At Serendipity Restaurant.

Renata Prescott leaned close to Danny Hamilton, sitting across from her.

"I've heard rumors that Alexander Graystone has been married six times," she whispered.

"Come on, Renata, don't spread false rumors," Danny replied hastily, glancing at Aurora Moon, who was focused on her ribeye and utterly oblivious to their conversation.

Renata followed Danny's gaze and smiled as she playfully nudged Aurora with her shoulder. "The rumors are true, right, Rory?" she asked.

"No way is Alexander Graystone's plan to build a harem!? Seriously, Aurora?" Danny chuckled, unable to contain his amusement as he waited for her response. However, she remained silent.

Renata's laughter abruptly filled the air. "Haha... Danny, you see, even Rory can't answer us. The gossip must be true! Well, my friend, you're right...Alex is starting to build his harem."

Aurora rolled her eyes at Renata's words. She ignores their question. She can't tell them the truth, even though they are the only people she trusts besides her father and Alex, her boss.

While most people believed Alexander Graystone had been married only once, the reality was far more complex. He had been married six times, all arranged by his parents.

Interestingly, none of his marriages lasted longer than six months, ending in divorce or separation.

She did not care much about Alex's personal life, but she knew his mother had grown suspicious of her after his third divorce.

The tension between her and his mother increased after she accused her of having an inappropriate relationship with Alex.

"Gosh! Can you both stop talking about my boss? Let's eat in—" Aurora's voice trailed off when her cell phone buzzed.

She immediately straightened her back upon seeing the name on the cell phone screen.

'Why is she calling now?'

Aurora's heart clenched with worry and confusion as she debated whether to answer or ignore the call.

"Who's calling, Rory? Your heartless boss?" Danny asked, noticing Aurora staring at her phone as if she had seen a ghost.

"Nope. It's his mother." Aurora stood up, brushing off their questions. "Guys, I need to take this call..."

Standing by the glass wall overlooking the bustling street, Aurora took a deep breath before answering.

"Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?"

"Are you with Alex?" an impatient and angry female voice snapped from the other end.

Aurora could guess Alex had likely ignored his mother's call again, as he often did.

"Ma'am, Master Alex isn't with me. Has he not arrived home yet?" she asked.

"My goodness, Aurora! Do you think I'm stupid? If he were here, I wouldn't bother calling you." Her response was sharp and irritated.

"My apology, Ma'am. Would you like me to call him now?"

"No! But I need you to bring him to the main house. It's almost seven, and all the guests have arrived, but Alex still hasn't shown up. Get him here in thirty minutes!"

Aurora was stunned.

How could that be? The main house was about forty minutes away.

"But, ma'am—" she began.

"No more excuses, Aurora! This is your fault as well. You know this dinner is important, yet you didn't ensure he got home safely."

"I won't waste any more time talking to you. Find him and return here quickly. Otherwise, I will think you sabotaged Alex's marriage out of love for him!"

Beep!

Aurora feels a dagger stab her heart. How could she accuse her like that?

Setting aside her shock and frustration, she rushed back to the table, quickly apologizing to Renata and Danny before hurrying toward the door, their questions trailing behind her.

"Wait, wait, Rory! Your bag!" Renata called out as she hurried after her, handing her the bag.

"Thanks, Rena. I'll call you later. Please send me the bill. I will transfer the money..." Aurora said, already halfway toward the main entrance.

"Don't worry about the bill, girl. This is my café..." Renata chuckled, watching her best friend dash toward the exit, waving goodbye without looking back.

"Happy birthday, Rory!" Danny shouted after Aurora.

"Poor Rory. Alex's mom is ten times worse than he is." Renata muttered as she returned to their table.

She finished her margarita and kept her gaze locked on Danny.

"Dan, can you help Rory? Can you rescue her from that ridiculous Graystone family deal?"

Danny shrugged and sighed deeply.

"If only I could. I already do what I can without you asking," he responded.

"Oh, poor Rory! She's a genius among us, yet she's trapped wasting her life as Alexander Graystone's assistant," said Renata as her gaze became gloomy.

"Uh, let me correct you there. Our good friend Rory is not just Alex's assistant; she is his maid and butler," Danny replied, annoyed as he glanced at the untouched birthday cake.

***

Aurora stepped outside and swiftly dialed Alex's number.

As she approached the black Volvo CX40, his voice rang out from the other end.

"Why are you calling?"

"Sir, where are you?"

Aurora needed to act quickly to avoid his mother's wrath, so she climbed into the car and started the engine.

