Trying not to make a sound, 27-year-old Elizaveta Andreevna Malinkina cautiously made her way down the hallway toward the bedroom of Alisa, the owner’s 14-year-old daughter. She needed to check on the girl so she could go to bed herself.

For two weeks now, Liza has been working at billionaire Voropaev’s house in place of her older sister, Antonina, who suddenly fell ill during their vacation. She had to take on his responsibilities. This job was very important to the family: the salary there was much higher than anywhere else in the area. Antonina had two daughters: Marina, 14, and Vanechka, 6.

The job was simple: keep the house tidy and, if possible, keep the owners from seeing it. But there was a catch: on days when Aleksey Voropaev and his fiancée Anzhelika were away, Elizaveta had to spend the night at the mansion.

Aleksey Anatolyevich had a daughter, Alisa, and on those nights she was left alone in the huge house. The servants’ quarters were on the other side of the estate.

Already on the stairs, Liza heard crying. She looked at her clock: three in the morning.

“What’s so weird about this? Crying again… This is out of the ordinary,” she murmured softly.

Steeling herself, she knocked on the door. She wanted to understand what was going on. She was sure something serious had happened. If the girl had had such a wealthy life, would she really be crying?

Although her sister had strictly warned her, “Don’t show yourself in front of the owners,” Malinkina decided to go in. Instead of standing by the door listening, she opened it wide and entered the room.

“What are you doing here?! Who let you in?! Get out right now! I’ll call security!” Alisa shouted, throwing a pillow at the maid.

Liza caught it deftly and threw it immediately. The pillow hit the lady’s daughter right on the head.

“How dare you?! I’ll tell Dad and fire you!” the girl protested.

“I don’t care if he fires me,” the woman replied with a hint of sarcasm. “It’s unbearable living in your house. It’s not even quiet at night. Someone’s always crying. I don’t know who?” She smiled sarcastically. “Oh, yes, it’s you. Maybe Dad didn’t give you the star you wanted, or you broke an acrylic nail?”

Alisa burst into tears:

You don’t understand anything! If you only knew how much I suffer!

“Okay, fuck it,” Liza agreed. “If I’d been chauffeured to school when I was 14, I’d be crying too.”

“Why?” the girl asked in surprise.

We used to go swimming after school, pick mushrooms in the fall, and sometimes go get ice cream at a café. And you? No one visits, you have no one to talk to.

Malinkina headed for the door, but Alisa stopped her:

How do you find friends? I don’t have any.

“None?” the woman was surprised.

Not a single one. I had a mother, but then my parents divorced. They sent me to study abroad, I got sick there, and my father brought me back.

“Why do you live with your father and not your mother?” Liza asked, feeling a familiar ache.

Mom doesn’t want to see me. She has a new family: a husband and small children.

Did she tell you herself?

“No. I haven’t seen her in a long time. My father tells me so,” Alisa sighed.

“Your father is an idiot!” Elizaveta couldn’t help herself. “Only a completely selfish person would say those things to their son.”

“Are you talking about me?” said a voice from the doorway.

They both froze. A man in his thirties entered the room.

“Oh, Dad, are you back yet?” the little girl asked in a panic, hiding under the blanket.

“Stop calling Anzhelika a poodle,” Voropaev said sternly and turned to Liza. “Who are you and what are you doing in my daughter’s room?”

“I’m the maid. I just wanted to check if you were asleep,” Liza replied, embarrassed.

They were warned: don’t go in, just listen behind the door. If necessary, wake Tamara Petrovna; don’t force your way in.

“Yes, I was warned,” the woman lowered her gaze, unwilling to betray Alisa.

“You’re fired,” Aleksey said coldly and approached his daughter’s bed.

Liza stood there, not knowing where to go. She felt humiliated and worried: how could she explain everything to Antonina?

Voropaev turned around:

Are you still here? Go away. You’re fired.

“Dad, no, it’s not her fault,” Alisa pleaded. “I asked her to come. I had a terrible nightmare.”

