Chapter 11
After delivering the drinks, Tara got into the elevater, pushed the serving cart downstairs, and returned it next to the kitchen.
wah came over and handed her a set of keys. “It’s your tum to clean the art studio tomorrow.”
– Tara glanced at the keys in Leah’s hand. She remembered such a thing in the story, so she sokthem. She said, “Alright.”
Tara didn’t notice the unease hidden in Leah’s expression as the latter turned to leave,
The next toming, Tarawoke just as the sky began to brighten. After getting ready, she headed to the kitchen for breakfast
However, she was too early. The chet had just arrived and asked her to retum a bit later for her meal. So Tara decided to tidy up the studio first. She could eat after that.
The art studio wasn’t too far from the villa. It was a standalone sauroom. Aside from the occasional visit from the boy band members who would go there to sketch or paint, hardbe anyone went there
some of the men’s paintings, Terence forbade them
Initially, the daytime cleaning statt handled the place. But after a few incidents in which they carelessly ruinest son from entering the art studio.
Mere meticulous housekeepers were assigned to maintain the art studio. The place wasn’t big, so cleaning it didn’t take metto,
The sunroom sat nestled among flowers and greenery. It looked like something out of a beautiful oil painting
Tara opened the door and stepped inside. It wasn’t particularly dirty or messy, and some act pieces were covered with cloth
The sunroom was larger than she expected. There were plants taller than she was, and her view was limited when she surveyed the area. She could only see part of
The spare
Tara didn’t wander around she found the broom and mop and first cleared the floor, ensuring that the entire sunroom was spotless.
There was a small terrace in the sunroom, accessible by stairs. When she noticed it, she was at the far end of the room. She didn’t feel like walking over just yet, so she thought that she would deal with it later
By the time
time she finished all the trimes, she was
She filled a bucket with clean water, brought it along with the mop, and began wiping down the painting frames. By night beneath the terrace
Tare dropped the cloth into the bucket, grabbed the mop, and headed upstairs.
She dumbed the stairs to the terrace. The view before her was stunning, but it was nothing compared to the figure standing there. It left her in shock
“Mr_Mu. Swain?” she gasped.
Lance tumed toward her with the rising sun behind him.
She was dressed in her uniform, which hugged her slender, alluring figure. Panting softly, her full chest rose and tell slightly. It was hard for Lace to look away.
Her lively eyes were filled with surprise, her lips slightly parted.
For a split second, Lance had the urge to sketch her, but memories of her past behavior made him push the thought away. He figured that it was better not to invite unecessary trouble.
“Yeah.” His demeanor was as indifferent as ever..
Tara was surprised that he was actually up this early to paint.
But he had his an, and she had her mop. She sighed inwardly and thought, “Such is life.”
It was time she accepted her own mediocrity
When she was almost done mopping the terrace, she passed behind Lance and such a glance at his canvas. He was painting the sunrise, and the quality of his work was exhibition–worthy.
i was no wonder he was up so early. He had wanted to capture the sun coming up.
Just as she was about to head back down, she heard a muffled thod and a louder clack from below.
Tara suddenly recalled a latch outside the door when she first entered the sunroom. She thought the noise from earlier sounded like someone had locked the door Im the outside.
Tazatelt foreboding sense of unease rising within her. She placed the mop back into the bucket and quickly headed down the terrace, making her way to the
The dogs was indeed closed. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob and turned it. She could clearly see that the lock could be unlocked, but the latch on the outside food brenhooked. No matter how hard she tried, the door wouldn’t budge.
Then, Tara recalled Leah’s subtly strange expression when the latter handed her the keys. It turned out that this was what was in store for her…
She didn’t have time to be angry. She pulled out her phone to call Terence or another housekeeper, but as soon as she dialed, she learned that there was no signal..
Tata was at a loss for words. It was no wonder someone wanted to lock her in here.
At that moment, Leal, who had just done something wrong, fell anklous. She saw Stella ctying the day before and asked what was wrong.
Stella refused to say anything but looked even more aggrieved when she som Tata passing by.
Leah recalled the moment when Lance held an unbeella for Stella Uully, Lance Treated Stella differently.
And the thought that Stella might manage to get close to lûm one day crossed Leah’s mind, she figured that it she befriended stella now, the benefits she could
he plan to lock Tata in the summon. Mella disagired, but Leal could tell froom Stella’s hesitation that she really disliked Tark
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was atost
ming, the plan incceeded. Leah, though measy, figured that it she could get an Lance’s future wife’s
good side, it would be worth iL
However, unbeknownst to Leah and Mella, Tara wasn’t the only one locked in the sumpoo Late waston
Inside the surnom, Tara was still thinking of a way she could escape, She wondered why such a large space readin’t even have a single window.
