"Sir. It's me, Vic. Come I come in?"
"Enter."
A woman dressed in black entered the room. The scent of paperwork and books enveloped her as she looked at her boss, Martin Cadell, the young Chairman of Crimson Corporation.
Martin remained focused on his laptop, not bothering to glance up as she walked in. His attention was clearly elsewhere, highlighting that he was busy.
"Are you here to submit your resignation letter once again?" Martin asked without facing her.
Vic anxiously bit her lower lip. She held the resignation letter in her hand, but she hadn't expected Martin to figure out her purpose.
Martin flashed a smile as he spoke, "I've already told you. You can't resign. I haven't found anyone as skilled as you to be my bodyguard."
It's been a whole month since Vic told Martin about quitting as his bodyguard. Martin promised to let her go once he found a suitable replacement, but it seems like he hasn't made any effort at all.
"Sir Martin," Vic called out. "I want to thank you for trusting me all this time. But I can't continue in this role any longer."
"If you explain to me why you're resigning, I might consider letting you go," Martin suggested.
The issue was that Vic couldn't bring herself to tell Martin the true reason behind her decision to leave, despite being by his side for years.
There are a couple of reasons why.
Firstly, she has strong feelings for Martin.
If only Martin would pay attention to the way Vic looks at him, he would be able to uncover Vic's secret. However, he was too preoccupied to notice her longing gaze.
Well, Vic has no intention of getting caught. There's no reason for her to confess her feelings to her boss because of the second reason.
"If you can't provide me with a good enough explanation, then I can't just let you go, Vic," Martin stated.
Simultaneously, the door swung open. A woman with brunette hair, green eyes, fair skin, and vibrant red lips walked into Martin's office.
"Gosh Martin, are you still working?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow.
Martin finally tore his eyes away from his laptop and stood up when he saw Zoe. "What brings you here?" he inquired.
The way his eyes instantly softened proved that Zoe held a special place in his heart. Vic knew that Martin was particularly vulnerable when it came to Zoe. There were even rumors that if Martin's fiancée didn't wake up within a year, he might marry Zoe instead.
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd pay you a visit. I was surprised to find you working late, Martin," Zoe explained, her gaze shifting to Vic, who was standing nearby.
For a brief moment, no one noticed the slight change in Zoe's expression when she realized that Vic and Martin were still together.
"Vic is here too," Zoe muttered.
"Good evening, Miss Zoe," Vic greeted.
Zoe simply nodded at Vic before turning to Martin and saying, "You really shouldn't be so hard on your bodyguard. Look, you've made Vic work overtime."
"It's alright, miss," Vic chimed in. "As Sir Martin's bodyguard, it's only natural for me to do this."
It was true. But Vic's heart felt heavy as she spoke the truth. She was just a bodyguard to the man she loved.
"But it's late. Come on, Martin. Just go to sleep," Zoe said as she walked past Vic and approached Martin. She took hold of Martin's hand and pleaded, "Please?"
Martin let out a sigh. "Alright, let's do that."
Martin was completely defeated by Zoe's enchanting voice. And Vic knew that only Zoe had the power to soften Martin's heart.
"Vic, you should also go and rest. We'll discuss your plan to resign tomorrow, okay?" Martin said.
Zoe wrapped her arm around Martin. When Vic noticed their intertwined arms, she looked down and replied, "Yes, I will."
The two of them strolled past Vic and exited the office.
Left by herself, Vic switched off the lights. As darkness surrounded her, she pondered the second reason why she couldn't explain to Martin why she wanted to resign.
"Ugh!" Vic coughed.
She felt a sudden pain that immobilized her. Unable to stand, Vic leaned against the wall and retrieved the medicine box from her pocket.
With great effort, she opened the box and swallowed a pill to ease her aching heart.
"Ahh," she suppressed the curse rising in her throat.
The pain gradually faded, and Vic's vision became blurry.
"This is the second reason," she murmured.
Vic is on the brink of death.
** **
After some time, the medicine kicked in and Vic returned to her room. She resides in Martin's mansion, serving as his bodyguard.
However, with her condition deteriorating, she realized she needed to part ways with Martin soon.
"Should I just disappear without a word?" Vic pondered.
While contemplating how to leave her employer without revealing her illness, she received a text from an unexpected sender.
["Miss Vic. Can you come to my room?"] Zoe texted.
Curious as to why Zoe wanted to meet, considering they had never spoken one-on-one before, Vic decided to put her doubts aside and visit Zoe's room in the dead of night.
Knock. Knock.
“Miss Zoe. It’s me, Vic.”
"Come on in."
Vic entered the room and found Zoe sitting on her bed, massaging her injured leg.
"I suddenly got really hungry. I wanted to eat some fruit, but I couldn't reach it," Zoe mentioned, pointing to the plate of fruit next to the bed.
Vic thought that Zoe didn't really need her company, but considering her injured leg, she decided to stay.
Without complaining, Vic grabbed an apple and handed it to Zoe.
"Thanks," Zoe said gratefully.
