Chapter One

Olivia looked at the pearl earrings in her hand. Her late mother’s. The sunlight peering through the window glinted off their surface, casting rainbows in the room. Olivia admired the beautiful round studs with their gilded outline. They weren’t really her style, but she was sure her mum would want her to wear them today. “To make you look professional,” she would have said, “and for good luck.” She recalled her mother’s words often in the past two years since her parents died.

The old grandfather clock chimed seven. Olivia quickly put the earrings on and popped her head out of the bedroom door.

“Jude, are you ready, buddy? This is not a day to be late.”

“Coming,” her little brother replied, and soon enough she heard running footsteps in the hallway.

“Hey, no running, remember?” Olivia said when the boy entered her room.

“Pfft, I won’t break, sis.”

Olivia gave him a tight smile. Jude was still a kid who wanted to do all the things the other kids his age could do. But Olivia only saw the pain her brother had to go through every time he needed a new surgery. She wanted to let him enjoy life’s little joys more than anything, but she was also afraid that one wrong move could mean losing him as well.

“Come on, then. Let’s have a quick breakfast and get you ready for school. I can’t be late on my first day at work.” She ruffled his dirty blonde hair as she passed by him on her way to the kitchen, which earned her a grunt.

“Hey, I told you not to do that. I’m not a kid anymore. You can’t be messing with my hair. What will Alice think if I don’t look good?” He followed her down the hallway.

“Who’s Alice?” Olivia asked, as she was getting two bowls out of the cupboard.

“My new girlfriend.”

“Your what?” Olivia gaped. “Aren’t you a little too young for that?”

“I’m twelve. I’m practically a man now,” Jude said, straightening his body.

Olivia bit her lips to stifle her smile. “Of course, you are,” she said once she composed herself. “But we’ll discuss it later. Eat your cereal now and let’s get going. I need to catch my train to work.”

“Where’s this new job again?” Jude asked between bites.

“KimCorp. I’m their new administrative assistant.”

Jude passed her his empty bowl. “What does that mean?”

“Probably making a lot of coffee,” she replied and put their bowls in the sink.

“Probably bad ones too,” Jude said, and ducked to avoid the water Olivia splashed him with.

“Go get your schoolbag, smartass.”

Olivia finished washing up and went to her room to grab her bag as well. She blew a kiss to her parents’ photo on her bedside table. Wish me luck, she thought.

***

Olivia saw Jude onto the bus with all the other kids awaiting their ride to school, then headed to the train station, nervous but equally eager to start her day at her new job. Rush-hour traffic began to fill the street, commuters in cars and people on foot hurrying to work. Olivia joined the general rush, hastening down the stairs to the underground station as quickly as the human traffic allowed.

At the bottom, she took a moment to find her way underground. She joined the large but fast-moving queue for the barriers. After impatiently waiting in line, she beeped her pre-charged card on the sensor. The barrier clattered open, and Olivia darted through, then hurried on to the escalators. She checked her watch, then checked her heart rate. Not running late, no need to run.

The crowd spilled off the escalators and into the familiar long, white-tiled corridor deep underground. Olivia turned left to the southbound line where sound echoed strangely with the hubbub and clatter of hundreds of people moving individually yet in near unison.

Hot air blasted down the platform where she waited, emanating from the train tunnel. The tracks sang, then came a rattling thunder, and the train appeared. The doors pinged and opened. She moved with the crowd towards the nearest sets of doors.

When her stop arrived, she jumped out of her seat to beat the exodus for the doors. Ahead of the rush, Olivia stepped onto the escalator, stopped, and took a breath. She straightened her shirt collar, smoothed her skirt, and checked that her mother’s earrings were both still in place. The window of light at the top drew nearer. Olivia stepped off the escalator and out of the station.

The cold air was a relief after the dry warmth of the train tunnels. Olivia looked about, then headed for the nearest set of traffic lights. The roads were choked with cars, taxis, and buses coming to a standstill in rush hour. Olivia waited a few moments, bouncing on her toes impatiently, then hurried across the road when the lights turned green.

She checked her watch again, making sure she was on schedule. Last time she was in the neighborhood, the day of her interview with KimCorp’s HR manager, she had spotted a café opposite the office building. She had deliberately left time to get a coffee before going to work, knowing she would want to calm her nerves.

