The next day.

Sofia and I went to a famous bookshop to buy stationery. Then Sofia picked up a red pen. " I don't think I'll need that," I rejected, shaking my head. " You will. Won't you mark his work?"

I rolled my eyes and took the red pen. " Anyway, I should have it, just in case."

After shopping for stationery, Sofia dragged me to a boutique.

" You need sexy clothes, Lisa."

" No! Don't you read the rules?!"

She laughed. " That's not what I mean. Not even for them, I mean for Andrew." She giggled.

" The motherf**ker?" Ahh, that man!! Not even up to a month since I came here and he already started disturbing me to date him, but he wasn't the serious type. I once wanted to give him a chance just to get over Timothy, but when I visited his house, I saw a lot of sex toys everywhere. That turned me off immediately.

I didn't even like the man from the beginning, but since everyone kept rejecting me because I'm divorced, I started feeling something was wrong with the way I dressed. I began paying attention to myself, then the attention increased, but still, no serious man. They all just wanted sex!

I just want Timothy to know I'm fine without him! Since they aren't ready to play along, so be it. " It seems most of the poor dudes have the same mentality," I said.

Sofia chuckled. " That's why I like rich men."

" My ex is rich, remember?"

" Oops!" she dramatically raised her hands while we both burst into laughter. " You see, whether they're rich or poor, there'll always be motherf**kers among them."

" But what will you do about your relationship status?" she asked. " It's been almost four months since you came here, Lisa. I think the problem is that you're hard to understand. Not every man is like your ex. You don't have to lock your heart."

" Exactly!" I pointed at a plain suit behind her. " I love this."

" You need to start opening yourself up to men again!"

I put the suit against my body and checked the mirror. " What do you think of this suit?"

Sofia rolled her eyes in annoyance. " Ugly! I said you need a serious relationship! You're twenty-five, for Christ's sake! Just because you have a beautiful face and a good body doesn't mean you're okay!"

I sighed and looked at her.

" I heard you. But let me make money first. Maybe if I'm rich, I'll attract rich, serious men. I'm tired of hearing, 'If you submit yourself to me, I'll spoil you with all my money.' I broke up with my ex not even a year ago."

" Hahaha!!!" Sofia roared with laughter, scaring everyone in the boutique. People gave us weird looks; some even shook their heads.

" Sofia, you're embarrassing me. Look, people are watching."

" Who cares? I trust my fiancé, he won't dare mess with me."

" Because you're both rich." I chose the black suit and prepared to wear it the next day. I looked at my reflection and sighed. I wanted to make a little money and some connections, to be able to stand on my own. My phone rang. I picked it up and sighed.

" How is it, Jeff?"

" It's true, Lisa. Your stepsister was the one who leaked the pictures of her and Timothy to the group chat. She also claimed she's been dating him since high school, before you snatched him. And the fools believed her anyway."

I clenched my fists. " I knew it! That bastard is intentionally trying to make me look bad in front of everyone!"

" You should know your stepmother and sister have always had their eyes on Timothy's money and properties. Your marrying him was like standing in their way. I don't even think Timothy ever loved you. Whenever he saw me, he didn't even ask about you."

" Ahhh... that's nothing," I said calmly. " His new wife will soon give birth anyway. Good for him."

Hatred forced my eyes wide open! Thinking of how I worked so hard to please him and even helped him in his company made my chest burn. If not for me, he was nothing! " What will you do about it?" Jeff warned. " He's not simple. Be careful. He has good connections."

" Thank you, Jeff." I hung up and ruffled my hair. I couldn't believe I was played by the person I loved!

" Maybe it's time to accept reality..." Jeff was my childhood friend. Even if the whole world turned against me, Jeff was always there. I once thought he had feelings for me, but I was disappointed when he introduced his girlfriend.

My first crush was Jeff. After confirming he had no feelings for me, I moved on and tried relationships. I used to envy ladies in serious relationships, especially during high school reunions. Each of them had boyfriends picking them up with love and care, while I went alone.

" Sofia, do you know? The last time I went to a reunion was when I was dating a waiter from a restaurant. He really came to pick me up, but he embarrassed me badly," I laughed.

Sofia chuckled and shook her head. " Silly girl."

" I'm telling you, he dressed so strangely. Everyone laughed at me. Gosh, I've really suffered at the hands of men."

" Hmmm, same here, dear."

" I thought dating Thomas would change everything. Not even up to a month, I rushed into marriage, thinking I had finally found my man. Who knew he was more poisonous than a snake!"

