[ I Fell In Love With My Own Daughter ]

Chapter 1: The Golden Cage and the Sunbeam The headquarters of Aurelius Enterprises did not look like an office building; it looked like a monument to gravity and grace. Rising sixty stories above the city, its glass skin shimmered with a metallic gold tint, reflecting the sun like a shield. To the public, it was the heart of a global empire. To Luvia, it was a very expensive cage. The Sovereign’s Boardroom Inside the top-floor boardroom, the air was pressurized and cold. A dozen men in suits—directors of a rival conglomerate—sat across the mahogany table, their faces tight with sweat. They had come to negotiate a merger, but they had realized too late that they weren't in a negotiation. They were in an extraction. Luvia sat at the head of the table, her silhouette framed by the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, a storm was brewing, the sky turning a bruised purple, but inside, Luvia was the storm. She didn't speak often. She didn't need to. Her reputation as a "Wise" and "Strong" leader did the talking for her. She tapped a silver stylus against her tablet, her mind working ten steps ahead. If they move their assets to the offshore accounts by Thursday, they think they save 4%. But if I trigger the buyout clause now... Her overthinking was a superpower in business. She saw every "what-if" scenario before it even breathed. "Gentlemen," Luvia’s voice was like velvet over steel. "You are arguing about the price of the bricks while I already own the land they sit on. Sign the second page, or leave. I have a schedule to maintain." The lead director looked at her glowing red eyes—a trait of her lineage that always felt unsettling—and felt his resolve crumble. He signed. Luvia didn't smile. She simply stood, her long coat trailing behind her like a royal cape, and exited the room before the ink was even dry. The Arrival of the Dreamer At the same moment, sixty floors below, the gold-trimmed revolving doors pushed open. Eliza stepped into the lobby, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe. The floor was polished white marble, so clean she could see her own nervous, "pretty" face reflecting back at her. She adjusted the lapels of her blazer, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. I'm here. I’m actually here, she thought, a massive, unstoppable smile breaking across her face. To Eliza, this wasn't just a job. It was the culmination of every late-night study session and every dream she’d ever had. She had followed Luvia’s career since she was a teenager. To work for the woman she idolized was more than a career move—it felt like destiny. However, as she approached the security desk, her independence flared. She didn't want this because of luck; she wanted it because she was the best. She handed her ID to the guard, her hand shaking only slightly. "Eliza Thorne. I'm here for the Personal Secretary interview with CEO Luvia," she said, her voice clear despite the nerves. The guard checked his screen, his expression softening as he looked at the bright-eyed girl. "The CEO is currently in a high-level meeting, Ms. Thorne. You’ve been redirected to Level 58. Mr. Ron will be conducting your initial screening." The Gatekeeper: Ron Eliza took the private elevator up. The numbers climbed rapidly, making her ears pop. When the doors opened, she was met with a sleek, minimalist lounge. Standing by the window was a man who looked like he’d been carved out of the same stone as the building. Ron was thirty-three, just two years younger than Luvia, and he was the only person Luvia truly trusted with her life. As her head of security and personal manager, he was the shield that kept the world away from her. He turned as Eliza approached. He had a "hot-blooded" intensity, but he kept it masked under a professional calm. He looked Eliza up and down, his sharp eyes taking in her posture, her "independent" spark, and the way she didn't shrink under his gaze. "Ms. Thorne," Ron said, gesturing to a chair. "Luvia is... occupied. She is a woman who doesn't like her time wasted. I am here to decide if you are worth that time." Eliza sat down, her back straight. "I understand, Mr. Ron. I'm not here to waste anyone's time. I'm here to ensure Luvia has the support she needs to stay at the top." Ron leaned back, a small, curious glint in his eyes. He had interviewed dozens of candidates, but none had looked at this building with the kind of "sweet" yet "serious" devotion Eliza had. "Tell me, Eliza," Ron began, his voice dropping an octave. "Why Luvia? You could work anywhere. Why this specific woman?" Eliza looked him in the eye, the shadow of the red moon outside casting a long reflection on the floor. "Because she sees the world as it should be, and I’m the only one who knows how to help her build it." Inside her pocket, hidden from view, Eliza’s fingers brushed against a small, old necklace—the only thing she had from a past she didn't remember. She didn't know yet that the "Cursed Miracle" was about to begin.