"Can I leave now?" Vic asked.
"Miss Vic, do you know how I ended up being injured?" Zoe inquired instead of letting her go.
Vic had no idea why Zoe asked the question. But she answered regardless her doubts.
"Yes, I've heard about that incident. Back when you and Martin were young, you had an accident that resulted in an injury," Vic acknowledged.
"Exactly. I went to Martin's place to play, but during our playtime, he accidentally pushed me and I ended up falling from a high spot. Ever since then, it became quite challenging for me to walk like I do now," Zoe explained the story.
Although Zoe didn't have any trouble walking, she couldn't run as vigorously or strain her legs too much. That's why Martin always made sure to give her extra attention.
"Martin always feels guilty because of my injury," Zoe whispered.
"I understand. But why are you bringing this up to me?" Vic finally inquired.
Zoe gestured towards the knife on the side. Vic interpreted it as Zoe asking her to pass the knife so she could cut the apple. However, as Vic reached for the knife and turned aroun, Zoe spoke up.
“There is no room for you to come between me and Martin,” Zoe said something that made Vic stop.
“Pardon?” Vic inquired.
Zoe fixed her with a piercing gaze and continued, "I can see it in your eyes. You can't fool me with your feelings for Martin."
Vic felt a sinking sensation in her chest as Zoe spoke. Her heart raced at the idea of her figuring it out, causing her palms to become clammy with sweat.
Zoe grinned, relishing Vic's confusion. "I'm the one closest to Martin. Are you dense, Vic? You of all people should know how Martin will react when he learns that his BODYGUARD has feelings for him."
Vic gazed at Zoe. She was planning to leave soon, so she didn't see it as a threat.
"I don't intend to tell Sir Martin about this," Vic replied.
"You're more composed than I expected. I thought you'd be groveling on the floor, begging me to keep quiet," Zoe chuckled sarcastically.
“Didn’t you call me separately to threaten me?” Vic responded calmly, standing his ground.
Dealing with Zoe wasn't too challenging for Vic, especially since she worked closely with the perfectionist Martin.
"Or are you going to suggest that I resign?" Vic added.
Zoe slowly extended her hand towards Vic's, gripping the hand that held the knife. She leaned in and whispered, "You're partially right. I will make sure you leave this place, but with a twist. Martin will despise you miserably before you go."
Confused, Vic asked, "What do you mean?"
Before Zoe could respond, she abruptly yanked Vic's hand and stabbed her own arm. Vic's eyes widened in shock.
"Ahh!" Zoe winced, feeling the pain shoot through her arm.
Perplexed, Vic muttered, "What are you doing?" She took a step back, watching as blood seeped from the wound.
Despite the pain, Zoe grinned at Vic and then shouted, "Help! Miss Vic just tried to kill me! Help!"
Vic couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
Zoe had stabbed herself with the knife that Vic was holding, yet she was acting as if Vic had attacked her. Confused and shaken, Vic glanced at her boss, Martin, who had just entered the room.
Martin's voice boomed, “What happened?!”
With pounding heart, Vic looked at her boss.
Behind Vic, Zoe said, “Martin! Help me! Vic tried to kill me!”
At that moment, it all became clear to Vic. Zoe had set a trap for her, and she had fallen right into it.
In the courtroom, Zoe's loud sobs echoed through the room."Vic claimed that I had ruined her time with Martin. She accused me of stealing her opportunities, and then, out of nowhere, she attacked me with a knife!"Dressed in her prison attire, Vic shut her eyes as if resigning to her fate.All the evidence and false testimonies seemed to be stacked against her. It was as if Zoe had orchestrated the whole thing to frame her. Consequently, the trial concluded with Vic being found guilty and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.** **Days had gone by since Vic was imprisoned, yet she hadn't eaten a thing. She simply rested against the wall, lost in a daze.Most of the time, she appeared to be waiting nonchalantly for her fate to catch up with her.Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. The sound ceased right in front of her cell. "Inmate 654. You have a visitor."Who could be visiting her when she had no family?Feeling feeble, Vic got up. Her heart was heavy, but she managed to shuff
Vic, who passed away in prison, found herself waking up in the body of a young, wealthy, and stunning heiress named Victoria Red."Victoria Red is the fiancée of my boss. She was in a coma for two years following an accident. If she doesn't wake up by next year, Martin was thinking of calling off the engagement," Vic whispered to herself in the hospital.It was still unbelievable to her how a simple guard like herself ended up in Victoria's body, inheriting the wealth and status of a prominent family.“Then how about my body? Did my body as Vic really die?”As she thought, the hospital door suddenly opened and she met three people. They turned out to be Victoria's family, all hoping for her to wake up from her coma."According to the doctor, there's nothing wrong with you," Victoria's father, Emmanuel, mentioned.Sitting beside Vic, her mother Sabby gently stroked her head. "Sweetheart, do you really not recognize any of us?"Vic looked at them and shook her head."Oh dear. My poor da
It's been a whole month since Vic passed away. Martin just couldn't focus on his work and he was lacked of sleep. On top of that, he found out that his fiancée, Victoria Red, had woken up from her coma. This meant he had to go see her and have a conversation about their engagement."Are you really going to see her today?" Hunter, his secretary, asked."I have to, even if I don't really want to," Martin replied."Her family still blames you for the accident, Sir.""Well, I can't really argue with that," Martin admitted.If only Victoria hadn't been so infatuated with Martin, she wouldn't have driven all by herself just to see him."All I want is to end the engagement. I heard she had lost her memory. This is my only opportunity," Martin said, grabbing his suit.When he stepped out of his room, he spotted his childhood friend, Zoe, wearing a bandage around her arm."Is it true? Are you really going to see your fiancée?" Zoe inquired with a concerned expression.Martin averted his gaze.
