Chapter 12 - Adrien’s Unexpected Return
The heavy mahogany front doors of the Kingston estate opened quietly just after two o'clock in the afternoon. Adrien stepped into the foyer carrying his leather briefcase, wearing a sharp navy business suit, a crisp white dress shirt, and a tie. He had planned to drop his bags and find Khloe to surprise her with an early homecoming.
However, as he walked through the grand service corridor leading toward the back kitchens, a familiar, sharp voice cut through the air—a voice dripping with unmitigated malice.
Adrien stopped dead in his tracks. He followed the sound toward the laundry room, stepping quietly past the doorway to look inside.
There stood Khloe, her face twisted in an ugly snarl, towering over an elderly maid whose head was covered by a simple grey cloth. Several other household employees stood frozen nearby, watching with terrified, silent expressions as Khloe berated the elderly woman over a basket of folded laundry.
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“How many times do I have to spell it out for you?!” Khloe shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the maid. “If you can't handle folding basic linens correctly, maybe you're too senile and useless for this estate!”
Adrien stood motionless in the doorway, his chest tightening as if he had been physically struck. The sweet, gentle, compassionate woman he thought he knew was nowhere to be found. In her place stood a stranger—cruel, arrogant, and vicious.
