Chasing the Unexpected

The maid, Pauline Gundy, went pale and dropped to her knees abruptly. “Mr. Hackett, I have elderly parents and a daughter in university. My husband passed away in a car accident a few years ago. Without this job, my family will have no income. Please, have mercy on me!”

Tears streamed down her face as her whole body shook with fear.

Gabriel’s expression remained cold and silent.

Pauline’s eyes darted toward Nyla, and she pleaded tearfully, “Ms. Kinsey, please, have mercy on me. I can’t afford to lose this job. I beg you!”

Before Nyla could respond, nearby guests began murmuring.

“She seems so pitiful. Maybe they should let it slide this time.”

“It’s difficult for a woman to be the sole breadwinner for her entire family. Everyone makes mistakes. We should be forgiving.”

“It wasn’t intentional. If they keep pressing the issue, it just makes them seem petty.‘

11

Nyla’s face turned frosty. It was easy for the crowd to act self–righteous–they weren’t the ones who had nearly fallen onto broken glass.

She looked down at the kneeling Pauline and said firmly, “This is my first time attending an event at the Wilkies‘. How did you know my last name?”

Pauline’s face flashed with panic, but she quickly replied, “Ms. Wilkie instructed us to memorize all the guests‘ names and faces. You’re so striking, Ms. Kinsey–I couldn’t forget you.”

Nyla remained unmoved. Her face showed no emotion. “Is that so?”

Pauline forced a nod. “Yes… Ms. Kinsey, please. I’m willing to do anything to make amends –just don’t take my job away.”

Nyla nodded. “Alright.”

Pauline’s face lit up with hope, but Nyla continued, pointing to a woman in a white dress nearby. “If you can tell me that young woman’s full name, I’ll consider forgiving you.”

“W–What?” Pauline’s face turned deathly pale, and she froze.

Nyla’s expression grew colder as Pauline stammered, unable to answer. “What’s wrong? You don’t know?”

Pauline gritted her teeth. “I… I forgot…”

“But didn’t you say you had memorized all the guests‘ names and faces?” Nyla questioned.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. The guests around them quickly realized the truth: this maid had been sent deliberately to bump into Nyla.

Expressions shifted upon this realization. They had taken the maid’s side earlier out of a sense of superiority and feigned magnanimity. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

Now, realizing they had been manipulated into sympathizing with someone who had ulterior motives, their expressions turned harsh and disdainful.

“Ms. Kinsey, this maid’s a liar–absolutely no sympathy for people like her. You should call the police!”

“Yes, absolutely. The police can uncover who put her up to this!”

“Someone who’d farget a guest at an event should be arrested!”

Pauline trembled as she heard the angry voices around her. She was sweating profusely

and looked as if she wished she could vanish.

“Ms. Kinsey, no one told me to do it… I swear it was an accident! Please, just let me leave now, and I’ll never come back,” she begged.

She tried to make a run for it, but a cold voice stopped her. “Stay right there!”

Gabriel glared at her. “Who sent you? If you don’t answer, I’ll have you escorted straight to the police station.”