Chapter 2 - The Midnight Confrontation
When David walked back downstairs, the penthouse was dark, save for the soft under-cabinet LED lights illuminating the massive marble kitchen. Maria was gone, having finished her shift and caught the late-night bus back to her neighborhood, but the kitchen still carried the faint, clean scent of her lemon soap.
David stood before the kitchen island, staring at the canvas bag he had so suspiciously inspected earlier. It was gone, but the memory of its faded, worn fabric remained.
He pulled out his phone and opened the digital security logs of the penthouse. He had cameras in the main living areas, installed for Leo’s safety after the divorce. He scrolled back to the lunch hour, fast-forwarding until he found the camera angle overlooking the laundry corridor.
There, sitting on a plastic stool between the washing machine and a stack of detergent boxes, was Maria.
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She had opened a small, scratched plastic container. Leo’s description was painfully accurate: inside was a single, thin slice of dry bread and three baby carrots. She ate slowly, savoring every tiny bite, before drinking a large glass of tap water to fill her stomach. Then, she stood up, wiped her hands, smoothed her apron, and went straight back to scrubbing the panoramic windows of his multi-million-dollar home.
David closed his eyes. The wealth he had accumulated suddenly felt heavy and hollow. He wasn't just a boss; he was an employer who had allowed a woman to starve under his roof while his own tables groaned under the weight of gourmet waste.
