"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said. She was an elderly woman, the lady of the house, and it was her only son's birthday arrangement.
"Okay, Ma," Miranda answered. As a young woman in her early twenties, Miranda wore a pink dress and black slippers. It was nighttime, and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of seven sisters, Derrick appeared to be the only son of his wealthy family.
Many guests were already present in the Luis family mansion. Among these guests were top admirers, business partners, and their family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant wasn't at home.
Far away at a luxurious firm, Derrick Luis was still at his office when his mobile phone rang. "Hello, Mother," he said as he picked up the call. His mother responded, "Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So where are you?"
Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick observed it was already 6 p.m. He replied, "I'm at the office, Mother."
"Come home, Son. It's your birthday, and we did a lot to make this day special to mark your new age of 25."
"Hmm, I am not interested in birthday parties, Mother. Why can't you understand my beliefs?" Derrick murmured, aware that his mother was already aged and he couldn't blame her.
"I understand. Please come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay at the office until this time, I shouldn't have allowed you to go to work knowing today was also your birthday."
"Mom, I cannot set work aside for a party. Who will look after Dad's company?" Derrick muttered again. His mother responded sadly, "You are right, but during your father's prime, he never skipped home for work. He attended parties—where do you think I met him?"
"Hm." Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. "Fine, Mother. I will be home now," he said, and the phone call ended.
"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, and my mother still wants me to prioritize work over a party. Tch." Derrick mused as he stood up from his exclusive office chair. Shutting down his monitor, he grabbed his suitcase and elegantly left his office.
Arriving home in a brand new Prado Jeep, Derrick Luis got out of the vehicle and made his way toward his family's mansion. He could hear the sound of music and frowned upon seeing the many guests' cars parked inside his late father's estate.
Walking forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion's entrance. He rang the doorbell, and the maid opened the door for him.
"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted.
Derrick ignored the maid's greeting and was ushered in by his mother, who was in the living room with many guests.
"Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you!"
"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" all the guests in the living room toasted to the young master's new age.
"Thank you all," Derrick replied, wanting to retire to his bedroom to rest, but his mother stopped him, saying, "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."
Pausing at the staircase, Derrick looked back at the faces of the guests: his seven older sisters, all married with kids, as well as his nephew and niece. He wanted to protest again that he was not a kid and didn't want a birthday party. However, he swallowed his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.
Approaching the cake placed in the center of the living room, Derrick cut the cake, and 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 finally 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 were equally happy, 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," she thought. She had observed Derrick; he seemed very hardworking. He didn't have time for women and mostly focused on his business alone.
He didn't even have a girlfriend, and Miranda felt a rush of desire in her core, wishing Derrick would notice her. Coming from an orphanage and having served the elite as a maid, Miranda wanted a classic life. She didn't want to return to poverty.
In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in casual, inexpensive attire. There was no competition since all the daughters of the Luis family were married, including Derrick's most immediate older 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 friends as she brought Alexa along to her brother's birthday party.
Alexa worked as a secretary in the Luis Group, a multimillion-dollar firm, and she would admit that she hadn’t seen any young ladies come to the office to visit Derrick.
"I don't think he's gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a red seductive dress and had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.
Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick. At just 22 years old, she wanted him as her husband. With Derrick in her life, she wouldn’t have to work much or struggle for basic needs, as his family's wealth was enough to cover all her lifetime expenses.
"Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Don’t you have a crush on my brother? If my sister hadn't spoken to me about introducing you to Derrick as his new secretary after my leave, do you think I only accepted you based on friendship? Come on!" Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led the younger woman to the top floor, where there were no guests.
Alexa was nervous. For a 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 Derrick's attention. He was aloof and seemingly mean, and she feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross the line.
