At six in the evening, Rico West had already completed thirty arduous deliveries.He was exhausted and felt his entire body breaking down. He wanted to crash down and sleep like a baby. He is also starving, having not eaten anything all day, but still, he continued riding his old motorbike through the congested city streets, the vehicle rattling at every pothole.His body was sore from hours of riding, especially his legs. Beads of sweat rolled down his back, collecting beneath his shirt and blending with the fumes and dust in the air.His arms were badly aching from the weight of the delivery bag, which he had been hauling around since morning.On a normal day, he would have already clocked out of work by now. He wasn't exactly a machine, after all, but recently had been different.It was Melissa’s birthday today, and he has been saving for some months now for her birthday, so, he had no choice but to work harder than usual.Anyway, after today, he could finally rest a bit… though no

Rico turned and walked down the hall. His steps were uneven, heavy, like his legs didn’t know whether to run or give out. He had just caught the woman he thought was his future wrapped in a towel in another man’s room, and the image clung to him like a curse. He pushed through the hotel lobby without looking at anyone. His vision tunneled; the chandeliers, the polished floor, the quiet murmur of guests, all of it faded into the background. His chest felt tight, his throat raw, like he’d swallowed something sharp. Outside, the air hit him, but it didn’t cool the heat behind his eyes. He climbed onto his bike without thinking, his hands gripping the handlebars until his knuckles whitened. The engine roared, but he didn’t hear it. He rode into traffic, weaving through c popars without noticing the horns, the curses, the chaos around him. For nearly half an hour, he rode aimlessly, trying to outrun the memory of Melina’s guilty eyes — and the man’s smirk behind her shoulder. When he

“Yes,” Rico said, forcing himself to stand tall even though his knees felt weak. “I want a refund on my deposit for the perfume and handbag I’ve been paying for.”The saleswoman blinked, then tapped rapidly on her keyboard. “Sir, according to our records, you’ve made three payments toward that set. Unfortunately, our policy states deposits are non-refundable once the order has been placed with our supplier. The items are already in transit.”The words hit him like a wall. “But I haven’t even received them yet,” he said, trying to keep his voice level. “I don’t want them anymore—just give me back what I’ve paid so far.”She shook her head as if brushing off a stubborn child. “That’s not possible. Canceling now would mean a total loss to the store.”Frustration coiled tighter in his chest. “Then give me store credit,” he blurted, his palms already damp. “Anything I can use today.”Her lips twitched—not with sympathy, but amusement. “Store credit applies only after the purchase is comple

The lead car moved closer, black and shiny even in the heavy rain, drops sliding down its surface like silver, catching the little light left in the stormy afternoon. It slowed as it reached Rico and finally stopped right in front of him. For a moment, nothing happened. Only the sound of rain tapping against the sleek metal filled the air. Then, slowly, the tinted window began to roll down.Rico was too absorbed in trying to salvage his soaked belongings to notice. He bent over, shoving wet clothes and a waterlogged mattress into a corner, muttering under his breath, “Why even bother… nothing’s worth saving…” He pulled at the mattress, trying to make it flat, trying to imagine a place he could rest, even if only for a few hours that night.The dark window slid down only briefly before a tall, imposing bodyguard stepped forward and opened the middle door of the vehicle. Two more men followed, dressed in immaculate black suits, their shoes shining as if polished for a royal audienc

“We are here,” the older man said as the car stopped in front of the tall gates.Rico pressed his face closer to the window, eyes wide in surprise. His chest tightened, and he let out a shaky breath. “It’s… it’s huge,” he whispered, hardly believing his own eyes. He had never seen anything like this in his life, and the sheer size of it left him stunned.The older man glanced at him, his voice steady. “You’ll get used to it.”The gates slid open and the car drove inside. Rico’s breath caught as the mansion came into view. Its walls bright under the lights, the windows glowing like stars. His stomach turned with nerves as he looked around.“This… this can’t be real. Where is this place?” he asked, his voice shaking.“This is your home now,” the man answered calmly.“My… my home?” Rico repeated, almost choking on the word. It didn’t sound right. Not for him.The car stopped. Rico grabbed the door handle, his hand trembling, but the man placed a hand on his arm.“No, wait. Let them,” he