The aroma of black coffee filled the dining room of the Giordano mansion.
That morning, only two people were seated at the nearly five-meter-long dining table.
Gabriel Giordano and his adopted son, Adrian Giordano.
Gabriel closed the folder containing the company reports, then calmly took a sip of his coffee.
"Are you still working this early, Dad?" Adrian asked.
"Just checking last night's reports."
"You should get more rest."
Gabriel gave him a faint smile.
"Your father isn't that old yet."
Adrian didn't respond. He had heard that answer far too many times.
Ever since his wife died, Gabriel had seemed to marry his work. Almost every day, the man came home late at night, then buried himself in stacks of reports again before the sun had even risen.
The sound of footsteps came from the kitchen.
A short while later, a woman entered the dining room carrying a tray of neatly cut fruit.
Mariana Hayes.
The forty-year-old woman wore a black uniform dress with a white collar. Her hair was pinned up simply. Her appearance was always neat, just like the way she had worked over the past two weeks.
"Good morning, Mr. Gabriel. Mr. Adrian."
"Good morning, Mariana," Gabriel replied warmly.
Adrian merely gave her a brief nod.
Mariana placed a plate of fruit in front of Gabriel, then straightened the small fork beside it.
There were no hurried movements.
No loud noises.
Everything was done calmly.
"If you don't need anything else, I'll take my leave."
Mariana lifted the empty tray in her hands again.
"Mariana."
The woman's steps halted at once.
"Yes, sir?"
Gabriel watched her for a moment before speaking softly.
"Sit down."
Mariana's fingers tightened around the tray's handle.
"I'm sorry... sir?"
"Sit down."
The woman looked nervous.
"I... don't belong sitting there."
"Why not?"
"I'm only a housekeeper."
Gabriel gave her a faint smile.
"Today, I'm asking you to sit."
Mariana shook her head slowly.
"Even so, sir. That's not my place."
Before Gabriel could answer, Adrian's voice rang out flatly.
"If she knows her place, let her keep standing."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Mariana immediately lowered her head.
Her hands tightened slightly around the tray.
Gabriel slowly turned toward his son.
"I was the one who asked her to sit."
Adrian's gaze remained cold.
"A housekeeper is still a housekeeper."
There was no raised voice.
No emotion.
And yet every word that left his mouth sounded razor-sharp.
Mariana drew a quiet breath.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gabriel. Mr. Adrian is right. I'd better return to the kitchen."
"Mariana."
Gabriel's voice was firmer this time.
"I'm not asking."
The woman fell silent.
"I'm telling you to sit down."
Mariana looked at Gabriel uncertainly.
During the two weeks she had worked at this mansion, the man had always treated her well. However, sitting at the same table as the Giordano family was something she had never even dared to imagine.
Slowly, she set the tray down on a small table near the door.
With awkward steps, Mariana approached the empty chair Gabriel had indicated.
She pulled it out slowly, then sat on the edge.
Her back was straight.
Both hands were clasped in her lap.
She didn't even dare touch the glass of water set in front of her.
Adrian watched it all without saying a word.
The longer he did, the more he felt that his father was hiding something.
"Dad."
"Hm?"
"An explanation."
Gabriel glanced at the watch on his left wrist.
"Not yet."
"Is there someone else we're waiting for?"
Gabriel nodded slowly.
"One more person."
Adrian's brow immediately furrowed.
"One person?"
Before Adrian could ask anything else, the mansion's doorbell echoed throughout the room.
Ding-dong...
Gabriel gave a faint smile.
"Looks like they've arrived."
Adrian shifted his gaze toward the entrance.
For some reason...
A bad feeling suddenly filled his chest.
To be continued...