%The Party%
The music was loud, laughter spilling freely as champagne glasses clinked and bodies swayed beneath crystal chandeliers.
Vanessa and her friends were at the center of it all, dressed to impress, moving from one conversation to another with effortless excitement. It was one of those nights where everything felt perfect, where status mattered more than substance and fun drowned out responsibility.
Then, without warning, the room fell into a sudden, unnatural silence.
The music lowered. Conversations died mid-sentence. Heads turned toward the grand entrance as the doors slowly opened. A hush swept through the hall like a wave, thick with awe and fear, and whispers rippled through the crowd.
"He's here…"
"The CEO of Kingsley Empire."
Be Sebastian Kingsley stepped inside, commanding attention without trying. His presence alone shifted the air, powerful and intimidating, as if the party now revolved around him. Eyes followed his every move, respect and curiosity etched on every face.
Across the room.
Vanessa laughed loudly with her friends, unaware at first. She was glowing, carefree, completely absorbed in the night until she noticed the sudden stillness. Confused, she turned toward the entrance, her smile slowly fading as she realized who had just arrived,
"He's the CEO of Kingsley Empire," one of her friends whispered excitedly, leaning closer as her eyes followed his movement across the room.
"Who doesn't know the CEO?" Vanessa scoffed, finally turning to face her, a confident smirk playing on her lips. The two girls burst into loud laughter, the sound sharp against the lingering hush in the hall.
"I would do anything to have him," Vanessa added boldly, her gaze lingering in his direction far longer than necessary.
Her friend hesitated, lowering her voice.
"People like him don't usually look our way," she said carefully. "And besides… he's married."
Vanessa waved it off dismissively.
"And who cares if he's married?" she replied, though her voice softened, almost betraying a hint of longing.
"As long as he can be mine, even if it's just for a day. I've been crushing on him since I was a little girl."
For a brief moment, the confidence slipped, replaced by something sadder, more vulnerable.
Her friend quickly smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, anything can still happen," she said. "Let's be optimistic."
They clinked their glasses together, laughing once more as they sipped their drinks, unaware that fate was already beginning to listen.
On the dance floor, Vanessa was lost in the music, moving wildly with her friend, laughter spilling from her lips as they danced without a care in the world. The red gown swirled around her, drawing attention with every spin.
Across the room, seated in quiet authority, the CEO's gaze suddenly fixed on her. For a brief moment, his breath stalled. The resemblance struck him hard—too hard. The same figure. The same unsettling familiarity. His mind wavered, torn between disbelief and certainty. Was it her… or just someone who looked dangerously like her?
He found himself staring, unable to look away. His eyes followed her every movement, dark with intensity, unblinking, as though the answer might reveal itself if he watched long enough.
Then, without warning, their eyes locked across the crowded floor. The music faded in his ears. He didn't blink. He didn't smile. He simply stared—cold, piercing, unreadable.
"I think the CEO is staring at me," Vanessa said breathlessly, turning quickly toward her friend, excitement dancing in her eyes.
"You're right," her friend whispered back, glancing over. "I just caught him deeply staring."
The two girls exchanged thrilled smiles and continued dancing, unaware that curiosity not admiration had taken hold of him.
Finally, the CEO rose from his seat and began to approach, his steps steady, deliberate. Vanessa, still lost in the rhythm, spun suddenly in a playful turn straight into him. The impact sent both of their drinks crashing to the floor, liquid splashing across his tailored suit and her red gown.
The music stopped.
The air went cold.
The CEO's voice cut through the silence, sharp and thunderous, commanding immediate attention. Every eye in the hall turned toward them.
"Seems you have a habit of barging into people," he roared, his words dripping with disdain as humiliation burned in the open space between them.
Vanessa froze. Her excitement drained instantly, replaced by panic. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I—I'm sorry," she stammered, struggling to find her words beneath the weight of every stare fixed on her.
With that, the CEO turned away and began walking toward the restroom, his strides long and impatient. Vanessa hesitated for only a second before following him, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Panic and excitement churned inside her as she hurried after him, apologizing over and over, her words tumbling out in a rush she could barely control.
"I'm really sorry," she pleaded. "I didn't mean to please, just let me explain."
