered across the polished marble floor of the Vale manor, piercing through the ambient chatter of high-society guests like a sudden gun report.
Clara, a twenty-something maid dressed in a crisp black French dress with a pristine white collar and apron, hit the cold floor, sliding on her knees. Her hands cupped mere inches above the sharp shards, miraculously catching a priceless blue crystal bird heirloom before it could smash against the hard marble. Fine champagne splashed across her dress, soaking her apron, but the fragile artifact remained completely untouched in her palms.
"You clumsy little fool! Look what you’ve done!" screamed Selene March, the stepmother of the estate. Dressed in a shimmering emerald gown, Selene waved her manicured hands aggressively, pointing down at Clara while putting on a dramatic display for the surrounding elites. "You nearly destroyed a century-old family treasure! You are completely useless!"
Clara remained on her knees, her brunette hair pinned tightly in a low bun. She kept her head lowered, her breathing quiet and steady, refusing to give Selene the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"I saved the glass piece, Mrs. March," Clara said softly, her voice calm and remarkably steady amidst the harsh insults.
"Shut your mouth!" Selene snapped, taking a step closer and intentionally kicking a broken glass stem against Clara’s bare wrist, drawing a thin bead of red blood. "Get out of my sight before I have my security throw you into the street without a dime!"
Clara gathered her strength, standing up with silent grace. She held the blue crystal bird close to her chest and backed away toward the servant corridors. But as she retreated, her mind was focused on something far more pressing than her own humiliation.
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Later that night, as storm clouds rolled over the dark luxury Gothic mansion, Clara quietly slipped up the narrow stairs toward the forbidden third floor—the secluded wing where no servant was ever permitted to tread.
👉 Read Part 2 to discover what Clara found inside the forbidden room.
