Ember was so annoyed, her valued manners blew to smithereens. “Asshole,” she mouthed grimly.Engine roaring to life, the sleek Lamborghini sped away, leaving her fuming in rage. She remembered her job interview and immediately freaked outGrabbing the remaining pair of shoe on her left foot, she ran back to her apartment barefoot.She prayed she wouldn't miss her job interview as she changed. After a last glance at the full-length mirror, she hurriedly left her apartment.The Phoenix Empire stood magnificently under an exquisite blue sky. The colossal tower that she should have been admiring sent dread crawling down her spine.After paying the cab driver, she skittered to the upscale door in her black puff-sleeved dress. It was what she grabbed first in her closet and wore right away without a second thought. The automatic door opened, and she made a beeline straight to the front desk and asked for directions.The woman on the desk raised her head and politely gave her instructions.
Ember had several questions racing through her head, but what stood out the most was, “Did he recognize her when they met on the road?” If so, why did he pretend not to recognize her?Icen Clayton Blackstone likely laughed at her naivety the entire time. To even consider it made her feel like she would explode with shame.“Close your mouth, Miss Heart. I'm afraid a fly would fly inside.”The comment snapped her out of her daydream. She abruptly closed her mouth and looked up to him with her lips drawn into a thin, tight line.“Nice meeting you again, Mr. Blackstone.” She spoke to cover her embarrassment. Even though she did her best to keep her voice calm, it came across as shaky.“Pleasure's mine,” Icen replied, amusement twinkling in his blue lagoon eyes.Ember considered leaving but resisted the impulse. She needs a job, and this may be her last opportunity to obtain one.“Please have a seat.” He motioned to the cushioned chair across from his office table.She obediently followed w
Icen relaxed back in his swivel chair with arms crossed in his chest.With that regal bearing combined with icy blue eyes one has ever seen he could bring chills down anyone's spine.Ember, however, hid her fear of him well behind a veneer of decorum. She had prepared herself for the worst but he completely surprised her when he said.“I just get the impression that you’re not the gold-digging type, Ms. Heart,” Icen murmured to himself in deep thought. She swallowed hard as she felt his hard gaze bore on her countenance. Something in his eyes told her he spoke without filters.“If I may ask, how could you be so sure? You have no idea who I am.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke.“I’ve met my own share of gold-diggers. I assure you Ms. Heart, they are nothing like you.” Icen never left her face and so Ember fought his stare with unblinking eyes.“What if I turn out to be the expert one?” Ember nonchalantly raised her shoulders and added. “What if I’m very skilled at m
Ember's attempt to quit from her previous job at Steel Corporation was largely prompted by the toxic environment she was subjected to after she was hired as Thunder Steel's secretary.She allegedly opened her legs to get the job, and the rumor quickly spread. Her reputation was in tatters because of it, and it seemed like everyone in the office hated her. Nobody wanted to be her friend even though she tried her best to reach out and mingle with everyone.Ember can't afford to experience the same cruel treatment again. Her generous salary wouldn't be worth all the pain if she's unhappy with her job.“Do not be afraid, Ms. Heart; I personally hired you as my secretary, I will not allow anyone to judge you for it.” Icen had his eyes on her but Ember couldn't summon the strength to look at him.There was nothing to say so she kept her mouth shut.He took the chance to continue.“Bullying has no place in my organization, Ember.” When he addressed her by name, she felt obligated to raise he
She couldn't believe what her cousin had said.Ember's lips purse into a thin, tight line. She glared at Chloe. “You're lying right?” “What good will lying bring me?” Her cousin's tone rang with arrogance.Ember made a shaky motion with her head. Her ring could hardly be a knockoff. She and Thunder purchased it together. “I was handed the ring first," she claimed. “I don't believe mine's only a replica.”Her cousin's laugh was sharp and insulting. “I've had this stunning diamond ring for ages! If you don't believe me, ask Thunder yourself.”Ember's mouth opened but no sound came out of her lips so she closed them again.She didn't care if her ring was a replica or not. Hell, she wouldn't even give a damn if it's fake but knowing that her ex gave the same ring to his side chick was a big blow to her sense of self-worth.She had thought the day Thunder proposed to her was the happiest day of her life until she learned that he had given the same engagement ring to his side chick only th
She was taken to the security office and made to sit on a monoblock in front of a long rectangular table.They removed the shopping bag from her hand which contained her new blazer. They even took her hand bag.Ember didn't feel threatened because she was sure she hadn't broken the rules. She did not steal anything either which they kept accusing her of.The door swung open, and a man in a different style but same black uniform walked in. She learned from his name plate that he was the Chief Security Officer of the Shopping Mall.His tone was firm and authoritative as he commanded, “Check her possessions.” The men who escorted her to the room moved at lightning speed. The next thing she knew her shopping bag was carelessly torn open, her blazer spread on the table, carefully inspected to make sure nothing was hidden inside.When they found nothing on the Blazer their attention shifted to her handbag. One of the men opened her bag, then emptied its contents on the table, sending her b