Okay, I’ll forgive you this time. But if I see you near my daughter again, it’ll be your responsibility.

Liza quickly went to her room. What a silly idea! She almost disappointed her sister. She definitely wouldn’t see Alisa again.

As she fell asleep, Liza thought of her older sister, Antonina Grineva. She had always been her dearest friend. The age difference between them was eight years.

He remembered the days when his father was alive, the family was large and close, and his mother took care of them. Then his father fell ill. They took him to the city clinic and never returned.

Her mother mourned for a long time, but soon began to abuse alcohol. Liza was thirteen years old at the time. She didn’t want to live with her mother and her new husband, Yuri Zhukov, and repeatedly ran away to her father’s house. She was forcibly taken back, but escaped again.

Liza once traveled 300 kilometers by train. The police found her and sent her back. After that, social services intervened for the first time.

So Antonina, who had just had her first daughter Marina, decided to take in her sister:

“Sasha, should we take Liza? The baby will be lost,” she said to her husband.

“I don’t mind. But can you handle a baby and a teenager? Especially since I travel a lot for work,” replied Alexander, a helicopter pilot by profession.

He loved the sky, but he agreed to stay home more for Tonya. However, he couldn’t give up flying completely.

So Antonina now lived in constant worry while her husband was away on duty. But at least she saved her sister from the harsh conditions at their mother’s house. Natalya Egorovna didn’t even resist: she wanted freedom, and Liza caused her a lot of trouble.

The mother, leaving her younger daughter in the care of her eldest, breathed a sigh of relief and immersed herself fully in her carefree life. Elizaveta was lucky: she ended up in Antonina’s home. For the first time in many years, Liza felt love, attention, and support.

Little by little, the girl recovered: she calmed down, improved her studies, and began to enjoy life. Now, after school, she hurried home not only to do her homework, but also to help her beloved sister.

He no longer visited his mother, even though she lived a few blocks away. The resentment was too great. But at night he often cried, remembering his father, his dearest friend, who was no longer with him.

Elizaveta graduated with a silver medal and entered university without any difficulty. After earning her law degree, she became a lawyer and was admitted to the bar within three years.

The young Malinkina quickly built a reputation as a promising and competent lawyer. Her colleagues and professors predicted a bright future for her. Naum Yakovlevich Goldman, one of the region’s top lawyers, played a pivotal role in her career, becoming not only her mentor but also a close friend.

Naum Yakovlevich had his own daughter, but they’d lost touch long ago: the Goldman family moved to Canada after a divorce. He stayed in Russia and now considered Liza his spiritual daughter. For many, he was a legend: not just talented, but a true genius in his craft.

Liza understood this perfectly and always considered herself fortunate to have studied with such a teacher. The only pain in her life was loneliness. Malinkina became her support. It was especially touching that she resembled his own daughter, which is why Goldman affectionately called her “my daughter.”

They met when Liza was fortunate enough to be his intern. Later, when she opened her own practice, she maintained a trusting relationship with him, helping him and communicating almost as if they were family.

“I’ll never abandon you, Naum Yakovlevich. Don’t even expect it!” Liza said, as she led the old man to her dacha.

—My son, I could get there myself. Why did you rush this morning?

Get dressed and don’t argue. I’ll wait for you in the car. Where are your things?

“I’ll pack my own bags. I’m a man, after all. Or should I swallow them? Wait, I’ll do it. You’ll have time to tell me off later,” Goldman growled, hiding a smile.

Such exchanges were common between them: two people who became closer than family. Naum Yakovlevich even amended his will, leaving half of his fortune to Liza, although she was unaware of all this and had no aspirations for wealth.

For Elizaveta, the most valuable thing was the mere presence of this person. With Goldman, she felt peace, protection, and security—a feeling she had only experienced in childhood, while her father was alive.

The old lawyer couldn’t imagine life without Liza either. He feared that one day she would leave, get married, and start a family. If he had survived the separation from his own daughter, he couldn’t now. But he didn’t want to talk about it.

