Chapter 1 - The Broken Leg
The dimly lit utility and storage room at the back of the sprawling suburban estate was a far cry from the immaculate, sunlit rooms upstairs. It was cold, cramped, and smelled faintly of bleach, lined with towering metal shelves packed tightly with folded towels, heavy cleaning supplies, and wheeled utility carts. It was a place designed entirely to be invisible.
And right now, the invisible girl was sitting on the cold concrete floor, fighting a battle no one was supposed to see.
Annie Carter, an eighteen-year-old maid wearing a traditional black-and-white uniform, white socks, and white sneakers, was exhausted. Her long brown hair was tied up in a messy, practical bun, but stray strands stuck to her sweating forehead. She was sitting with her back against the bottom of a heavy metal shelving unit, completely focused on the impossible task of walking.
Her right leg ended just below the knee.
She was struggling with all her might to attach and lock the heavy straps of her old, deeply scratched, and severely worn-out prosthetic leg. The heavy metal socket was misaligned, refusing to click into place, causing her immense, silent frustration.
"Come on... just lock into place," Annie whispered, her voice tight with exhaustion and suppressed physical pain as she violently yanked on the worn leather strap.
But her desperate struggle was not as invisible as she thought.
The heavy utility room door was half-open. Standing completely silently in the doorway, partially hidden by the shadows, was Nathan Graves. He was a forty-year-old man, incredibly tall, with dark hair and a sharp shadow of stubble. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit and a black shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He was the owner of the estate, the billionaire CEO who employed her, and a man notorious for his ruthless, unforgiving business tactics.
He had walked down the hall because he thought his staff was slacking off. He expected to find someone sleeping or stealing.
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"Let's see what my staff has been hiding," Nathan muttered quietly to himself, slipping his hands into his suit pockets as his piercing gaze locked entirely onto the young maid on the floor.
👉 Read Part 2 to discover the cruel, unforgiving world Annie was trying to survive.
