“CONGRATULATIONS, ZOE!” Nana Milky greeted Zoe as she exited the stage.

Zoe gave the elderly lady a genuine smile and hugged her. She then walked over to her mother, who was crying and standing on Nana Milky’s back.

Iris couldn’t help but cry as she watched her daughter walk across the stage to receive her awards and diploma. Words can’t describe how proud and happy she was.

“Mom…”

Iris shook her head, and she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened a few weeks ago. She regretted everything, and she was grateful that Zoe had allowed her to attend her graduation.

“Please accept my apologies—”

“Shh…” Zoe rushed up to her and tightly hugged her. “—don’t blame yourself, mom,” she released her grip and smiled. “We all commit mistakes, and I forgave you. And all I ask is that you promise me one thing...”

Iris bit her lower lip as she fixed her gaze on her daughter. She took Zoe’s hand in hers and squeezed it tightly as she met her gaze. “Please tell me, honey.”

Zoe cracked a grin. “Promise me you’ll never keep a secret again.”

Iris was stunned for a few seconds before smiling and nodding. “I swear to you. Come here,” she said and hugged her daughter once again.

“Well, I suppose it would be impolite to interrupt your mother-daughter reunion.”

Zoe let go of the embrace and turned to face the person with a deep but alluring voice.

“Congratulations.”

Zoe bit her lower lip as she stared at Helios. She was aware that they hadn’t been getting along well in recent days, and she admitted that she missed him.

She hadn’t seen him since that day. Nana just told her that he was going on another trip. And his presence this time took her by surprise.

“Hello,” Helios said as he handed her the tulip bouquet.

Zoe smiled at him as she held them. “Thank you.”

Helios sighed, smiled, and extended his arm to do the handshake with Zoe’s mother.

“I apologize for not formally introducing myself to you, Mrs. Levine.”

Iris shook her head and smiled. “I already know who you are, son. Don’t be concerned. Zoe told me about you.”

Helios’ brow furrowed as he looked at Zoe. Then Zoe averted her gaze.

“Oh, she did?”

“Yes, and I know you’re Don Lincoln’s son, and you’re the one who saved and paid off my debts to him.”

Helios nodded, his lips pressed together. “My name is Orion Helios, ma’am.”

“Orion?” Helios overheard Zoe’s mumble.

He smirked. “That’s my other name.”

Zoe gave a soft chuckle. “Uh, you didn’t say anything to me—”

“Do you require it? I believe what you said to me that day clarified everything.”

Zoe looked at him, perplexed, and she could taste the bitterness in his voice. “Helios…”

Nana Milky intervened, telling them that they needed to celebrate before starting a fire and burning everyone.

“I’d like to try Italian cuisine. So, maybe book a table at an Italian restaurant, Helios,” Nana suggested as she assisted Helios’ arm, and they began to walk away.

Nana motioned for Zoe to join her, so she grabbed her mother’s arm.

“Is there anything going on between you two, honey?”

Zoe rolled her eyes and stated that she didn’t want to think about it. She sighed deeply and shook her head. “Nothing, in particular, mom.”

“Zoe!”

When she heard her name, Zoe came to a halt and frowned.

“Hey. Congratulations, bitch!” It was Mira. She took a step forward and looked at her mother. You must be, Mrs. Levine.”

Iris smiled and nodded. “Good day, dear. And you are?” She reached out a hand to Mira.

“Mira Riverdale, Helios’ cousin,” Mira replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking at Iris’ hand. She smirked as she looked at Zoe.

“Stop using my cousin, you scumbags. I understand how your mother works—”

“Please, stop, Mira. I don’t want to start a fight,” Zoe stated, trying to maintain her calm demeanor despite Mira’s insults.

Mira snorted. “Uh, Uncle doesn’t want people like you tainting their family—”

“Mira, what are you doing?”

Mira came to a halt, and her eyes widened as she heard Helios’ voice from behind her. She rolled her eyes and turned to face Helios.