He made plans for Liza: to get married, start a family, have children, become the best lawyer in the country. And he thought of himself last.

Meanwhile, they only separated once a year: during the holidays, when Liza went with her sister. Antonina had cared for her for so many years that Malinkina wanted to reciprocate by helping her, by being close, by at least partially repaying the debt.

Although Liza could now afford any trip, she still chose her sister’s house. It was a way to thank them and simply spend time with her loved ones.

She repeatedly offered Tonya a move to the city, where they could rent a spacious apartment, work, and raise children together. But Antonina refused. She was waiting for her husband, Alexander Grishin, a helicopter pilot whose plane crashed five years ago during a mission. His body was never found, and he was officially declared dead.

But Tonya didn’t believe it:

—I’m not going anywhere, Lizonka. What if Sashka comes back? How will she find us in the city?

“We’ll leave a note with the address,” Liza joked, though she felt bitter.

He admired his sister’s strength of spirit, loyalty, and love. But deep down, he felt sorry: the years pass, life goes on. And Tonya keeps waiting…

Semyon Krachkov had courted her for a long time, but she refused:

How can I get married if my husband is still alive? No one has seen his body, so he’ll come back.

This was how the Grishins lived in the village. Only when their daughter Marina finished school and went to study in the city did Liza take care of her niece. In the meantime, she visited her relatives on holidays, sometimes on weekends, and always during their vacations.

It was during one of those vacations that Liza had to rush in to help. Antonina had been in pain for three days, but couldn’t afford to miss work. She was a housekeeper at the home of billionaire Voropaev.

The wealthy like to live outside the city: they buy land and build houses. Staff are often recruited from local residents. The town was close; it took ten minutes by bike to get to work.

Therefore, Liza easily reached an agreement with the other workers: they agreed to cover the replacement and not tell anyone that Antonina would be replaced by her sister. The owners wouldn’t find out, since most of the servants were strangers to them. The staff had to be invisible, trying to go unnoticed.

There weren’t such strict rules before, but everything changed when Voropaev’s fiancée, Anzhelika, moved in with her. The bride-to-be couldn’t stand people without a million in their pockets. She despised servants and didn’t want to see them.

The employer demanded that the cleaning be done outside the presence of the family, and upon seeing any owner, the workers had to disappear immediately.

“So we have to move like shadows?” Liza smiled upon hearing this for the first time.

“Yes, something like that,” shrugged Tamara Petrovna, the housekeeper who had worked in the house for many years. “It’s Anzhelika’s doing. She’s not even the wife, but she’s already behaving like the boss.”

“As long as she’s the fiancée, and that means a guest,” Malinkina noted. “Guests can ask questions, but they don’t have the right to give orders.”

“Of course,” Tamara Petrovna sighed, “but no one wants to get involved with her. Voropaev proposed to her, gave her a diamond ring; the wedding is soon.”

“Good,” Liza said with a smile. “It benefits me. No one knows me, so no one will guess I’m replacing my sister.”

“To be honest, Lizonka, you’d better hide yourself well if you suddenly see Anzhelika,” Tamara Petrovna said with a grimace.

“Why?” Malinkina frowned.

You’re too young and beautiful. They don’t allow you to work like that here. Even your sister, Antonina, is too young to be a servant; she’s the same age as Voropaev. And you’re even younger…

“Is she really that jealous?” Liza asked thoughtfully.

“Of course! He even fired Masha Grenkina, though she’s no beauty. But Anzhelika knows what female cunning is. They say she used to work as an escort. Now she’s decided to settle down; she’s old enough, approaching forty,” the maid lowered her voice.

It was obvious the woman was eager to gossip. Liza had already noticed that the house staff loved to talk about the owners among themselves, but no gossip ever left the mansion. Revealing anything meant dismissal, not just for one person, but for the entire staff. Everyone understood and regarded the rule as a commandment. The job was too good to lose.

“Why did Aleksey Anatolyevich decide to marry such a woman?” Liza asked.

