Who Touched My Maid

Roman listened to the line for two seconds, his massive jaw clenching until the tendons in his neck flared.

Caller: You crying yet, little girl? Did you get the numbers?

Roman didn’t flinch, but the temperature in the marble hall seemed to drop to freezing.

Roman: Touch the boy, and I will bury your entire empire beneath six feet of dirt.

A sudden gasp came from the other end of the line, followed by the frantic sound of rustling paper.

Caller: Who... who is this? Put the girl back on the phone!

Roman: You know exactly who I am. You have five minutes to drop Toby off at the downtown precinct, or every dirty shell company you own in Texas gets raided by sunset.

Roman crushed the end call button with his thumb, then lowered the screen and stared down at Sadie.

Sadie was trembling on the floor, her hands wrapped tight around her knees as tears soaked her white lace collar.

Sadie: Mr. Sterling... I swear on my life, I didn't steal anything! They took Toby from his school bus stop this morning!

Roman: Get up, Sadie.

Sadie: Please don't fire me! I didn't tell them anything about your estate, I swear!

Roman: I said stand up. Look at me.

Sadie scrambled to her feet, wiping frantically at her reddened eyes with the sleeve of her uniform.

Roman reached out, his thick, calloused fingers gently tilting her chin upward so he could see the purplish bruise on her knuckles and cheek.

Roman: Who hit you? Did someone enter my private residence while I was in the boardroom?

Sadie: It... it was Miss Victoria. She came in ten minutes ago before you arrived.

Roman: My ex-fiancée?

Sadie: Yes, sir. She said she forgot her emerald necklace in the master bedroom, but when I told her I couldn't let anyone in without your permission, she slapped me and took my spare keys.

Roman’s chest rose and fell in a slow, dangerous wave.

Roman: Where is she right now?

Sadie: Upstairs... in your private office. She said if I made a sound, she would make sure Toby never came home.

Roman stepped back, cracking his neck to the side as he pulled a private radio transmitter from his belt.

Roman: Marcus. Seal the east gates and lock down the perimeter. Nobody drives off this property without my personal clearance.

Radio Voice: Copy that, Mr. Sterling. Security team is on full lockdown.

Roman looked back at Sadie, his expression dead calm yet completely terrifying.

Roman: Walk behind me. Don't speak a single word.

Sadie nodded quickly, clutching her apron as she followed his massive strides up the grand staircase.

Every step Roman took sounded like thunder against the polished hardwood of the upper floor.

They reached the double mahogany doors of the private office, which were pushed open just a crack.

Inside, the harsh rustle of paper and the metallic clicking of a wall safe echoed into the corridor.

Roman paused at the threshold, his dark eyes narrowing as he watched the blonde woman frantically digging through his personal files.

Roman: Looking for the bearer bonds, Victoria, or the custody papers?

Victoria gasped, dropping a stack of legal documents onto the Persian rug as she spun around in terror.

Victoria: Roman! You... you're supposed to be at the downtown headquarters until four!

Roman: And you are supposed to be thirty miles away from my family trust.