Chapter 4
Tara was enjoying her meal when someone entered through the door. Stella didn’t look surprised to find Tara there.
Leah remained puzzled by Tara’s recent behavior. After spotting Stella in the staff dining area, she smiled warmly and went over to talk to her.
“Stella, are you done with your work?” Leah asked.
Stella turned and smiled. “Mr. Swain didn’t want me to go hungry, so he told me to come down and eat first.”
She glanced briefly at Tara, who was quietly finishing her meal.
Leah was clearly closer to Stella, and the latter held more influence with the four men.
So, she quickly offered some flattery. “Mr. Swain is so good to you, Stella. He’s not like that with me… or Tara. The guys always seem to look down on us.”
“If you truly care about them, they’ll see your sincerity in time,” Stella said, reassuring her.
Leah nodded eagerly, taking the words to heart. “Thanks, Stella. I’ll do everything I can to win their trust.”
Stella offered her a gentle smile and walked to the refrigerator. She threw Tara a pointed glance from across the dining table as she did.
It was apparent that her earlier remarks hadn’t been directed only at Leah. They were also a quiet boast to Tara about how the men treated her with favor.
Tara focused on her meal, but she’d heard every word. Tara knew exactly what Stella meant—the men doted on her while giving Tara the bare minimum.
As for earning the men’s trust? Tara wanted nothing to do with that. After all, she was just a housekeeper in this villa. The moment her contract ended, she’d leave without a second thought. What good was their trust to her?
But everyone had their own way. Her path was different from Stella’s or Leah’s.
The food was delicious. In no time, she’d already eaten half of it. Nearby, the scrape of chair legs against the floor broke the silence.
Stella and Leah had settled near her, talking between themselves without including Tara in their conversation. Tara was used to keeping to herself, so she didn’t take it personally. People naturally talked to whomever they felt closest to.
Once she finished eating, she got up and made her way to the kitchen at a leisurely pace to wash her dishes.
Leah had no intention of washing hers and hoped Tara would do it instead. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask outright since Tara had always offered before.
By the time Leah walked into the kitchen with her greasy plates and utensils, Tara had already cleaned up and put everything in the dishwasher. She gave Leah a blank look, then grabbed a couple of paper towels to dry her hands.
Leah had been standing there for half a minute, and Tara still made no move to help with the dishes.
“Tara, do you want to know if Mr. Wilhelm has a girlfriend?” Leah asked.
Tara had just tossed the paper towels into the trash. She turned to look at Leah, confused.
“No, I don’t.”
Why would she care whether Shawn Wilhelm was dating someone? She thought it was a strange question.
Leah was caught off guard by Tara’s blunt response. She had no idea how to continue. Tara had always been curious about the men’s romantic lives. Now, she was claiming that she didn’t care.
She wondered if Tara was truly indifferent or just pretending.
“If you wash my dishes, I’ll put in a good word for you with Mr. Pearson tonight. Maybe he’ll even let you into his room tomorrow night.”
Leah was sure that Tara would take the dishes after hearing that, so she held them out with a haughty expression. Naturally, she was lying. Jonah disliked Tara far too much, and Leah would never actually stand up for her.
Tara glanced at the plates and utensils in Leah’s hands. She suddenly realized why Leah had asked that odd question. It was just to get out of doing the dishes.
“Don’t bother with it,” she said without missing a beat.
Then, she walked past Leah and left the kitchen.
Leah was stunned. She couldn’t believe that Tara had actually refused. Just two days ago, she’d been trying to win Jonah over. Did she not care now?
Stella walked into the kitchen and found Leah still holding the dishes, standing motionless as she stared at the doorway.
“What’s wrong?” Stella asked.
Leah finally snapped out of her thoughts, her expression uneasy as she asked, “Stella, doesn’t Tara seem quieter than usual today?”
Tara had never been loud, but she often slipped away for short stretches, only to return reeking of perfume and caked in heavy makeup. She never let anyone see her bare-faced.
Yet, there was no trace of her usual overpowering scent that day. Her face was natural and stunningly beautiful, like a freshly bloomed flower. It was an almost otherworldly kind of beauty.
Leah had always known that Tara was pretty but had never realized how much her usual makeup had concealed.
That thick foundation had muted her features, and those harsh, overdrawn eyeliners looked almost ridiculous up close. Still, even the worst makeup couldn’t hide the fact that Tara was naturally striking.
Stella didn’t notice anything unusual about Tara. “She’s probably just worried that Gemma will fire her.”
She knew that Gemma would let go of Tara eventually if she kept acting out. So, she figured that lying low was a smart move.
“But…”
Leah hesitated. She and Stella were on good terms but not close enough to speak freely. Seeing Stella still waiting for her to continue, Leah dropped the subject.
She nearly asked if Tara had switched up her flirting tactics, but if Stella told Gemma she was gossiping, she knew that she’d get scolded.
“I’m probably overthinking it,” Leah said, shrugging it off.
Stella offered a kind smile and unexpectedly brought up the incident from two nights ago. “About what happened with Mr. Pearson that night, I don’t think Tara intended to provoke him.”
“Stella, stop making excuses for Tara. She was obviously throwing herself at Mr. Pearson. She’s a lot more cunning than she looks. Don’t let that innocent face fool you.”
Leah found Stella’s trust misplaced. Tara’s advances had been blatant, yet Stella kept defending her.
When Stella opened her mouth to say more in Tara’s defense, Leah cut in, convinced that the former had fallen for Tara’s sweet-girl act. “She’s the type who uses her looks to get what she wants. You’d better be careful, Stella, or Mr. Swain could be next.”
Leah dropped her voice to a murmur when mentioning Lance’s name, making sure that no one else would catch wind of Stella’s feelings for him.
Although Stella was certain that Lance would never give someone like Tara a second glance, she furrowed her brow in feigned concern.
“I really don’t think that Tara is that kind of person—”
Leah’s patience wore thin, and she said bluntly, “Stella, you’re too kind. I’ll keep an eye on Mr. Swain and make sure Tara doesn’t get any ideas about him.”
This way, she could protect Stella’s interests while earning her gratitude.
Stella hesitated, her words faltering, but she never actually refused Leah’s suggestion. Taking this as agreement, Leah pulled her into helping with the dishes, playing the role of the attentive friend.
The night grew darker. That night was Tara’s turn to deliver fruit to the four men’s rooms.
Soon after, Tara wheeled the serving cart into the elevator. Leah followed her inside, as she was responsible for bringing Jonah his fruit.
Neither of them spoke in the elevator. Tara intended to stay only until her contract expired, after which she would completely cut ties with everyone in this villa. To her, Leah was just another coworker.
She had no interest in forming any kind of connection, not even a casual one. Although Tara wasn’t the most perceptive, she could still tell that Leah disliked her.
Leah kept glancing at Tara in puzzlement. But Tara never returned her gaze, not even when she stepped out of the elevator with the cart.
This annoyed Leah, who thought that Tara was putting on airs and up to some new trick.
“Tara, come with me to Mr. Pearson’s room first,” she said.
Leah was sure that this was the moment Tara had been waiting for. After all, everyone in the villa knew how hard she’d been trying to win Jonah’s heart.
But Tara had no intention of following Leah. At the latter’s words, she let go of the cart.
“You take it. I’ll deliver this to Mr. Wilhelm first.”
Picking up a fruit platter, Tara turned and strode down the right hallway. The second floor was spacious. The rooms on the right belonged to Jonah and Shawn, while Lance’s and Soren’s were on the left.