Upon arriving at the police station, she was immediately detained in a cell. Not only was no one communicating with her, but she also had no idea how long she would be held.She had been pacing back and forth for quite some time before the ache in her lower legs from standing for so long forced her to stop.Unfortunately, there wasn't anywhere to sit inside, and she had to keep standing. But unable to take her aching legs anymore she sat on the hard, dusty floor.As Ember huddled in the corner of an empty cell, she reflected on how everything had transpired so quickly that the details of how she got to the police station were a blur.It was as if she were entrapped in a horrible dream. She tried to convince herself that it was all a nightmare, but the gnawing sense of despair she felt made it clear that she was indeed awake. She took a deep breath and rose to her feet, putting her hopelessness aside."Could you please lend me a phone?" Ember spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Icen mumbled soothing words into her ears till she relaxed. Her sobs gradually faded into quiet whimpers till no more sounds came from her lips. When the storm inside her subsided, she collected herself and summoned the courage she could muster to look at him.As she looked up, it immediately came to her notice that he was staring at her. She swallowed hard in response and with best efforts she fought his unblinking gaze.Even though he wore a cold mask to cover his emotions, something that resembled worry and concern danced in his eyes and didn't slip past her notice.She couldn't read his thoughts and Ember would give up everything to find out what he was thinking right now. Unable to take the silence anymore she opened her mouth to express her gratitude but no words emerged from her lips. Now that she's returned to her true self, she realized how dreadful she looked and her reflection on the car window confirmed her worst fears.Her hair was all over the place, her eyes swollen, a
“I didn't know you were an orphan, Ms. Heart.” Alexander spoke with a frown scrunching his forehead.She wasn't the type to easily open up with anyone but there was something about Alexander that made her feel she could trust him with her secrets. “I discovered I was adopted just recently.” A sigh escaped from her lips. “Mom had been furious because I'd done something she didn't like and she spilled the truth at the spur of the moment.”“That must have been so devastating…” He lowered the wine glass on the table and sighed, “I can't imagine growing up and suddenly learning that my father and mother were not my biological parents. It will make me question my whole life and wonder where my real parents have been all this time.”“Exactly,” Ember replied. She was surprised how well he summed up what she felt in just a few sentences. “You said it so well, Mr. Lockhart.”“I assume you came to the orphanage to find information about your parents?”Ember nodded her head. “I'm surprised how wel
Ember swallowed the lump in her throat. Her eyes momentarily closed as she suddenly became aware of emotions surging inside her. She couldn't explain what she felt but she was certain of one thing, she was jealous even though she didn't have the right to. She is just Icen's secretary and yet, she couldn't stop how she felt after seeing him with another woman.Telling herself to stop being jealous is like preventing herself from breathing.With difficulty, she forced her eyes open and that's when she saw the woman released Icen from her tight grasp and looked up to him. “I love you, Clayton.” She mumbled under her breath with tears in her bright green eyes.Who was this woman? She couldn't help but ask herself. Slowly, the woman leaned closer to lay a kiss on his lips but before she could even witness their lips touch, Ember immediately left the room.As she closed the door behind her, she became aware of the ache in her chest. She had never reacted like this way before to any man, n
For a fleeting moment, Ember almost believed Elizabeth. But after seeing her crocodile tears, she realized her mother was lying. Call it instinct or intuition, she knew she was keeping secrets to herself and no matter what she's not sharing it to anyone.Her mother was doing it on purpose — for her own personal gain.Elizabeth had crushed her last hopes in ever finding her biological parents. Now that the only person who knows about her just told her a straight out lie, it would be difficult to ever trust her again, thinking everything she says was nowhere near the truth.Ember was desperate but she couldn't force mother because once Elizabeth made up her mind, she always stood by her decisions.She's back to square one, and she didn't even know who to ask so she could find out about her past. If only her adoptive father was alive, things would be much easier for her. When he was still alive, only her father treated her well. Though Ember was not his favorite child, he expressed how he