They moved farther from the main event, away from the music, the laughter, the glittering crowd. The hallway leading to the restroom was quieter, dimmer, the air heavy with tension. Just as she thought he was going to ignore her completely, he stopped abruptly and turned.
"Why do you keep following me?" his voice cut through the hallway, low and sharp, stopping her in her tracks.
"I… I came to apologize," Vanessa replied quickly, confusion flashing across her face. She truly believed he was referring to her following him out of the ballroom, to the spilled drink, to the humiliation she had just endured. Her heart pounded violently against her chest, but she lifted her chin anyway, forcing herself to look composed even as her hands trembled.
He didn't respond to her explanation.
Instead, he stepped closer—too close. His presence filled the narrow hallway, overwhelming and suffocating. His eyes burned with something dark and dangerous, a storm of anger mixed with an emotion she couldn't quite place. Before she could react, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist firmly.
He shoved her back until her spine collided with the cold wall, pinning her there with a strength that stole the breath from her lungs.
"Why were you at my empire?" he demanded harshly. "Is someone paying you to follow me? Is this a setup or what?"
His face was inches from hers now, his gaze locked onto her eyes as though he were trying to pull answers from her very soul.
Vanessa's mind spun wildly. Empire? The word echoed in her head, meaningless and confusing. She stared at him, stunned, her lips parting but no sound coming out. She didn't know what to say because she didn't understand what he was accusing her of. Fear and excitement tangled painfully in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Then his phone rang.
The sharp sound shattered the moment like broken glass. His grip loosened instantly, as if she no longer existed. He stepped back, pulled out his phone, pressed it to his ear, and without sparing her a single glance, turned and walked away leaving her pressed against the wall, breathless, shaken, and utterly confused.
Vanessa stood there long after he was gone, her heart racing uncontrollably, her thoughts a chaotic mess. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her wrist, touching the spot where his fingers had been.
"Did… did the CEO really hold me like that?" she whispered to herself, a strange rush of excitement curling through her despite the lingering fear.
But then the excitement dimmed. Her expression shifted, her eyes darkening as an unsettling thought crept in.
"What if…" she murmured slowly, unease settling deep in her chest, "what if he's mistaking me for someone else?
Back in his car Sabastian loosen his tie, frustration clawing at his chest and he was deeply in thought.
"What is it about this girl " he murmured
"Why do I keep seeing flashes of her face" why can't I seems to forget about her.
%The Next Day%
The next morning, the office was unusually quiet, yet Sebastian felt no peace. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, hands clasped behind his back, staring down at the city that bowed to his name. Still, his mind was elsewhere—fixed on a face that refused to leave him alone.
"Sir, these are the files on the girl you asked me to look into," his assistant said carefully, breaking the silence as he stepped into the office.
Sebastian turned sharply. "Oh?" he replied, already reaching for the file. The moment it was in his hands, he moved back to his desk and opened it hurriedly, flipping through the pages with more urgency than he cared to admit.
"Her name is Lilly," he said quietly, eyes scanning the words as if afraid they might disappear. He didn't raise his head. Instead, he paused and let out a slow, heavy breath—one that felt like the release of tension he hadn't realized he was holding.
There it was in black and white. No connections. No hidden agenda. No powerful backer pulling strings behind the scenes. Just a young woman weighed down by circumstances far bigger than herself. A sick father. A dead mother. A sister. Financial strain written plainly between the lines.
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, jaw tightening as understanding settled in. The puzzle pieces finally aligned. The woman at the party the resemblance, the confusion, the misplaced anger it hadn't been Lilly at all.
It had been her sister.
A flicker of something unfamiliar passed through him regret. He thought back to the lobby, her trembling voice, the desperation in her eyes.
"Maybe that's why she needed the job so badly," he muttered, finally looking up at his assistant.
For the first time since he could remember, Sebastian Kingsley questioned one of his own decisions. And the realization that he might have wronged her lingered heavily in the room, refusing to be ignored.
"First thing in the morning," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument, "I want you to call her. Tell her there's a job waiting for her." He paused, fingers tightening slightly on the edge of his desk as a brief silence filled the room.
"Then find a department—any department—and fix her there. Make sure everything is settled before she arrives."