“What’s this? The smell here is strange.”

“Could it be a fire?”

“No way. Who could have entered a locked place?”

Ugh, my head feels like it’s about to split. Everyone, please be quiet.

I wanted to keep sleeping, but the floor was too hard, making my back hurt. No, it wasn’t just my back that hurt. My toes, legs, and abdomen also felt strange, like I’m injured. Moreover, something was stuck in my nostrils, making it stuffy and acrid… Wait, why is it so warm here?

My eyes flew open. Looking around, something was burning heavily from the bottom of the stairs.

‘This is the emergency staircase.’

With this realization, I jumped up. Though still dizzy and with staggering steps, my will to live made me grab the doorknob and try to turn it.

Click-click. After unlocking from the inside, I tried to open it with force, but someone had tied the door handles together with a chain from the outside, allowing it to open only slightly. This means I can’t escape.

Fortunately, I could hear the voice of an employee who hadn’t left yet from outside the door.

“What’s this? Is someone in there?”

“It’s me, Charlotte! Someone locked me in here and set fire inside. Water, bring water first!”

“Oh my goodness!”

The sound of several footsteps hurriedly approached. I covered my nose with my sleeve and waved my arm to disperse the black smoke rising toward me. Bright red flames were threateningly blazing from the bottom of the stairs.

I knew the dream I had before was prophetic.

Perhaps the dead Laura appeared today to warn me, to be careful. That my prophetic dream would come true today.

‘Ha. Is this how I die? It’s a bit unfair.’

I wanted to experience passionate love at least once. I also wanted to complete the department store to be as large and splendid as I saw in my dream.

Cough, cough.

The coughing wouldn’t stop. If I inhale more smoke, I’ll really be done for.

Just then, a welcome voice came from outside.

“Boss! How did you end up trapped in here?”

“Haha. I wonder.”

Through the slightly opened door gap, I could see Cedric’s pale face. His gray eyes were filled with shock and concern. Despite my current terrible situation, seeing his face somehow reassured me.

This is bad, Cedric. I think I’m becoming too dependent on you.

He grimaced in agony and shouted at me.

“There should be water upstairs. Boss, put out the fire first!”

Ah, right. I pushed through the smoke and looked for a container with water. Fortunately, the person who locked me in here must not have found it, as the water was still there, hidden behind stacked cargo. When I pulled and tipped over the heavy container, water flowed down the stairs. But this small amount of water wasn’t enough to completely extinguish the raging fire.

Tears flowed from my eyes and down my cheeks.

“Put your nose to the door crack. You need to breathe clean air. I’ll get you out, so don’t lose consciousness!”

After encouraging me like that, Cedric shouted at someone.

“Bring tools that can cut the chain! Hurry!”

The hot air rose to my feet. I might get burned at this rate. And I’m not even married yet. Ha, I should have just grabbed any man who liked me. I wasted my time focusing on business.

Is it because death is approaching?

Memories of my life flashed through my mind.

‘Father, you know what? I really hated you.’

I hated him for driving my mother to her death. Unlike how others praised him as a hero, he was a complete failure at home. On the day I last saw my father off, instead of wishing him a safe journey, I only expressed resentment, which I now regret.

When we meet in the afterlife, I’ll confront him about everything. Why he treated mother so cruelly when he was going to die so easily. And to my mother…… I’ll be angry and ask why she couldn’t have been a better parent.

“You must not lose consciousness, Boss!”

Cedric’s shout felt very distant. As old memories kept surfacing, my eyes closed.

After witnessing my mother’s death, I was mentally broken for a while. Laura was the one who saved me from a carriage accident and put me back together.

She helped me regain my strength for a year, and afterward, she pushed me to meet people. Thanks to her, I found the courage to attend social gatherings again. In the process, I also became close with Countess Roland, who was once my father’s lover.

“I’ll be your guardian. Now, shouldn’t you both start looking for excellent husbands?”

Thankfully, the countess reached out to us first. Judging by the situation, it seemed Laura had asked her for this favor.

“Thank you, Countess.”

We followed Mrs. Roland to various parties. Laura, with her bright personality, shone like the main character at any gathering. In contrast, I found such places uncomfortable. I felt like someone wearing ill-fitting clothes, dragged there against my will. The idea of meeting a good man and entrusting my life to him forever—wasn’t that a terrible goal? Moreover, because of my father, I was afraid of dating men.

“Charlotte, what are you thinking about?”

“Huh?”

I slowly blinked at Laura’s words.

‘I was definitely surrounded by flames earlier, was that a dream?’

