Chapter 1 - His Birthday

“Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge,” Loretta said. She was the lady of the house, and it was her only son's birthday.

“Okay, Ma,” Miranda answered. As a young lady in her early twenties, she wore a pink dress and black slippers. It was 5 pm, and she was assisting the other maids in preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of eight children, Derrick was the only son of his wealthy family.

Many guests were already present in the Luis family mansion. Among them were top admirers, business partners, and their family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant wasn't at home.

---

At a luxurious firm, Derrick Luis was still at his office in the fifth floor when his mobile rang. “Hello, Mother,” he said as he picked up the call.

“Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So where are you?” his mother asked.

Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick observed it was 6 p.m. “At the office, Mother,” he replied.

“Come home, son. It's your birthday, and we did a lot just to make today a special moment to mark your new age at 25.”

“Mom, I am not interested in birthday parties. Why can't you understand my concept?” Derrick murmured. His mother was already old, so he couldn't blame her.

“I understand. Please come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay in the office until this time, I wouldn't have allowed you to go to the office today, knowing today is also your birthday.”

“Mom, I cannot set work aside for a party. Who will look after Dad's company?” Derrick muttered again.

“You are right, but during your father's prime, he didn't skip home for work. He attended parties. Where do you think I met him?” his mother responded sadly.

“Hmm.” Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. “Fine, Mother. I will come home now,” he said, and the phone call ended.

“Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, my mother still wants me to prioritize a party over work. Hmm.” Derrick mused as he stood up from his exclusive office chair. Shutting down his computer, he grabbed his briefcase and elegantly left his office.

Arriving home in a black Prado jeep, Derrick got out of the vehicle and made his way to his family's mansion. He could hear the sound of music and frowned after seeing all the guests’ cars that were parked inside his late father's estate.

Marching forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion's exterior. He rang the doorbell and the maid pulled the door open for him.

“Welcome, Master Derrick,” the maid greeted.

Derrick ignored her greeting and was ushered in by his mother, who was in the living room with a lot of guests.

“Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you.”

“Happy birthday, Master Derrick!” all the guests in the living room toasted to the new age of the young master.

“Thank you all,” Derrick replied, and was about to retire to his bedroom to rest when his mother stopped him.

“Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish.”

Pausing at the staircase, Derrick look back at all the faces of the guests—his seven elder sisters, all married with kids, and his staff.

Derrick wanted to protest that he was not a kid and didn't want a birthday party. However, he gulped down his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.

Approaching his cake, which was placed in the center of the living room, Derrick picked up the knife and cut the white cake, while the guests all beamed happily, clapping for him.

“Happy birthday, brother,” his sisters cheered, and he replied, “Thank you all.”

“That's not all, Derrick. Make a wish,” his mother urged him again.

“Oh, Mother. I am not a kid,” Derrick protested, but his mother walked up to him as they all stood in the living room.

“No one said you're a kid, but you're still my baby, so make a wish,” his mother pleaded with an assuring smile.

Not wanting to make his mother sad, Derrick wished for a long life, a happy family, and a prosperous business.

“Happy birthday to you again, Master Derrick. We wish you all the best,” the guests echoed happily, and the toast continued as they resumed drinking and chatting.

----

Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor of the mansion.

Meanwhile, among the maids, Miranda had a crush on the master of the house. She was not the only one crushing on Derrick, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.

She openly gawked at his handsomeness.

“Too handsome for one person,” Miranda thought. She had observed that Derrick seemed very hardworking. He didn't have time for women and mostly focused on his business alone.

Derrick didn't have a girlfriend, and Miranda was dripping with desire, longing for him to notice her.

She was a poor girl from an orphanage home. After five years of serving the Luis matriarch as a maid, Miranda wanted a classy life. She didn't want to return to poverty.

In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in cheap wear. There was no competition, as all the daughters of the Luis family were married, including Derrick's immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.

“Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my brother. I fear he might be gay. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it weird?” Nicole spoke to her friend as she invited Alexa along to her brother's birthday party.

Alexa worked as Derrick's personal secretary in Luis Group. She would admit that she hadn't seen any young lady come to the office to visit him.

“I don't think Master Derrick is gay. He is just too busy to notice any woman,” Alexa replied. She wore a red, seductive dress and black shoes. She had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.

Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick Luis. She wanted him, and at just 22 years old, she knew that having a man like Derrick as her husband in the future meant she wouldn't need to work much or suffer to feed herself, as his wealth was enough to cover all her lifetime expenses.

“Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Do you not have a crush on my brother? If my older sisters hadn't spoken to me about introducing you to Derrick to work as his new secretary after my leave, do you think I accepted you based on friendship alone? Come now.” Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led her to the top floor, where there were no guests.

Alexa felt nervous. For one year that she had been working as Derrick's personal secretary, based on Nicole's influence, she hadn't crossed any limits or tried to get his attention.

Derrick was arrogant, and Alexa feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross the line.