" Hmmm, I'm glad you're brave now."

" Maybe I'm not meant to have a serious boyfriend or husband," I sighed. " Not that I can even give them what they want..."

" That will never happen!" Sofia frowned. " You're still young and beautiful. Don't give up. Try again."

" Until my life gets completely ruined?"

She rolled her eyes.

" That's not what I'm saying. Give a serious man time to woo you, if he's truly serious. You'll know."

" The type of man I want only exists in novels and movies. Timothy tried in those areas, but he never loved me, so I gave up."

" As long as he's caring and loves you, that's all you need, Lisa." I nodded. " I'll think about all that after I make money first. The most important thing now is how to deal with that Donovan little devil!" I laughed.

I grabbed my laptop and searched 'How to tame a dragon in human form!'

Sofia peeked at my screen without me noticing and froze. " How to tame a dragon in human form?" Then she burst into laughter, startling me.

" Jeezzz! You scared me!" I glared at her and quickly closed the laptop, watching her laugh.

" It's not funny! You said he has a bad temper, just like a dragon! They breathe fire before thinking!"

" Google won't help you, darling. Talk to the head maid. She's old and experienced. I heard she nursed him since childhood. Don't think too much about him, okay?"

" I just need this money, Sofia..."

" Yes, you do. Now go get ready for tomorrow. You'll be facing the dragon and spending four good hours with him, what a time!!"

" Hey! Stop scaring me. Let tomorrow come!"

The next day, in the afternoon.

Coming down from the taxi, I walked toward the huge tall gate in front of me. I tightened my grip on the bag I was holding. I could see two gate men through the opening space in the gate, and when they opened it, I smiled at them and entered.

I walked for about five minutes before reaching the main mansion. I stared at it in awe. I used to think the Owen family was the richest, but seeing this mansion was another thing entirely! I suddenly felt this family could easily buy the Owens.

I wish I were born into a rich family like this... I wouldn't have to work this hard just to earn money!! I sighed as I entered the luxurious living room, huge enough to build another house inside it. The chandeliers and lights made it look like heaven!

A maid approached me and smiled. "Hello, are you Miss Lisa?"

"Yes, I am," I answered confidently. I had to act professional so they wouldn't look down on me! The contract wasn't easy to get anyway.

"Follow me, please," the maid said and turned around, heading to another door.

I followed her while my eyes kept roaming around. I had never seen a place this luxurious before. Soon, we reached another living room. "How many living rooms do the Donovans have?" I asked in confusion.

The maid chuckled. "Two. The first one is for guests. This one is private."

"Ohhh." I nodded. A beautiful woman was sitting on one of the white couches, eating fruit. She smiled and stood up when she saw me. "Oh, Miss Lisa, welcome! You're earlier than I expected."

I quickly bowed. "Thank you for trusting me, Mrs Donovan."

"Oh, you don't need to do that." She patted my shoulder and glanced at the maids. "Is Kelvin back?"

They nodded. "Almost an hour ago." The woman sighed and looked back at me. "Miss Lisa, I won't blame you if you can't handle him. His temper is getting worse day by day. He's just a year into university and..." She shook her head.

I chuckled softly and nodded, touched by her kindness. I had no idea there were still respectful rich women like her. "Don't worry, Mrs Donovan. I'll try my best."

She smiled. "I'll be happy if you can. Thank you so much." Then she turned to the maids. "Take her to Kelvin, please."

The maid bowed. "Follow me, please." I smiled nervously and followed her. I don't even know why I was nervous to see the boy! "Excuse me," I said.

The maid paused and looked at me. "Can I help you, Miss?" I swallowed and forced a smile. "Ahh... yeah. First, can I know your name?"

"Oh, Gift."

"Thank you, Gift. How can I see the head maid?" Seeing her brows rise, I quickly shook my head. "I just want to ask her something." Maybe if I try what Sofia told me, it would work.

She nodded and took me to the kitchen. We saw the head maid ordering other maids around. Gift whispered something to her, and the woman looked at me before nodding. "May I help you?"

"Ahh... yeah." I stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Hello, ma'am."

"Ahh, don't do that. I'm not used to it," she snorted. She's a maid, so she probably thinks she doesn't need respect, but she's old for Christ's sake!

"Oh, I understand. I just want to know about young master Kelvin." Everyone suddenly looked like they had a lot to say, but none of it was good.

