The car came to a halt. I heard the gates being opened. The car started moving once again. It was already eleven thirty.

''Miss Samuels, we are here.'' Landon told me. I nodded and stepped out of the car. Holy shit! This was no house, it was a freaking mansion. Of course, Mr Beast would not like to stay in a house that would be too degrading for him. Nevertheless, I was rendered speechless. This cream mansion towered over me, terrifying me. Even if Mr Beast was not here, his presence could be felt. The mansion was absolutely beautiful. In fact, there are no adjectives to describe the beauty of this mansion. Uniquely designed fences were enclosed around the house, to keep it secure from intruders. A sample of nature was built in the middle of the gigantic yard, the water fountain was utterly magnificent. Water fell graciously and gently from it making an immensely peaceful sound. On either side of the fountain were different kinds of exotic plants. I could recognize some plants but others were foreign to me. I guess Mr Beast was fond of nature. That's quite a shocker. I was so engrossed in the splendour of the manor that I had not noticed Mr Landon was already at the door, ringing the bell. Losing no time, I walked towards him and stood by his side. I heard a faint ding-dong from the inside. Seconds later, an elderly woman opened the door. She had a worn out expression. Her face was a bit wrinkled but she still looked good. Her smoky grey hair was wrapped in a tight bun making her look elegant. When she looked up at Mr Landon, her emerald eyes twinkled brightly, as if a child has been granted his most awaited wish.

''Oh dear, you're back.'' She embraced him tightly as if she has been waiting for him for ages. Mr Landon returned her hug. What a sweet gesture. This reminded me of Mr and Mrs Jones back at my apartment.

''I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier dear, I was busy in some work.'' Mr Landon replied still holding the elderly woman in his arms. This is so romantic. The eyes of the middle aged woman landed on me. Quickly, she got out of the embrace of Mr Landon. She was blushing different shades of pink. That was so adorable.

''And you must be Miss Samuels, right?'' she asked smiling. How does everyone know me and I have absolutely no idea of who they are.

''Don't be surprised dear, Ethan informed me of your arrival. Please come in.'' She gestured. Good Lord, the interior of the house is even more grandiose and modern. I only saw this kind of interior in interior design magazines and television shows. It has been confirmed that this kind of house does exist. The foyer was enormously grand and sophisticated. The off-white and black linoleum floor of the entrance hall glowed, giving it a shimmer effect. The foyer also included two sets of fifteen foot white sofas and a long coffee table. My eyes fell on the elegant chestnut spiral staircase which lead to the first floor. Each step of the stairs was so refined and well-designed. This house was an absolute masterpiece. I had to blink my eyes several times to make sure I was not in some sort of dream. The house was nickel. I could not see anything chaotic in here. I wonder, what is there to clean here. My eyes fell on a black piano on the extreme end of the foyer. I always dreamed of playing piano and now I'm working with someone who owns a piano. Just great!

''Do you play?'' I looked up at the elderly woman. I had been staring at the black beauty that I did not notice her presence.

''No, I don't, but I would love to play one day.'' I replied truthfully.

''Oh, you should hear Ethan play the piano one day, he is so good at it.'' She was smiling lovingly as if she was recalling something. So, the beast plays. That's another shocker.

''Um, Ma'am, please forgive my bad manners, but I don't know who you are.'' I said sheepishly.

''Oh, I'm so sorry, I did not give a proper introduction of myself. I am Cordelia Adams. I am the housekeeper of this house. And the man who brought you here is my husband, Landon.'' She smiled adoringly. The name Cordelia reminded me of the loving daughter of King Lear in Shakespeare's work of art.

''It's very nice to meet you Mrs Adams.'' I replied sincerely.

''Oh, call me Cordelia.'' She waved her hand before me. ''Come, I'll show you around.'' I nodded and scurried after her.

First she took me to the kitchen. The kitchen was simple yet modern. In fact, I read in a magazine that simple and clean is the underlying philosophy for contemporary design. The island in the middle of the kitchen enhanced its beauty and all the cabinets are made of stainless steel. Wow.

''So, this is where you will be preparing his coffee. And yes, Ethan prefers his coffee black. You should bring it to his room as soon as he wakes up.'' She told me professionally. I nodded vigorously. I should bear this in mind well. Wouldn't want him to throw me out on my second day of duty.

''Come, let's go upstairs.'' She walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs with me following around like a retarded. Once we were on top, I could see a long passageway leading to different rooms. ''So, the last room over there is the room of Ethan.'' She said while pointing towards the extreme end. ''And the room across from his will be yours.'' Huh? Mine?

''Come, I'll show you.'' We walked towards the room. She took a key from her pocket and opened the mahogany door. My lips parted in surprise when I looked at this room. The room was nothing like my room at Mari's, it was twice its size and thrice the size of my own room back in Magnolia Lane. This one resembled a hotel room. A big king sized bed in the middle and on either side of the bed were two wooden night stands. From the large windows, I could see the yard full of vegetation along with the water fountain. I also took note of the walk-in closet. Back home, I only and a small cupboard where I would stuff both my clothes and Lucas'.

