THE MAID

loved by a stranger

Chapter 7

Julian couldn't concentrate the entire day. No matter how much he tried to push her out of his mind, Margret kept creeping back in. Something about her unsettled him, yet he couldn’t quite place what it was. He tapped his pen repeatedly on his desk, deep in thought, when a knock interrupted him.

"Excuse me, Boss," Alex said as he stepped inside.

Julian shot him a cold stare. "Who gave you permission to come in?"

Alex swallowed. "I'm sorry, Sir, but your father has been trying to reach you. He said you haven’t been picking up his calls."

Julian’s eyes darkened. He leaned back in his chair, the pen still between his fingers. "And that alone didn't tell you I don’t want to speak with him? Sometimes, Alex, you act so unprofessionally. Couldn’t you have made up an excuse?"

"I tried, but he knew I was lying," Alex admitted.

"That's because you're an amateur," Julian said, exhaling sharply.

Alex's phone rang again. He hesitated before glancing at Julian. "He's calling again, Sir."

Julian clenched his jaw. "Just go. I'll handle it myself."

The moment Alex stepped out, Julian grabbed his phone and dialed his father.

"Finally, my son remembers to call me," his father answered.

Julian didn't acknowledge the greeting. "You do realize I’m at work, don’t you?"

His father chuckled. "You can never be too busy, Julian. Remember, I was once in your position."

Julian rolled his eyes. "That’s you, Dad. I, on the other hand, have actual work to do. I’ll call you when I get home."

"You keep saying that, yet you never do. I want to see you this weekend. Come home."

Before Julian could protest, the call ended. He gritted his teeth.

"Come home." His father’s words echoed in his mind, taunting him.

They still believed they could fix things with Lucy. That they could force him to love her again. How blind could they be? The damage was irreparable.

"Boss," Alex’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Julian barely looked up. "What is it now?"

Alex smirked. "Margret is—"

Before he could finish, the office door swung open. Margret stepped inside, holding a lunch box.

Julian stiffened. His eyes widened slightly in shock.

"I tried stopping her, but she insisted on seeing you," Alex whispered.

"You always have excuses, don’t you?" Julian muttered, waving Alex away. "Get lost."

The tension in the room thickened as Julian and Margret stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

"Are you just going to stand there and admire me?" Julian finally broke the silence, his voice laced with amusement.

Margret blinked, snapping out of her daze. "I was waiting for you to give me permission to speak," she mumbled.

Julian tilted his head, his lips twitching into a smirk. She’s something else.

"Go ahead, then."

Margret took a deep breath. "I—I wanted to apologize for this morning. And I figured you’d be hungry, so I brought you something to eat."

Julian leaned back, watching her with unreadable eyes. "You think I eat during work hours?"

"Not really, but… you skipped breakfast because of me," she admitted.

Julian exhaled, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. "I’m fine, but… thanks."

She nodded, turning to leave.

Julian watched her disappear through the door, an unsettling warmth creeping into his chest. A mere maid, yet… He shook his head, unwilling to finish that thought.

Hours later, Julian emerged from the conference room, exhaustion settling over him like a heavy blanket.

"Alex," he called out, his tone softer than usual.

"Yes, Boss?" Alex hurried to his side.

"There aren’t any more meetings for today, are there—" Julian stopped mid-sentence, his gaze locking onto a figure standing nearby. His expression hardened instantly.

Alex turned to see who it was. A woman stood there, her eyes pleading, her fingers twisting nervously.

Julian clenched his jaw. "Give us a minute," he told Alex.

Alex nodded, stepping aside, though his curiosity lingered.

"Can we talk?" the woman asked quietly.

Julian’s stare was icy. "Talk about what?"

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

His hands balled into fists. "What do you want from me? I don’t love you. How many times do I have to say it?"

"But I want something to happen between us," she pleaded, stepping closer.

Julian exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. "Jesus Christ, what is wrong with women these days? I don’t love you. And for your information, I have a girlfriend."

Her lips trembled, but her eyes gleamed with something he didn’t like. "You two broke up."

His stomach twisted. "What?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

She tilted her head. "You didn’t think I knew?"

Julian took a step back, suspicion flickering across his face. "How do you know that? Did Lucy send you?"

The woman scoffed. "Why would she? She still wants you."

Julian’s pulse quickened. "Then why are you here?"

She smirked. "I go after what I want. And I want you, Julian."

A chill ran down his spine. He had dealt with obsessed women before, but something about her felt… wrong.

"I’ve had a long day, and I don’t have time for this," he said, his voice measured. "You even know my name, but I don’t know yours. Doesn’t that tell you everything you need to know?"

She took a step closer. "It’s Tisha," she said, extending her hand. "Now you know."

Julian didn’t move. His glare could have frozen fire.

"Tisha, or whatever you call yourself," he said coldly. "Leave."

Her confidence wavered, but she forced a smile. "I just—"

"Alex!" Julian snapped his fingers.

Alex rushed over.

"Get this piece of trash out of my sight. And make sure she never steps foot in this building—or this province—again."

Tisha’s face paled as Alex gestured for her to leave.

Julian didn’t spare her another glance. "I’m heading home. I need some goddamn rest," he muttered, brushing past them both.

But as he walked away, a strange feeling crawled over his skin.

He had a gut instinct about these things.

And something told him…

He hadn't seen the last of Tisha.