The Heir's Missing Rib

nside, the air hummed with hushed elegance, a symphony of soft music, the gentle murmur of water features, and the subtle fragrance of exotic bloom

ily's cursed lineage, and the immense pressure on the sole male heir. "One heir per generation...talk about a messed-up family," she mutters to herself, scrolling past photos of the giant Tanaka estate gates. Those were the only p

est, in his mid-twenties, "apparently spoiled too"... because the Pan Pacific took his checki

for his sharp reflex, catching her midway through, she would've hit her bum so hard and in this moment, an undeniable connecti

ty, leaves her guest a note and slips away before he can offer payment or apologies. She departs, leaving him with

ramped confines of her small apartment bathroom, a silent explosion that shattered the mundane rhythm of her life. The opule

e. Their brief, unexpected connection, sparked by her clumsy stumble and his surprising reflexes, had led to a night of unexpected intimacy, a defiance of the hotel's rigid rules. In the hazy aftermath, overwhelmed by a vulnerability she

spaper or magazine she could find during her breaks, her eyes scanning blurry photographs of prominent figures, the society pages, anything that might offer a clue to the identity of the man from t

sistent nausea followed, a constant reminder of the secret she now carried. The misse

hotel. Mei, with her warm heart and unwavering support, lis

n a moment of unexpected connection, but now solely her responsibility. The vast difference in their worl

re stretched before her, daunting yet filled with a burgeoning sense of purpose. The nameless guest from the Pan-Pacific remained a shadowy figure in the periphery, a catalyst for a life she neve

te and alerted the authorities. The orphanage that followed was a place of echoing corridors and the shared loneliness of children without families. A brief respite came in the form of a kind, ailing woman named Mama Jade, who, despite her own frail health, fostered Aiko for a few precious years. Mama

petual neglect and subtle abuse. The only way out, the desperate voice in her head screamed, was to take control of her own destiny, even if it meant crossing a line she never thought she would. Driven by a primal need for survival and a yearning for a lif

nts, and folding laundry late into the night. Sleep was a luxury, and food was often whatever she could afford at the end of a grueling day. Yet, with each hard-earned dollar, a sense of independence bloomed within her. Slowly, painstakingly, she carved out a small niche

was her first experience of true intimacy. He had been her first in every sense, a moment of unexpected tenderness that had left her feeling both vulnerable and strangely

ternal instinct. The dreams of finishing her studies and building a stable career now seemed distant and complicated. As the

rring her part-time studies indefinitely. Her savings, meager as they were, would have to sustai

unwavering love, and the quiet triumph of building a life from the ground up. Aiko had returned to her studies with fierce determination once William was a little older, jugg

up the world around him with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He was also remarkably caring, often offering his small toys to other children who seemed

ndered his clothes too small almost overnight, were a constant worry. Food costs for the two were steadily rising, and Aiko knew she needed more than her current administrative as

face, his trusting eyes, and a vow echoed within her: he would not suffer the uncertainties and loneliness that had marked he

uld ask, his small hand tucked into her

estion, William. It's because of the way the sunlight travels throu

work, William had climbed onto her lap, his small arms wrapping around h

ed, her voice thick with emotion as she held h

cheek, his small voice earnest. "I love you

ind a better job. She would provide for William. She would ensure he had a life filled with lov