“I’m just sending these two warnings—”

“And, Who gave you the right?”

Zoe was taken aback. She assumed Mira was friendly because of what she had witnessed over the last few days. Mira is always there to protect her. Even though she found it strange, she was grateful.

However, she already understands at this point.

Mira is not sincere. She’s just acting. If that’s the case, why does she need to confront them?

“My dear cousin. Have these lowlifes already tainted your mind?”

Helios clenched his fist as he approached them.

Zoe felt a pang in her chest. And her gaze wandered; few remained, and she was afraid they would cause a commotion.

“No matter how you dress them. They still smell like trash, Helios, especially Zoe,” Mira's insults are getting overboard.

She’s too much.

Zoe couldn’t help but move in closer. “What exactly did you say?”

Mira turned to face her, her brow furrowed. “Are you deaf or not?”

Mira laughed as Zoe clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth.

“Oh, the stray cat wants to bite me?” Mira laughed.

“Enough already, Mira. Stop interfering with my—”

“I’m not interfering, my dear cousin; I’m just trying to make some sense. You dislike it when Uncle gets angry with you.”

Helios snatched Mira’s arm and drew her closer to him. “Stop causing a fuss. You don’t want it when I’m angry,” he said quietly.

Zoe pressed her lips together and looked at her mother. “Let’s go,” she said and walked towards the parking lot.

When they got there, Nana Milky asked about Helios.

“He’s dealing with his cousin,” Zoe explained.

Nana Milky sighed and shook her head. “Mira is a spoiled brat,” she said.

Zoe cracked a grin. “She was born wealthy, Nana. And perhaps an only child—”

“No, she lacks respect in general.”

When she heard Helios’ voice, Zoe’s eyes widened.

The man approached the driver’s seat of his Range Rover.

‘Great! I could feel his coldness,’ she thought.

A FEW days after Zoe’s graduation, she decided to look for a job that suited her knowledge. The thing was, Nana knew about it, so she did tell Helios, and here she is, sitting in front of him while the man was staring at her.

Zoe doesn’t know how to react, but she finds it awkward. She knew that Helios had confessed last time, and she rudely responded with it. She bit her lower lip and hemmed to clear her throat, catching Helios’s senses.

“Uhm, is there anything wrong?” she asked.

They were just a few distances away from each other, sitting in Helios’s living room, and she did hear his deep sigh.

It seems like something is bothering him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked once again.

Helios took a deep breath once again and sighed. “I want to ask you one last time about—”

“If this is about your proposal. I apologize, but I can’t give you what you want. I am still young and full of dreams, Helios. I am sorry.”

Helios scoffed and arched his brow. “I see. I understand. I will not mention it once again. Because fuck it, I am hurting.”

Zoe was rendered speechless. Helios is too bold. Too honest. And seems like have a vulnerable heart, unlike his father. But some things didn’t need a rush. Mainly it was marriage, and the main factor between them is missing.

The love.

It’s unrequited. Helios loves her, but Zoe doesn’t love him. Yes, she will admit, she likes him—she wants him inside her. She wants his touch, his every thrust, but she can’t feel love.

Say, she cared, but it is not love.

However, she assumes that learning to love Helios is not that hard. Maybe, it only takes time.

“I don’t mean to hurt you. But it’s better to be like this. It is better to talk earlier about this. I like you, I swear, I am lucky to have you. You have a good reputation, hardworking, lovable, kind, unlike your fat—”

“Is that why you don’t like my proposal because of my father? Because he killed the President of the estate, like what rumors fed you?” Helios asked, clenching his fist that was resting on the armrest of the sofa.

Zoe was a little bit stunned. She didn’t mean it that way. But what is he saying? Is there a possibility that it’s not Don Lincoln who killed the President?

“Whatever. You can think whatever you want. Besides, people are true about Michael Lincoln.” Helios mentioned his father’s name.

“Hel—”

“Let’s drop that topic, can we?”

Zoe pressed her lips together and nodded.

