[CHAPTER ONE]

Avenging Angels

ONE

I pushed the gate open and just as I expected, it wasn't locked because of the huge competition going on in this mansion.

I then took my first step inside the massive compound.

I didn't bother admiring the glamour of the mansion or  I'll rather say castle because I have seen it a thousand times already and I am sick of it.

I walked around the castle and found the crowd standing outside, I smirked because just as I expected they haven't started yet.

Everyone's head turned as they heard my heels.

The one reason I love to wear heels, it always announces my presence in the building.

"Good morning, everybody," I said in a cheerful voice.

Yuck, I can't remember the last time I was this cheerful. I said inside as everyone's eyes swiped over me.

"Who are you?" An elderly woman dressed in Elizabethan era clothing asked with her bushy eyebrows raised and her signature frown in place.

That's Miss Helda.

The head maid of the castle. She is strict, no tolerance for nonsense, and holds her head up high with arrogance.

Your lost daughter, who else? I inwardly rolled my eyes.

"I am no. 15 on the list," I said in a disgustingly polite tone.

She looked at the paper she was holding and then at me, a look of disapproval flashed her face.

"You are LATE!!" She spat.

"Me late? Or should I say you're late?" I raised a question.

"Pardon?" She asked with her thick accent, obviously annoyed.

"Well, according to the notice I saw you said 6 am prompt, am I correct? But right now, according to my time, it's 15 minutes and 12  seconds past 7. That means you have wasted an hour, 15 minutes, and now 20 seconds of our precious time in this freezing weather. So if I may ask again ma'am, am I the late one?" I stared deadly at her as she slowly realized she is the wrong one here and shut her beak up.

"G-go stand in the line" she stammered.

"Of course, I will" I smiled and flipped my hair as I went to stand in the line.

I could feel the stare of the crowd on me but my face remained a nonchalant mask.

"I believe you are all here now, we asked for just thirty of you and here I am going take a look at your files then we will be eliminating fifteen from you so the remaining fifteen will move to the next round, I hope that is clear if not, I don't care"IMiss Helda stared at each one of us, daring us to move.

"Please stand according to your number" we quickly arranged in a straight line.

Behind me was a woman chewing gum in a very annoying manner, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

If I wasn't in disguise I would have strangled her right here, right now.

"NEXT, NEXT, NEXT" and before I knew it the other NEXT was me.

"Name please" Miss Helda didn't even bother looking at my face.

Rude much.

"Rosaline Thorne" She raised her head at the familiar voice and I smiled which made her scoff at me.

"20 years, huh? What's a young lady like you doing with this kind of job when you are supposed to be having the time of your life?" she asked while ticking off some rubbish in the file.

Time for a sob story, I put the saddest face I could muster and began the much-practiced story.

"I have been an orphan from the age of six. My grandmother actually took care of me till high school, now that she is too old to work I decided that I should work to earn enough money to go to college, that's why I might desperate for this job, ma'am" I tried to appear desperate.

Keyword being tried.

Something flashed in her face before she cleared her throat and called "NEXT"

I smirked. This job was already mine.

A few minutes later.

"So we are done now, if you hear your name, just walk through this door to the kitchen and if not then go home" she began to call the names.

"Melissa Monroe... Rosaline Thorne" I smirked and marched into the kitchen through the back door.

The kitchen was like the normal rich family kitchen. Big, wide with gold and black decor, the sink was by the right of the room with a huge tap at the center while a huge chandelier was at the center of the room which was directly on top of a huge mahogany table filled with different ingredients.

"Now, we are going to be doing three tests which are.."

Let me guess, Cooking

"cooking.."

and the other is cleaning

"cleaning..."

and the last one gardening

"gardening"

God, I am good at this game!

"The top five will be chosen from these tests so let's start with cooking" she clapped her hands and five other maids entered the room and began handing us aprons.

So, let's skip the boring part and get to the juicy side.

We were finally done with those dreary tests and it was time for the announcement of the final result.

"The names I have here are Sarah, Francesca, Georgina, Rosaline, and Chloe" she looked at us and gestured for us to step forward.

"The rest of you are disqualified to be a maid of this prestigious castle, you may go home now, and thanks for your time. It was much appreciated," She dismissed them.

"Follow me" she began to walk down the hall and my God, she is fast for an old woman.

"This is the maid quarters" she pointed at a series of rooms with a room at the end of the hall.

"Two of you will be in each room and the room at the end is mine. You aren't allowed to enter any room of this castle without knocking or announcing your presence, any failure to do that will mean your straight packing of bags and leaving here immediately, do you understand?" she looked at me for an extra second before she turned to another hall which is much larger and longer than the first one.

The first thing that catches the eye as soon as you enter is...Roses.

They were inside a glass room that started from the beginning of the hall and ended all the way down.

Their radiant beauty shined through the glass and it left the onlookers marveled at its allure. Dark red roses made it look like a garden in heaven.

"You are not allowed to enter here unless you are with the Madam. She is the only one that takes care of this place. The flowers outside are for you guys to handle." Her voice broke me out of my daze.

The roses are not just any normal rose. They have this different petal and a very distinct scent. It was like a different species of flower.

They were something about it that seemed familiar, I can't actually pinpoint what it was but... it's familiar.

I rested my hand on the glass, feeling the cool surface under my palm. I stared intently at the roses, my heartstrings tugging at the familiarity.

"Rosaline" I heard someone call me and I looked over to see Sarah waving me over.

I quickly snapped out of my daze and ran to stay behind her, glancing once more at the roses before we left the hall.

She took us upstairs where all the bedrooms were.

"This is where each and one of you will be assigned to a particular room to clean. This is the Miss' bedroom and that Master's bedroom and the room at the end are Madam and Sir's bedroom. You will have to be extra careful with that room"

"Yes, Ma'am" We answered, or more as they all answered.

After she was done with her boring tour of that disgustingly big mansion or castle as she calls it, they measured us for our uniform.

"You are advised to be here by 6 am prompt tomorrow to begin your work, anyone, late and you are FIRED." She stared at me for a long time before closing the door.

Well, well that was a good start.

As we left the house, I quickly held my earrings and whispered "I am out, I got the job"

*****

I unlocked the door and entered the quiet and dark house.

I moved straight to my room and took my coat, clothes, and shoes off, leaving me in only my singlet and underwear as I hopped on my bed.

I buried my head in the pillow letting today's events flash by.

I took out the picture from the drawer on my left side and kissed it.

I miss you.

I faced the ceiling and sighed.

All I have been waiting for was for this day, to step foot in that mansion.

Tomorrow, I will be staying there permanently. I wonder how it will be when I finally meet her.

I just hope I don't kill her at first sight.

I slightly chuckled at my murderous thoughts.

Might as well sleep the rest of the day off.