Elena Blackwood (Female Lead)

Age: 24 years old

CEO of Nyra Group

She was raised in an orphanage and later adopted by the Snow family.

Damien Ashford (Male Lead)

Age: 25 years old

CEO of Ashford Company

Cold and charming, but don't let this smile fool you

Lily Snow (Sister of the Female Lead)

Age: 20 years old

Biological daughter of the Snow family. Snow's family the one and only child.

Note: More characters will be introduced as the story unfolds.

Disclaimer: All images used in this story belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

Where it all begin!

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After years of trying the Snow family was unable to have children, so they went to an orphanage to adopt, hoping to fill that emptiness in their home. That’s where they met Elena, quite and alone all by herself. She didn't beg for love like other children and that's what caught their eye.

She was only three years old at the time when she became part of the Snow family. They treated her like their own child, showered her with love, hoping to give her everything that she had ever know. Despite all of that Elena felt that she stood in someone else's place. Until that day came where Mrs. Snow was pregnant. After years of trying they were finally able to have a child of their own.   The family rejoiced, and for the first time, Elena saw a kind of happiness in their eyes that she had never seen before. It was pure.

She was truly happy for them—and when the baby was born, a little girl named Lily, Elena loved her instantly. She held her gently, played with her, sang to her. To Elena, Lily wasn’t a threat—she was a sister. A piece of the family she never knew she needed. She loved her like she was her own. As saying goes there is always calm before the storm, Mrs. Snow passed away.

The heart of the home disappeared with her. The house that once echoed with warmth and laughter turned cold and quiet. Elena felt the shift immediately, everything changes after her passing, Mr. Snow was not the same person that Elena once knew. A once kind and gentle man, became distant. He buried himself in work, his grief leaving little room for anything else. The way he looked at Elena changed—not with anger, but with absence. As if the bond they once shared was tied to the woman they had both lost.

Elena tried. She helped with Lily, kept the house quiet, and held onto the memory of the love they once shared. But no matter what she did, the distance between her and Mr. Snow continued to grow. At some point Mr. Snow would be harsh on her but still than she didn't let it affect her. Elena sometimes wishes for Mrs. Snow's presence, wish for her to be alive so that she can feel the warmth that she once used to feel. But a piece of Mrs. Snow was left behind, her beloved little sister, one she love and take care of as her own sister.

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Thank you! The REAL story begin from the next chapter

(Elena is 18 years old in this time line and Lily is 14 years old.)

Elena burst through the front door, tossing her bag on the couch. "Lily, I'm home!"

Lily looked up from her book, smirking. "Welcome back, big sis. How was the wonderful world of college?"

Elena flopped beside her with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, the usual lecture, break, more lecture, and endless assignments. I swear, if I could just fast-forward and land a job already, I would. No more classes, no more stress."

Lily laughed, closing her book. "Please, don't even start. I've got years of school ahead of me. If you're tired now, imagine how I feel!"

Elena gave her a sideways look. "You're thirteen. You still get stickers for doing your homework."

"Exactly!" Lily pointed at her. "I’ve got a long way to go. So the faster you graduate and start earning, the sooner I start getting better birthday presents and pocket money!"

Elena narrowed her eyes playfully. "Is money all you ever think about?"

Lily grinned. "Not just money. I'm also thinking about a phone upgrade. And maybe a trip to Seoul."

"Wow. You’ve got plans." Elena chuckled. "Remind me again who’s the older sister here?"

"You are," Lily said sweetly, "which means you get to pay for everything."

Elena groaned. "I should’ve stayed in class."

Later that evening, the smell of something sweet wafted from the kitchen.

Lily peeked her head around the corner. "Are you... baking?"

Elena, covered in flour like a ghost turned around with a guilty smile. "Attempting to, thought I’d surprise you with cookies."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And surprise me with smoke too? Because the oven is literally smoking, sis."

They both turned to the oven. A soft puff of smoke slipped out like it was trying to escape.

"Okay, okay panic later, cookies first!" Elena grabbed oven mitts, opened the door, and pulled out a tray of what looked like... burnt UFOs.

There was a pause.

Lily tried not to laugh. "Wow. Did the cookies commit a crime? Because you roasted them like the law was after them."

Elena groaned. "I followed the recipe! Well... kinda. I might’ve misread tablespoon for teaspoon, or... you know, forgot the sugar."

Lily smirked. "So, these are diet cookies. Zero taste, extra crunch."

They burst out laughing. Elena shook her head. "Fine. We’re ordering pizza."

"Wait," Lily said, already dialing, "you’re paying, right?"

Elena blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You did burn the cookies. That’s emotional damage."

Elena tossed a dish towel at her, grinning. "You’re impossible."

"And you’re a terrible baker. We make a good team."

As Lily scrolled through her phone, still giggling over pizza memes, Elena’s screen lit up with a message.

Dad: "Hey Girls, I’ll be late again tonight. Got held up at work. Eat dinner without me.

Elena stared at the screen for a second longer than usual.

Lily noticed the change in her sister’s expression. "Everything okay?"

Elena forced a small smile and turned the screen to Lily.

Lily’s grin faded. "Oh. Again?"

Elena nodded, setting her phone down on the table. "Yeah… third time this week."