“I know you would return, Amira.” The words reverberated on Ember's mind, sending unexplainable shivers down her spine. She wasn't Amira, but still, her heart lurched forward as if her name had just been called. As though her arms have minds of their own, she hugged Sister Anne back with equal warmth, feeling that for the first time in her life, she felt like she found her way back home.Ember was certain she and Sister Anne had never had the chance to meet before. Yet, she was caught off guard by the strong and undeniable connection she had with the old woman as though she'd once played a big role in her life.Upon letting her go, Sister Ann framed her cheeks with her thin and wrinkly fingers. “I waited for you for twenty-years… I couldn't believe you're finally here….” She murmured under her breath with tears in her eyes. “I know I'm not wrong for making that decision two decades ago.”“Do you know who I am?” Ember looked at Sister Anne with hope in her eyes. Could this be perhaps th
ST. ANNE'S ORPHANAGE. The words were written in bold, capital letters in front of an expansive three story white building.Ember wasn't sure if it was the same St. Anne's orphanage her mother was talking about, but it was the only orphanage with the same name that has been built for more than forty years. To add to that, it was also the only orphanage named St. Anne in the city.She decided to visit the place where she came from to find out more about her past, hoping to uncover some clues that would lead her to her biological parents, if she has any. She felt excitement and fear rush inside her as she walked towards the colossal gate, wondering what secrets the orphanage held for her.Taking a deep breath, she pressed the buzzer once. The sound echoed through the silent building, but no one was coming, and she wondered if it was past visiting hours that is why no one was answering.She pressed the buzzer again just to make sure whoever was inside would hear it and after a few secon
ANDERSON INVESTIGATION TOWERAce Alexander Lockhart strode past the door of a plush office and made a beeline straight to the chic wooden table while holding a neatly folded torn newspaper page in his hand. Kathryne Anderson, owner of the thriving investigation company was seated on her swivel chair, eyebrows furrowed in intense concentration while reading a file in her hand.Perhaps she was so occupied that she didn't notice him until he placed the newspaper on top of her table to capture her attention and spoke in his authoritative voice. “I want you to know everything about this girl.” Kathryne abruptly raised her head in annoyance. Her smooth forehead scrunching into an inelegant frown, making her arched eyebrows to almost meet halfway. “Don't you know how to knock, Mr. Lockhart?” She snapped. By how her nose flared, he could tell how annoyed she was at him. “Could you go back to where you came from? It seemed, you forgot to pick your manners there.”Unaffected, he nonchalantly
Icen Clayton Blackstone froze as he watched Ember fall to the swimming pool in slow motion. Fear he never knew he was capable of, slammed through his chest, making his breathing laboured.He'd never feel so scared before the way he did now. If only he could fly, he'd already spread his wings to reach her. Everyone was still overcome with shock that no one moved to save her.She was struggling to float but her gown was on the way, and making her way up was a struggle. He felt as if he slowly died inside. Heart violently hammering inside his ribcage, he plowed his way to the frenzied crowd but he was making slow progress. Bodies blocked his way like a fence but he didn't stop, he forced his way forward.Did she know how to swim? Terror clawed his stomach at the question. He didn't want to know the answer, he just wanted to reach her as soon as possible.**Thunder Steel stood unmoving on the altar, he heard the loud splash on the pool but he was unable to understand what was happening a
Elizabeth had only said the words to get on her nerves, Ember thought to herself as she pulled herself together and dried the drop of tear that had fallen on her cheek.Her mother didn't treat her well just as she treated Sofia and Kate but it doesn't mean she wasn't her child. She only said those hurtful words at the spur of the moment. They mean nothing but to scathe her feelings.After gathering her courage and forcing a fake smile on her lips to fool everyone, she returned to the garden where a number of wide, curious eyes followed her movement. Low murmuring sound filled the air but Ember ignored them as she made her way to the nearest empty seat available which was near the pool.For a brief moment, she considered looking for another seat which was located far from any bodies of water but then the other empty seat she could see was in front of the altar and Ember didn't want to create another reason for people to gossip by sitting near the groom and bride during the ceremony.As
Ember arrived at the Hotel, which was located at the heart of the city a few minutes later. Standing at the upscale door was a female staff member already waiting for her.“Welcome to Elite Hotel, Ms. Heart. I'm Elle, your personal butler and I'll be assisting you throughout all your stay here.” The butler took her luggage and led her way to the elevator.Ember couldn't help but scan the hotel with mouth slightly opened. Almost every guest has their own butler. From the modern structure of the hotel to their butler service all screamed luxury.Her gaze had been searching among the guests as she passed across the hallway, looking for a familiar face, but she didn't find whom she wanted to see. It seemed Icen hadn't arrived at the hotel yet.They hopped on the elevator and it stopped on the eighth floor of the twenty story building where her room was located. They passed through a long hallway before reaching the vip suite.They enter a luxury suit and Elle, her personal butler, helped