The next morning, when Maia got to the kitchen, a housekeeper greeted her politely and handed her a wooden meal box. Maia accepted it and opened it in surprise. They were Nester’s apple pies. “Where did you get them?”“Mr. Cedric told us to give this to you as soon as you came down for breakfast.” He remembered! Did he go to Nester personally to get them?“He bought them?”The housekeeper nodded and added, “I saw Mr. Cedric leaving the house at midnight as I was getting off work. When he came back at 7am this morning, he had the meal box with him.”Maia could not believe her ears. Why did he go through all the trouble just to do this?“Ms. Maia, what do you have in your hands? It’s such a pretty meal box!” One of the housekeepers who had just walked in on them asked curiously.“They’re apple pies!” “Ms. Maia, you must really love them! Are you hungry? Should we prepare breakfast for you?” The housekeepers smiled and asked. “It’s fine. I’ll just have this.” She waved the
“Maia, thank you for comforting me the other day. I’m truly grateful for what you’ve done for me. However, I’m not as strong as you are. Not everyone could overcome a bad experience, and sadly, I’m one of them. This is my way of ending all the suffering. I’m sorry that I’ve disappointed all of you. I love Errol very much, but I can’t stay with him forever. I’m sorry.” The letter was simply heartbreaking as Maia cried sadly. “Ms. Maia.”Maia heard someone addressing her as she scrambled to dry her tears and regain her composure. She turned toward the voice and saw a police officer walking toward her. “Ms. Maia, we’re done talking to Mr. Errol. For now, we can only assume that Ms. Celia had committed suicide. More and more fans of Ms. Celia are gathering at the hospital. “We hope that as her ex-boss, you could talk to her fans and the media about the news and to ask them not to crowd around the hospital.” Maia knew the severity of this issue. Those fans and media have been cau
Maia quickly shouted, "Errol! Errol!"But it was as if he hadn't heard anything, running frantically towards the hospital's exit. Maia was concerned that he might do something extreme, and her expression changed."Stop him!"With a command from Cedric, the bodyguards quickly caught up and stopped Errol. Maia hurriedly approached, watching as Errol tried to break free from the guards, and asked, "Errol, where are you going?"Seeing Maia, Errol calmed down slightly but made no attempt to break free from the guards. Yet, he remained unresponsive, his head drooping, showing no signs of movement.Maia asked, "She's still in the hospital. Why are you leaving her? Where are you going?"Errol understood that Maia was referring to Celia. He suddenly looked up at her, his eyes red. With a single glance from Cedric, the bodyguards immediately released Errol and stepped back.Errol looked at Maia, gesturing, "Sis, I need to ask Aunt Tess something. I must find out from her!""Aunt Tess?" M
Those who attended weren't there to offer condolences but to compete for Celia's substantial wealth. However, the police found a video on Celia's phone where she clearly stated her intention to donate all her assets to the orphanage that raised her, to benefit more orphans. Celia's "family" was dissatisfied and created a scene at the funeral."We're Celia's direct relatives, why don't we get a share?""Yeah, my daughter earned so much money in her lifetime. I, as her mother, should at least get a portion. I'm the one who gave birth to her!""Exactly. As her dad, I should have a share, too! Hand over the money, otherwise, we won't leave!"Their commotion stirred a collective sigh among the onlookers. Maia shook her head at the behavior of these so-called family members. Errol couldn't speak, but his anger was palpable. He wanted to rush forward, but Maia held him back."Errol, you know where we are. Don't forget that!" Maia reminded Errol.Errol nodded slightly upon hearing Ma
Tess looked around cautiously, ensuring no one else was nearby. Then, she whispered, "The one who is as famous as Cedric... Jerome Olsen! I met Jerome Olsen's wife during my business trip this time!""Jerome's wife?""Yes, yes! She told me that she had been to Osttahl before for academic discussions. She mentioned that the place could be chaotic and advised me to be careful, especially to watch my belongings. “So, I bought some self-defense tools. We’re getting my sister's belongings, and her things are all precious. Many people might try to snatch them! We need some handy tools, just in case. It's always better to be prepared."Maia pretended to have a serious expression and nodded, "Yes, you are right. But are you sure you can bring these things on the plane?" She pointed her slender finger towards the luggage on the floor. Tess was caught off guard.Maia smiled and continued, "Aunt Tess, we'll stay at the safest hotel in Osttahl, and the security for the charity event should b
"There’s no need for that because you are already trouble. I don't need to go looking for more," Maia said as she returned the tablet to Cedric. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, she quickly freed herself from his grasp and kept her distance.Stepping back a few paces, Maia smiled at Cedric. "I appreciate your kindness but don't want to invite more trouble. You should find someone else."Maia then walked to the elevator. His gaze stayed on her, with a gleam in his eyes—a light that appeared because of her."Tomorrow, someone will protect you all the way," Cedric said.Maia paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and entered the elevator.After going upstairs, Maia immediately began to pack her luggage, playing her part in the act. She chose a dress for the charity event in front of the mirror, planning to select a short dress that wouldn't cause any trouble. However, she couldn't find a suitable and lightweight dress after searching through her options."Too short."
Maia breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Tess falling asleep. Acting could not go on forever, or it would be too exhausting. She leaned to the side and closed her eyes, but she dared not let her guard down. Even though Cedric had arranged people, Tess was too close, and Maia had to remain vigilant.Upon arrival in Osttahl, it was already the following day. The weather in Osttahl was different from Solisar, and as soon as Maia got off the plane, she felt a bit cold. She quickly walked outside the airport with her luggage alongside Tess.They took a taxi arranged by Cedric to the hotel he had also arranged. The entire hotel was completely booked for them, all for tonight's charity event. Upon reaching the hotel room and closing the door, Tess immediately began trying on the dress she would wear tonight."Maia, do I look good in this?"Maia nodded. "You look good, Aunt Tess, no matter what you wear."While Maia was answering Tess, she received a text message from Cedric: "There is
Who would’ve thought that Aunt Tess was the one who had paid an exorbitant amount of money for someone to kill her? Such a twist would have been deemed too preposterous even for television!Reality was too cruel.Now, there was one less person who cared about her. For that matter, there was one less person for her to care about as well. Not that she even had have that many to begin with…“Who said you were only worth a billion dollars?” Cedric wasn’t pleased with what he heard.Maia smiled. “Well, how much do you think I’m worth, Cedric?”“You’re priceless,” Cedric said decisively. It was what he genuinely thought. Maia was startled. Something stirred in her heart when she saw the way he looked at her. She pulled her eyes away. She didn’t want to continue this vein of conversation, much less meet his affectionate gaze. She said, “The charity event is in less than thirteen hours. I’m a little tired. I’ll be going back to my room to rest.”“You can do that here.”“That’s not