"Why would you want to know that? Who are you?" she asked in amusement. "I'm his new teacher and..." I moved closer and lowered my voice. "I need your help. I don't want to lose this job. I really need the money."

She looked at me in confusion. "Why do you think I can help you?"

I suddenly felt speechless and uncomfortable. With the way she spoke, it didn't seem like she wanted to help. Why the fvck is a maid more arrogant than her master?! "Ahh, I'm very sorry for asking. Gift, please take me to him."

"Wait..." I couldn't believe she called me back. She sighed. "I don't really know much about him since he turned fifteen. He's difficult to understand and hard to please. But one thing I know, he hates noise. I can't give you full details, but if you pay attention to him, you'll understand."

"Ohh, noted." I nodded and left with Gift. But I already got one important thing, he hates noise. We went upstairs to another apartment decorated in black and white. "We're here,"

"I like his taste," I nodded at the decorations.

We reached a room that looked like an office, filled with different kinds of books. And there he was a cold young boy sitting on a chair, looking annoyed.

Sensing our presence, he raised his head. The world seemed to pause when our eyes met. He looked very innocent and... how can he be this good-looking? Oh my gosh! Those green eyes swept from my head to toe in a quick scan, then he looked away!!

The maid stepped forward and stretched her hand. "I'm not ready for class," he said coldly, glancing at me. "Get out."

I sighed and sat in one of the chairs in front of him, ignoring him. "You won't like it if your father knows you don't want to learn," the maid warned.

Kelvin grunted and handed her his phone. My eyes narrowed when I noticed the anger and displeasure on his face. "Why are you collecting his phone?"

"It's an order from his parents."

"Let him have his phone..."

"But it's..."

"What's with the noise? Both of you, get the fvck out," he snapped. Idiot! I rolled my eyes.

"Look who I'm speaking for..." I frowned in annoyance.

"Do I need you to speak for me? If you had a better job than teaching, would my phone be taken away?"

"So since I'm here, boy, there's nothing we can do about it," I said, took the phone, and walked out.

The maid was shocked. "What is she doing?" She glanced at Kelvin and quickly left.

After a few minutes, I returned and placed the phone on the desk in front of him with no words, no expression, just a pissed look that made him wonder why I was mad. But I already understood something.

He was surprised. His parents were very strict about distractions, and his phone was banned during lessons.

"I won't appreciate this," he said arrogantly. "It won't change my mind about doing this shit."

"I don't need appreciation. I helped you, so you help me."

He smirked at his phone, ignoring me.

"You don't have to listen," I chuckled, pulling out my textbooks. "Thinking you're perfect and don't need to learn is fine, but it sucks."

"Today's work isn't much, just an introduction to Business Studies," I said calmly and began explaining.

"For instance, you love your phone so much. Since you're addicted to it, it can also help you in business. In fact, it's one of your strongest tools. That's why I didn't want them to take it away."

Still ignoring me.

I glanced at him and nodded. He was on TikTok, watching reels.

I dropped my book and stared at him. His features were exactly like his mother's, even the hair and sharp eyes. He looked cute and stupid. How can this cute creature be this stupid? Even if he refuses to learn, is he not ruining his own life?

He suddenly looked up. I raised a brow and kept staring. Eye contact? I'm very good at it. I already saw him as my younger brother. "What is it?" he frowned.

I was sure he was used to girls getting shy or scared of his gaze.

"What? I'm just watching you," I chuckled, staring at his rare ruby-green eyes. "You can learn from what you're watching, you know."

"A TikTok video?" He raised a brow.

"Of course," I chuckled. At least if you waste half your life on TikTok, it's still an achievement, a lazy one.

"Are you cursing me in your mind?" His eyes narrowed.

I was surprised he could read me so well, but I'm older and smarter than him. "Why would I? I'm just thinking of a fun way to teach you business using TikTok," I said sarcastically, surprising Alex.

" Are you kidding me teacher?"

"Are you trying to look funny?" he added.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Not only rude, but he's also very disrespectful! I suddenly had the urge to spank his butt!

"I'm not trying to do what you think Mr Kelvin. I mean, you can also learn how to make a business on TikTok."

He raised a brow and glanced at his phone. "What's there to learn by wasting my time watching movies? I don't even post anything. How will I learn or gain something? Are you even a good teacher?"

I chuckled and nodded. "I'm glad you know you won't learn anything from just watching videos on TikTok." He can if he posts his cute face, in fact, he'll have millions of fans within a month!

