From Maid to Heiress

01Summer invitation“I don’t need a vacation. I need him.”Ryan Smith’s voice cracked through the room, sharp and angry. He threw the paper onto the marble table, frustration creasing his brow as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “He doesn’t get it, does he?”Margaret stood silently across the room, her eyes heavy with emotion she wouldn’t let spill. She had raised him since birth, fed him, soothed his cries, clapped for his first steps. She was everything his real mother couldn’t be. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father had checked out emotionally ever since.Light spilled into the room as Margaret stepped forward, her features sharp but soft with concern. She looked too young to carry the weight she did, early thirties, porcelain skin, tired eyes. The years have been kind to her face but unkind to her heart. “You have to go, Ryan,” she said, steady and sure. “Your grandmother is expecting you. It’ll do you good to spend time with her.” Ryan turned toward the w

03Uninvited IntrusionsThe elevator chimed and slid open, inviting movement but the moment its passengers came into view, the crowd waiting to enter froze. All chatter ceased, fingers twitched, and faces paled. One glance was all it took to cause the shift. They retreated in unison, instinctively stepping aside.“Miss Veronica,” someone whispered under their breath, heads bowing with fearful reverence.A lady in a red figure hugging dress emerged, her auburn dyed hair shimmering under the corridor lights. Veronica Smith carried herself like a queen returning to her court except everyone would rather not be her subject. Her heels clicked against the marble with practiced precision, echoing a warning through the corridor. Trouble had arrived.She brushed a hand through her thick curls, revealing faint signs of dye damage. Whatever reason had brought her to the Smith Corporation today, it was clearly more personal than professional.She swept past them with barely a glance, her jaw set,

05 Recurring Dreams “Patricia, eat up,” Tessy urged, nudging her half-eaten food into Patricia's bowl. Patricia wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t you going to eat?” “I’m full,” Tessy replied quickly, though her voice was unsteady. Her vision swam, her head began to throb, and a strange weight settled in her chest.“We have to…” Her words trailed off as pain lanced through her skull, sharp and sudden. Everything around her faded, Patricia’s voice, the dingy kitchen, even the smell of watery beans. In a blink, Tessy was elsewhere. She gasped, spinning around. The orphanage. The grey, moldy walls, the cold dirt ground, the echoing chaos of children’s voices, it was all too familiar, yet far away. A large crowd of children circled something in the distance. Her heartbeat spiked. 

07Alexander Smith The exclusive bar was buzzing with life. Music played overhead, waiters weaved through tables with drinks in hand, and a few flirted shamelessly with their customers. Near the pole stage, call girls danced with slow, sensual grace, entertaining the crowd that never seemed to get enough. It wasn’t the kind of sight most would call pleasant, but for the regulars, it was a paradise.A female waitress approached the bar counter, balancing a tray already filled with bottles and glasses.“Is Mr. Alex’s favorite whiskey there?” she asked, double-checking to avoid any slip-ups.“I would never miss it for anything,” the bartender replied with a grin, flashing perfect white teeth. A fine man in his own right but not on par with Mr. Alex. “Is he brooding as usual?”“Yep. Planning to drown himself in alcohol tonight.” The waitress clicked her tongue and shook her head in mock pity. “See you later.”She made her way toward the VIP lounge, Alexander Smith's usual haunt. Reserved

09The End of Me! Tessy walked up the stairs, heading to Ryan's room. They’d gotten much closer over the past few weeks, and things were clearly shifting between them.Should she still call this a friendship?Ryan wouldn’t agree. He’d once looked her dead in the eye and said, “Don’t call me your friend. I’m not that.”Tessy smirked at the memory. He was just afraid of being friend-zoned. Big, bad Ryan, scared of labels? Cute.These past weeks had been oddly peaceful with him. She’d learned so much. He wasn’t like the wild, arrogant rich boys in the city. Okay, maybe he was a little arrogant... and proud... and definitely had a certain intimidating aura. But he was kind to her, different. And considering how snobbish he was to most people, especially Ronda, it said a lot.Speak of the devil.Ronda, with her ever-caked face, was perched smugly on Ryan’s couch like she owned the place.Tessy rolled her eyes. Every encounter with Ronda was ridiculous and exhausting. It was clear why Ryan