เข้าสู่ระบบThe truck kept moving without turning back. Adrian was already bleeding from his head as he lay motionless on the road. For a few seconds, nobody moved. Clara stood frozen, staring at him. “Adrian!” Her voice broke as she rushed forward. The guard was already running toward him. “Stay back!” he shouted. Clara stopped. The guard dropped to his knees beside Adrian and carefully held his head. “Sir? Can you hear me?” There was no response. Blood ran from the side of Adrian’s head and down his face. The guard quickly pulled out a clean cloth and pressed it against the wound. “Call an ambulance!” he shouted. Clara finally moved. She pulled out her phone with shaking hands and dialed emergency services. “Please, we need an ambulance,” she said quickly. “A man has been hit by a truck. He is badly injured.” The operator asked for their location. Clara gave it to them and asked. “How long will it take?” “Stay on the line.” They replied her. Clara looked toward Adrian. “Please h
I got home that evening more tired than I expected. The day had been long, and Lia’s visit had left me with too many thoughts. I wanted nothing more than to sit quietly and forget about the problems waiting for me. I had barely settled down when my phone rang. I looked at the screen. It was the security guard from the Laurent house that took a bullet for me. I answered. “Hello?” “Good evening, ma’am.” “Good evening. Is everything okay?” “Yes. I wanted to let you know that I’m ready to begin the work tomorrow.” I sat up. “Tomorrow?” “Yes. If that is still convenient for you.” I thought about it. The children were resuming school tomorrow, and that changed everything. After everything that had happened recently, I could not afford to leave them without protection. “All right,” I said. “I need you to be assigned to the children at all times.” “Understood.” “You will take them to school, stay around while they are there, and bring them home safely.” “Yes, ma’am.” “I want you
Lia did not answer Serena’s question. For several seconds, she stood near the entrance with tears still running down her face. The employees watched her quietly, waiting to hear what she would say. She said nothing. She lowered her eyes, turned around, and walked toward the exit. One of the security officers opened the door for her. Lia stepped outside without looking back. The glass doors closed behind her. Inside, the tension slowly disappeared. The employees returned to their desks. Conversations started again. Phones rang. Computers clicked. People went back to their work as if nothing had happened. A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened. Emma came out first, followed by Clara and the children. Lila and Elias were talking excitedly about something that had happened outside. As they walked toward the reception area, Lia was already crossing the lobby toward the street. Lia saw the twins. Her expression changed. For a moment, anger flashed across her face. She lo
The security officers reached the reception desk within seconds. The young woman standing there did not move. One of the officers stopped a few feet from her and looked at the receptionist. “What happened?” The receptionist lowered her voice. “She has been here for several minutes. She keeps asking for Serena. I already told her there is nobody here by that name. She might have the wrong company.” “I don’t have the wrong company,” the woman said quietly. The receptionist frowned. “Ma’am, I work here. If you were looking for someone called Serena, I would know.” The woman lowered her eyes. She looked exhausted. Her clothes were plain and slightly wrinkled. Her hair was messy, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. She looked like someone who had not slept properly in days. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not here to cause trouble.” “Then please leave,” the receptionist replied. “If you are looking for someone, you can call them.” “I tried.” “And?” “No answer.” The sec
“Only if you’re prepared to stay with us for the full five years.” I looked at the figure again. My chest felt tight, but my answer was clear. “I can’t accept this.” The representative didn’t react immediately. “You should take some time to consider it.” “I already have.” “Ms. Serena, the penalty only applies if you break the agreement.” “That is exactly the problem.” I pushed the document back across the table. “You are asking me to commit Lumina to a five-year partnership and then placing a massive financial penalty over my head if I decide to leave. That is too risky.” “We are offering almost forty billion dollars.” “I know.” “An investment that could transform Lumina.” “I know that too.” “Then you understand why the condition is necessary.” I shook my head. “No. I understand why you want security. But a contract should not require me to gamble the future of my company just to receive an investment.” The representative leaned forward. “You would still own Lumina.”
The room went quiet. Nobody moved. I kept my eyes on the representative, waiting for him to answer the question I had just asked. “So where exactly does my authority end?” He slowly leaned back in his chair. “That is a fair question.” “I didn’t ask whether it was fair. I asked for an answer.” Aisha looked at me, but I didn’t look away from him. The representative finally opened the folder in front of him. “The reason we chose you is because we have tried this before.” I frowned. “Built an international division?” “Yes. Twice.” “And both failed?” “They did.” “Why?” “The companies we partnered with kept changing leadership.” I listened carefully. “Every time a new CEO came in, priorities changed. Strategies changed. People were replaced. Agreements were questioned. What was supposed to become a long-term operation became a series of new negotiations.” He paused. “We lost years because of that.” “So you don’t want another CEO.” “No.” “You want me.” “Yes.” I looked at
I spent the morning trying to make myself useful. Anything to feel less like a shadow in this house. One of the younger maids was struggling with heavy flower vases in the main hall, so I stepped in to help carry one. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gave me a small, grateful smile.We were ha
I avoided everyone for the rest of the day. It wasn’t hard.Nobody came looking for me anyway.The mansion was too large, too cold, filled with people who work as maids. Every hallway felt unfamiliar. Every room reminded me that this wasn’t my home.I spent most of the afternoon sitting near the wi
I stayed slumped against the wall for a long time, his release still sliding down my thighs. The house was quiet now. Too quiet. Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. I wandered the halls, trying to find water, when I heard voices from the guest wing, low, intimate. I froze outside the slightly aj
Where is Lia?” He asked again. His voice cut through the room like something sharp. I didn’t answer. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know where to start.He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, running a hand through his hair. The calm from last night was gone. What stood in







