1| Birthday celebration

"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said. She was an elderly woman, the hostess of the villa, and it was the birthday celebration of her only son.

"Okay, Ma," Miranda replied. In her early twenties, she wore a pink dress and black shoes. It was nighttime, and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of eight children, Derrick appeared to be the sole son.

Many guests were already present in the Luis family mansion; among them were top admirers, business partners, and various family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant was not at home.

Far away, in a luxurious office, Derrick Luis was still at work when his mobile rang. "Hello, Mother," he answered. His mother said, "Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. Where are you?"

Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick noted that it was already 6 p.m. "I'm at the office, Mother," he replied.

"Come home, son. It's your birthday, and we went to great lengths to make today a special occasion to celebrate your turning 25."

"Hmm, I'm not interested in birthday parties, Mother. Why can't you understand my priorities?" Derrick murmured. He felt he could not blame her, as she was already elderly.

"I understand. Please come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay at the office until this late, I shouldn't have allowed you to go there today, knowing it was also your birthday."

"Mom, I can't put work aside for a party. Who will take care of Dad's company?" Derrick muttered again. His mother responded sadly, "You are right, but during your father's prime, he didn't neglect home for work. He attended parties; where do you think I met him?"

"Hmm." Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. "Fine, Mother. I'll come home now." He said this, and the phone call ended.

"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, yet my mother still wants me to prioritize parties over work. Tch." Derrick mused. He stood up from his exclusive office chair and shut down his computer before grabbing his suitcase and elegantly leaving his office.

Arriving home in a brand-new Prado Jeep, Derrick Luis got out of the vehicle and made his way to his family's mansion. He could hear the sound of music and frowned upon seeing a multitude of guests' cars parked in his late father's estate.

Marching forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion's entrance. He rang the doorbell, and a maid opened the door for him.

"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted him.

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," his mother said.

"Thank you, Mom," he replied.

"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, he was stopped by his mother. "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."

Pausing at the staircase to look back at all the faces of the guests, including his seven elder sisters, who were all married with kids, and his nephews and nieces, Derrick wanted to protest again that he was not a child and didn’t want a birthday party. However, he swallowed his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.

Approaching the huge cake placed in the center of the living room, Derrick cut the large cake, and the guests 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'm not a child," Derrick finally protested, but his mother walked up to him as they stood in the living room.

"No one said you're a child, 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 joyfully.

-----

Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor of the mansion. Meanwhile, among the maids was Miranda Luis. She had a crush on the master of the house. She was not the only one enamored with Derrick, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Miranda openly gawked at Derrick's handsomeness. "Too handsome for one person," she thought as she observed him. He seemed very hardworking and had little time for women, as he was mostly focused on his business.

Derrick didn't even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was filled with desire to get him to notice her. She was a poor girl from an orphanage, and after years of serving the elite as a maid, she longed for a better life. She didn't want to return to poverty.

In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress casually. There was little competition in the household, as all the daughters of the Luis family were already married, including Derrick's most immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.

"Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my younger brother. I'm worried he might be gay. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it strange?" Nicole said to her friend, Alexa Godwin. She invited her to Derrick's birthday party.

Alexa worked as a secretary at Luis Group, a multimillion-dollar firm. She admitted that she hadn't seen any young lady visiting Derrick at the office.

"I don't think he's gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a seductive red dress and had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.

Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick Luis. At 22 years old, she felt that having a man like Derrick as her husband would mean she wouldn't have to work much or struggle to support herself, as his family's wealth could cover all her lifetime expenses.

"Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Don't you have a crush on my brother? If your sister hadn't mentioned introducing you to Derrick as his new secretary after my leave from the office. Do you think I would have accepted you based solely on our friendship? Come on," Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led her to the top floor, where there were no other guests.

Alexa felt nervous. For a year, she had been working as Derrick's personal secretary thanks to Nicole's influence. She hadn’t crossed any boundaries or tried to get Derrick's attention, fearing what he might do if she did.