The sky above Valcaria City that night was dark gray—as if reflecting Lovita Carter's feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty about whom to turn to. The cold winter air stung her pale cheeks as she stood in front of the old building that once belonged to her father's company. The signboard had been replaced. A bright white neon light that read "Greengrass Finance" reflected off the puddles left behind by the afternoon rain.
Inside the beat-up car in front of the wheel, her father sat silently with his head bowed, a look of frustration on his face. Lovita used to be a cheerful girl who was always the center of attention on campus. But now, exhaustion was evident in her facial lines, her beautiful eyes like stars that had lost their light.
"We can still find another way... Dad," she whispered softly.Her father remained silent, not answering. A sigh came from the man, sounding heavy. As if he were carrying the weight of the world.
"The loan shark... said tomorrow is the final deadline. If not, he'll send me to jail, our house will be seized. And—" there was a brief pause, her voice breaking. "And... Lovita... forgive me. I pledged you to him."
Lovita froze. She couldn't believe it, she was disappointed and felt very angry at what she heard. Her body felt cold as ice.
"...What? How could you do that, Dad?" her voice trembled.
"I will never give myself to that man."
Her father looked at her, his old eyes wet. "Forgive me, Lovita. I was foolish. But i have nothing left."
Lovita cried, looking away and biting her lower lip until it bled. Her anger was useless. Everything had already happened. All that remained was pain. It seemed as if the world had never been on her side.
She walked alone on the Valcaria City sidewalk that night. She didn't want to go home with her father after a long argument, so she decided to get some air—or perhaps she intended to give up on this world.
It was late at night, and the city lights reflected her shaky shadow on the windows of the skyscrapers.
Suddenly, her small cell phone vibrated. There was a text message from an unknown number.
"I can solve your problem tonight if you're interested in coming to the Andromeda Hotel, 47th floor. Alone."
"Who are you?" Lovita replays.
"You will know if you coming in"
Lovita stared at the screen for a long time, confused by the message. She didn't recognize the number. But for some reason, a glimmer of hope arose in her chest.
A few moments later, the rain started again. The Andromeda Hotel stood majestically, piercing the night sky of Valcaria City. The marble floors and lobby sparkled under the crystal lights, giving off a luxurious and elegant impression. Hesitantly, Lovita stepped inside, her flat shoes leaving a slight trail of water from the rain outside.
"Good evening, ma'am. Are you Miss Lovita Carter a guest of Mr. Rafaello Ashford?" a female receptionist greeted her with a friendly smile.
Lovita was stunned. That name... it hit her memory like a wave from the past.
Rafaello Ashford.
A name she hasn't heard in the last ten years.
"Ah... yes, that's right," Lovita replied with an awkward smile.
"You can go straight to the 47th floor with the elevator in the corner over there, ma'am."
"Okay, thank you."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Lovita headed straight for the shiny elevator in the corner of the room. She stood inside the elevator for a few seconds, watching the digital numbers go up one by one.
Every "ding" sounded like it was counting down the steps she couldn't take back.
A few moments later, the elevator doors opened with a soft sound. The 47th floor felt different—quieter, with long corridors and silver walls, the smell of expensive wood mixed with the distinctive aroma of coffee. She saw only one door open at the end, dim light flowing out from inside the room.
Lovita took a deep breath and stepped inside. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably. She didn't know why she had come, perhaps because she was desperate about what had happened to her.
The room inside was spacious, with large windows with silver curtains displaying a view of Valcaria City, wet from the rain falling outside.
In front of the glass window stood a tall man in a perfect black suit, his shoulders broad and square, his silhouette clear even though he had his back to the light. When the figure turned around, Lovita's world stopped for a moment, as if gravity was holding her back.
Rafaello Ashford.
He had changed—his features were still sharp, but now his expression was harder and his aura was very intimidating. But... those eyes were still the same—beautiful and deep, the eyes that used to stare at the floor every time he passed through the campus corridor. Now those eyes were staring directly at her with a piercing gaze.
"It's been so long, Lovita Carter," he said softly, his voice deep and calm like the undercurrent of a river. However, that voice now sounded heavier than it had ten years ago.
