Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Genesis

Pearl had sent out ninety-three job applications in the past three months.

Ninety-three.

And every single one had finished the same way.

We regret to inform you...

She slumped deeper into the worn armchair, her thumb rhythmically clicking the remote as colours flashed across the television screen.

None of it mattered.

The shows, the noise, the laughter tracks—they were all just background noise for the quiet panic tightening around her chest.

“Why is everything so soul-crushing?” she sighed, her voice echoing in the small apartment. “Not a single thing worth watching.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t the television that frustrated her. It was the silence between the channels—the empty hours of the day that reminded her she was unemployed, unwanted, and slowly becoming invisible.

She was about to press the power button when a sleek, high-definition news graphic caught her eye.

“This is CBN News. Coming up at 5 p.m., an exclusive sit-down with the man behind the empire: Ace Warren, CEO of AW Group. Join us as we talk shop with the world’s most influential billionaire and reigning celebrity icon. Stay tuned for a look into the life of the man who has it all.”

Pearl rolled her eyes.

“Ugh, rubbish.”

Of course, the world had time to celebrate another billionaire.

She stood up, crossing the room to grab a bowl of strawberries, trying to distract herself with a comic book. But before she could finish the first page, the screen went black.

“What the—? I was actually using that!” she yelled.

From across the room, Ella looked up with a dry scoff.

“Using it for what? To torture yourself?”

Pearl pouted, though the frustration behind it was real. Her eyes stung with the pressure she’d been holding in all day.

“At least it was a distraction,” she muttered. “Do you like seeing me sit here like a ghost, staring into space?”

Ella’s expression softened. She ran a hand through her blonde hair and let out a long breath.

“Pearl, honey, I didn’t mean—”

“Do you think I’m happy?” Pearl interrupted, the dam finally cracking. “I sit here all day watching useless movies because I’ve become a liability. I don’t have a job, Ella. I have nothing.”

The words echoed in the apartment, heavier than she expected.

“Pearl, stop.”

“Don’t ‘Pearl’ me!” she snapped, standing up so abruptly the strawberries nearly tipped over. “The rich just keep getting richer while the rest of us are stuck in the mud. Can’t you see it?”

Her voice trembled.

“My degrees, my certificates… they’re just expensive paper. And those bosses? They don’t even look at my CV. They just look at me like I’m a prize to be won in exchange for a paycheck.”

The memory of certain interviews flashed through her mind—lingering stares, inappropriate smiles, the subtle suggestion that “cooperation” could open doors.

Her stomach twisted.

“It’s disgusting.”

She sank back into the chair, sobbing into her hands. The frustration, the humiliation, the exhaustion of trying and failing—it all crashed over her at once.

Ella was by her side in an instant, pulling her into a firm embrace.

“Everything will be fine,” Ella whispered, rubbing her back. “I’m not complaining, am I? That’s what best friends are for. We carry each other.”

Pearl clung to her for a moment longer than she intended.

“But I don’t want to be a burden,” she sniffed.

Her phone chimed suddenly on the coffee table.

Pearl’s heart jumped.

She lunged for it, hope sparking in her chest before she could stop herself.

Maybe this was it. Maybe someone had finally said yes.

The silence that followed felt endless.

“Anything?” Ella asked softly.

Pearl stared at the screen.

The words blurred together for a moment before she forced herself to read them again.

Closed.

Her shoulders dropped as if something inside her had snapped.

“They said I didn’t meet the requirements.”

“Come here, baby.” Ella opened her arms again.

Pearl collapsed into them.

“Listen to me,” Ella said firmly. “You are better than the ‘chosen ones.’ A rejection isn’t a funeral; it’s just a redirection. You have the talent and the fire. Don’t let some HR bot diminish your worth.”

Pearl sniffed, wiping her cheeks.

“A better opportunity is out there,” Ella continued. “Go and claim it.”

Pearl managed a weak smile.

“Thank you, Ella. Truly.”

“Always.” Ella pecked her cheek. “Now eat your strawberries and put on a comedy. Let’s actually laugh for once.”

Pearl nodded, though a quiet doubt still lingered in her chest.

What if there was no opportunity waiting for her?

What if this—this tiny apartment and endless rejections—was all life had to offer?

She pushed the thought away before it could grow roots.

⸻

On the other side of the city, the atmosphere was chilled by central air and marble floors.

Mia swept out of the kitchen, a bowl of cereal in her hand. Her personal maid followed a few paces behind, head bowed, whispering a frantic apology.

“How many times have I told you not to speak while I’m eating?” Mia’s voice sliced through the air.

In one fluid, violent motion, she tipped her bowl, dumping the milk and cereal over the woman’s head.

“That was a bit much, even for you, Mia,” a deep, cool voice said from the staircase.

Ace Warren descended slowly, looking every bit the billionaire the news had just praised.

“She deserved it,” Mia snapped, crossing her arms over her designer loungewear. “I told her to leave me alone, and she had the nerve to spit in my cereal.”

Ace stopped on the final step, his eyes narrowing.

“She did what?”

“I—I’m sorry, sir! I didn’t mean to—” the maid stammered, shaking as milk dripped onto the polished floor.

“I saw her!” Mia shouted, stepping closer to the woman. “She thought I wasn’t looking. She called me a ‘spoiled brat’ under her breath. Is that what we pay her for?”

Before anyone could react, Mia swung the empty ceramic bowl, cracking it against the maid’s temple.

“Did you do it?” Ace asked quietly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but the weight of it froze the entire room.

The maid looked at the floor. A small nod.

“You’re fired,” Ace said flatly.

He didn’t even look at her as he signalled the security near the door. Two men moved immediately, dragging the woman towards the exit.

Ace turned back to his daughter, his expression softening.

“Are you alright? Did she hurt you?”

“I’m fine, Dad,” Mia mumbled, though she twisted her face into a pout. “But I won’t be completely fine until you handle this properly.”

Ace tilted his head slightly.

“What do you want?”