Do you know how clever she is? Like a vixen. Her years as an escort have given her good manners: she speaks English, is up on the news, understands politics, fashion, and the entertainment world. With her, it’s not embarrassing to appear in public, and she looks decent. Do you understand now?

—No —Elizaveta shook her head.

Well, well, Liza! Aleksey never loved anyone. I’ve seen many women here, but he only noticed Vera, his first wife. He truly loved her. The others didn’t care. Anzhelika is part of the image. He buys her trinkets, takes her out. A man like Voropaev needs a wife.

A married businessman inspires more trust among his partners. A single man is, in some ways, disrespectful. So he decided to get married.

“So, are you going to buy it?” Liza asked thoughtfully.

“You could say that,” Tamara Petrovna agreed. “He’s paying, and we have to put up with this village geisha. And Alisa doesn’t like her at all,” the maid said with a grimace.

Why did Voropaev separate from Alisa’s mother? The girl seems to be suffering greatly.

Vera couldn’t stand it. She felt like a caged bird. Aleksey loved her, spoiled her, and protected her, but he almost never had time for her. He came home late when she was already asleep and left early before she woke up. Then he sent his daughter to study in Europe; that’s when Vera became very sad.

Then she found another man. Conflicts arose due to her husband’s constant absence. Aleksey insisted that money doesn’t fall from the sky, and Vera needed simple human relationships. But he couldn’t change his schedule.

So Voropaev advised his wife to find something to do: entertain herself or find a hobby. Vera had graduated from the art academy. She began attending exhibitions, communicating with artists, and asked him to buy her a studio. Aleksey agreed. From then on, she hardly ever left it.

One day, over breakfast, she said, out of the blue, “Lesha, I’m leaving you.

” “Why?” He was stunned. ”

I fell in love with another man.”

It turned out that he had been corresponding with a certain Jack, a famous and wealthy English artist. They met at a Russian exhibition where he had bought paintings. He later traveled to Russia several times and met Vera in the very studio Voropaev had given him.

Vera is now married to Jack and lives in London. After the divorce, Aleksey immediately brought his daughter from Europe and sent her to a Russian school. He forbade his ex-wife from seeing Alisa; he still doesn’t allow her to.

The girl can’t adapt. Although she’s been in Russia for three years, she doesn’t get along with her classmates. She’s extremely withdrawn and keeps everything to herself. Her childhood trauma and separation from her mother are taking their toll.

“Alexei resents Vera in his soul, but his daughter suffers,” Tamara Petrovna sighed.

“You’re a real psychologist,” Liza smiled.

Come on! I’ve lived a lot and seen it all. Sometimes I say it better than any psychologist: you’re not one of us. You’re not the berry you’re looking for.

What do you mean? the girl asked in surprise.

What I see. You feel like you’re from another race: educated, intelligent. You’re clearly not a servant. Your sister is a simple woman, but who are you?

Liza didn’t want to reveal more about herself, so she answered evasively:

I’m from a district center. I grew up there, but I studied in the city. Now, excuse me, I have to go. The owners will wake up soon, and I haven’t cleaned the gazebo. You’ll have breakfast there.

“That’s right!” Tamara exclaimed. “What am I talking about? If Kopeykin wakes up, we’ll all be in trouble.”

“Who is Kopeykin?” Liza didn’t understand.

“It’s Anzhelika!” the housekeeper laughed. “She pretends to be an aristocrat, but she’s actually Anzhela Vasilievna Kopeykin, daughter of our village zoologist. From my village, Sinkovka. Does the name ring a bell?”

“It looks familiar,” Malinkina said, smiling, grabbing a bucket of water and running to clean up.

The girl ran so fast that she didn’t notice she’d collided with the owner of the house. Water from the full bucket spilled over Aleksey Anatolyevich’s pants and shoes.

The billionaire’s eyes widened; he was speechless for a second, but he quickly composed himself:

You again? Hey, you didn’t get fired yesterday just because Alisa asked you to. But that won’t save you from getting fired for other offenses. Get out of here!