Helios leaned on the backrest of the sofa and crossed his leg as if he was sitting on a throne. “Anyway, Nana told me about you, finding a job. Why don’t you work with me? I’m in need of a secretary. Well, I don’t have one, but I will make an exception this time. Since I know that you will not fall in love with me, right?” he said, but Zoe could sense his sarcasm.

“I’m not sure if you really want me to work with you—I mean, say you’re working eight hours during weekdays, means to say, I will always be there with you. Isn’t it a little bit awk—”

“Awkward?” Helios interrupted and scoffed. “Don’t worry. I won’t bother you about it again. Rest assured that you don’t love me. I’m not dumb.”

Zoe’s forehead creased. “It’s not that I offended—”

“What’s your answer about the job offer?”

Zoe sighed. It’s her chance. Besides, it’s the job that she must focus on, not the thing between them.

After a few moments of silence, she nodded.

“Great. You can start tomorrow. I will teach you—oh, not necessary since your course is related to it. So, maybe just a simple instruction.”

Zoe nodded, but she could sense that Helios was letting out awkwardness between them.

“Are you sure that you’re fine working with me?”

Helios’s frowned and scoffed. “Don’t be too full of yourself, Zoe. You’re not that beautiful—”

“What?”

Helios formed a snide. “Nothing.”

Zoe let out a sarcastic laugh. “I think it’s you who’s being too haughty.”

Helios arched his brow and stood up. “Am I? It’s just that…” he paused and stared into her eyes, “—I can’t believe that a woman could turn down such an offer. I am a fucking billionaire yet—”

“You can’t buy love, Helios.”

Zoe is waiting for something that Helios would do. But she didn’t find it.

If he’s really in love with her—if he loves her, he should be consistent. Then why doesn’t he court her, tame her, until they develop their feelings? However, it is not what she expected. And it is better to be this way.

Helios seems not to know the word love. Or is he really feel love for her?

Or he was just bluffing, trying to test his charms as other men did?

Zoe shook her head and looked at Helios’s fainting figure as he left. She heaved a deep sigh and got back to her room.

She reached for the phone which Helios gave and dialed her mother’s number.

Zoe is grateful that he helped her and her mother. It’s been days, and her relationship with her mother is getting back like usual.

Her mother promises that she will not do things without Zoe’s knowledge and her mom even want them to find a new apartment and start over. Well, she’s thinking about it.

“Zoe…”

Zoe smiled when she heard her mother’s voice. “Where are you right now, mom?”

Iris let out a soft chuckle and sipped on her glass of wine. “I am having dinner with my colleagues.”

Zoe sighed on the other line. “You can stop working in the nightclub, Ma. I found a job.”

Iris smiled and excused herself. She walked towards the ladies’ comfort room and stopped in front of the mirror.

“I’m fine, sweetie. I’m not stripping again, and just a waitress. The boss wants me there. You know, some of my clients still look for me.”

“But it’s dangerous. Look what happened—”

“I assure you, sweetie. I’m fine. And Helios owned the place, right?”

Zoe pinched the bridge of her nose. Ugh! She almost forgot. Her mother is working at Helios’s bar. She smiled and heard her mom's soft chuckle.

“So, don’t worry about momma, okay? Anyway, what’s your job and we need to celebrate it. Wanna come?”

Zoe looked at the wall clock. “No, it’s too late. We can do it tomorrow after work.”

“You will start tomorrow? Do you have a corporate dress already? How about heels?”

“Whoa, mom.” Zoe chuckled. “Slow down,” she said, smiling.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s just that my baby is already—”

“Mom, I don’t want drama.”

Iris rolled her eyes and laughed. “Yeah, right. Okay, let’s meet tomorrow then, and you need to have beauty rest,” she said.

Zoe nodded, even if her mom couldn’t see it. “And go home after dinner, okay?”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Iris joked.

Zoe then hung up and sighed as she put down the phone on the side table. After that, she walked toward the bathroom and took a cold shower.