"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said. She was an elderly woman, the mistress of the house, and it was her only son's birthday.

"Okay, Ma," Miranda answered. As a young lady in her early twenties, Miranda wore a pink dress. It was nighttime, and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Among seven women, Derrick happened to be the only male in his rich family.

Many guests were present at the Luis family mansion, including admirers, business partners, and family members and relatives, but the birthday celebrant wasn't at home.

Far away at a luxurious firm, Derrick Luis was still in his office on the fifth floor when his mobile rang. "Hello, Mother," he answered the call, and his mother said, "Derrick, you know today is your birthday. So where are you?"

Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick saw it was already past 6 p.m. He replied, "At the office, Mother."

"Come home, Son. It's your birthday, and we've made a lot of arrangements to celebrate this special day for you, now that you're 25."

"Mom, I am not interested in birthday parties. Why can't you understand my perspective?" Derrick murmured. His mother was elderly, so he couldn't blame her.

"I understand. Please come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stay in the office this late, I wouldn't have let you go to the office today, knowing it is also your birthday," his mother complained.

"Mom, I cannot set work aside for a party. Who will look after Dad's company?" Derrick muttered again. His mother responded sadly, "You're right, but during your father's prime, he didn't skip home for work. He attended parties; where do you think I met him?"

"Hmm." Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. "Fine, Mother. I'll come home now," he said, ending the call.

"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, my mother still wants me to prioritize parties over work." Derrick mused. He stood up from his chair, shut down his computer, grabbed his suitcase, and left his office elegantly.

Arriving home in a brand-new Prado Jeep, Derrick Luis got out and made his way to his family's mansion. He could hear music and frowned upon seeing a lot of guests' cars parked in his late father's estate.

Moving forward, Derrick reached the mansion's exterior. He rang the doorbell, and the maid opened the door for him.

"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted him.

Derrick ignored the maid's greeting and was ushered in by his mother, who was in the living room with many guests.

"Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you," his mother said.

"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" All the guests in the living room toasted to the young master's new age.

"Thank you all," Derrick replied, but as he tried to head to his bedroom to rest, his mother stopped him. "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."

Pausing on the staircase to look back at all the faces, Derrick saw his seven elder sisters, who were all married with children. Derrick wanted to protest again, stating he was not a kid and didn't want a birthday party. However, he held back, falling silent in the crowded living room.

Approaching his cake, that was placed in the center of the living room, Derrick cut it, and the guests happily clapped for him.

"Happy birthday, brother," his sisters cheered, and he replied, "Thank you all."

"That's not all, Derrick. Make a wish," his mother urged again.

"Oh, Mother. I am not a kid," Derrick finally protested, but his mother approached him with a reassuring smile.

"No one said you're a kid, but you're still my baby, so make a wish," his mother pleaded.

Not wanting to disappoint his mother, Derrick wished for a long life, a happy family, and a prosperous business.

"Happy birthday again, Master Derrick; we wish you all the best." The guests joined in the celebration as they resumed drinking and chatting happily.

Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor. Meanwhile, among the maids, Miranda had a crush on the master of the house. She wasn't alone in her admiration, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.

She openly gawked at his handsomeness, thinking, "Too handsome for one person." Miranda observed that Derrick seemed very hardworking. He didn't have time for women and mostly focused on his business.

He didn't even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was willing to do anything to get Derrick to notice her. Having grown up in an orphanage, she didn't want to return to poverty after years of serving as a maid.

In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress casually. There was no competition since all the daughters of the Luis family were married, including Derrick's immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.

"Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my brother. I fear he might be gay. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it weird?" Nicole spoke to her friend, bringing Alexa along to her brother's birthday party.

Alexa worked as a secretary at Luis Group, a multimillion-dollar firm. She would admit she hadn't seen any young lady visit Derrick at the office.

"I don't think he's gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a seductive red dress and had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.

Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick. At 22 years old, she thought being married to someone like Derrick would ensure she didn't have to work hard or worry about her future financial needs.

"What do you think of Derrick, Alexa? Don't you have a crush on my brother? If Nicole hadn't spoken to me about introducing you as Derrick's new secretary after my leave, do you think I only accepted you based on friendship alone? Come now," Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led her to the top floor, away from the guests.

Alexa was nervous. She had been working as Derrick's personal secretary for a year, thanks to Nicole's influence. She hadn't overstepped boundaries or tried to get Derrick's attention. He was aloof and serious about his work, and she feared what he might do if she crossed the line.