Page 48 of Cruel Obsession

“Why are you standing in the corridor?” Arkady’s voice slides down my spine like ice water. “I’m not paying you to do nothing.”

I spin around, keys clutched against my chest like a shield. He looms in the hallway, a wall of controlled intensity in a charcoal suit that clearly was made for him. His eyes catch the light, cold and assessing.

“I’m not,” I say, hating how defensive I sound. I’ve barely been on the job a minute, and already he’s crapping on me? “I’m trying to figure out which key belongs to which door. A note on each key would be helpful.”

His mouth curls, not quite a smile. “You said at the interview you’re a fast learner.” The way he watches me makes my skin prickle. “Now’s the time to prove it.”

He turns and walks away before I can respond, the smooth confidence in his stride making me want to throw the entire key ring at the back of his perfect head.

What a smug prick!

I wait until he’s gone to exhale slowly, counting to ten. My hands shake slightly as I separate the keys, examining each one closely.

Maybe Rosanna was the lucky one, escaping marriage to that gorgeous asshole.

I pick the first key that looks promising and move to the nearest door. It doesn’t fit. Neither does the second key, nor the third. By the fifth attempt, frustration burns in my chest, but when the sixth key slides in smoothly and turns with a satisfying click, victory surges through me like a drug.

“Finally,” I whisper, pushing the door open to reveal a study lined with leather-bound books.

I step inside, marveling at the rich mahogany desk, the leather chairs, the subtle wealth that oozes from every surface. After a moment of exploration, I reach into my pocket for the small adhesive labels I’d found in the kitchen. A touch of rebellion flares as I stick one onto the key, marking it “Study.”

One down, thirty-six to go.

By mid-morning, I’ve worked my way through most of the west wing. My system is working… each key now bears a tiny label with its corresponding room. The library. The guest suites. The formal dining room. The music room with its gleaming grand piano that probably no one ever plays.

Each space I unlock reveals new wonders, new absurdities of wealth. A climate-controlled wine cellar with bottles worth thousands. A home theater with seats upholstered in plush velvet.

It’s easier to focus on the details than to dwell on the magnitude of what I’ve signed up for. One key, one room, one label at a time.

But the last door confounds me.

It’s smaller than the others, unassuming in a quiet corridor away from the others. I try each remaining key methodically, working through every possibility. Nothing fits. I double-check the keys I’ve already labeled, thinking perhaps one opens multiple doors.

Still nothing.

I step back, staring at the door like I can intimidate it into opening. There has to be a key, right? Unless this room is… special somehow?

The hairs on the back of my neck rise seconds before I hear her voice.

“Keep away from that room.”

I whirl around, heart lurching painfully. Anfisa stands three feet behind me, appearing from nowhere like some Russian ghost. Her eyes are hard, her mouth set in a grim line.

“Didn’t Arkady tell you? That’s a room nobody can ever enter. Only the very few people he permits.” Her gaze pins me in place. “I am one of them. You shouldn’t even be in the east wing.”

I swivel my head, glancing around in confusion. Shit. I’d been so focused on the stupid keys, I hadn’t even noticed where I was.

“I- I’m sorry,” I stutter. “I guess I wandered here by accident.”

Weak, Mira, really weak.

Her eyes are hard on me. “Be more careful.” She turns and walks away, her footsteps soundless against the hardwood.

Jesus Christ. I press a hand to my racing heart. How does she move so silently? Is watching me part of her job description?

I glance back at the mysterious door. What’s behind it? What secret requires such protection in an already fortress-like mansion?

Whatever it is, now’s not the time to try to find out. I move away quickly, not wanting to be caught by the Ice Queen yet again.