Chapter 112/The Venom of the Maid

Chapter 112: 112/The Venom of the Maid

Chapter 112

Stephanie’s Point of View

I slammed my palm with excessive, violent force against the steering wheel to vent a fraction of the burning rage consuming me. I was on the absolute verge of completely losing control and veering off course right in the middle of the road because of his sheer madness and blatant audacity an insult that had crossed every single red line.

The fire and resentment blazed in the depths of my gut while my mobile phone continued to vibrate and shudder violently between his large fingers, Alexander’s name flashing in bold letters across the screen without pause. Turning my tightly coiled frame completely toward him, my eyes widening with a mad frenzy born of pure bitterness and shocking bewilderment, I yelled in his face at the top of my lungs:

"You are a sick man! How dare you, with such simplistic effrontery, confiscate my personal phone and block me from answering? Give it to me right now!"

Not a single eyelash of his fluttered, nor was he moved in the slightest by my screaming and outburst. Instead, he tightened his long, unyielding grip around the body of the phone. With a lethal, icy detachment, his thumb pressed the side volume-down button to mute the ringtone completely. Then, with an agonizingly calculated and deliberate motion designed to shred my already frayed nerves, he tucked it quietly into the interior pocket of his jacket. Locking his piercing blue eyes which practically overflowed with absolute dominance and superiority into mine, he spoke in a dry, low, and stern tone that completely barred the path to any further argument:

"You are currently within official working hours, Miss Miller. As long as you are executing a mandatory task that concerns me as my private secretary and chauffeur inside this vehicle, you have absolutely no right to occupy yourself with side personal calls. Focus your awareness on the road and drive in total calmness; I have no desire whatsoever to be involved in a horrific traffic accident due to your childish outbursts and blind stubbornness."

My stomach clenched with a terrifying violence that sent a spasm through my limbs, and an overwhelming wave of nausea surged and expanded inside my chest. The early symptoms of my pregnancy, compounded by the horrifying nervous strain this wretched, arrogant man was hammering over my head, were making my mind feel as though it were about to explode from pure helplessness and oppression. Alexander was calling me right now after all my desperate morning attempts and continuous cries, yet this scoundrel sitting right beside me was blocking me from answering in complete cold blood! My breath came in terrifying, hysterical gasps. I ground my teeth together with such excessive force that my jaw nearly shattered from the sheer weight of the resentment. Snapping my furious, vengeful gaze back toward the street stretching ahead, I slammed my foot against the gas pedal with an aggressive velocity, making my deep loathing for his very presence crystal clear to him.

A heavy, terrifying, and suffocating silence locked over the interior of the car. In that dead space, nothing could be heard except my tense, rapid breathing, sounding like a cornered victim. With every single inch the tires advanced toward his residential address, I felt the noose tightening around my neck in a fatal manner, robbing me of air.

After long, grueling minutes of aggressive, highly charged driving, he pointed his broad index finger with absolute detachment toward a massive, imposing black iron gate belonging to a luxurious, majestic estate. He stated in his curt, rigid tone:

"Right here is my residence. The electronic gate will open automatically now; drive the vehicle into the inner courtyard immediately."

I steered the car inside, bringing it to a complete halt right at the threshold of the main estate doors. Turning my thoroughly drained body toward him, I locked my eyes into his with a glaring, exhausted impatience, stating in a sharp tone:

"We have arrived. Get out of my car right now."

He tilted his head with a slow, provocative motion that pushed my nerves to the edge. Narrowing his dark pupils, he countered with biting sarcasm, thoroughly ridiculing my approach:

"Do you truly believe yourself to be in a position of power to issue rigid orders to me in such a crude manner, Miss Miller?"

In that exact, critical split-second, my stomach violently upended and turned with a sudden, vicious force. The burning wave of nausea rushed up to my throat with a punishing intensity that I could no longer suppress by any means. Clutching my stomach tightly with both palms, I spoke in a choked voice, hot tears of physical agony welling in my eyes:

"Please... just get out immediately."

He leaned his massive frame back against his seat with an absolute, dominant coldness entirely devoid of human compassion. Staring at me with an even greater defiance and stubbornness, he stated loftily:

"I will not step out or move from this vehicle until you learn how to say that to me in a pleasant, polite, and respectful manner."

I squeezed my eyes shut in burning pain and helplessness, a sheet of cold sweat instantly coating my pale forehead. Forced and entirely compelled by the total exhaustion of my body and my sheer terror of throwing up inside the car, I muttered:

"We have arrived safely at your residence, Mr. Vincetti... please, step out."

He scrutinized me with an intense, probing gaze, scanning my thoroughly depleted features. The dry edge of his voice shifted slightly, a look of genuine surprise crossing his face at my condition as he asked:

"What is the matter with you? Why have you suddenly turned as pale as a corpse?"

I didn’t wait for a single additional word from him or any explanation of my state. Popping the car door open with lightning speed, I bolted out with frantic paces, my frame swaying dangerously. I couldn’t find the time or space to search for a proper exit due to the extreme rush and physical pressure; I simply stumbled with frantic, erratic steps toward the manicured green lawn surrounding the estate. Bending my entire torso forward, I began violently throwing up with a bitter agony that practically ripped through my chest.

