Liam’s Pov

As I sat in my office, going over the daily reports, my thoughts kept drifting back to Maxine. Despite everything I had put her through, she remained resilient. It puzzled me. I had expected her to break or run away like so many others before her. Yet, here she was, still standing, still serving me, and still enduring the harshness of her existence.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called out, and the door swung open to reveal Kris, my best friend and my ...