"Ellen?"

When the woman's name was mentioned, her footsteps came to a halt. Though Ellen tried hard not to make any noise, her mother, Rowena, could hear everything with her extremely sensitive ears. Now Ellen felt nervous as her mother stepped closer. What should she do?

"Do you work overtime?" Rowena inquired.

"Yes, Mother," she replied.

"Is that true? Will you earn extra money at work ? Or are you working due to peer pressure?"

Rowena was constantly concerned about her daughter's work. Ellen is the eldest daughter, the breadwinner of the family, and she is now forced to work in order to support her family. Alberto, her father, is unable to work due to a serious accident. Alberto is cared for by all family members at all times. The man who could only sleep on the bed said nothing but stiffly moved his index finger.

Ellise, Ellen's sister, is the only one in the house who is reluctant to care for Alberto for an extended period of time. Because of her immature mindset, the 15-year-old girl prefers to rebel. They only have a simple house left to them by Rowena's mother. They would most likely be homeless without it. Even though technology is improving, the way people live in Manila continues to astound them.

"Is there anything I can eat this morning?" Ellise inquired flatly.

"Are you going to school, Ellise?"

The girl cast a lazy glance at her sister. "Do you think I'd do your dirty work, Ellena?"

"Ellise! Keep your mouth shut. Ellen haven't you forget she is your eldest sister. Can't you please be nice to her?"

"Mother, you are always on her side! Can't you see her sloppy appearance? She serves the hotel's old, fat men!"

Rowena inhaled deeply. She knew it would be difficult to persuade Ellise that Ellen's worked so hard because their family's financial situation was so dire. Ellise had always imagined her sister's job as a paid woman in a hotel. Rowena was well aware that her daughter would not do the dirty work.

"Ellise, you said far too much. Now, hurry up and get to school before you are late because you are berating your sister."

Ellise snorted at her mother's attitude, who had always covered Ellena. Ellise chose to leave without saying anything else and slum the door with a bang. Rowena could only face Ellise with patience. She was confident that Rossie would understand in time.

Then Rowena's gaze was drawn to Ellena's, who was standing stiffly.

"Don't think about what your sister said. You understand that Ellise loves you too much and doesn't want you to work in the wrong place." Her mother said.

Rowena's words, intended to calm her down, sounded like a sword piercing Ellen's heart. What if Ellise is correct? Ellen did nothing but serve the man in the hotel with her body. Although not exactly the same as Ellise predicted, Ellen awoke this morning in the same bed as a man. Ellen was certain that the man was wealthy, despite the fact that she didn't know who he was.

The money given by a man named Aidan was part of her silence. Ellen was still wearing her hotel blazer to work and had the check in her pocket. He was surprised to receive such a small amount. Ellen accepted the money despite her dislike of the humiliation of the man who had slept with her. She claimed to have self-respect, and the man paid the price for her body without hesitation.

Ellen must now ensure the safety of her family. She never mentioned the incident to anyone else. Even if her coworkers discussed the incident, Ellen had to end the meeting so that the man named Aidan's threat was not carried out.

"Ellen? Are you daydreaming?" Rowena patted Ellen's shoulder, who was deep in thought.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I guess I'm too tired." She spoke in husky tones.

"Oh, hurry up and clean yourself up. I will have to look for groceries from the rest of the restaurant's kitchen."

Ellen locked her gaze on her mother's fading body. Her only option for putting her mother at ease was to withdraw money from a man named Aidan.

***

Ellen works as a housekeeper in a mid-range hotel. Her job requires her to keep the hotel she works for clean and tidy. Meeting a drunken man was not in her favor. Ellen should not have helped the man who appeared to be having difficulty walking that night.

Ellen's intention at the time was only to point the man in the direction of the room he had ordered. However, just as Ellen was about to leave, his hands were tightly gripped and a name was heard from the man's lips.

"Sheena! Honey, I knew you'd come to me!" 

"Wh-what? I'm not the Shenna you're looking for, Master." She said, full of confusion.

"You always piss me off, Sheena. Come here, Sheenaa, and I'll show you how much I can make you believe that the man you marry can't love you as much as I do!"

Ellen was terrified by the distorted view. She didn't want to help another drunk man if it meant bad luck for her. A drunken man's power is also not to be underestimated. Ellen thought it would be simple to kick the man's dick. Ellen, on the other hand, was surprised because she had been slammed on the bed so hard.

"I should have asked for more money; he's my first!" She said to herself.

"Whom are you referring to?"

Ellen was surprised that someone had apparently heard her words. Who else can follow her besides James, her coworker, who is more interested in finding out about rumors at work than in doing his job?

"James, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you were really working or if you were avoiding the others."

Ellen gave James a disapproving look. "What exactly do you mean?" 

"You're not doing particularly well, are you? There have been numerous reports that you provide services—"

"Don't you have any other job besides spreading rumors?" Ellen inquired, sarcastically.

"Hey, calm down a bit. I wouldn't suspect you if you hadn't done anything wrong."

"It's up to you!" Ellen sighed and stepped back from James.

"Which room are you going to clean?"

"It's none of your business."

James, who was getting irritated, waved his hand. "Okay, fine. I don't want to be concerned about you. Whether it's true or not, only you benefit. But watch out for the hotel manager, who probably knows more about the rumors than I do. Good job, Ellen!"

Ellen's head hurt from the thought of being chastised. She needs this job for her family.  Don't let everything be destroyed by a man who forces her to give up her chastity. If that happened, Ellen's family would become increasingly impoverished.