In that exact moment, while I was actively battling my physical collapse, a flood of deep, dormant fears exploded within my mind. I had not disclosed to anyone at the fashion firm that I was a married woman, let alone that I was actually pregnant. I was gripped by an absolute terror that the corporate management would refuse to employ me or would instantly terminate my contract because of this pregnancy, which they would view as a disruption to the workflow.

Mr. Vincetti walked toward me with measured, unhurried steps across the grass, his massive torso and towering frame instantly looming right beside me. Bending his upper body slightly, he spoke in a grounded, sober tone completely stripped of sarcasm or mockery for the very first time since I had met him:

"Are you truly alright, and are you capable of standing, Miss Miller?"

He extended his large hand, offering me his white cloth handkerchief. I snatched it from his fingers with trembling hands, wiping my mouth in pure exhaustion and depletion. Raising my pale face, I looked into his eyes with deep embarrassment and intense shame, murmuring faintly:

"I am... I am very sorry for throwing up and causing this mess in your estate garden."

The strange, unreadable expression vanished from his face, and he instantly locked his usual cold, dry mask back into place. Pointing his broad palm toward the entrance of the luxurious estate, he delivered a strict directive:

"Step inside immediately. Wash your face and hands with water to regain your composure."

Fiercely fighting the immense depletion of my drained body, I took a massive step backward in flat, uncompromising refusal, stating with a hurried fear of remaining alone with him:

"No... there is absolutely no need for that. I only want to leave and return to my home right now."

He furrowed his eyebrows inquisitively, eyeing my disheveled appearance with deep skepticism before stating coldly:

"Are you absolutely certain and positive that you are fit to drive a vehicle completely on your own?"

I nodded my head with rigid insistence and stubbornness, stating rapidly:

"I am perfectly fine, thank you... just give me my mobile phone, if you please."

He slowly reached into the interior pocket of his jacket, pulling out the phone which had finally stopped ringing and handed it over to me in absolute silence without any further comment. I immediately turned on my heel, rushing with hurried, fleeing paces toward my car door. Climbing behind the steering wheel with jagged, suffocating breaths, I drove out at the maximum possible speed, desperate to escape the perimeter of that wretched estate.

My mind was boiling with frantic thoughts and calculations. It was absolutely not in my best interest for them to discover the truth of my pregnancy, at least not at this incredibly early stage. From this moment on, I would strive with every ounce of strength and effort I possessed to completely conceal the reality of my pregnancy and my changing body from the eyes of everyone at the company to protect my job.

I finally arrived safely at the family estate after a grueling, agonizing journey. Climbing out of the car in absolute physical exhaustion, I stepped into the grand interior lobby with cautious, watchful steps. I glanced around in deep apprehension, finding none of the family members in sight, so I bounded up the grand staircase like a flash of lightning to vanish into the sanctuary of my room. Entering the bedroom, I found that Alexander was not present, letting out a massive sigh of profound relief as I instantly ducked into the bathroom to isolate myself.

Turning on the faucet, I splashed my pale face and hands with freezing cold water to shock my system and regain my strength. I stepped back out, deliberately patting my skin dry with a cotton towel.

Walking with slow steps toward the large mirror mounted on the wall, I stood before it entirely, taking in my depleted reflection. Slowly, I lifted my red shirt slightly upward, staring intently at my abdomen, which was showing a very slight, barely noticeable swelling that was still completely invisible to the casual eye. I touched the surface of my stomach with a warm, gentle tenderness laced with deep fear and anxiety for our future, whispering to myself with rigid determination:

"From this moment on... I am legally bound to wear only loose, oversized clothes, so the size of my stomach never becomes visible to anyone at the firm."

In that exact, vulnerable split-second, the metallic sound of the doorknob violently rattled and burst open with a loud, aggressive force. The door flew open, and one of the estate maids stepped into my private bedroom in an incredibly crude, intrusive manner! I froze in my tracks in pure terror, utterly shocked and blindsided by her sheer arrogance she hadn’t even knocked on the wood or asked for permission before violating my private space! My stomach clenched with intense irritation as I rapidly shielded my body and stomach, snapping my shirt back down, stating in a sharp, authoritative tone:

"Do you not know that there are fundamental rules and basic decency requiring one to knock on closed doors before entering, woman?!"

She closed the wooden door behind her with an agonizing, sinister slowness. Turning her entire body around, she locked her eyes into mine—pupils narrowed with a deep, malicious cunning and pure spite. A sinister smirk etched across her lips as she spoke with a blatant, shocking audacity that thoroughly shook my entire being:

"And is a woman like you truly the one who is going to teach me decency and proper manners inside this estate?"

A roaring fire of pure rage and resentment ignited inside my chest at her flagrant, intolerable insolence. My entire body locked tight from the sheer weight of the anger and humiliation. I took massive strides toward her, my features shifting into a dangerous, threatening mold as I boomed:

"Respect your boundaries immediately and stay in your place!"

She didn’t retreat a single step backward despite my fierce warning. Instead, she stepped forward with excessive, mocking confidence, standing directly in front of me, eye-to-eye. Raising her eyebrow defiantly, she unleashed a stream of venomous, lethal words that struck me with absolute paralysis and raw horror:

"And did you respect your boundaries and your husband... when you walked out completely naked, without a single thread of clothing, from inside Mr. Cedric’s bedroom this morning?"