—Forgive me… forgive me… —Liza took a brush out of her apron pocket and began moving it through the puddles on the floor.

“Are you completely crazy? Do you think you can clean water with these brushes?” the owner shouted furiously. He was about to leave to change, but suddenly stopped and turned sharply: “Tell me, how long have you been working as a maid? You don’t seem to know anything about how it’s done.”

“No, no! What are you saying? I’ve done all the housework since I was little. I have tons of experience.” Liza’s heart pounded with fear; she was afraid she’d be fired again.

“What is your name?”

“Liza.”

—Okay, Liza, keep working. For now.

Malinkina quickly headed to the gazebo, which had been in need of cleaning for some time. Along the way, she overheard a fragment of a conversation between the owner and his fiancée:

Did she pour water on you? Did you fire her, honey? Why? Where is that person? I’ll pour it on her myself right now!

What Voropaev replied was inaudible, but Liza felt that he was persuading Anzhelika not to touch the cane.

As Liza feverishly prepared the gazebo for breakfast, Alisa approached her:

Hello. What are you doing?

Hello. Please don’t bother me. Your dad almost fired me for the second time in the last twelve hours. At this rate, I’m sure I’ll lose this job soon. And I have to stay here, do you understand?

“Because?”

Liza stopped and stopped cleaning the table:

It’s a secret. Do you know how to keep secrets?

“Of course,” the little girl blushed. Until then, no one had ever confided adult secrets to her. Her father always kicked her out of the room when serious conversations began.

“Then swear that you will not tell even under torture.”

“I swear,” Alisa whispered.

Okay. Remember: this is very important. I’m not just a servant. I snuck in here. In fact, I don’t work here.

Alisa covered her mouth to keep from gasping and also whispered:

“Are you a spy?”

—No. Listen to me carefully.

Liza told a little about her childhood, about her sister, and how she was willing to do anything for the family. Now her sister was sick and hospitalized, and Liza was replacing her at work. She also had two nephews: Marina, fourteen, and Pavlik, six. Marina tried to take care of her brother while Liza worked, but the responsibility still fell on her.

Alisa didn’t even realize how she started helping clean up. Together, they quickly finished, and from that moment on, their shared secret bonded them so much that the girl felt initiated into the most important cause in the world.

“I’ll never betray you, Liza,” he promised seriously, placing his hand on her chest.

“Thank you. You’re a true friend,” Liza said sincerely. Alisa absorbed these words deeply and even cried.

Seriously? Can I be your friend?

Liza was a little confused but quickly recovered:

“Alisa Voropaeva, I offer you the hand of friendship.”

She didn’t yet know she’d just found her most faithful friend. Alisa had never had any friends, but she was intelligent, loved books, and fully understood what true friendship was. Deception, betrayal, and mistrust were foreign to her.

—Liza, are you staying here again tonight? What about Marina and Pavlik?

Yes, I’ll pick them up at night. But I’m not allowed to invite anyone into my room. What if the owner finds out?

No problem, you can stay with us. We’ll swim in the pool, watch movies at the cinema, order pizza and sushi. Konstantin cooks wonderfully!

“Who is Konstantin?”

“Our chef,” Alisa laughed.

“No way, they’ll definitely fire me if they find out.”

—They won’t. My friend can be anywhere he wants here. So don’t worry. And I’ll take care of the poodle.

“What poodle?”

“Anzhelika,” the girl replied briefly, and they both laughed.

At that moment, Voropaev’s fiancée entered the gazebo. She looked contemptuously at Alisa and the housekeeper:

Alisa, what are you doing here? Go inside the house. You’ll be called when breakfast is served. Until then, you have nothing to do here, especially with the servants.

“But you didn’t ask,” the girl replied bravely. “You’re nobody here. Run your village.”

“Ah, you… Wait, when my time comes, then you’ll dance!” Anzhelika whispered through her teeth. Her lips were trembling, and her hands were clenched into fists. She looked as if she were about to attack Alisa. But suddenly she looked at Liza, who lowered her gaze, hiding her face. She remembered Tamara Petrovna’s warning: a bride sends her maids away without hesitation.