***

Unlike Ellen, who is completely dependent on the hotel manager. Chase De Vera is still struggling with a lot of work in his office. He didn't even dare get drunk outside the house last night. He didn't want the same mistake to happen again  Chase didn't want any more names on the list of women who wanted to use him.

"Sir, there is someone who wants to see you."

Chase doesn't have any appointments today. He pursued some work that needed to be completed right away.

"Who?"

"Liam Ramirez."

Chase seemed to have heard the name before. Dom couldn't remember a person's name and face because he used to make small talk with so many people.

"Aida, can you recall that name? I don't recognize the name or face of Liam Ramirez right now. There's no way I'm being so oblivious to our potential client, right?"

Chase can always rely on Aidan as an assistant. He knew Aidan's ability to obtain information about someone always worked. He could only find out about a woman named Ellen, let alone Liam Ramirez, who was clearly well-known.

"Sir, Liam Ramirez is the primary heir of R-Bank. Currently, his father is still the owner, and Liam Ramirez manages his responsibilities under the supervision of his father, Robert Ramirez." Greg explained to his boss.

Chase nodded solemnly. He was confident that Liam Ramirez arrival would bring a large sum of money to De Vera' Corporation.

"You must know what to do then."

Aidan was well aware of his responsibilities. Chase was aware that his assistant was always self-assured in his work.

"Aidan, I'm sorry. Please give me fifteen minutes to prepare before you bring our guests into the meeting room."

"Sir, I understand. I'll accompany Liam Ramirez to the meeting room after you've arrived, sir."

Chase gave Aidan a thumbs up, indicating his confidence in his performance. So, in order not to disappoint the clients who come, he must get ready to go to the changing room in his room right away.

***

The handshake between Chase Dominique De Vera and Liam Ramirez was not new, but it was Chase's first opportunity to meet Liam face to-face.

"Liam Ramirez." He introduced himself.

"Chase Dominique De Vera," he said quietly.

The two of them already knew each other's names while trying to get to know each other.

"Please accept my apologies for keeping you waiting so long, Mr. Ramirez."

"Just call me Liam."

Chase nodded and replied, "Then just call me Chase, Liam."

A meeting between two important people is no different than any other. When it comes to business, it is very simple to say a nice greeting.

"I'd heard a lot about De Vera's Corporation being of high quality."

"Thank you for the compliment, Liam. I also believe that one of the R-leaders' banks will not select the wrong partner to attract customers."

Liam showed a smile when he heard Chase's words, which had led to the cooperation talks they were about to have.

"In recent decades, R-Bank has been founded by men who are quite old and are hesitant to change their old-fashioned marketing methods. Because technology in this country is already evolving at a rapid pace, there is no harm in experimenting with new methods to demonstrate that we are also very sensitive to existing technology."

Chase paid close attention to everything Liam said. He wasn't going to interrupt because Liam was a potential client for him right now. If they meet at a big event and talk casually, Chase won't want to lose the opportunity to praise his own company.

"I'd like to make a show that proves to new customers why R-Bank is more trustworthy than other banks. R-Bank can especially help businesses with their finances."

Chase knew there would be a reaction from him towards Liam. One of Liam's goals is to make Chase or even De Vera's Corporation one of R-Bank's customers.

"So, some kind of corporate video?" Chase inquired.

"Yes. That sort of thing. I don't understand how to make a short show that makes viewers want to use R-Bank right away."

Chase knew it was impossible, but in Manila, it wasn't just R-Bank that had become the preferred financial institution. To make Liam's wish come true, Chase must put together a team of smart people who can break down ideas.

"After we've worked it out, we'll probably give you the best idea. This impromptu meeting could not immediately generate the best idea. Mr. Liam, I have a team that will work hard to meet your video criteria."

"That's correct. Please forgive me for expecting a quick performance right away."

Chase responded with a soft laugh that wasn't entirely genuine. Because Liam is a client, his current position should be lower. Chase, despite being the boss of his own company, cannot show his arrogance in order to gain the trust of his clients. When Chase is dealing with people who are not profitable for him, he will raise his chin and demonstrate his power.

"Dissecting ideas in depth is essential in the way people who work more in the field, such as us, work. Every company that comes to us with the goal of getting the best results must be familiar with our company's performance. Of course, we will do everything in accordance with the client's wishes after ensuring that the concept meets the client's requirements."

In agreement, Liam nodded and tapped his fingers on the table. "Okay. Mr. Chase, I'll be waiting for more information from you."

Chase extends an invitation to Liam for lunch at the end of the meeting. He couldn't possibly give his client a bad impression.

"We have a rooftop restaurant that is worthy of three Michelin stars. Mr. Liam, you have no other option but to become our client."

Liam's laughter goes up in the air at Chase's arrogance about his perks. "You might be able to open a restaurant in addition to owning a De Vera's Corporation, Mr. Chase."

"Oh. Yes, of course. I considered it, but first I need to find the world's best chef before I can build such a magnificent restaurant."

The conversation of two people with different levels of authority is not uncommon in the business world. Chase and Liam enjoyed each dish in an elegant way. Until Liam said something that instantly made Chase's throat dry.

"I'm not sure if you mind if I bring it up. But I'm just as disappointed as you are by your ex-girlfriend's decision to marry someone else. You two are a perfect match in my opinion."

Chase reached for the glass of mineral water and took a sip while looking to the side.

"Please accept my apologies, Mister Chase. I didn't mean to aggravate your old wounds."

"Yes, I understand, Mr. Liam. Thank you for your appreciation, but Sheena and I are no longer considered "the perfect couple." We're no longer strangers. So, can we change the topic?"

Chase did not want to hear anything about Sheena. So, if anyone mentions that damn woman's name again, he'll issue a similar warning to the other clients.