They sat in silence for a moment. The kitchen felt a little quieter. The burnt cookie tray was still cooling on the counter, now forgotten.

Lily broke the silence first, her voice soft. "Do you think he’s okay?"

Elena looked over. "I think he's just... tired. Ever since Mom left, he's been working like crazy."

Lily picked at the edge of the table. "I miss when we used to eat together. Even if his cooking was basically rice with some mystery sauce,...I just miss it. "

Elena laughed softly. "Yeah, I miss it too."

Elena stood up and opened the fridge. "Well, Chef Elena’s got leftovers. Rice and… maybe not-mystery sauce?"

Lily smiled. "Sounds better than the cookies."

They sat down with plates in front of them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was warm. And in that quiet moment, they didn’t feel so alone.

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Thank you! ^_^

The house had gone quiet.

Lily was curled up on the couch, half-asleep with a blanket tangled around her legs, her phone still glowing faintly.

Elena sat on the floor nearby, flipping through a notebook, pretending to study but mostly just thinking.

The front door creaked open gently.

Dad stepped in, the sound of keys hitting the counter echoing in the stillness. His face looked worn—tie loose, shirt rumpled, shadows under his eyes.

Elena looked up. "Hey."

He smiled tiredly. "Hey, sweetheart. You’re still up?"

"Couldn’t sleep."

He walked over, brushing a hand over Lily’s hair as she stirred slightly but didn’t wake. "She didn’t wait for me, huh?"

Elena shrugged. "We had pizza. And a smoke-filled cookie incident. She forgave me because I paid."

Dad chuckled, then sat down beside her on the floor. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then, quietly, Elena said, "You’ve been coming home really late, Dad."

He nodded slowly. "I know. I’m sorry."

"You don’t have to keep burning yourself out. Lily misses you. I… miss you."

There was something raw in her voice she hadn’t meant to let out.

Dad stared at the floor, his voice barely above a whisper. "I’m trying to hold everything together. Since your mom left, it’s like I’m juggling a million things, and if I drop one…"

"You won’t," Elena said, her voice steady. "You’ve already held us together this long."

He looked at her then—really looked—and she saw the pain behind his tired smile. "I’m proud of you, Elena. You’ve grown up so fast."

She blinked back the sting in her eyes. "I had to. Someone had to make terrible cookies and order pizza."

Dad laughed softly, and in that sound, the house felt just a little warmer.

"Tomorrow," he said, standing up, "I’m cooking dinner. No work. Just us."

"Even if it’s rice with mystery sauce?" she teased.

He winked. "Especially if it’s rice with mystery sauce."

(At college)

The lecture hall buzzed with quiet conversations and the scrape of chairs. Elena walked in slowly, clutching her notebook tightly to her chest. New campus, new classmates… new everything. She scanned the room for an empty seat, eyes low, trying not to draw attention.

Near the middle row, there was a seat by the window—next to a guy who looked a little more relaxed than everyone else, hoodie slightly wrinkled, pen tapping rhythmically on his notebook.

She hesitated, then made her way over.

“Hi… Is this seat free?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

He looked up, smiled, and shifted his backpack off the chair. “Yeah, go ahead. I’m Damien.”

“Elena,” she replied, sitting down quickly and flipping open her notebook to look busy.

The professor hadn’t arrived yet, so the room still felt casual. Damien leaned over a little. “You new here?”

“Yeah. Just started today,” Elena replied.

He grinned. “First-day chaos. You surviving it okay?”

She let out a small breath—half laugh, half relief. “Trying.”

Damien nodded. “Well, if you need someone to get lost with between buildings, I’ve only memorized like… one hallway.”

That actually made her laugh—softly, but real. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

As the professor entered and the room quieted, Damien slid a sheet of paper across to her.

“If I fall asleep, nudge me.” he’d scribbled.

They shared a smile, and for the first time that week, class didn’t feel so heavy.

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Elena stepped into the campus lounge with her usual quiet presence. She wasn’t looking to make friends or draw attention—just a quiet table and a hot drink.

She grabbed a coffee from the machine, made her way to a table by the window, and pulled out her notebook. Half her mind was on an upcoming quiz, the other half drifting toward everything waiting for her at home.

“Hey.”

She looked up.

It was Damien, holding a cup of tea and a half-closed book, a grin tugging at his face. “Didn’t think I’d see you again outside the war zone."

Elena raised an eyebrow, amused. “Surprised you recognized me without the boredom-induced coma look.”

“Oh, I still have that. It’s permanent now,” he said, sliding into the chair across from her without hesitation. “Mind if I sit?”

“Go ahead.”

"So, you survived the lecture.” Elena asked him.

“Barely was hoping to find somewhere quiet, and then I found you."

They sat in a companionable silence for a moment, each with their drinks, her notebook open, his book forgotten.

“You always sit here?” he asked, half-teasing.

“It’s quiet,” she said simply.

“I can be quiet. Or at least mostly quiet.”

“Then you can stay,” she said with a small smile.

He lifted his cup like a toast. “To mostly quiet.”

She clinked her cup against his, and they locked eyes for a moment. Something unspoken passed between them two strangers just starting to become a little less alone.

Thank you ^_^