"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said. She was the lady of the house, and it was her only son's birthday party.
"Okay, Ma," Miranda answered. As a young lady in her early twenties, Miranda wore a pink dress and black slippers. It was 5 pm., and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of eight children, Derrick was the only son in his rich family.
Many guests had already arrived at the Luis family mansion. Among them were top admirers, business partners, and their family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant was not at home.
Far away at a luxurious firm, Derrick was still at his office when his mobile rang. "Hello, Mother," he said as he picked up the call. His mother replied, "Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So where are you?"
Derrick looked at his wristwatch and observed that it was already 6 p.m. He replied, "At the office, Mother."
"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 perspective?" Derrick murmured. His mother was already old, so he could not 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 should not have allowed you to go to the office today, knowing it 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 did not skip coming home for work. He attended parties—or where do you think I met him?"
Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. "Fine, Mother. I will be home now." He said this, and the phone call ended.
"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, and my mother still wants me to prioritize a party over work. Tch." Derrick mused as he stood up from his exclusive office chair. He shut down his computer, grabbed his suitcase, and elegantly left his office.
Derrick arrived home in a brand-new Prado Jeep. He 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 a whole lot of guests' cars parked inside his late father's estate.
Derrick marched forward and 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 him.
Derrick ignored the maid's greeting, and his mother ushered him into the living room, where a lot of guests waited.
"Welcome, Son. Happy 25th birthday to you."
"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" All the guests in the living room toasted the new age of the young master.
"Thank you all," Derrick replied. He wanted to retire to his bedroom to rest, but his mother stopped him. "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."
Derrick paused at the staircase and looked back at all the faces of the guests: his seven elder sisters, who were all married with kids; his nephews and nieces. He wanted to protest again that he was not a kid and did not want a birthday party. However, he gulped down his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.
Derrick approached his cake, which someone had placed in the center of the living room. He cut the cake, and the guests all beamed happily and clapped 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 meet him as they all stood in the living room.
"No one said you are a kid, but you are 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 happy, and the toast continued as they resumed drinking and chatting happily.
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 who crushed on Derrick, but she could not get 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 had no time for women and focused mostly on his business alone.
Derrick did not even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was dripping wet in her pûssy, hoping Derrick would notice her. As a poor girl who had come from an orphanage, Miranda had served the elite as a maid for five years. She wanted a classic life and did not want to return to poverty.
In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in casual, 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 does he not have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it weird?" Nicole spoke to her friend as she brought Alexa along to her brother's birthday party.
Alexa worked as a secretary in Luis Group, a multimillion-dollar firm. She would admit that she had not seen any young lady come to the office to visit Derrick.
"I don't think he is gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a red, seductive dress. She had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.
Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick. She wanted him, as she was just 22 years old. She knew that having a man like Derrick as her husband in the future meant she would not need to work much or suffer to feed herself, as his family's wealth would cover all her lifetime expenditures.
"Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Do you not have a crush on my brother? If my sisters had not 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 the younger woman to the top floor, where no guests waited.
Alexa felt nervous. For a year that she had worked as Derrick's personal secretary based on Nicole's influence, she had not crossed the limit or tried to get Derrick's attention.
Derrick was aloof and mean, and Alexa feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross the limit.
