The glass doors of Voss Empire slid shut behind her with a quiet finality, the faint reflection of her figure disappearing into the polished surface as Nyra stepped out into the open air, her mind still tangled in the weight of everything that had just happened inside those walls.
The city of New York stretched endlessly around her, loud, fast, and indifferent, yet for the first time since she had entered that building, she did not feel like she could breathe in it.
Adrian Voss.
The name echoed in her mind with a strange heaviness, carrying not just authority but something else she couldn’t quite define, something that made her chest feel tight in a way she didn’t understand and didn’t want to.
She stood there for a moment longer than necessary, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag as her thoughts clashed with each other, pulling her in different directions.
Home.
She should go home.
That was what she was supposed to do.
But her feet—
Refused.
Instead of turning toward the familiar road that led back to the place that never felt like one, she took a slow step in the opposite direction, her mind already making a decision her heart had chosen long before she realized it.
Toward a place where expectations didn’t exist.
Toward a place where she wasn’t constantly measured.
Toward a place where, even for a little while—
She could exist without breaking.
—
The orphanage stood quietly at the end of a narrow street, slightly hidden from the noise of the city, its structure simple, its paint a little faded, yet carrying a warmth that no grand building ever could.
Nyra stopped at the gate, her hand resting lightly against the metal as her eyes softened, memories surfacing slowly, gently, like something she had buried deep but never truly forgotten.
Laughter.
Small hands tugging at her sleeves.
Voices calling her name—
Not with demand.
But with love.
A faint smile touched her lips, fragile but real.
She had stopped coming.
Life had taken over.
But this place—
This place had never stopped waiting.
—
Before stepping inside, she turned toward a small shop nearby, carefully picking out chocolates, counting them more than once to make sure there would be enough for everyone, because she knew exactly how those small smiles looked when something as simple as this reached their hands.
Then, finally—
She entered.
—
For a brief moment, the place was quiet.
And then—
“Angel!”
The sound broke through the air like light spilling into darkness.
Children ran toward her, their laughter echoing around her, their small feet rushing across the ground as if they had been waiting for this exact moment without knowing when it would come.
“Angel, you came!”
“Where were you?”
“Why didn’t you visit us?”
Their voices overlapped, full of excitement, questions, and a kind of affection that felt too pure to exist anywhere else in her life.
Before she could even respond, they surrounded her, small hands holding onto her arms, her clothes, her bag, pulling her closer as if they were afraid she might disappear again.
Nyra let out a soft laugh, her eyes already beginning to shine.
“I’m sorry,” she said gently, looking at them one by one, her voice carrying both warmth and guilt. “I got caught up in things… but I didn’t forget you.”
“You did!” one little boy said, crossing his arms with a pout.
Nyra shook her head immediately, her expression softening.
“Never,” she whispered.
She knelt down slowly, opening her bag and revealing the chocolates.
“I brought something for all of you.”
Their eyes lit up instantly, the disappointment vanishing as excitement took over.
“For us?” a girl asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Nyra smiled.
“Only for you.”
They took them eagerly, their laughter filling the space again, their happiness so simple that it made something deep inside her chest ache, because this—
This was what she had never truly had.
—
“Angel, tell us a story!” one of the kids said suddenly.
“Yes, story!” the others joined immediately, gathering around her, sitting close as if they didn’t want to miss a single word.
Nyra hesitated for a moment.
Then slowly nodded.
“Okay… one story.”
They leaned in closer.
Waiting.
Listening.
—
“Once upon a time… there was a girl,” she began softly, her voice steady but carrying something deeper beneath it.
“She lived in a very big house, but no matter how big it was… it never felt like home.”
The children grew quiet, their eyes fixed on her.
“She was surrounded by people, but no one really saw her, no one really listened to her, and no matter how hard she tried to be perfect, it was never enough for them.”
Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap, though her expression remained gentle.
“She worked, she tried, she stayed quiet… because she thought if she endured everything, maybe one day things would change.”
A pause.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
“But they didn’t.”
Silence wrapped around the group.
“And so… she stopped expecting anything from anyone, and she learned how to stand on her own, even when it hurt, even when she was tired, even when she felt like she might break.”
Her voice softened further.
“But sometimes… she found a place where people smiled at her without asking for anything in return, where she didn’t have to prove anything, where she could just… be.”
