Lolita stepped out of SAI Corporation and scanned the area, irritation creeping onto her face when Monica was nowhere in sight. She was about to dial her number when her phone vibrated.
Monica: Look to your left, along the Polyalthia longifolia. A black Maybach is parked there. Hurry up, Lolita. You know I don't like being kept waiting.
Lolita sighed and turned. Her gaze landed on the sleek black Maybach parked discreetly beneath the tall trees. Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she walked toward it and slipped inside.
"So?" Monica asked calmly.
"So what?" Lolita replied.
"How's your first day going?"
"I haven't started yet."
She paused before continuing.
"But I may already have a problem. I've made an enemy without even doing anything. I don't know what her relationship with Sofian is, but it seems... intimate. I'd like you to get her out of the way before she ruins everything."
A slow smile spread across Monica's face.
"Now that's what I like to hear," she murmured. "You see why I chose you? You're perfect for this."
She leaned back comfortably.
"Send me her name and a photo. I'll take care of the rest."
Lolita studied her silently before speaking again.
"And one more thing. When I say I know nothing, I mean absolutely nothing. I don't understand those office files, Monica. Not even a little."
Monica's expression remained unreadable.
"I want you to sneak the original file out," she said. "Bring everything home."
Lolita frowned.
"When does it have to be submitted?"
"She didn't mention a deadline."
Monica smiled again—slow, patient, and dangerous.
"Good. Then no one will notice it's missing."
The office operated almost entirely on trust. Files passed freely from desk to desk without sign-out sheets or digital tracking.
---
Monica is insane, Lolita thought as she walked back into the company.
Near the executive wing, she ran into Stephanie.
"Finished already?" Stephanie asked.
"Not yet."
"I figured. She dumped a lot of work on you. Take your time—the CEO won't be back from his business trip until Friday."
"Okay."
Lolita returned to her desk. She had barely settled into her chair when Nina appeared beside her.
"I came looking for you earlier, but you weren't here," the pregnant woman said with a warm smile.
Lolita resisted the urge to sigh.
"I had to take care of something."
"Can I have the documents?"
Lolita handed her only a small portion of the files, not wanting to overwhelm her.
"Oh, that's fine," Nina said cheerfully. "I'll come back for the rest before the day ends."
She walked away smiling.
Lolita watched her go.
There was something about women like Nina—a quiet warmth, a gentle light—that always caught her attention. Sometimes she found herself wishing she possessed that same effortless spark.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
When Lolita finally glanced at the clock, her heart nearly stopped.
3:30 p.m.
"Oh, no..."
She shot to her feet.
Matteo.
She had completely forgotten to pick him up from school.
Grabbing her bag, she hurried to Stephanie's desk. The woman was typing furiously, barely looking up.
"Stephanie?"
"Yes, Lolita? What is it?"
Lolita hesitated.
"I... have a son."
The lie came naturally. If Stephanie believed she had a child, perhaps she'd stop viewing her as competition—or at least find someone else to gossip about.
"I need to pick him up from school."
Stephanie finally glanced at her, surprised.
"You have a son?"
Lolita nodded.
"Hmm. Alright, go ahead."
"Thank you."
Without another word, Lolita rushed outside, flagged down a taxi, and gave the driver the address of Saint Will's Kindergarten.
---
"Damn..."
Lolita bit her lip as she stepped into the classroom.
Matteo sat alone at his desk, his head resting on folded arms. Every other child had already gone home.
A student passing by had shown her to his new classroom.
The moment Matteo looked up and saw her, his face lit up.
"Lolita!"
He jumped from his seat and ran straight into her arms.
She hugged him tightly.
"I'm so sorry."
His teacher looked up from the papers she had been marking and smiled warmly.
"Oh, there you are."
Matteo beamed with pride.
"Miss Ladi, this is my sister, Lolita."
He turned to Lolita and whispered excitedly,
"She's my new teacher."
Miss Ladi was a tall blonde woman with fair skin and straight golden hair. She walked over with a friendly smile and extended her hand.
"It's nice to finally meet you," she said. "He's been waiting very patiently... although there were quite a few sighs and frowns while he waited."
Matteo hid his face shyly.
Lolita smiled apologetically as she shook the teacher's hand.
"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Ladi."
"I'm sorry for keeping u waiting."