"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said warmly. She was the lady of the house, and it was her only son's birthday celebration.
"Okay, Ma," Miranda answered with a smile. She was a 22-year-old young woman wearing 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 seven grown-up daughters, Derrick appeared to be the sole son of his wealthy family.
Many guests were present in the Luis family mansion, including top admirers, business partners, and their family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant was not at home.
Far away at a luxurious firm, Derrick Luis was still at his office when his mobile rang. "Hello, Mother," he picked up the call, and his mother said to him, "Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So, where are you?"
Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick observed it was already 6 pm, and he replied, "At the office, Mother."
"Come home, Son. It's your birthday, and we did a lot to make today a special moment to mark your new age of 25."
"Hmm, I'm not interested in birthday parties, Mother. Why can't you understand my priorities?" Derrick murmured. His mother was already old, so he couldn't blame her.
"I understand. Please, come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay up in the office until this time, I shouldn't have allowed you to go to the office today, knowing it's also your birthday."
"Mom, I cannot set work aside for a party. Who will look after Dad's company?" Derrick muttered again. His mother responded sadly, "You're right, but during your father's prime, he didn't skip home for work. He attended parties, or where do you think I met him?"
"Hm." Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. "Fine, Mother. I will be at home now." He said, and the phone call ended.
"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, and my mother still wants me to prioritize a party over my work. Tch," Derrick mused. He stood up from his exclusive office chair, shut down his monitor, and elegantly left his office, grabbing his suitcase.
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 after seeing many guests' cars parked inside his late father's estate.
Proceeding forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion's exterior. He rang the doorbell, and the maid pulled the door open for him.
"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted him.
Derrick ignored responding to the maid's greeting and was ushered by his mother, who was in the living room with many guests.
"Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you," his mother said.
"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" The guests in the living room toasted to the young master's new age.
"Thank you all," Derrick replied and wanted to retire to his bedroom to rest, but his mother stopped him. "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."
Pausing at the staircase to look back at the faces of the guests, his seven elder sisters who were all married with children. Derrick wanted to protest again that he was not a child and didn't want a birthday party. However, he gulped down his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.
Approaching his cake, which was placed in the center of the living room, Derrick cut the cake, and the guests beamed, clapping for him.
"Happy birthday, brother," his sisters cheered him, 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 meet him as they were standing 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 happy, and the toasting continued as the guests resumed drinking and chatting happily.
Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor of the mansion. Meanwhile, among the maids, Miranda had a crush on the master of the house. She was not the only one crushing on Derrick, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.
She openly gawked at his handsomeness. "Too handsome for one person," she thought.
Miranda had observed Derrick; he seemed very hardworking and didn't have time for women, focusing solely on his business.
Derrick didn't even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was dripping wet with desire to have Derrick notice her. Well, she was a poor girl who came from an orphanage home. After years of serving the elite as a maid, Miranda wanted a classic life. She didn't want to return to poverty.
In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in casual, inexpensive attire. There was no competition, as all the daughters of the Luis family were married, including Derrick's immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.
"Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my brother. I fear he might be gay. Why won't he have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it weird?" Nicole spoke to her friend Alexa, whom she had invited to her brother's birthday party.
Alexa worked as a secretary at the Luis Group, a multimillion-dollar firm, and she would admit that she hadn't seen any young lady come to the office to visit Derrick.
"I don't think he's gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a red dress and black shoes, having arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.
Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick. She wanted him as her husband in the future, because having a man like Derrick would mean she wouldn't need to work much or suffer to make a living, as his family's wealth would be enough to cover all her lifetime expenditures.
"What do you think of Derrick, Alexa? Don't you have a crush on my brother? If your sister hadn't spoken to me about introducing you to Derrick to work as his new secretary after my leave, do you think I only accepted you based on friendship alone? Come now," Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led the younger woman to the top floor, where there were no guests.
Alexa was nervous. For the year that she had been working as Derrick's personal secretary, based on Nicole's influence, she hadn't crossed the limit or tried to get Derrick's attention. He was aloof, and she feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross the limit.