Antoniette's unrestrained emotions and passion.

Finley searched every corner of the study but he couldn't discover what had made that noise earlier which left him a bit puzzled. He had been so sure about he had heard earlier but since he couldn't spot anything that could solve the mystery, he decided to let things go and returned to the table where he continued his search. Unable to find the unknown document he was looking for, he released a sigh of frustration before he left the room.

After a few minutes later, the wooden book shelf suddenly shifted slowly as Antoniette came out of the secret room where she had been staying all these while. She looked around to make sure that the intruder had gone before she ran to the table to reorganize the papers and make sure that none of them had gone missing. At that same time, the door opened and it made her jump up in fright until the person's identity was revealed. She grabbed the table in relief and exhaled under her breath. "Oh my goodness! Master Aidan...."

"What's wrong? Why are you looking so frightened, Antoniette?" Aidan gave her a brief glance before he put down his briefcase and went to meet her. He had been planning on taking a brief nap since he was tired from work but he instinctively wanted to check up on Antoniette when he entered the house.

Antoniette contemplated if she should tell him about Master Finley's visit to the study since she was sure that nothing had been taken away from the study. She exhaled sharply and told him about the incident while observing his reaction but to her surprise, she saw that he seemed very amused about her story. She couldn't help but to ask him. "Master Aidan, what is it that you find so funny? Aren't you angry that...."

"I know what he is looking for, Antoniette." Aidan gave her a small smile as he sat down on one of the chairs adjacent to his table in a relaxed manner. "But I am surprised that he would think I would keep such important things in my study."

It took Antoniette some time to comprehend his words and her face slightly fell even though her heart was relaxed. Aidan noticed her change of expression and invited her to seat opposite him with a bewildered expression. "What is wrong? Why do you look so disheartened?"

"It's just that..." Antoniette sighed as she couldn't even meet his eyes when she finally admitted to him. "I thought everything here was very precious and valuable to you..."

"Yes, they are." Aidan nodded readily as he pondered internally what could have been the reason behind her dejected appearance. "But he won't be able to find what he is looking for here. Finley is not exactly an intelligent person at all."

Antoniette's face brightened when she heard his words and it further consolidated his suspicions about the root of the earlier problem. Seeing her smile so widely made him release a small smile of his own as she asked him. "Have you eaten lunch today? Should I ring for your food to be brought up?"

Before he could say anything, he saw her get up to ring the bell which he installed so that he could conveniently order the servants when he didn't want to come down. She rang the bell twice and returned to the seat, smiling so brightly. He almost couldn't control the urge inside him to touch her but he feared he might offend her since she seemed so sensitive around him. While he was still thinking of what to do, they both heard a knock on the door which prompted her to hide behind her chair before the door opened.

A maid stepped into the room with a tray and served the food skillfully as he watched her and thanked her for her service. He was about to eat when he noticed that the room was quite quiet and that that maid was still looking around the room. He frowned a little while remembering Antoniette and quickly stopped the maid from approaching. "Why are you still here? You should leave now."

The maid who was about to reach Antoniette's hidden location suddenly stilled when he had spoken but was still a little unwilling to obey his orders after the rumours she had heard this afternoon. She looked around yet she still hadn't confirmed if Master Aidan had been communicating with his dead father since nothing had changed in tbe room from the last time she had been here. "Yes, Master Aidan. Please excuse me."

When Antoniette heard her leave the room and shut the door, she deflated out of relief and came out from behind the chair as she talked to Aidan who had brought out her own food on the table. It warmed her heart to see him taking care of her so she laughed nervously when facing him. "That was a close one, Master Aidan. I fear that it would be more difficult for me to come out like in the past."

"No need to worry. They don't know that you are staying here but I will do my best to make sure you are safe." Aidan thought that she was complaining about staying in the room so he added under his breath a little sadly. "If you want, I will talk to my mother to rehire you once again so that you don't have to hide anymore...."

Antoniette jumped slightly when her finger brushed his own in an attempt to reach her own teacup and she couldn't explain the current that had passed through her entire body at that moment which made her look up to him. To her own surprise, she discovered that she was not the only one that had been affected by that physical contact and it took her breath away looking into his icy blue eyes melted with affection.

She didn't want this moment to end. She wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world either but the sound coming behind the door broke the precious stare between the look of them when they discovered the sound of some plates crashing on the floor.

The maid who had served them earlier on had sneakily to eavesdrop on her master in order to affirm the rumours but to her greatest surprise, she could really hear her beloved master talking to himself like her friend, Louisa had said before. She had been so shocked that her fingers trembled and the extra plates she had been carrying somehow ended on the floor.

That was the only time she had suddenly been jolted from her thoughts along with the fear that she could lose her job and be punished for her impertinent behavior so she quickly grabbed the plates and ran away before the door opened. Aidan opened the door and confirmed that someone had indeed been listening in his conversation and he feared it might be his two sisters but the plate shards on the floor which resembled the ones he was currently using resolved his fears.

As he returned, he was able to restrain his emotions more properly this time as he faced Antoniette who was blushing so fiercely in the room. He smiled gently and told her what he had discovered earlier. He then proceeded to reassure her. "There is no need to worry about that. I will take care of it before my family finds out about this ."

"Thank you, Master Aidan." Antoniette could no longer bring herself to look at his eyes as she ate her food more quietly this time with her heart beating wildly in her chest. She knew that any more time with this man and she could do unimaginable things for him as long as he spoke the words.

She had just managed to control her inner thoughts and was about to resume eating when she saw her master suddenly sitting beside her and her lips were captured in a light kiss...