They Thought I Was A Janitor, Until I Refinanced The Skyscraper And Evicted Them

The smell of bleach and damp linen was suffocating. Elena curled tighter into the canvas laundry cart, buried under a pile of soiled tablecloths.

"Hold your breath, child," Sophia whispered from outside the cart. The wheels squeaked as Sophia pushed her toward the service bay.

Elena felt the cart jolt over the threshold. "ID?" a gruff voice asked. Security.

"Just taking the party linens to the wash, honey," Sophia’s voice was steady, the perfect mask of a tired worker. "Mr. Sterling spilled wine. You know how he is."

The guard grunted. "Go ahead."

The cart moved again, rolling into the service elevator. Elena exhaled, the stench of stale wine filling her nose. They were trespassing, effectively committing a crime that would require a trespass attorney if caught, but the adrenaline numbed the fear.

The elevator lurched upward. Floor 10... 20... 40...

Suddenly, the car shuddered and ground to a halt between the 58th and 59th floors. The lights flickered and died.

"Dammit," Sophia hissed.

Through the metal walls, a radio crackled. "Security sweep on all service lifts. We got a glitch in the sensor. shutting down for a manual check."

Elena threw off the dirty tablecloths. In the red emergency light, her eyes met Sophia's. They were trapped in a metal box, and a locksmith wasn't coming. The guards were.