Entering the café, she saw the queue. She sighed. She stood for a few seconds, considering the queue. As she turned to open the door and walk back out, she bumped into a tall man, lost her footing, and hit the ground.

“Watch it, lady,” he said, and moved further into the café without bothering to help her up. “No, I’m not talking to you, Jillian,” he shouted into the phone in his hand. “Some psycho messed with my suit.”

A nasty comeback choked on Olivia’s lips as she hurriedly stood up and straightened her skirt. Now she needed that coffee more than ever. Apparently, this wasn’t going to be her best day. She sighed and walked back to the queue, which fortunately had moved quickly.

“What can I get you?” the barista asked her.

“A large caramel latte, please.”

“Name?”

“Olivia Kensington.”

“O.K.” the barista scribbled down on a coffee cup. “Please wait at the other end of the bar.”

“Thank you!” she said as she paid the cashier and moved to the other end. She noticed the man she had bumped into. Tall, lean, with short black hair… and a face to die for, Olivia thought. If only he wasn’t such an ass.

***

“Sir, you can’t just jump the line like that,” the barista said.

“A double espresso,” Owen said, ignoring the complaint. “And make it quick. I’m in a hurry.”

The voice on the other end of the line screeched in his ear. He pinched the bridge of his nose annoyed. “Yes, Jillian, I am always in a hurry because I have a company to run. I’m not lying in bed fixing my nails or whatever it is you do all day.

“And what makes you think I care? We are done.”

“Name?” the barista interrupted.

“What?” Owen looked at him confused.

“Your name, sir? For the coffee order?”

“Owen Kim,” he replied, and returned to his phone call.

“O.K.” the barista put down on a cup and pointed him to the other side of the bar, obviously nervous to interrupt again.

“What did you think, Jillian? That I was going to marry you?” Owen snorted loudly. He noticed people around him were looking at him curiously, but he couldn’t care less. All he wanted was to get that damned coffee and go to his office and forget all about Jillian and everyone else.

“I’ll say it once, loud and clear for your little brain. We are over! And don’t you dare call me again.”

Owen turned off his phone and walked to the counter. He saw a cup with his initials, grabbed it, and hurriedly walked out of the café.

Outside, he took his sunglasses out of his jacket pocket and crossed the road to his office building. The doorman greeted him and opened the door. Owen headed to the lift and pressed the button. Waiting for it, he took a sip of coffee.

“What the hell is that?” He spat it out, coughing. Annoyed, he entered the lift. When the doors pinged open again, he stepped into his office, put the coffee and his briefcase on the desk and sat in his leather armchair.

He rested his head on the back of the chair and exhaled noisily. What a day, he thought, and it’s not even nine yet. He took another sip from his coffee. It’s not bad once you get used to the taste, he thought.

He reached inside his pocket and grabbed his phone. He knew that if he turned it on again, Jillian would be calling him every five minutes or so until he picked up, but he couldn’t be at work without his phone. After all, it wasn’t the first time he had ditched a woman, and he knew how to handle the situation if it got worse.

Recalling his phone call with Jillian, he snorted. Really, what was she expecting? I thought she knew the deal. I don’t do relationships. I don’t have time for that. I just want some fun to take my mind off my duties for a bit.

Owen looked around his office. This is important—to run the company, to continue my family’s legacy. His own thoughts were interrupted by his grandma’s voice asking him in his head how he was going to do that without having his own family first. What kind of legacy would he leave behind if he didn’t have kids of his own to pass it down to?

His secretary’s voice from the intercom reminding him of his meeting in half an hour brought him out of his reverie. He opened his briefcase and took out the portfolio he had prepared to present to the board of directors. He decided to have one last look to make sure everything was in order.

***

Olivia’s turn finally came up and she approached the counter. She smiled back when the lady handed her the coffee cup.

Once outside the KimCorp building, she took a minute to check her skirt and make sure it wasn’t dirty from the fall. A small run in her stocking was already making its way down her knee. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed deeply. She took a sip of her coffee, and the strong flavor made her open her eyes in surprise. That’s not my coffee. She thought about going back to ask, but a quick look at her watch told her it was nine.

This isn’t my day! Cup in hand, she hurried into the building.