This time, Liza was lucky: the storm beat her to it. She hurried to clean Voropaev and Anzhelika’s room while everyone was having breakfast. After Aleksey Anatolyevich left home, the usual hustle and bustle around the house began.

Gardeners, cooks, guards, maids… everyone worked carefully, trying not to upset the owner. Everyone wanted to keep their jobs.

After cleaning, Liza rested a little, talked on the phone with Marina and Pavlik, called her sister, and promised the children she’d pick them up that evening and they’d spend time together at the billionaire’s house. Pavlik was delighted; his mother never allowed them to play in the mansion.

After settling her affairs, Liza went to Voropaev’s office. The door was ajar, which seemed strange to her; the office was normally locked. Since the head of security had given her the key earlier, she knew she had to return it after cleaning.

She stopped, thought, carefully leaned the cleaning equipment against the wall, and quietly approached the door. What she saw shocked her deeply.

Anzhelika, Aleksey Anatolyevich’s fiancée, was rummaging through the safe. She took out several documents, photographed them, carefully put them away, closed the safe, and wiped it with a handkerchief. Then she took off her gloves, hid her phone in her pocket, and arranged the papers on the table.

Liza managed to record a video and take several photos. When the woman finished, Malinkina grabbed her buckets and rags and hid in a corner to go unnoticed.

A moment later, Anzhelika left the office, looked around, locked the door, and hurried out. Liza took a deep breath: the danger was over. Her heart had barely stopped when she cautiously peeked around the corner.

With trembling hands, Malinkina opened the door and began cleaning. When she finished, she watched the recorded video several times, checked its quality, and sent it to Naum Yakovlevich. They exchanged a few messages, after which Liza smiled, said goodbye, and walked confidently down the hallway. She knew she had to strictly follow her former mentor’s instructions.

As soon as she told the lawyer everything that had happened during her work at the Voropaev house, he sighed deeply:

“My little bird, how come you always find yourself at the center of the most scandalous stories?”

I don’t understand, Naum Yakovlevich. I didn’t want to interfere with anyone. Tonya fell ill, so I had to replace her. Otherwise, he could have lost his job. And the owner’s fiancée is a snake! You can’t even imagine. He fires all the young maids, and if anyone gets sick, they leave immediately. In his opinion, the staff should be impeccable, like robots.

“Voropaev… Aleksey Anatolyevich?” the lawyer was surprised.

—Yes, that’s him. Do you know him?

More than that. I’ve been managing his family affairs for a long time. His father, Anatoly Mikhailovich, was a kind man. I defended his interests in the 1980s. I’ve known Aleksey since childhood. So you live in his house now?

“Exactly there.”

Listen carefully: don’t take any action on your own. I’ll consult with Anzhelika through my channels first, and then we’ll decide what to do. I promise, quickly. Can you hold out for a couple of days?

“Of course,” Liza smiled.

The conversation ended. After work, when Voropaev and his fiancée flew to Sochi for the weekend, Liza took Marina and Pavlik, and together with Alisa, they celebrated in earnest.

They spent the whole afternoon having fun, playing, and laughing. At night, when the children fell asleep, Liza would check on Alisa to make sure she was asleep. The room was quiet; Alisa dozed peacefully. Today she was happier than ever. Malinkina understood how difficult life was with her father and his new fiancé. But she also knew: the most important thing is attention, care, and love. That was precisely what she was missing.

Elizaveta decided for herself that even when this story ended, she would remain in Alisa’s life. She imagined how many years later she would say, “I’ve known Alisa Alekseevna since childhood. I was always there when she was having a hard time.”

Liza smiled but at that moment she collided with Voropaev himself in the corridor.

“Is it you again?” he said in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” the girl asked fearfully. Her thoughts were racing: her nephews were sleeping in their room, the living room was still a mess after the party.

“I live here,” Voropaev laughed softly. “And you seem to feel at home already. This is the second time we’ve seen each other in the hallway at night.”