"In the office. Seriously, Rory, why do you sound upset? Did my mom call you?"

Aurora activated the speakerphone and replied quickly, still avoiding his question.

"Sir, I will be there in five minutes. Please wait for me in the lobby."

"Damn it! I won't go back to my parents' house, Rory. Just ignore her. No need to waste your time coming here."

Instead of following his instructions, her anger boiled inside her.

For the first time, she scolded him: "Alexander Graystone, if you don't show up, I will go to your father and beg him to release me. I mean it!"

She ended the call before he could respond.

"Alex, this is your final chance..." Aurora muttered, pressing harder on the gas pedal as she sped toward the Stardust Tower.

...

Five minutes later, she felt relief when she spotted a tall, slender man in a dark gray suit standing by the main entrance, gazing toward her car.

Aurora hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt just before him, and rolled down the passenger window.

"Sir, please get in!" Her tone was polite, but her piercing eyes conveyed the depth of her fury.

Alex stood hesitantly by the passenger door, reluctant to enter.

He casually took a cigarette under his coat and put it between his lips. After lighting it, he glanced at her.

"You are so stubborn, Rory! Did you know that?"

"Sir, please hurry. We're running out of time. Your mother will make my life miserable again if we're late."

Rory ignored her boss's question, instead leaning over and opening the door for him.

Alex still stood in his place, enjoying his cigarette, his eyes fixed on her.

"Alex, sir, please!" Aurora's voice was firm yet polite.

"Do you really want me to resign? If you don't join me now, I will—" Her words trailed off as Alex finally climbed in beside her after tossing away his cigarette and stepping on it.

As he settled into his seat, Alex glanced at her.

"She won't cause you any trouble. Why are you still afraid of my mother?" He briefly looked away to pull out his cell phone.

Aurora sighed silently, noticing that he hadn't fastened his seatbelt.

"Please put on your seatbelt, sir!"

When Alex didn't respond, she gritted her teeth. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she leaned closer to help him.

Just as her face was inches from his, Alex suddenly fastened his seatbelt.

"You smell great, Rory!" Alex whispered close to her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. "Okay, you can drive now." He suppressed a grin at her glare.

Aurora remained silent and only focused on the road as the car sped toward the Graystone family's main house.

She lacked the energy to engage in conversation and felt thankful that Alex understood her need for quiet.

However, just before they arrived, Alex broke the silence.

"Why are you still mad at me, Rory? I'm ready to go home, just like you always wanted. You should be happy, right?"

Alex was hesitant to return to his parents' house because he knew the family dinner was part of his mother's plan to arrange another marriage for him. He felt too exhausted to handle yet another proposal.

To end his mother's schemes, he decides to tell them tonight that he has already married his business partner's daughter.

"Unbelievable! Now you're ignoring me too, Rory!?" he chuckled, noticing she remained silent and seemingly ignored his question.

"Alex, if I had the luxury to be angry with you, I would have expressed it the moment you sat next to me!"

Aurora wanted to say, but the words caught in her throat. She gritted her teeth and gripped the steering wheel tightly, choosing to ignore him.

Although she wanted to scold him, she couldn't express her feelings and frustrations in front of him because her primary duty was to be his assistant.

Her friends often referred to her as "Alex's maid," and she never denied it; that was indeed her role in Alex's life.

She managed all his personal needs at home, serving as his butler.

She could step in as his secretary in the office if his actual secretary was unavailable.

She is also able to serve as his driver or bodyguard when needed.

Since childhood, she had never been able to choose her destiny.

Like her father, grandfather, and ancestors, she was born to serve as the assistant to the future head of the Graystone family.

Everyone in her family, both male and female, had been devoted to the Graystones for many decades. Her fate was sealed as she was an only child.

With such a long line of history, she felt powerless to escape her fate.

"I'm not mad, sir," Aurora replied gently, avoiding his gaze. Her eyes remained focused on the road ahead.

Alex frowned as he watched her. After a few more minutes, he shook his head helplessly.

"Rory, please, you can drop the formalities. This is an order!" he demanded.

Aurora remained silent but nodded.

"Now, tell me why you look so upset with me. Usually, you don't mind when my mother scolds you, but today seems different. Did she hurt your feelings?"

Taking a deep breath, Aurora finally turned to Alex as the car stopped at the last traffic light before heading to Pine Hill, his family's estate.

"This isn't about your mother. It's about you, Alex..."

Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised by her response.

"Me? Why me?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Yes, you..." A wry smile appeared at the corner of her lips before she turned her gaze back to the road ahead.

