Ramsey drew out one of the drawers of the dark wood, brown mahogany executive desk in the study room and carried out a file. One after the other, he looked through the papers and resumes of the mansion employees. Finally, he stared at the one with Sarah's information and mentally noted her home address.

The door shut. Ramsey lifted his eyes to behold his mother standing by it. Her demeanor remained as still and controlled as usual. While she approached him, he closed the file and returned it to its former abode.

"I'm trying to protect you," Freya mentioned just before her son could walk past her.

He smiled at her. "Of course, when have you never protected me? Sometimes, all you need to do is listen. You didn't listen two years ago. You're also not listening now."

Freya sat on one of the visitor chairs while Ramsey left the room without looking back. She put her arm on the armrest and rubbed one side of her temple. Freya closed her eyes, and an ample memory of her conversations and arguments with Ramsey from years ago returned to her mind. As much as she didn't want to think about it, there were many times she wondered how further his hate for her might have grown. At the same time, Freya believed strongly in her decisions and how she handled them.

* * *

On her way back from the convenience store with her brother, Saint, Sarah noticed a black Mercedes Benz Sedan parked outside her apartment building. The high-class luxurious vehicle stood out in the neighbourhood, and anyone walking by couldn't help glancing at it. Once they were a few steps away from the few staircases leading to the building entrance, she started to recognise the car and thought about Ramsey. Just then, he stepped down from it.

She stopped. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.

Sarah's intent eyes followed him after he shut the door and walked around the car. He headed towards her building with a bouquet of red tulips.

"Mr. Blackwell," she called. He stopped and turned his head in her direction right away.

Ramsey walked towards her, and she went towards him with her brother.

"I—I mean, Ramsey." Sarah corrected when they were in front of each other. "What... what are you doing here?"

Ramsey stretched his hand with the bouquet to her. "This is for you."

Sarah stared at the flowers.

Part of her had made peace with the fact that she wouldn't be able to meet Ramsey again after leaving the mansion. It just wasn't meant to be. But here he was, giving her flowers. No one has ever given her flowers.

Carefully, she accepted the flowers and lifted her eyes to him with a light smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"Thank you."

Saint cleared his throat. For the first time since sighting Ramsey, Sarah looked at her brother.

"Um, this is my brother, Saint."

"Hello, I'm Ramsey Blackwell." Ramsey stretched a hand to the young man, and he accepted the firm handshake.

"Blackwell. You're the ones who fired Sarah today."

Ramsey's face held a cloak of guilt as they severed the handshake. "Unfortunately, yes." He drifted his eyes to Sarah. "That's why I'm here."

Saint pushed his large rectangular-shaped prescribed glasses closer to his eyes. In one hand, he held a white polythene bag with packs of noodles.

"Sarah is not going back there even if you beg."

They looked at Saint. But Saint directed his casual intensity at Ramsey. He only looked at Sarah when she touched his arm.

"Can you give us a moment to talk? I'll come up after."

"Sarah..."

"I'm fine. I can take care of myself. Please."

Saint spared Ramsey one more look before he walked away into the building.

Sarah watched Ramsey before he returned his gaze to her. In this short time, she thought about why he was here. Then she came to a realisation.

"I'm sorry," Sarah started. "I should've returned the ring. It slipped my mind. B—but it's upstairs. I'll go and get it."

Ramsey grasped onto her hand before she could scram past him.

"I'm not here to take back the ring. It's yours."

Sarah blinked and lowered her eyes for a moment. "How... how can it be mine? Our marriage plans are not going to push through anymore."

"You don't want to marry me anymore?"

Her lips slightly parted and had no words. She lowered her eyes. "I didn't say that."

Ramsey watched her for a moment, and a faint smile appeared. He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking at him even though his height surpassed hers by a few inches.

"I came because I was worried about what you might be feeling. Are you okay?"

Sarah stared at him, almost frozen where she stood. She gazed upon him with wider eyes. For the first time, she felt a strange fluttering inside her.

"Yes," she replied in a slightly lower voice.

Ramsey retracted his hand, not necessarily believing her answer. Sarah was a kind person. She wouldn't openly acknowledge her distress, a fact Ramsey understood.

"Are you sure? As per our agreement, it's okay to use me."

