In a luxurious, tightly sealed VVIP hotel room, the moans and gasps of a man and woman pierced through the elegant walls—walls that were supposed to be soundproof. A room meant for peaceful rest was now filled with a heated atmosphere and the lingering scent of sex hanging thick in the air.
Grace, Megan's personal assistant, sat silently in the lounge area. Her face was expressionless, unmoved. She was used to hearing such sounds coming from behind closed doors.
She waited patiently, glancing at the clock now and then, waiting for the noises to fade and for Megan to emerge in a state fit for conversation.
After what felt like forever, the bedroom door finally opened. Megan stepped out wearing only a short, thin white bathrobe, loosely tied and exposing much of her chest. Her hair was tousled, lips swollen red, and the strong scent of intimacy still clung to her. She walked lightly to the sofa and flopped down lazily, as if what had just happened meant nothing to her.
Seeing this, Grace immediately stood up and approached, handing her a folder containing important documents.
Megan took it without a word. She opened the folder and began reading, her eyes scanning page after page carefully. A faint smile briefly appeared on her lips.
"Have you found out who Brian contacted this afternoon?"
she asked flatly, eyes still fixed on the documents.
"Yes, Madam," Grace replied quietly.
"Who?"
"Ms. Serena."
SLAM!
The file Megan had been reading was suddenly slammed hard onto the table. The loud thud shifted the atmosphere instantly. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by a sharp, furious glare.
Grace lowered her head. She knew her employer's temperament all too well and didn't want to provoke her further.
"Why is it always her?!"
Megan burst out, her voice sharp with rage.
Grace remained silent. She knew that wasn't a question meant to be answered. Over the years of working with Megan, she had learned that moments like this were simply emotional outbursts Megan needed to vent.
Megan was no ordinary woman. She was smart, ambitious, and extremely manipulative. In many ways, she was a sociopath—lacking empathy and driven purely by self-interest. The only people who could shake her emotional stability were two: Brian, her husband, and Serena, his daughter.
From the beginning, Megan had loved Brian—an obsessive, all-consuming kind of love. She couldn't accept that Brian's attention could be shared with Serena.
So she made a plan. She played the role of a loving mother to win more Brian's affection, while secretly poisoning his relationship with Serena.
Over the years, Megan manipulated everything between Brian and his daughter. She planted disappointment in Brian's heart, making him believe Serena wasn't the sweet child he thought she was.
She even arranged for Serena to marry Andre—a man she knew would never make her daughter happy.
Megan believed that, in time, Brian would forget about Serena. But today, that hope was shattered.
"Didn't we delete Serena's number from Brian's phone?"
Megan asked, her eyes boring into Grace with intensity.
"Yes, Madam," Grace replied softly.
"Then how could he still contact her?!"
Grace hesitated. Her face showed clear reluctance, but she knew Megan would not accept silence as an answer.
"Answer me!!" Megan barked.
"Mr. Kale seems to have memorized Ms. Serena's number by heart,"
Grace replied quickly.
Megan's eyes flared with rage. In a flash, she grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it at Grace. It hit her shoulder, then shattered into pieces on the marble floor.
Though her shoulder throbbed with pain, Grace remained upright, not showing the slightest sign of distress. She was used to this kind of treatment.
"Call Dr. Yuki. Tell her to prepare the memory-erasing drug," Megan ordered, her breathing heavy.
Grace's eyes widened. That command wasn't something to be taken lightly. Megan truly wanted to erase Brian's memory of Serena.
"Understood, Madam," Grace finally said.
"Get out!"
Without protest, Grace exited the room. Megan sat back down, clenching her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her gaze was blank but burning with fury.
"I hate her,"
she muttered, her voice laced with venom.
What Megan didn't realize was that behind the bedroom door—where the intimate act had taken place—Alex was still inside. He had heard everything. The conversation between Megan and Grace, and the insane command about the memory drug.
Alex gave a small smirk.
Serena.
The name that had just caused a woman as cold as Megan to completely lose control.
"Just what kind of woman is Serena, to make Megan react like this?"
Alex wondered silently.
---
County A
At a well-known pub often filled with the wealthy and powerful, Adrian sat alone in a corner, staring blankly into his glass of whiskey. He swirled the amber liquid slowly, as if searching for answers at the bottom of the drink.
Ever since he learned that the majority of his family company's shares were now owned by his stepmother—Serena—Adrian had felt trapped. He had tried countless ways to regain those shares, but all his attempts had failed.
"Ugh…"
He let out a deep sigh. He had worked tirelessly for months, building his own company from scratch, but lack of capital made every step feel like running in place.
He was exhausted—physically and mentally.
Suddenly, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen—his grandfather's name flashed. Adrian sighed again and set the phone down without answering.
He already knew what the call would be about. His grandfather would want to talk about Kelly again.
Kelly, the woman his grandfather introduced with hopes of making her Adrian's future wife. Adrian had already refused, clearly and firmly, hoping that would be enough to make Kelly back off.
But it wasn't. She kept clinging to him and had full support from his grandfather.
The weight on Adrian's shoulders kept piling up—business struggles, family pressure, and Kelly. All of it was suffocating.
Amid all the chaos, one name suddenly crossed his mind: Serena. His stepmother.
His feelings for Serena were complicated. He respected her, even cared for her. But he also resented the fact that she held the largest share of a company he believed should've stayed within the bloodline.
Eventually, Adrian stood up, paid for his drink, and stepped out into the parking lot. But his steps halted when his eyes landed on a familiar figure—Riri—talking to an older man.
Riri looked uncomfortable, her eyes tired, her expression forced. Without thinking, Adrian walked quickly toward them.
"Riri?" he called.
She turned, startled to see him. "Adrian?!"
Adrian stood beside her at once, making it clear to the older man that Riri wasn't alone.
"Who's this?" Adrian asked quietly, eyeing the older man.
"Oh... this is Director Cha. He's a well-known filmmaker," Riri replied politely.
"Ah..." Adrian relaxed a bit. The name rang a bell.
Director Cha looked Adrian over with interest.
"And who are you?" he asked.
"A friend," Riri answered quickly.
The director nodded, then studied Adrian again. "You ever consider acting?"
"No."
"No."
They both answered at the same time, creating an awkward silence. Riri laughed softly while Director Cha looked mildly disappointed.
"That's a shame. You've got the face and posture. You could be a star," he said before finally saying goodbye.
But before leaving, he still tried to convince Riri to accept his offer for a book adaptation project.
---