"What the hell are you doing here?" He approaches me lowering his voice. "You are a Third Generation, in the top household, in a maids outfit. What. Is. Going. On?"

I smile tensely, poorly masking my uncomfortable and lost expression. "It's nice to see you too."

"It's illegal for you to be here!" Zale whispers, the daggers in his voice matches the ones in his eyes.

I pause and look away. How am I going to explain this? "It's complicated but completely legal." That's a lie. Nothing about me is legal. I'm a walking crime, a pending execution. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't change the subject. Explain to me why you are a maid in the top household." Zale turns my head up to his face, one hand holding mine tenderly.

"I met someone with a connection and they got me a job here. Probably because they pity my pathetic life." I remove my hand from his and hold my arm with it.

"Tell me who."

"I can't... it will risk their job if I do."

"At least tell me how you met them." Zale groans and crosses his arms.

"How mad would you be if I said I can't disclose that information either."

"Very," Zale growls.

"I'm sorry Zale." I keep my gaze away from his, afraid that with one glance he will be able to read my thoughts. No matter what I will protect Amell, he brought me here and gave me a life I could never fathom. He brought life back into my dying soul, and I need to find a way to thank him, but it's not through ratting him out.

"Clearly you are not, because other than you refusing to tell me how you got here, you broke a promise."

"What promise?" I ask squinting my eyes and scrunching my eyebrows.

"You already forgot..." Zale shakes his head and turns away with aggravation in each step. "You promised me that you would say goodbye before I left, but you disappeared. Do you have any idea how hurt I was? To find out that my only friend, the one there for me when my father hit me, the one that cleaned my wounds he inflicted, had now inflicted her own. This time instead of physical, it was emotional. This can't be fixed with bandages. You are careless with the feelings of those around you. You abandoned Sam and Irvin for a better life a stranger offered you. You broke their hearts El. You broke mine. Do you understand this?"

"Zale..." I susurrate and take a step closer, "you don't understand I did this for them."

"Stop." Zale's hand raises to his forehead and he shakes it. "Just stop. I'm not ready to hear your excuses yet." Refusing to turn around he walks away, disappearing around the corridor.

I turn back around I kick my foot into the railing and groan. Why ask a question you don't want the answer to?

"Why do I keep messing up?" I whisper resting my head on the railing. "Why am I never good enough?"

"I disagree." A soothing voice eases into my line of thoughts. Peaking my eye out I check who has joined me on the balcony. "You are good enough," Amell's caring eyes meet mine, "in fact, I'd say you are more than good enough."

Regrouping, I collect my composure and stand up. "Am- I mean Mr. Sanders."

"Don't you start with that as well," Amell smirks and peers out at the sunset. His hands rest on his hips and I force my gaze to stay on his face. The navy dress pants and vest fit him perfectly, his loose curls sculpted and his brown shoes shine with status. Nothing is out of place. He's completely different from when I first met him, yet he still is sickeningly handsome and acts the same. "I guess the staff is rubbing off on you."

"Sorry," I smile hiding my lack of professionalism, "I am still unclear with the formalities. Everyone seems to want to be called something different."

"Well, Amell suits fine." He meets me at the railing and leans on it glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

"Not Ace?" I meet his glance which forces him to retreat. "I thought it was quite suiting."

He chuckles and I relax one again. "Okay Eagle, let's keep that between us."

"Fine by me." I glance back to the garden before taking a step away from the railing.

Amell turns and his eyes wander to my apron. His smile is soft and endearing. "You clean up well."

"I can say the same for you. I hardly recognized you without your black sweater and the fake sweat on your face."

"Fake? Is it the sweat that gave me away?" Amell smirks.

"No, it was your perfect hair, face, and body." I bluntly reply without thinking. My eyes widen as I realize how blatantly I called Amell handsome. "But it was mostly the fake sweat!" I try to laugh it off nervously and avoid his gaze.

His smirk falls and he takes a step towards me, his limp disrupting his naturally smooth gate. Amell's rich emerald eyes are serious and hold heat in them as they dare me to match his step.

"Your leg," I swiftly divert the conversation, "how is it? You are still limping."

"Ah," Amell clears his throat, "thanks to you I get to keep it. I never got to show you my appreciation, how about tomorrow evening I make it up to you?"

"Sure, that would be nice." I brush a piece of hair behind my ear and rub the back of my neck. "So, I'm going to leave and do my job now. Hate to lose it on the first day." I awkwardly curtsy and wave goodbye. Unaware of what the procedure is, I walk away. Noticing Amell's smile has returned, but there is something different about it.

"Miss Gale?" A maid runs to me gasping for air, "Mr. Sanders has arrived early at the dining room to meet you. He is furious that you aren't there to introduce yourself to him."

"The head of the house is furious with me?" I clench the fabric of my apron and let the fear and dismay completely consume my body.

"It was my fault." Amell immediately steps to my defence. "Enter the room after me and bend your knees and lower your head slightly. No need to curtsy or wave."

"Okay." I look up at him and his collected figure. He keeps his gaze straight and begins to walk to the dining room. I accompany him until we reach the doors, which he swings open revealing a large open room with large flower pots hanging from the ceiling. The plants drape to the ground as a Crystal chandelier dangles over the table. All while an entire wall is made of glass peering outside to a beautifully sculpted landscape.

"Sorry for the wait, I got caught up in a conversation with our new maid." He smooths his vest and puts on a charismatic smile that would make any infatuated girl swoon. "Poor Miss Gale listened to me when she was trying to get back to her job." Amell rests his hands on the back of the chair, mimicking his father.

I swiftly enter, nod my head and bend my knees just as Amell had instructed.

"Amell." His father booms, "Stop making excuses for her." He straightens his back and glares at his son, "Everyone out. I have private matters to discuss with Miss Gale."

The few staff members setting the table turn and scuttle out except Amell who remains still.

"I'm not leaving." Amell counters with a glare of his own.

"You will or she will face the consequences. Don't test me, son." A pause increases the tension and Amell's jaw sets and his father holds his gaze. "Out."

Amell grits his teeth and shoves the chair forward which slams against the table. Whirling around he storms past me with helplessness and coercion in his eyes. He shuts the doors behind him. Leaving his father and myself alone.

"So, Elysia Gale. You are a Defect."