As nuanced and exciting as it is for Sarah to receive this kind of attention from him, most of it still didn't sit right with her. She wasn't a child. Nothing this good came to ordinary people like her. So, there would always be a skeptical voice in her head.

"I'm fine... You know, you don't need to push through with this because of a promise you made me. I understand this is real life and I don't need a knight on a horse to rescue me."

Ramsey smiled with his eyes, a light furrow also appeared between his brows. "Is that how you see me? A knight?"

Sarah lowered her eyes and tenderly scratched under her nose before she tucked her hair behind her ear. Her eyes lurked left and right.

A light chuckle left his lips. "Wow. Such a high regard. Thank you."

Sarah lifted her eyes to him. But she was unable to steady a look into his eyes. She could feel her cheeks burning up.

"Good night, Ramsey." Sarah walked away and Ramsey watched her with a smile on his face.

She stepped into the elevator. After the doors shut, she covered her cheeks with her hands and shut her eyes.

"Knight!?" She sighed and slapped her forehead. Maybe in a way, that was how she saw him. Ramsey was a young, handsome, wealthy, and successful man, who on a norm was definitely out of her league.

Her phone in her hand rang and it was an unsaved number. Although hesitant at first, Sarah answered the call.

"Hello."

"This is my number. Please save it so you can reach me whenever." Ramsey's voice came through, and she recognised it.

"Okay."

A moment of silence passed.

"Ramsey."

"Yes."

Sarah looked at the bouquet in her arm. "Thank you for the flowers."

"You're welcome, my lady." He chuckled on the other end.

Sarah shut her eyes, and a smile stretched across her face. "Bye." Then she disconnected the call.

The same smile remained on her face even after she exited the elevator and walked down to the door of her apartment. She opened the door and stepped in, only to be met with a stern look from Saint.

Her smile faded, and she hoped her cheeks weren't red anymore.

Saint stood in the kitchen space. His gaze followed her as she took off her jacket and hung it. She found a vase, put in some water, and added the flowers inside. It was after she set the vase on the table that she turned to her brother still staring at her.

"What?"

Saint left the veggies he was chopping and stepped out of the kitchen to face her.

"Is that why you were fired? Because of him?"

Sarah silently drew in a breath.

"It's complicated."

"Are you in love with him?"

Sarah stared at Saint who maintained a serious face. Then, she scoffed.

"It's... It's complicated."

"You are." Saint shook his head, looking away from her.

"I'm not. It's not like that. It's..."

"Saint, this is a diamond, right?" Aaron walked into the living room; his eyes glued to the gem on the ring in his hand.

They both looked at Aaron who now lifted his eyes to them. Sarah and Ben exchanged one look before going after the ring at once. Saint snatched it from Aaron right before Sarah could reach for it.

"Saint, give it back."

Instead, Saint turned away from her every attempt for a reach. He held the ring close to his eyes.

"It looks real."

Saint turned to her. "Did he give you this engagement ring?"

She stared at him in exhaustion, then stretched her hand to him. "Give it to me."

Saint clocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're going to get hurt. Rich people of his kind don't care about their maid."

Sarah's stare turned into a glare. This was not how she wanted them to find out about her decision.

"Wait," Aaron started. He took his seat on the couch while they fought for the ring.

"You..." Aaron pointed at his sister. "You're in a relationship with your boss?" He blinked and scoffed. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Shut up and go to bed." Saint snapped.

Sarah snatched the ring from his hand.

"Don't take anything without my permission whenever you go into my room." She warned Aaron and turned away. Sarah carried the vase off the table.

"Sarah. For goodness sake, don't be so naïve."

She stopped and turned to Saint.

"You don't know Ramsey. Don't insinuate horrible things about him." Then she turned away only to be met with her father's face.

Jerome looked from his daughter's face to both of his sons.

"What is going on here?"

* * *

Ramsey pressed the bell to the penthouse and waited. Soon, the door opened, and his father stood in casual clothes.

"It's late. What are you doing here?" Dominic queried as he left the door open and walked back in.

"We need to talk." Ramsey expressed while he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Dominic sat on the white curved sofa and crossed his legs.

"It couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Ramsey sat opposite him.

"No."

Hi. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you soon.