"Didn't I apologize to you? And follow your wishes—go home?" he asked, his voice full of confusion as he struggled to understand why this woman was still upset.

Aurora hesitated before responding. "You did. But do you know what day it is?"

"Why do you ask? I know it's Friday. Am I right?"

Aurora found herself at a loss for words.

'What do I expect from someone like you, Alexander? You don't even remember my birthday after all these years—' She lost the energy to continue the conversation and fell silent the rest of the way.

As Aurora pressed the brakes, she turned to him.

"Sir, we've arrived."

Without waiting for a response, she immediately exited the car. After opening the car door for him, she stood by the vehicle, waiting for him to step out.

She lowered her gaze to avoid eye contact, worried he might see her emotions.

"Damn it! Why didn't you answer me, Rory!?" Alex snapped as he got out of the car.

When he noticed Aurora was avoiding eye contact, he ran his hand through his hair, annoyed.

Standing before her, he called out her name in a deep, commanding tone.

"Aurora Moon!"

He rarely raised his voice when speaking to her, but her attitude pushed him to lose his patience tonight.

Aurora was stunned. She quickly looked up, surprised to meet his intense gaze.

At that moment, she realized that the man before her was no longer Alex; he was her Master, Alexander Graystone.

"Master, I beg you to come inside hurriedly. You're already late, sir. It's unwise to keep your mother waiting for you..." she said politely, lowering her gaze again.

"YOU—" Alex's anger intensified.

He hated it when Aurora called him "Master," but hearing her words prompted him to set aside his irritation.

"Give me your phone!"

"Master? Why—"

"Give me your fucking cell phone, Aurora Moon!"

He raised his hand, waiting for her to hand it over.

Although Aurora didn't understand his intentions, she still handed her phone to him.

Alex held her cell phone in front of her face and scanned it. Once it unlocked, he searched her contact list.

When Aurora realized what he was doing, she was shocked.

"Alex, what are you doing? Why did you block your mother's number?"

Alex ignored Aurora's question. Instead, he returned the phone to her and warned, "Don't try to unblock her. This is my order!"

"But, Master, your mother will surely kill—"

"Aurora Moon, you need to remember! You're working for me, not my mother. And you need to put that in your mind every step of the way."

Seeing his fierce gaze, she felt all her words had betrayed her. She opened her mouth, wanting to refute him, but no words came out.

Her hand clenched into a tight fist. She felt frustrated and wanted to express her emotions but couldn't because she knew his words were valid—she only worked for him; he was her master.

"Do you understand what I said?" Alex asked again, demanding an answer.

"Yes, Master. I understand." Her voice was barely audible, but it was clear enough for Alex to hear. It annoyed him that she kept calling him "Master."

"Oh, for fuck sake! You're still calling me master. Alright, forget it. You wait here. I won't be long," Alex instructed, stomping his feet and taking long strides toward the main door.

Aurora stood still, holding her breath.

Once Alex's back disappeared behind the door, she finally exhaled deeply, relieved. She clenched her hand tightly as she got into her car.

Aurora had never felt this way before, but somehow, tonight, all the emotions she had bottled up began to torment her inside.

'Damn it, Rory! You are such a fool. How could you lose control in front of him?' She vented her frustration in her mind.

...

Aurora took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind. However, her cell phone buzzed and she saw a new text from Renata.

"Rory, we're still waiting for you at the café. You haven't blown out your birthday candles yet."

She wanted to return to the café immediately, but Alex's furious expression made her hesitate. She closed her eyes again to calm her mind.

However, shortly after, she faintly heard a knock and a familiar voice calling her name.

"Rory—"

Turning to the side, she noticed a thin man with gray hair standing outside her car.

"Dad—"

Aurora lowered the car window and tried to get out, but Thomas Moon held her back and asked her to remain inside.

"Alright, Dad, why are you here? Don't you have a job to do?" Aurora asked, her voice filled with concern. Her father should have been butlering Alex's father inside.

"I'm going to be fine for the next 30 minutes. Master won't need me until then," Thomas replied as he took out a white envelope beneath his black suit. Before giving it to his daughter, he said, "Happy birthday, Rory. This is my gift to you. I hope it will make your life easier..."

Aurora couldn't contain her happiness when she received a birthday gift from her father. However, her father's last words left her confused.

"Dad, what is this?" she asked, staring at the white envelope in her hand.

Thomas smiled excitedly, "Hurry, open it, Rory..."

Despite her confusion, Aurora quickly opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper.

As she read the contents, she was left in shock, unable to find the words to express her joy.