Victoria's family eagerly awaited her return home, prepared to offer comfort in case she arrived after Martin decided to call off their engagement.When Vic finally arrived, her mother, Sabby, quickly ushered her to the couch and wasted no time asking, "What's going on, dear? Did Martin really end things with you?"Her father Emmanuel added, "Seriously, what's wrong with that guy? We can definitely find a better business partner than that heartless jerk! Don't worry about him, Victoria. You deserve someone much better."Victoria's twin brother Mikhail simply rolled his eyes and remarked, "You guys are blowing this out of proportion. Victoria has amnesia, remember? Even if Martin ended things, she'd be fine. Unless, of course, she's fallen for him all over again. Have you, Vic?"Vic glanced upwards, feeling grateful that she, an orphan, now had a loving family. It was because of this newfound happiness that she made the decision to live life to the fullest.But why?Why would Martin at
Victoria Red would rather save a drowning ant than save Zoe from a crocodile. That's how deep her hatred runs.Every time Victoria encountered her fiancé, Martin, Zoe would conveniently appear and act sweetly while putting a facade of friendship towards him.Victoria imagined slapping Zoe repeatedly for her deceitful actions. However, she refrained from doing so out of love for Martin and the desire to maintain a good impression in his eyes.'Why did this woman try to deceive me?' Vic pondered silently after she doused Zoe's face with juice.Upon discovering that Victoria had lost her memories, Zoe saw an opportunity to manipulate her and falsely claimed to be her best friend.'As if I will fall for her scheme. This woman once accused me of attempting to kill her, and I would never let her trick me again,' Vic thought, determined to teach Zoe a lesson she would remember.Meanwhile, Zoe stood there, drenched in juice, her mouth agape like a fish out of water.She looked at Vic and thou
'Zoe will tell Martin what I did,' Vic was sure of this.But unlike before, she made the decision not to care about Martin's response. In the end, she was determined to break off her engagement with him.'If he gets mad at me and ends the engagement because of the incident, then it will be better,' Vic thought.Standing near the balcony, Vic overheard Victoria's twin brother's voice."Sis!" Mikhail called out, gasping for breath. "Did you really throw juice on Zoe?"Vic, who no longer worried about Martin's reaction, now found herself concerned if she had done something that would anger Victoria's family."Do our parents know?" she asked."No. I asked everyone who knew it to keep it a secret. So, why the hell did you do that?""She was rude," Vic said before biting her lower lip. She thought she would hear an earful nag from Mikhail. However…Mikhail patted her shoulder and said, "I'm really proud of you, Sis." Vic was taken aback and looked at him, waiting for him to continue."You u
A good-looking guy just finished preparing a pasta dish that he made from scratch. He snapped a photo of it and then savored a bite.“There’s something missing with this dish,” Gray Thompson, the CEO of Hajimiri steak and pasta restaurant, uttered.He's a young guy who spent his youth growing his first Italian restaurant, until he opened branches all around the globe. It's true that with his fresh recipes and innovative business concepts, he became one of the richest businessmen globally.“Sir Gray,” his secretary called.Gray turned his attention to his secretary and said, "You're just in time. I've come up with a new pasta recipe. Give it a try."The secretary tasted the pasta and remarked, "It's delicious, Sir.""Having you as a taste tester is pointless," Gray muttered, disappointed, as he tossed the failed recipe into the tr
In the Red family's mansion, a resounding "Happy Birthday!" filled the air, bringing joy to the madam of the house. The people who held a special place in her heart had gathered to celebrate this special day.Emmanuel, her loving husband, handed her an envelope and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "This is my gift for you, dear," he said with a smile.Next in line was Mikhail, their son, who eagerly presented a box to his Mom. "And this is mine, Mom!" he exclaimed.While Emmanuel and Mikhail's gifts were small in size, Vic's gift stood out as it was quite large. Shyly, Vic approached Sabby, still hesitant to address her as "mother." "Here is my gift, Mom," she whispered.Sabby's heart melted at Vic's gesture. "Aww, you didn't have to get me anything. Waking up to see you is the best gift I could ever receive. But thank you, sweetheart," she said, planting a kiss on Vic's blushing cheeks. "I'll open all of these later. For now, let's eat!"The Red family has a unique way of celeb