Steal Your Heart

Elodie's loud voice was the only one heard throughout the mansion. She seemed to faint when she saw that her expensive ancient jars were broken and scattered on the marble floor. With so many things that can be broken inside her house, why is it her jar that she bought in Europe one year ago? She is very tired from work and this is exactly what she will get.

"You all came here in front of me? Who did that? Do you know how expensive those are? Even if you work here in the mansion for a few more years, you can't pay for that!" she shouted in a screaming voice.

Her ten workers bowed and stood in front of her. None of them will speak.

"Now are you quiet? None of that will admit it. Then you will pack all your belongings and the door is open for all of you to leave." she says.

Later on, Devora approached her while bowing her head.

"My son came earlier, ma'am. And was running here in the living room and he accidentally hold your jars and fell on the floor."

Elodie closes her eyes in anger as she suppresses.

"Oh my, Devora. My house is not a playground. I told you all from the beginning to take care of all the things inside. Then now I'll see things like that? And that jar?" she says.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," said Devora.

"Is there anything else I can do? Clean that up. And the next time I find out that something can be destroyed again, I won't forgive you again." she says.

Elodie just stopped when her phone rang. She saw Donald call so she went into her room and answered the call.

"What do you need from me, Donald?" he asked in a formal tone.

"There's a problem, Ma'am." is his answer on the other line.

"What's that?"

"Investors pulled out their investment in our company," Donald replied that he sounded like he was nervous.

"For what reason? Wasn't that fixed yesterday?" Elodie asked.

"It's settled, Ma'am. But now they call and they pull out suddenly."

Elodie sighed. Sometimes she couldn’t understand why there were people without brains. That they thought investing was just a joke.

"Fix it, Donald. Talk to them again and ask the reason for the sudden pull-out," she says.

"I called them, Ma'am. And I tried to fix them but they said they were determined. And Mr. Yun is the worst." Donald replied.

"Why? Who is Mr. Yun?" she asked as she frowned.

"A Japanese investor. And he wants to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I don't know, Ma'am. I haven't even tried to ask."

Elodie thought. Why does Mr. Yun still need to talk to her? That is if it has finished pulling out his investment in her company? Does he need anything else?

"Are you okay, Donald? Why do I seem to notice that you're scared? Even though I'm here I can hear your breathing." she asked.

"I was worried that you might scold me for what they were doing," Donald replied.

"Why would I? Is it your fault that they have mental illnesses? So tell Mr. Yun that I don't have time to talk to him." she says.

When Donald hung up the phone, she went into the bathroom and took a shower. She is sweating from what is happening today. First, all her expensive jars were broken, and second, the investors were pulling their investments. They are not a loss to her company but they seem to make her look like a fool.

She wanted to go to the city and unwind. She did not give a day off to her workers because she was too busy. She came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body. She was looking for something that could only be worn. Her ten workers have been in her mansion for only one year. They are kind and devoted to work so maybe it took a while. She's not a very commanding type. Or super demanding boss. When she came home from the company, she went straight to the bedroom. If she felt hungry so she was the one to go to the kitchen and prepare food for herself.

Not everything she wants and needs she will rely on her workers. She wasn't disabled to not do work for herself. They all get along because they are single women and only Devora has a child but no husband. Suppose a single mother. She did not know what the story of their breaking up was. She did not accept many companions to their mansion to be enslaved. But she just wants a lot of companions. Because since her parents died the mansion has been very quiet.

Elodie took a ripped pair of pants and she paired them with just a simple blouse. She also put a little makeup on her face and left the room carrying her sling bag and car keys. She went straight to the kitchen and she finds Devora preparing food for her. She was quiet as if afraid that she might scold her again.

"Please call them all, Devora. We will all eat together because we are going somewhere tonight," she commands.

Devora gets stunned and suddenly looks at her. Maybe she didn’t expect her to accompany them to the meal. Sometimes she doesn't want to talk to anyone so she eats alone at the long table.

"Do you have a problem, Devora?" she asked.

"Nothing, Miss. I'll call them all," said Devora and went out of the kitchen.

A few minutes later they all quietly entered the kitchen. Only the spoon and fork she was using sounded.

"You all sit down to eat. I'm going to the city. Maybe you want to come along?" she asked.

They all looked at each other.

"You don't want to come? I'll just go alone."

"We're coming, Miss," said Mila.

"Okay."

"All right, Miss. We also want to wander around the city.

"Okay. You all get dressed and I'll just wait for you outside," she says.

Elodie walks out of the mansion and she calls Donald. And he answered her call.

"Hello, Donald. Where are you?" she asked.