"D-Dad, how could you get this? H-How...?" Aurora stammered. She was shocked to read the paper.

"This is the only gift I've wanted to give you since the day you were born," Thomas replied, his voice trembling as he struggled to control his overwhelming emotions.

Seeing tears welling in his daughter's eyes, Thomas continued his words. "Since your mother passed away, I've been pleading with the old Master to grant you your freedom. And today, he finally agreed."

Aurora's sobs grew louder as she heard the words she had often dreamed of. Tears flowed even more fiercely, soaking her cheeks.

"Oh, my daughter... you are now free. You no longer have to work for young Master Alex. With that letter, he cannot stop you."

Sobs caught in Aurora's throat, making her struggle to speak. She never expected that her father had worked hard for her freedom for so long. She never imagined this moment would arrive.

This "Freedom" is undoubtedly the most valuable birthday gift she could ever wish for, far more significant than anything else.

"Dad. I really appreciate it. I-I'm not sure how to express my gratitude, but I feel that way, Dad. This is the greatest gift I have ever received from anyone. Thank you so much."

Thomas beams with joy at his daughter's happiness. He speaks again after allowing her to calm her emotions for a few seconds.

"Rory, this is the only way to break this foolish blood bond between the Graystone and Moon families. That letter will free us from our debt to this family. I will be the last Moon to serve them." He softly patted his daughter's shoulder.

"D-Dad..." Aurora still tries to contain her shock. "T-Thank you!"

"Alright, you can go now. Go celebrate your birthday with your friends. There's no need to wait for your Master; I will drive him home."

Aurora shook her head as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Dad, you don't need to drive him. I'll call his driver to come."

Thomas remained silent but nodded in agreement with her. After a brief conversation with Aurora, he returned to the house.

This is the first time he feels lighter on his feet. His smile widens as he whispers, "Cecilia, my wife, I hope you're happy up there. Our daughter finally gets her freedom..."

...

After speaking with Alvin Russel and asking him to pick up Alex, Aurora took a moment to think before typing a text message.

"I'm sorry, Master. I can't wait. I've already called Alvin to pick you up."

Aurora didn't linger there long; she quickly drove toward Serendipity Restaurant.

Just a few moments later, a beep sounded, distracting her. She glanced at the new message and was not surprised to see it was from Alex.

"Aurora Moon, this is an order. Return here, or you will face your first punishment! I mean it!"

Instead of feeling angry after reading his reply, Aurora laughed.

In the past, she could only dream of the opportunity to stop working for Alexander Graystone. Every time he threatened her, she obediently complied.

But now, she no longer needed to worry about it. She had a letter of agreement from Alex's grandfather that allowed her to leave the Graystone family.

After ignoring Alex's text for a few more minutes, another message came in.

"Rory, I'll be done in fifteen minutes. You need to be there when I step out!"

Aurora sighed deeply after reading Alex's text.

Worried that Alex might call her, she sent a voice message: "Alex, I can't. I need to celebrate my birthday."

After sending the voice message, she tossed her cell phone onto the passenger seat and focused on the dark, empty street ahead. Her heart tightened as she raced down the empty road.

Graystone's main house rested atop the hill, overlooking the city. Only a few wealthy families in the country resided there, making it rare for a car to pass by.

Aurora sped, hoping not to keep her friends waiting too long. However, mere seconds later, she was shocked to see a car racing toward her in the distance.

Before she could react, a loud 'bang' echoed, ringing in her ears.

A searing pain shot through her, a metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils, and moments later, a burning flame engulfed her.

Everything happened so fast.

Stillness lingers...

...

Darkness, coldness, and loneliness blended into one, overwhelming her.

Even though she commanded every muscle to open her eyes, not a hint of light reached them.

"Help! Hello! Can anyone hear me? Please help!"

Her scream became lodged in her throat.

Suddenly, she realized she no longer felt anything—not even the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Her human senses had utterly abandoned her.

All that seemed to remain was her mind and soul. Perhaps.

She was lost, unable to understand what had just happened.

This nameless sensation was utterly bizarre and horrifying.

She had never faced anything worse than this in her entire life.

'The explosion... Did it throw me into this void? Into this emptiness?'

She wondered, terrified.

'No! How can I die like this? God, why did You take me so quickly?'

A chilling thought tormented her mind.

'What about my dad? Who will take care of him? Please, send me back! I promise I'll be a better person, kinder. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it! God, please, can You send me back? Just give me one more chance?'

Amidst her fear of the eerie silence and the suffocating darkness, she faintly heard a distant female voice.

"Oh my god, Miss Aurora..."