His mood worsened. "Why do you even care about my lifestyle? I don't know why they keep sending different people to annoy me." He grunted. "The door is there. You can go."

I smiled faintly. "Why would I go if I can help you?"

"I don't need any help, miss. Leave. I'm not interested. Don't let me see you here again," he growled, standing up and turning to leave.

"You can't see her like that. I know she was once a TikTok star... but that's not how to find her," I smirked and raised my chin.

What I said seemed to work. He froze, then turned around and looked at me. "What are you talking about?"

I smiled and stood. "Or... did you want to say... How did I know? We'll continue this lesson tomorrow, Kelvin."

"If you go, don't bother coming back. I hate hide-and-seek games."

"Then promise me something, Kelvin. If you do, I'll help you find this girl."

"Forget it then," he said coldly.

"Oh well yeah, you don't want to help but you want me to help you? That's funny, Kelvin. All I need from you is not to fire me. I want to keep this job!" I gritted my teeth. Dealing with him is more annoying than I expected. I suddenly felt the problem was with his parents, the boy lacked home training and was too arrogant!

"Keeping your job depends on your own character," he raised a brow.

"I think finding this girl without anyone knowing depends on your character too, Mr Kelvin." I snorted. I checked his phone earlier on my way to his mother. The phone was unlocked, and the last place he checked was TikTok. Hundreds of recent searches with one particular name.

Cynthia_Pearls' new dance challenge.

Cynthia_Pearls' recent videos.

Cynthia_pearls.

Cynthia_Pearls' new boyfriend.

I already understood he really loved this girl but couldn't see her videos anymore. And with what his mother said "I don't want to see him near that girl..." I already knew his parents were against her.

"Ahh, now I get it," he said. "You want me to thank you for going through my phone?"

"I have to, since you won't tell anyone. I can help you get in touch with her if you want. You can't reach her because she blocked you everywhere."

"Will you just stop saying nonsense?" he snapped. "You don't have to make her look bad just to keep your cheap job. I changed my lines several times and still couldn't get her. What do you know?"

I sighed deeply, trying not to roar at him. "Yeah, I get it, I don't really know anything..." I started packing my books. I need to cool my mentality down!

"But I know a very good hacker, and I've been around him for a while. I've seen situations like yours many times. She has restricted you. No matter how you try or change lines, you won't get her. I bet she has good connections." I forced a smile and put the last book in my bag.

"Is that even possible? She won't do that type of thing to me!"

"That's your business, Kelvin. If you want me to go, I'm willing. Helping you find the girl is risky for me since your family is against her." I carried my bag, but I didn't miss the surprised look on the boy's face.

He walked back and sat down, staring at me with new interest. "Did Mom tell you this?" he asked, confused. He was sure his mother hated the girl.

"Didn't you sack me already?" I raised a brow.

He rolled his eyes. "There we go again. You want me to beg you to stay?"

"You're not the only one on the clue. I have more students waiting. I'll go to them if you don't want me. You're not gold to me." I had to lie to stop making him feel special!

He finally sighed helplessly. "Okay, fine! Stay!"

Thinking of what I have to do today, I checked my wristwatch and shook my head. "We will still talk about the business while looking for her."

"That's not why I asked you to stay!"

"And that's not why I want to help you find her. I've heard a lot of nasty things about you, but I don't even think that way. Even if I didn't know you before, I just feel you're a lonely and childish child."

He looked at me for a few seconds, and I cleared my throat then looked at the ceiling in a daze.

"You're not lonely... You just want to be alone because you're depressed. Well, well, well... First love is deep but oh, I forgot, we can't lecture the mighty Kelvin," I mocked, sitting back and dropping my bag again. I was surprised when he ignored my sarcasm and kept thinking.

"I love her so much," he finally said, shaking his head. "She's my first in everything, but..." He paused and looked at me, deciding if he could trust me.

"You can trust me..."

"She's my first... and I'm hers first too," he mumbled.

"You both disvirgined each other," I nodded, acting like a therapist. Anything to keep my job.

"So what happened?"

"Nothing serious. Just a normal misunderstanding. Then she found out my parents don't like her... and she broke up with me."

I nodded. "Do you still know where she lives?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. Same place as before..." He suddenly looked at me in confusion. "Why are you even asking?"

"I'm thinking of helping you see her."

Then he gave me that look again, making me feel uncomfortable! Calm down, Lisa. He's just a kid! But why did I suddenly find it sexy?!