Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Wesley's eyes gleamed with a sly plan as he spun a tale to tug at the woman's heartstrings, hoping to win her over and get some information. "Here's the thing, ma'am," he said, playing the part of a victim. "I'm just a low-level employee at Cedillo Corp. My boss, the head of procurement, got caught taking kickbacks last week. When the company found out, he threw me under the bus to cover for himself. Now, they're about to fire me for something I didn't do. The CEO is a fair guy, and I just want to tell him my side of the story. Even if I get fired, we can't let someone like that ruin the company."

The maid felt a pang of sympathy for Wesley. She admired his determination. "Right, what goes around comes around."

Wesley hesitated, then added, "The thing is, last week at the office, the CEO was in a bad mood and didn't want to see any of us. Plus, I heard his son got kidnapped. Is that true?" His eyes searched hers for a clue.

The maid's demeanor turned cautious. "Who told you that?" Leo's kidnapping was a secret, with strict orders from the butler not to discuss it. How could Wesley know?

Wesley discreetly pulled out a thick wad of cash from his wallet and slipped it into the maid's pocket. "Look, a friend of mine works for Andre and hears things. He told me about it. Please help me out. If everything's fine, I can talk to Andre. But if his son is in trouble, I don't want to bother him now. Getting fired is one thing, but family is more important."

The maid quickly returned the money. "No, young man, I can't take this. Our household affairs are private."

Wesley insisted, "Please, just this once. Keep the money. I have more if you need it." He emptied his wallet into her hands. "This is a few months' worth of salary. Take it and make sure no one sees. I just need a bit of information."

Wesley noticed that the maid had arrived on foot while others had cars. He figured she must be newer or lower-paid.

Unbeknownst to Wesley, the maid was now on high alert.

She caught the slip in Wesley's story and her sympathy faded, replaced by caution. Holding the stack of cash, she said, "I'm just a regular worker like you, not privy to the main household's business. But I haven't seen Ms. Mia walking little Leo in the garden recently. Maybe I could sneak a peek for you?"

"I'd really

keep the money but

keep it.

"Okay, then."

the money and hurried back the way

the security booth, she showed her ID, and

inside, she dashed towards

wearing a soft yellow sweater and a beige chiffon skirt, her hair casually tied back, looked like a gentle mother. She was sunbathing with her son, who pouted adorably in her arms. Passing

Mom's just taking you out for some sun. Look at you, anyone would think I'm

warm for spring, with temperatures

the mother and son, causing Mia

turned to Mia and little Leo. "Ms. Mia, you might want to keep Leo indoors for a while. It's

hold on her son, curious. "What's going on?" Though she had no plans to venture out, the notion of danger

"Ms. Mia, some guy outside tried to bribe me for information on whether Leo had been kidnapped." Mia's warmth vanished, replaced by a steely resolve. "Who

kidnapping had been tightly controlled information, with even her own parents kept in

"I don't know, but I'll go report this to the butler right