Or is this situation the dream?

“Sorry. I must have dozed off because I was tired.”

“Honestly.”

Laura looked around at the group of people and smiled brightly.

“What do you think? As I said, isn’t our Charlotte much more beautiful than me? I’m looking for a brave gentleman who will become my friend’s lover.”

No, don’t do that. I understand your desire to find me a match, but I have absolutely no intention of getting married.

But my teeth seemed stuck together as if honey had been poured into my mouth, making it impossible to speak or even make a sound.

As I stood there in confusion, a man stepped forward with his hand raised.

“What kind of person do you like? I think I might be able to help.”

“My goodness, Richard. Come to think of it, you and Charlotte would make a great match. I think you two should have a conversation on the terrace.”

Laura pushed me toward a private space without even asking for my opinion. Despite being in a dress on the terrace, I didn’t feel cold at all.

‘Ah, this is something that happened in the past.’

It was a memory from when Laura and I were close friends. Still, seeing the face of a living friend makes me feel happy. Without any ulterior motive. I remember being quite upset at this time. Why was that?

Inside the terrace, Richard hesitated before speaking to me.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in you.”

“What?”

Who asked? While I was bewildered, this man continued to prattle on.

“I came out because Laura wanted me to… but actually, I wanted to ask you about your friend. What kind of jewelry does Laura like? I heard her hometown isn’t the capital, but I don’t know anything else. To be honest, I don’t know how to confess my feelings to her. As her closest friend, I’d appreciate your advice.”

He explained to me how long-standing and desperate his feelings were. After listening to this man talk for quite some time, I was finally freed. And after that…… right, this is what happened.

“Laura, will you be my lover?”

Before the party ended, Richard confessed to Laura and was firmly rejected.

“I’m sorry, Richard. I prefer friendship over love. I don’t want to accept a man my friend likes.”

After rejecting him, Laura looked at me and smiled.

I didn’t realize it then, but looking back now, I can see. Was that a sneer? No, it was a smug expression.

Somehow rumors spread, and for a while, people talked about how I was head over heels for Richard. Laura apologized to me the next day, saying it was a misunderstanding, but it remained an uncomfortable memory.

* * *

“Boss, Boss. Are you conscious?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw Cedric’s face.

“What? You don’t need to follow me all the way to heaven.”

A very small, cracked voice came from my mouth. Somehow, my secretary understood everything I said.

“Fortunately, you’re still alive. So please don’t make such terrible jokes, even if they are just jokes.”

Cedric supported my back to help me sit up and carefully brought a glass of water to my lips.

“Drink slowly. If you swallow too quickly because you’re thirsty, you might choke.”

After drinking water, my mind cleared somewhat. I was now in my room.

“What happened to the department store? Did they catch the arsonist?”

“The police are investigating. It was a place we were going to demolish anyway, and now it caught fire.”

“True. The fire insurance I was forced to get will finally be useful.”

As I made a joke to ease the tension, I finally noticed my appearance. I was in comfortable pajamas with bare feet. Fortunately, it seems I didn’t suffer severe burns, though I had bruises here and there.

‘Wait, these clothes are too revealing on top.’

My cleavage was too prominent. I felt slightly embarrassed but then thought, well, it’s just Cedric, so what does it matter? He’s the safest man around women, isn’t he?

“What did the doctor say?”

“He just said to rest for a while before leaving. Since this happened, why don’t you take a vacation for a few days?”

“I could say the same thing. Don’t tell me that doctor took the consultation fee and left without even giving medicine?”

Judging by hia lack of response, it seems I was right. Ah, what a waste of money.

“Boss, why did you go in there? Surely you weren’t staging this to collect insurance money right before the department store expansion?”

Cedric was suspicious that this might have been my own doing. I burst out in anger.

“Am I crazy? With investment money already pouring in, would I set a fire just to claim insurance?”

No matter how money-obsessed I am, I value my own body.

I puffed my cheeks in indignation. It was frustrating that even Cedric, one of my closest confidants, would suspect me.

“If that’s not the case, then fine. Can you explain why you were there?”

“When I returned from the hotel, there was milk tea in the president’s office. I thought you prepared it, Cedric, so I drank it, but the aftertaste was strange, so I didn’t finish it. But there must have been something weird in it because I lost consciousness while working at my desk.”

I explained that when I regained consciousness, I was already locked in the emergency staircase with a fire burning. Cedric laid me back down on the bed and pulled up the blanket.

“Just rest today. You’ve been through a lot.”

He emphasized several times that I needed rest before leaving my room.

* * *