Lovita stared at him. Her eyes were teary.
"Rafe? Is that...you?" her voice was almost a whisper.
"Yes." The corners of his lips lifted slightly. "I'm glad you still recognize me."
He approached her. His steps were slow but sure. With each step he took, the space between them shrunk. Lovita closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself.
"Did you send me the message?"
"Yes," he replied briefly. "I heard your father... had a little problem."
Lovita swallowed hard. Her throat felt tight.
"How did you find out?"
"It was hard not to know." He looked out the window again. "The loan shark who dealt with your father,have a small stake in one of the companies under my group."
His words flowed calmly, but the tone behind them somehow made Lovita grip her small bag tightly.
"Then, is what you said in that text message true?"
Rafaello turned his body again. His expression was still flat. "Yes, it's true. I can pay off all your father's debts tonight."
Lovita was stunned. "What?"
"You just need to sign this document," he said, placing a black folder on the table. "After that, you and your father will be free from that loan shark."
Lovita approached and opened the folder. Her hands were shaking. And Rafaello could see it. Inside the folder were legal papers, employment contracts. On top of them was written: Executive Personal Assistant – Rafaello Ashford.
Lovita looked at Rafaello. Their gaze meet.
"Personal Assistant?"
"Yes, according to what is written on that paper." Lovita frowned.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," said Rafaello, a sinister grin on his face.
Lovita straightened her shoulders and, for some reason, felt a chill at Rafaello's expression.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't need to know." His eyes stared at Lovita intensely.
Lovita, who was being stared at like that, only looked down. A long silence fell between them. Until Lovita lifted her face again and stared at Rafaello for a long time.
"Where have you been all this time? Did I do something wrong to you? I'm sorry if—"
"You don't need to know. What's clear is that you never knew what happened to me back then." Rafaello's tone was sharp.
"You also didn't—"
"Enough." He raised his hand slowly, interrupting her. "That's not important anymore. What you need to know is that i can make all your problems go away. Your father's debt and your fear."
He stared at her sharply. "And all that will be done with just your signature."
Leika froze.
The city lights outside the large hotel room window reflected on Lovita's confused and tired face. She wanted to leave, but there was an invisible chain holding her back.
"How long?" she finally asked, her voice barely audible.
"As for time, i didn't write a deadline." Rafaello looked at her. Deeply. Then he added, "Until i'm done with you."
Lovita stared at the paper. The black ink on white seemed meaningless. Only the sound of breathing, the ticking of the clock, and the gaze of the man who used to be so gentle and innocent—now standing in front of her, offering her a solution to her problem at a price she did not yet know.
"I need to tell you a little about John Cage. That loan shark isn't a patient man."
Rafaello's voice sounded again. He wasn't threatening. But there was something that made Lovita shiver.
She closed the folder. "I need time to think."
"Go ahead. You have until sunrise. After that, the offer disappears."
Lovita seemed to be thinking. She seemed to be weighing everything up. She thought that she only needed to sign this contract and all her problems would be solved. But she was a little suspicious as to why Rafaello hadn't written down the deadline.And in the end, Lovita made her decision.
"Okay, i agree, i'll sign this."
Lovita's slender hand moved to sign the document, which she did not know would later become a boomerang for her.Rafaello smiled crookedly when he heard Lovita's words.
"Good decision, Lovita Carter."
"And one more thing, I have to be honest with you—I told the loan shark to give your father a large loan with high interest."
Lovita was stunned to hear Rafaello's words. She didn't expect that all of this was Rafaello's doing."...What?"
"You can't run away because you've already signed the contract."
"What did i do wrong for you to do all this?"
Rafaello smiled crookedly and held Lovita's chin roughly.
"Don't pretend to forget the mistakes you madeyourself, Lovita Carter."
Lovita clutched her chest and cried after Rafaello left. It felt as if something heavy had struck her chest. The sound of his shoes hitting the floor seemed to echo the pain in Leika's heart.
And that night, in the midst of the rain that drenched Valcaria City. Many questions filled Lovita's mind—her past, which she thought had left her without a trace, suddenly came back with a new face—a face full of resentment and pent-up anger, without Lovita knowing the cause.