Chapter 3 : Twists of Morning

“Risa, come on! Breakfast is ready,” Rena called from the kitchen, placing two plates gently on the small dining table.

A moment later, Riya entered, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m Riya, not Risa. Seriously, sis?what happened to you ? can’t you tell us apart?”

Rena blinked, flustered. “Ah—sorry! My head’s a mess lately.” She smiled sheepishly. “Okay, dear Riya, come and eat. We’ve got to leave soon.”

As they sat down, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Riya opened the door and was immediately swept into a tight hug. “Risa! I missed you so much!” cried Lily (Li Fei Fei, the heiress of the Li Group and a close friend of theirs). She beamed with joy, unaware of the mix-up.

Riya sighed. “Lily… I’m Riya. Not Risa. Is this some sort of twin blindness epidemic?”

Lily looked over Riya’s shoulder to Rena, who simply gave a small nod. “Oops,” Lily laughed, covering her mouth. “Sorry! It’s been ages, okay? Let me make it up to you both. Lily tilted her head. “So, where are you two heading today? Let me drop you off. I’ll show you around a bit—this city is practically mine.”

“We’re going for an interview at An’s Group,” Rena said as she grabbed her bag.

“I’ll come with you later,” Riya added quickly. “I need to see Mr. Lu and apologize first.”

Lily’s brows rose in curiosity. “Apologize? Why? What happened?”

Riya explained everything on the way—how she’d accidentally broken the pedal, Mr. Lu’s reaction, and how everything spiraled out of control.

Lily stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled softly. “Alright. First, let’s drop Riya. Then I’ll go with Rena. Sound good?”

Riya nodded, grateful.

After dropping Riya near Lu Corporation, Fei Fei and Rena headed toward An’s Group. On the way, Fei Fei glanced over, her expression softening. “Rena... is everything okay at home? You look... troubled.”

Rena hesitated, then nodded slowly… before finally breaking down into tears. “No. Things aren’t okay… the family’s falling apart, Lily. We’re trying so hard, but…” Her voice cracked as she buried her face in Lily’s shoulder.

Lily wrapped her arms around her. “Shh. I’m here. Everything’s going to be alright. We’ll fix it. Together.”

Meanwhile, Riya stood outside Lu Corporation, her heart racing as she approached the front desk. She had no appointment, but she hoped—prayed—for a chance to see him.

“I’d like to meet Mr. Lu,” she told the receptionist. “Just for a moment—please.”

The receptionist hesitated. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but—”

Before she could say more, a sharp voice interrupted.

“What’s going on here?”

Riya turned to see Wei Wei, poised and elegant, walking toward the desk

entered from the elevator in full designer flair, pausing at the sight of Riya.

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on here?” she asked the receptionist.

“This young lady wants to meet Mr. Lu… but she doesn’t have an appointment,” the receptionist replied.

Wei Wei leaned in close and whispered something in the receptionist’s ear. The woman nodded and returned her gaze to Riya with a more guarded expression.

Wei Wei glanced at Riya with a cold smirk. “Next time, don’t waste people’s time. This is not a place for desperate girls with no appointments.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away without a second glance.

Riya stood frozen as the receptionist offered an apologetic smile. She stepped back, feeling the sting of humiliation tighten in her chest. With nowhere else to go, she quietly moved to a bench outside the glass walls, sitting alone—small against the towering building.

She stared at the clouds above and whispered to herself, “I’m not giving up. I came this far. I will face him.”

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