''So, do you like it dear?'' Mrs Adams asked gently.

''I do Mrs Adams, but Mr Generes did not say anything about me staying here.'' I told her, with a confused tone.

''Oh, normally Ethan provides his maids with accommodation so that they do not have to travel from their homes to their place of work. It's up to you if you want to stay here or not dear.'' Oh. For a moment, I thought I would have to see the Beast's face for the rest of my life. One thing caught my attention. Maids. Plural form. So, how many were there before me? I inwardly cringed at the thought.

''Do you and Mr Landon stay here?" I asked sceptically.

''Yes, dear, we stay here.'' She said pointing to the room on the other side of the corridor. ''In fact, Ethan has been very generous to us.'' She said tenderly.

We left the first floor and went back downstairs. Mrs Adams sat on the couch and was massaging her knees. I think after years of service, her knees started to give up. I feel slightly bad for her. She is such a kind woman, she does not need suffer from such pain.

''Come here and I'll explain you your duties.'' Mrs Adams patted the seat next to her. ''You'd better take something to write.'' She advised. Hastily, I rummaged through my satchel and found a notebook and a pen. With shaking hands I took them out and took a position to write.

''Ready?'' she asked gently. I nodded.

''So, as I said before, Ethan prefers black coffee to milk one, with only one sugar. He usually prefers a large variety of food for breakfast. It's up to you to cook whatever you want but the choice should be wide.'' I nodded and continued to write.

''Also, sometimes, Ethan will be back home for lunch. There are times when he likes to have lunch at home itself, when he is free, so whenever he goes to the office, two hours later make sure to call him up to ask if he is going to eat at home or at the office. Right?'' I nodded.

''At night, before going to sleep, he likes to have a glass of juice. He has a preference for lemonade. So ensure that you place the lemonade in his room or in his study.''

''Now, for cleaning. Once he is up, you will clean his room that is you will make his bed. And each Sunday, you will clean the entire house.'' My eyes were wide opened by now.

''I will help you of course.'' She laughed. ''Well, that's all. Is there anything you wish to clarify dear?'' she asked gently.

''No.'' I replied.

''Oh, and Désirée, there's nothing to be scared of. If you don't understand something, feel free to ask me.'' She said sweetly. Oh this lady is absolutely charming. ''I forgot to tell you that you're free to take any day off during the week.'' She smiled gently. That's great, I could take Saturdays off to meet Lucas.

''Have you eaten anything dear?'' On cue, my stomach started rumbling. ''I take that as a no.'' I smiled sheepishly.

''Come with me, I'm sure there's some leftover in the fridge. I'll heat it up for you.'' She said in a motherly tone. We got up and went towards the kitchen. While going, I noticed a photo frame hung on the wall near the piano. There were four faces, three boys and one girl in the picture. I looked closely at the picture and was able to identify one of the faces. That was the beast himself. Probably when he was younger. There was a faint smile on his beautiful face. The beast was smiling. Good Lord! So, he smiles. Mrs Adams followed my gaze and walked towards the photo frame. She removed it from where it was hanging and took it in her hands. She was looking lovingly at the photo, as if remembering some previous event.

''This photo was taken ten years ago, when Ethan was only 19. He had just been accepted in Harvard. However, being the shy kid he is, he was unwilling to take the picture. In fact, Adalyn had to drag him to take the photo.'' She said smiling. So, the beast had been to Harvard. That's an interesting fact.

''Um, the others in the photo are his siblings?'' I asked hesitantly. I don't know why but I curious to know more about this handsome beast. Be careful Dési, curiosity killed the cat, that stupid voice appeared again.

''Yes, dear. The two boys and the girl are his siblings. The one with blonde hair is Tyler and the one with brown hair is Ryan and this beautiful young lady is Allyssa. Ethan is the eldest among the four. He's the quietest one but his two younger brothers are extremely mischievous but they are absolute darlings. Allyssa, on the other hand is the most pampered person in this house since she is the youngest. In fact, Ethan loves her to death. I remember one day, Allyssa was very ill, she was suffering from high fever. Ethan did not eat for three days, he insisted to take care of Allyssa until she would be on her feet.'' She explained thoroughly, pride lacing in her voice. This is a facet of Mr Beast which I never thought I would hear in my entire life. 

When I scrutinized the photo, I could see the resemblance among the three brothers. They all have the same Greek nose and they are all gorgeous except that Ethan is way more attractive, striking, handsome, muscular and stop! I need to remind myself that this absurdly good-looking creature is an arrogant, conceited and impolite monster. However, their sister or rather Allyssa did not share the same looks as them. Her face structure was completely different but she looked like an angel straight from heaven. With this beautiful strawberry blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes, she could lure anyone. I guess, the entire Generes family has been blessed with good looks and amazing hair.

Mrs Adams put back the photo in its place. ''Come dear, let's get you some food in that stomach of yours.''

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Ina.