Chapter 2

By the time Sora got home, it was barely noon. She still had a few hours to kill before she had to meet up with Ally.

With her mom and Leo out of the house, she stared at the empty apartment, simply tied her hair up into a messy bun, rolled up her sleeves, and launched into a massive deep-cleaning session.

For the past few years, she had been working her fingers to the bone, desperately making money to support her family, rarely having the time or energy for chores. But today, her inner neat-freak exploded. She scrubbed everything down to the windows until they sparkled.

Finally, while tidying up Leo's room, she dropped to her knees on the floor. Staring at her son's radiant smile in the picture frame, a wave of comfort washed over her. Honestly, staying home to spend time with my son doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

Her little boy was about to turn four. He was already slowly turning into a little man, and once he actually grew up, he wouldn't be nearly as fun to play with.

Just as Sora was drowning in an ocean of maternal affection, the shrill ringtone of her phone shattered the quiet from the living room. Sora quickly scrambled to her feet, snatched up the phone, and glanced at the caller ID.

It was Lily.

"Hello?" Sora answered, letting out a self-deprecating, almost roguish chuckle. "What's up? Calling to offer your condolences to the newly unemployed?"

"Cut the crap," Lily scolded playfully before dropping her voice into an excited, hushed whisper. "Sora, you don't have to quit anymore!"

"Huh?"

"Rumor has it that our company just got a new boss! It sounds like we were bought out by a massive conglomerate. Admin just sent out the notice—the new executive team is arriving this afternoon!" Lily couldn't contain her glee, her voice practically vibrating with excitement. "We can finally get rid of that perverted playboy CEO's son! And once that prick is gone, do you really think that bitch Luna will still have a leg to stand on in this company?"

"Hard to say." Sora wasn't nearly as optimistic as Lily, nor did she share her friend's jubilant enthusiasm. "Honestly, I think I just want to take this opportunity to rest for a while. I'm not going back."

She had just made up her mind to stay home and properly spend time with her son. So, even if the company was under new management, Sora had no intention of returning.

"You still have to come in tomorrow to officially hand in your resignation letter anyway! You might as well use the chance to have a chat with the new boss. Who knows, maybe he'll want to keep you and even offer you a raise! Come on, Manager Su, you're the absolute backbone of the marketing department!" Lily lobbied relentlessly.

Sora laughed softly. "We'll see about tomorrow. By the way, what's the deal with this new boss?"

"We haven't dug up all the details yet, but apparently, his name is Julian. I heard he is ridiculously, drop-dead gorgeous—a total diamond bachelor!" Lily was already swooning, going into full fangirl mode.

Sora fell dead silent for a moment.

"Julian..." she murmured under her breath.

Were all men named Julian just ridiculously, undeniably handsome?