She also couldn’t understand why there was a latch on the outside.
Tara was at a loss for woods. She didn’t know what she could do torer. Her phone had no signal. Was:
She did comåder jumping. But even if she weren’t afraid of heights, there was man wa There was hun way she was going to do that.
|||“Stop looking. Their ‘konsignal ni winsdows here.”
supposed to jump down from the second floor terrace
– would actually jump. What if she broke aleger framtized something?
Tarahummed around and saw him looking calms and collected. She suddenly felt reassured that it wasn’t just her locked in here. Lance was here too, and he didn’t seren anxious at all. She figured that he must have a way out
“How do we get out, then?” Tata asked.
Lance looked out of the glass. “We wait for someone to come
Tata was at a low for words. She assumed that there was actually another way out.
האיין
she asked, somewhat agitated. The surgem was stuffy and uncomfortable and would only worsen once the sun came out.
“Elak 111 go down with you,” Laner said.
Taradell the comer of her eye twitch. Was he really in the mood to joke?
she muttered.
Lance glanced at her, then walked over to a table. He opened the drawer beneath, took out a remote control, and turned the air conditioning on
In the quiet sunroom, the hum of the air conditioning units outside could be heat only then did Tara notice that there were several air conditioners installed in the comms of the room
“Just wait a while, “Lanor said as he placed the remote control down.
Tara walked over to a wooden chair and sat down, spacing out with her chin propped in her hand. Who could be in a good mood after being messed with fast thing in the moming!
The suspects who locked her in the sunroom were most likely the few live–in housekeepers. It couldn’t be anyone else. It was still early, and the other housekeepers who were tasked to dran would still be on their way to work
The only ones who knew that she would be cleaning the sunroom that day wese Leah and a few others.
Tara sighed softly. She thought that playing this kind of nonsense was just so annoying.
Lance to the wooden chair across from her, watching her like this.
“Do you want to know who it 19” Lanre asked.
Tata stared at him. “You know who’s behind this?”
He had been on the terrace thin, so she figured that he must have seen who came in and out of the pincode.
“I saw them,” he said, not immediately aming who it was
“You saw the person‘ Who was it?” slar asked.
The whole sunroom had to surveillance cameras, either inside or out. Only the villa had cameras. But the inain building was huge, and getting around to the Maroon wouldn’t have been that hard.
Large didn’t answer her..
When he didact respond, Tasa asked again, “You’re not going to cover for that person, are you?
She wondered if it was the female lead, Stella, Lance’s actions then would make sense. After all, he was one of the male lead.
But would Stella really do something so foolish? This would definitely be exposed, and Gemma would never keep someone who pulled such a stunt.
After all, this wasn’t a trivial matter. If anything went wrong or someuur gut buri, Gemana would consider that für suite.
Tarakew th ella couldn’t possibly be unwate of the consequences of doing something like this.
Tata was gelling impatient with his slow response. She felt that it should spit it out.
“Go up to the tertare, I want you to be my model for a painting.” Laure laid out his terms. There was a strong hiat that she wouldn’t be able to pry that person’s nauront of himit dhe disagreed
Tara had car experience as a mode), but to avoid the hassle of getting information on the person, she nodded in agreement.
She had seen on TV that models for painters always had to hold one postition and remain still.
+ Der she was on the second–floor tertare, she looked amund
Charter 11
“I don’t want to stand.” Tara said. She wasn’t sure how long, Lance would ta
to paint. Her legs would go munb it she stood too long, so she wanted to sit.
Lance behaved like a gentleman for once. He placed a chairon the terrace and let her sit with her back to it.
“No need to stand. Just sit down,” he said as he adjusted the position of the chair.
Tata sat in the chait, feeling a bit awkward with him staring at her. She crossed her arms, hugging herself.
Lance couldn’t help but laugh at her defensive gesture. He instructed, “Relax, Keep your hands at your sides and stretch your legs out. Move your right leg forwant.
Following his instructions and adjasting her posture wasn’t too complicated.
“When you’re done with my head, let feeling sleepy sitting in the chair.
know, I’ll take a nap,” she said. She had gotten up too early and had cleaned the summon throughly. Now, she was
Lance wasn’t sure why, but when he heard her say “done with her head“, it sounded so abrupt that he couldn’t help but chuckle. He replied, “Alright.”