“Sorry,” Liza said with a smile and a whisper. “I was just checking to see if Alisa was asleep.”

“AND?”

—She is. For the first time, so calm and carefree.

What did you do to him? He suffered from insomnia for years.

“I became a real friend to her,” Liza shrugged.

Hey, Liza, come to my office. We need to talk about my daughter. We’re in the plaza, and it’s night outside.

They entered in silence. The owner offered the girl a seat in an armchair and gave her a glass.

Forgive my frankness, but why did you come back early? Your fiancée is in Sochi, right?

Problems in the business. Someone obtained information they shouldn’t have known. Oleg Zaporozhnikov, my old friend and enemy. I think he leaked the information. I don’t understand how he got the project before the bidding process.

“Do you think the staff won’t understand you?” Liza asked, slightly offended.

No, not at all! I don’t think so. Sorry for saying that. By the way, about Anzhelika… I’m also disgusted by her firing people for no reason. But she’ll soon become the owner of the house, and those decisions won’t be mine anymore.

“So why are you marrying her if you don’t love her?” Liza asked, blushing but holding his long gaze.

It’s not about love. I need a woman to act as my lover, Mrs. Voropaev.

Malinkina’s eyes opened wide:

But that’s wrong. You can’t live without love. Love is the meaning of life. Loving your children, your wife, your country: that’s the true goal of a person.

“I don’t know how to love,” Voropaev interrupted. “Those I loved are no longer here. And my ex-wife, whom I loved very much, left me for another woman. Maybe I just don’t love well. Even my daughter…”

Then you need someone to teach you how to love. But it’s definitely not Anzhelika. She’ll destroy you with her coldness. Because she doesn’t love you the way you love her.

Voropaev reflected:

“Could you teach me to love?”

Liza blushed and couldn’t answer; at that moment the door opened and Alisa, sleepily, entered the office:

“Liza, I was looking for you! I went to your room, but you weren’t there.” She ran to the chair, sat next to her friend, and hugged her. A few minutes later, the girl fell fast asleep.

“Well, we didn’t talk again,” Liza said with a smile. “Could you tell me why you came back so suddenly, leaving your fiancée alone?”

—Leave her alone for now. I need to sort something out. The project the whole team worked on could fail. A competitor submitted my proposal before I did. I don’t understand how they found out. There are no traitors among the staff.

Tomorrow I’ll have a board meeting, and the day after tomorrow my lawyer will be here. I’ll have to close the project, but we’ll move forward.

“Remember who knew about the case. Who benefits,” Liza said thoughtfully. She already knew who was behind it, but she didn’t rush to reveal her cards; she promised Naum Yakovlevich.

On Sunday morning, Liza went to the hospital with the children to see her sister. Antonina was almost recovered, and the doctors planned to release her soon. This meant Liza’s work at the Voropaev household was coming to an end.

Liza thought with some sadness that she would soon be leaving that house. She didn’t want to leave. Aleksey Anatolyevich was becoming closer, more interesting to her. And she felt that he saw her as more than just a servant. But how could a lawyer, even a promising and talented one, leave her office and continue working as a maid?

Thinking about it, Liza even laughed.

Meanwhile, Alisa convinced them to go with the company to the hospital to see Tonya, and then they all went to the beach together. Voropaev’s daughter watched everything around her with curiosity. It turned out she had never eaten cotton candy, ridden a Ferris wheel, or swum in a river.

The little girl enjoyed expensive entertainment, luxurious trips, European excursions… but she lacked the simple joys—those usually afforded to ordinary children. She never jumped off a bridge into the water, never played in fountains, never went camping, or roasted potatoes over an open fire.

“I promise I’ll show you all this this summer,” Marina promised. “And if Dad lets us, we’ll even go to Liza’s town for the night!”

“Really? You live in the city, Liza?” Alisa was surprised.

“Of course,” Marina said, immediately biting her tongue.

“Really?” the girl said sadly.

