It's been a year since Cayenne started working as a receptionist in Clover Hotel, located in city A. It was supposedly a shifting schedule, but she asked her manager to keep her on a night shift. Though it was dangerous, it was the only way she could think of to keep her job at night and work in a café during the day. She had to work for her family or else they would perish in this world. "You didn't change your shift again?" Kyle, her 18-year-old brother, asked after seeing that she was preparing for her work early in the evening. "Sis, I can already work. Why not give up your night job and let me work instead?" "No, you can't. You have to focus on your studies. Don't worry about me." Cayenne smiled and reached out to rub her brother's curly hair. "Make sure to do your homework." Kyle and Luiz nodded their head obediently. Inside the small apartment, only the three of them were staying. They don't have a father to take care of them, and their mother was also hospitalized due to her tuberculosis. Cayenne Ardolf was the eldest among the three siblings. She just turned twenty-three years old last month, and she was also the breadwinner of the family. Kyle was the second child. He was currently a freshman in college and was taking up a Bachelor of Education major in Mathematics. Luiz, being the youngest, just turned sixteen years old last week and was s senior high school student. Seeing how hard their sister worked, the two of them were studying hard to repay her as well. Kyle wanted to work part-time somewhere, but Cayenne refused his suggestion. As a sister and elder, she didn't want her siblings to suffer the same fate that she had. She wasn't able to finish her degree after her mother got admitted to the hospital. Instead of studying, Cayenne chose to work and help her family. She worked as a waitress in a café during the day from nine in the morning to six in the evening, worked as a cashier in a convenience store during nighttime from nine in the evening to six in the morning -that was before she started working as a receptionist. The interval time the only time that she could rest before the cycle began again. During the weekend, she worked as a tutor in the morning and a babysitter in the afternoon. Sometimes she would wash dirty clothes or sell banana cue and other stuff in their neighborhood. She had been working for almost five years just to sustain her brother's needs and her mother's hospital bill, and her own medication. She rummaged through her small cabinet and found the letter that she had been keeping. It was creased, dusty, and turned a bit yellowish. It was the letter that Jillyanna Madrigal gave her a year ago. The letter of encouragement was the reason that she kept moving forward despite her difficulties. "I still have two hours before the shift starts." She folded her uniform and placed it inside her bag before grabbing an old down jacket. The season had changed, and it was getting colder outside. Kyle and Luiz were sitting around their small table, doing their assignments quietly. "Are you leaving now?" Kyle raised his head from his notebook and asked her. "Hn. I'll leave early while it isn't very late yet. I can take a short nap in our lounge before my shift starts, so it would be fine." Cayenne responded before putting on her shoes. "Make sure to wake up early tomorrow." "Hn. We will keep an alarm." Kyle stated and watched her sister open the door, and left for work. "Luiz, did you pass the scholarship exam that you took last week?" "The result will be out tomorrow," Luiz informed his brother. They were secretly taking scholarship exams behind Cayenne's back, and the money that she gave them for tuition fees was saved in case of emergency. Cayenne didn't know it. While she was worrying about them, her little brothers were also worried about her. In Clover Hotel, Stefan was currently staying on the topmost floor of the building. It was his personal space whenever he wanted to stay in the city. He didn't buy his own house since there's no point in buying one when there's no one who will live in it. "Sir, your father called and was asking if you would be coming to spend your birthday with them." His secretary, as well as his bodyguard, asked him. "Nope. I don't want to celebrate it." Came Stefan's short answer. "I've got nothing scheduled for the rest of the night. You can go home now." "Thank you, sir. Be careful always." The man bowed his head and left his master alone. Stefan learned to trust no one after the death of his brother fifteen years ago. He had been suffering from insomnia, and even alcohol and sleeping pills no longer worked for him. He could sometimes get a short nap, but he would be jolted awake by nightmares. The image of his brother, dying right in front of him, haunted him for years. He might not be the direct cause of his death, but if Stefan didn't wake up or if he didn't shout for help, his brother wouldn't come to his rescue and die in his stead. He was supposed to die that night, but his elder brother took his place. His parents might not be saying anything to him, but they were secretly blaming him. The smart, kind, honest, and amazing child they had died because of him. Stefan tried his best, but his parents never once praised him. They never acknowledged his effort. Since no one cared for him, he might as well leave. On his own, he strived so hard to achieve the things he has now. He studied hard to accomplish his goals without getting any help from his parents. "If I had died that night, I wouldn't be this lonely. I wouldn't be alone." He murmured while watching the city lights outside the building. "Why do I have to live and suffer?" He questioned no one in particular. He's got money, but no one truly cares for him. Women were after his money. Men were after his business. No one wanted to become friends with him. The only person who had been true to him was Travis. Ever since they met in college, they wouldn't cross each other's line, but they were honest with each other. It was also Travis who helped him without asking anything in return. But being the good and conscientious guy, he still gave him a small share of the one and only hotel branch he owned in city B. Travis didn't meddle with his ways of business deals, and he was doing the same. It was their way of showing respect to each other. "I will have another long night." He mumbled to himself upon seeing the time on his wrist watch. He pressed the intercom on the side of his door, which would directly send his message to the employee's lounge on the ground floor. "Bring me the best wine we have." That's a,, ll, and he turned off the intercom. Manager Dan scampered away to get what their boss needed. Right on time, Cayenne finished changing her clothes and was about to go out and stay in the lobby. "Cayenne, bring this to the top floor." "Huh? Top floor? Isn't that" "Go now, or that boss will fire all of us." Manager Dan pushed her a little, and Cayenne immediatelytookpushed the cart with a cold wine in a bucket. She was startled by her manager earlier, and now that she was on her way up to the demon's lair, she was shaking nervously. It was the first time that she was told to bring something to the top floofloord her heart was beating so fast. She would never forget the way he scolded her on her first day at work. It was also the day that Jillyanna came to her rescue. 'Knock! Knock! Knock!' Stefan opened the door and found her standing with a faint smile. "Good evening, sir. This is the wine that Manager Dan told me to bring." Her soft and low voice was just enough for him to hear. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear it more than her words. "Come inside and pour me a drink." Cayenne was rooted in her place with her eyes wide open. "Sir?" she blinked her eyes at him since she wasn't sure if she heard him right. "I told you to come inside and pour me a drink. What are you still doing there, gawking like a fool?" His words were harsh, but Cayenne didn't take them to heart. She knew that she would face people like him in her line of work. She got inside, pushing the cart in, and stopped in the spacious room. She opened the wine with ease and poured a good amount of wine into a wine glass. She handed it quietly to him, unsure as to what she should do in his presence. "Uhm..is there anything else you need, sir? If none, I will go back to my work." Cayenne asked politely to make sure that she wouldn't step on a landmine. "Come and join me for a drink." "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't drink while working. It's against the rules for employees here." "But I am the boss. I made the rules, and I can breathe whenever I want to." Cayenne was speechless beyond belief. She didn't know what to do at a time like this, and she didn't want to offend her boss as well. "Sir, I don't want to berudeb bu butt I applied to work as a receptionist,n ot to become someone to warm your bed." Stefan looked at her and smirked. 'Stop playing like an innocent virgin.' He thought to himself with ridicule. Nonetheless, he kept his opinion to himself. "I don't need you to warm my bed. Just accompany me for a drink." Left with no choice, and since she didn't want to lose her job, Cayenne poured another glass of wine for herself.