A faint smile touched her lips.
“And in that place… even if it was only for a little while… she felt like she belonged somewhere.”
—
Her voice trembled slightly.
Without her realizing—
Tears had gathered in her eyes.
And one slipped down.
Then another.
—
“Angel…”
A small voice broke through.
“Why are you crying?”
Nyra blinked quickly, wiping her tears as she forced a soft smile, though her chest felt tight.
“I’m not crying,” she said gently. “It’s just… part of the story.”
The child looked unsure, but didn’t push further.
Nyra clapped her hands lightly, shifting the moment.
“Okay, that’s enough for today.”
“But we want more,” they protested.
“It’s getting late,” she said softly. “I have to go.”
Their faces fell immediately.
“You just came…”
Nyra’s heart clenched, but she kept her voice calm.
“I’ll come again,” she promised. “And next time… I’ll bring even more chocolates.”
That was enough to bring small smiles back.
“Promise?” they asked.
“Promise.”
—
As she walked out, the sky had already begun to darken, the evening settling slowly over the city, wrapping everything in a quiet that felt heavier but not entirely unbearable.
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Riya.
Nyra answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Hey sis, where are you?” Riya’s voice came through, soft but slightly worried, the faint background noise hinting at her being far away—in Italy, in a life completely different from Nyra’s.
“I’m outside,” Nyra replied gently. “Just heading home.”
“You sound tired,” Riya said. “Are you okay?”
Nyra paused for a brief moment, her gaze drifting toward the road ahead.
“Yeah… just a long day.”
“Did the interview happen?” Riya asked.
Nyra hesitated.
“Yes.”
“And?” Riya pressed softly.
Nyra exhaled slowly.
“I don’t know how it went.”
“You always say that and still do better than everyone,” Riya replied with a small laugh. “Don’t overthink it.”
A faint smile appeared on Nyra’s lips.
“I’ll try.”
“Go home early, okay?” Riya added gently.
“I will.”
“Take care, sis.”
“You too.”
The call ended.
—
When Nyra reached the house, the evening had already settled completely, and just like always, the moment she stepped inside, the air changed.
Daniel looked up immediately.
“Where were you?”
Sera followed, her expression sharp. “You went for an interview or disappeared somewhere?”
Emma scoffed. “Or maybe you got rejected and didn’t want to come back.”
Nyra didn’t answer.
“Did you get the job?” Daniel asked.
“Or money?” Sera added.
Nyra’s fingers tightened slightly.
“No.”
The word was simple.
But enough.
“Useless,” Emma muttered.
“Go do your work instead of wasting time,” Sera snapped.
Nyra walked past them without another word.
—
Inside her room, the silence returned once again, wrapping around her as she changed her clothes slowly, washed her face, letting the cold water run longer than necessary as if it could wash away the exhaustion that had settled deep inside her.
—
Her phone buzzed.
Nyra picked it up.
Her eyes scanned the message.
And then—
They widened.
—
Voss Empire Pvt. Ltd.
Selection Notice
You have been selected.
—
For a moment, everything stopped.
Her breath.
Her thoughts.
Her movement.
“I… got it…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
A small smile appeared on her lips, fragile but real.
But just as quickly—
Another feeling followed.
Tension.
Because this wasn’t just a job.
It was him.
Adrian.
His presence.
His world.
“This won’t be easy…” she murmured.
Her fingers tightened around the phone before she closed her eyes briefly.
“…but I’ll handle it.”
—
She took her medicine quietly, the familiar bitterness grounding her as she lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket over herself, her body finally giving in to the exhaustion she had been holding back all day.
—
And as sleep slowly took over—
Her last thought wasn’t about the house.
Or the children.
Or even the job.
It was—
Him.
And the world she had just stepped into.
A world—
That would not let her stay the same.
" TO BE CONTINUED "
____________________________________________________________
Author's note..
Hey everyone 🙂 🙂
This chapter was a little softer… but also emotional in its own way.
How did you feel seeing Nyra as “Angel” with the children? 🥺
And what did you think about the story she told… did you realize it was her own story?
I’d really love to know your thoughts, so don’t forget to leave a comment 💌
See you in the next chapter!
Bye bye 👋 👋
Write a comment ...