“Yes, that’s true. I live in the city and work as a lawyer,” Liza admitted. “Don’t worry, friend. I’m sure we’ll see each other. I think your father and I are developing a good relationship. So you’ll visit us.”

Alisa hugged Liza and smiled:

You and Dad getting married! Can you imagine?

Liza didn’t reply, she just blushed deeply. Suddenly, the idea stopped seeming absurd. Although not long ago, she had been terribly afraid of Voropaev.

The day went wonderfully. In the evening, Liza and her nephews accompanied Alisa home and returned to the village. It was her day off, the first in a long time. The next day she had to return to the Voropaev mansion.

In the morning, the phone rang persistently, the alarm demanding to wake up, but Liza snoozed again and again, hoping to get a little more sleep. Fatigue had accumulated: she’d worked more in one week than she had all year, and she’d also check at night to see if Alisa was asleep.

As a result, she arrived late. Liza hurried as much as she could, but she still arrived after breakfast.

“If I worked here permanently, I would have been fired long ago. I would have been kicked out of any house,” he thought as he approached the courtyard.

Alisa was already waiting for her on the porch:

—Hurry up, I’ve got you covered. Dad already asked where you were. I said you were helping in the kitchen.

“Thanks, dear, you owe me one,” Liza replied hastily, parked her bike and went inside.

As soon as he changed his clothes and entered the living room with Alisa, he saw two men: Voropaev and Naum Yakovlevich.

“Good morning,” Liza said, embarrassed.

“Hi, Liza. I was looking for you,” the owner said with a smile.

“I was in the kitchen… cleaning, cutting… and all that,” the girl tried to explain, trying not to look at the lawyer.

“I was cleaning, cutting,” Goldman said, laughing. “Elizaveta, you fell asleep again. Tell the truth.”

Voropaev looked at him in surprise.

“Aleksey Anatolyevich,” Naum Yakovlevich began, “may I introduce you to my partner, student, friend, and one of the best lawyers in our city, after me, of course. This is Elizaveta Andreevna Malinkina.”

—Excuse me… and this is my maid, Liza… what is her patronymic? —Voropaev asked.

“Elizaveta Andreevna… Malinkina,” the girl answered modestly, lowering her gaze.

Alisa watched with a satisfied smile. Now it was clear: the only one who didn’t know anything was Voropaev himself.

“What’s wrong?” the man smiled, confused.

“Let me explain,” Naum Yakovlevich said, swallowing a pill. “Liza is on vacation, temporarily replacing her sick sister. She was the one who accidentally saw Anzhelika rummaging through the safe and photographing documents. The video I showed you was taken by Liza. So, while she was cleaning your office, she got rid of the spy who was supposed to be your wife.”

At that moment, Anzhelika entered the house. She was carrying a wheeled suitcase and was visibly furious:

You left me alone, you didn’t come back, you didn’t send a helicopter, no one picked me up at the airport. I have to think carefully about marrying you, Aleksey!

“Of course not,” Voropaev replied calmly. “Pack your things and leave. Before I call the police.”

Anzhelika looked around in astonishment.

What’s a maid doing here? Why is she here?

Without a word, Aleksey played the video and placed his phone on the table next to her. Anzhelika understood everything. She turned pale, but a second later she started screaming hysterically that Voropaev was heartless, that his daughter was a bad person, and that one day she would regret her decision.

Anzhelika left, the engagement was broken. Voropaev lost the tender, and the project had to be closed. But new opportunities were already looming on the horizon, and Aleksey was even relieved: everything had turned out as it should.

Now she was seeing the best lawyer in town (after Naum Yakovlevich, of course). Elizaveta became not only her lover, but also Alisa’s best friend.

Liza also convinced Voropaev to restore the relationship between Alisa and her mother. Aleksey did everything he could to ensure they could see each other, communicate, and spend as much time together as they wanted.

And so, in August, Alisa met her mother. Vera had flown in specially from London. The little girl hadn’t been this happy in a long time. And it was all thanks to Liza, who would soon give Alisa another important gift: becoming her new mother.