"In the house," he answers as if holding his breath.

And Elodie herself could hear the faint growl. And now she realized that she disturbed their business. Out of embarrassment, Elodie immediately put down her phone and bit her lip. She leaned against the hood of the car and fanned herself as her whole face became hot. If she only knew Donald was doing something nasty she wouldn't have called.

Donald has a girlfriend. They are living together for almost four years. Maybe they don't fight every time Donald comes home late, sometimes they have overtime in the office. And one more thing, Donald and I are very close to each other. She treats him like a brother rather than her employee. And she also wonders why Devora and the girls came out for so long. They will only go to the city. Maybe they even put some kind of makeup all over their faces. And she saw them pushing each other out of the gate.

"Why are you all taking so long?" she asked as she frowned.

And they are all silent upon looking at her. And she could smell their perfumes as if they will make it like shampoo.

"Let's go," she said.

Elodie got in the car. And they all followed. And only now does she also remember her bestfriend.

Can she correct her mistake to restore the broken friendship?

Hanna. It was too busy at work so she only called him once. She also just lets it go because she works hard and supports her family in the province.

Elodie chose the big car to fit them all. She starts the car and she can't seem to breathe the scent of perfume in her companions.

"Please open the window, girls. Don't turn on the air conditioner first," he says.

"Where are we going, Miss?" Lucy asked.

"Everywhere. Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"It's up to you to decide, Miss. We're not very familiar with the city." Carla replied.

"Okay. Are you taking a bath with perfume? Why does my nose seem to hurt." she said while laughing.

They all laughed.

"Shaira suggested this, Miss. According to her, we need to put on too much perfume so we can meet handsome men where we're going." Laica replied.

While Shaira was smiling silently.

"Why, are you tired of being single? It's better to remain not in a relationship to avoid problems," she replied while driving.

"No, Miss, but we miss those times that they are a man in our lives," said Tonette.

Only now can she talk to them as if they were just friends.

"Why don't you ask Devora what her stand is when it comes to dating again just in case."

Then Devora shrugged. And they all laughed.

"Nah, you don't expect a sensible answer from Devora, Miss. That will always make her think that all men are just the same," said Shaira.

"Is it not?" Devora asked.

"Of course. Not all men are like your ex-boyfriend. You just went to the wrong person." Laira replied.

"I know," Devora replied in a low voice.

And their first stop was a night market alongside the plaza. And they are many people selling food and street foods. If she hadn’t thought of unwinding now she wouldn’t know that there was just such a place like this here. Elodie's gaze wandered all around. Lots of people eat at every stall. Children are running around as if they are having fun with what they are doing. And people are laughing over corny jokes while eating simple foods like this. Sometimes Elodie was being happy seeing those people's happiness over simple things over not-so-expensive foods as long as they are completed and together with their loved ones.

"Are we going here first, Miss?" they asked.

"It's okay. Come down and I'll just take a walk around there." she pointed to a plaza with a flowing fountain in the middle.

She walked slowly and looked around. When Elodie was seated she look up at the sky. She was amazed upon seeing the stars shining. When she saw the couple being too sweet to each other. She just suddenly thinks when she is alone like this. When will she find a man who will love her? The person who can accompany her until the end and will not leave her even amid trouble. She has everything. Luxury, money. But something was still missing for her. She knows that everyone in the world has a partner to be with in life but why does she still not have one?

She can only laugh because she is still beaten by young people today who have their own love life. Some random girls she sees on social media flexing their boyfriends. Sometimes she just thinks that maybe she is not beautiful and she has no appeal to men. They are even students but why can they easily find a boyfriend? While she is struggling to find even she is successful in life.

A cold hand hold Elodie which startled her. Looking next to her, she saw a seven-year-old girl kid who was unkempt and wearing no slippers. And hardly bathed in a few months. Her grip is on the side of her abdomen.

"Why?" she asked.

"Can I ask for money, Ma'am? I'm very hungry. My stomach hurts a while ago." the child answered.

"Okay."

She took money from her purse and gave it to the kid. She noticed her face brighten seeing the money.

"Thank you. But you gave me a lot of money?" she questioned.

"So that you can use that for weeks or months. Buy clothes and then slippers. Add shampoo to take a bath. And also so that you don't have to ask anyone again." she says.

Suddenly the child bowed.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But I don't have parents anymore so I just live here on the street," she replied.

Elodie suddenly felt pity for the child. She was about to speak when she suddenly ran away from her. Elodie just stared at the child as she walked away. When she looked where Devora and the girls as she saw them in a stall and eating street food. Devora waved her to go to them. So she got up and walked over to them.