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An alarm struck at 7:00 in the morning and was knocked off to the ground by a hand, breaking into pieces.

"Great, another alarm death list crossed!" Scarlett said, looking at the pieces on the floor. "Now I have to get a new one."

She stepped across to the bathroom to take a shower, putting on her shower cap and tucking in her long black hair. Just then, she heard it.

"ZZZZTTTZZTZZ!!!" came the sound from the window pane.

"No, no, no!" she ran to close the windows, but it was too late; many leaves had blown into her room.

"Arrrgh!!!" she yelled.

"Amano! Now you messed up my room! Look what you did!" she yelled at the lawn man.

"Oi, Scarlett, I'm sorry," the man squatted, smiling at her through the window pane. "Besides, I always tell you to keep your window locked," Amano replied, backed with a raised eyebrow.

"Get away from here, silly."

Scarlett closed her windows. She couldn't blame the man though; if not for her silly life, she wouldn't be living in a one-room apartment located at the lower basement or underground floor of a duplex. The only source of air is the small glass window at the top of her room, almost touching the roof. To close the windows, she would have to climb her table, so outside, there's a garden, and she had to close the windows to avoid these leaves. Sometimes rats come in, thinking it's an underground hideout.

"I hate this stupid house."

She angrily wore her clothes after taking a bath. Today she was wearing a short black dress with short sleeves. 'It's not the best, but it will do,' she smiled looking at the mirror. She applied lip balm, brushed her hair, and packed it in a ponytail.

"What's today's goal?" she asked, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"Attract a rich handsome man! Yeah right, like anyone is ever gonna fall for a cleaner," she laughed at herself.

Locking her room door, she took the stairs that led to a door and opened it, stepping outside. Looking at the busy streets, she closed her eyes, breathing in fresh air.

"PpaT!" a diaper fell on her face from the top floor.

"Oops," came the sound of the shocked neighbor who threw the diaper.

"Ewww!" Scarlett took the diaper off her face and threw it into the dumpster nearby.

"Sorry, Scarlett, I was aiming at the dumpster beside you."

"F***k you, Sheeran," Scarlett yelled back as she stomped off to work. What a morning.

---

Crystal Dinners.

'CRYSTAL DINNERS' - a Five-Star 💫 Restaurant in the city of Seattle. Many rich folks can't really afford food here; it's presidential. It's a skyscraper adorned with crystal kinds of glasses. At the top of the skyscraper, there's a big glass of crystal diamond, and at night, it shines, and you can see the beauty of the tower. It has a helipad, but it's only used by the boss, whom people never really talk about.

"I wonder who he or she is," Scarlett said to herself as she stepped out of the taxi. She ran to the elevator located at the parking space, labeled 'staff only,' and there was one other elevator on the side that no one ever really used.

"Ding," the elevator opened, and Scarlett stepped out to see staff hurrying back and forth, dressed in white t-shirts and pencil black skirts adorned with a red scarf around their necks.

"YOU'RE LATE! SCARLETT!" a beautiful, slim lady with short bob hair yelled at Scarlett. She was looking so expensive, dressed in all red, a pant suit, with black heels designed with crystals. As she spoke, her dark red lips made her look stunning. 'Now who wouldn't fall for a hottie like her,' thought Scarlett.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, I am, Rose ma'am," Scarlett bowed and ran to drop her stuff in her locker.

She went to the janitor's closet and picked up her tools to clean the toilets, changed into a blue jumpsuit, 'not the kind of suits anyone would wish for,' and resumed cleaning the toilets.

In a skyscraper building at the top floor, a grand-looking office is located there, where two men are seen discussing business.

"Sir Gale, I just want to let you know that you won't regret our alliance together," a man in a fine-tailored black suit smiled as he spoke. He seemed to be in his late forties.

"I hope so too," Gale answered back. He's in his late sixties, with white short hair tied in a ponytail and a scar across his left eye. He held a big brown cigarette and a hat on his head. He puffed out some hair with a dead stare as he looked at the man opposite.

"Unless they would be blood, Martin," he let out a dark chuckle.

"Of course not, Sir Gale," Martin swallowed hard. He felt his blood drained the minute Gale said that. He wouldn't want to be on the bad side of this man. It took him every courage to come up with a good deal to enlighten Mr. Gale. Martin had heard cases of people's heads being cut off when anyone wasted Mr. Gale's precious time with useless conversation. 'Time is Money,' that's his famous words. But he was so glad he could sign a deal with Mr. Gale. All he has to do is deliver, and no one can stand a chance against Martin's drug-dealing organization; even the police can't stop Gale. Martin stared at the old retired mafia boss clothed in an expensive suit and that famous golden staff of his.

"Martin!"

"Yes, Sir Gale," he was brought out of his thoughts.

"I said, what do you think?"

"Umm, ah, I don't know—"

"Shut up, let's go have lunch," Mr. Gale cut him off.

"Yes, yes, it's such an honor, sir," Martin replied back.

"Prepare the car," Gale said to no one in particular.

Mr. Gale stood up to go to his elevator; Mr. Martin followed behind.

A black limo and some other black cars were seen parked in front of Crystal Dinners. A well-built bodyguard stepped out to open the door of the limo, and Mr. Gale and Martin stepped out. A distinguished security man dressed in white tailored suits escorted them to the elevator.

"Welcome, Mr. Blackburn, this way, sir."

The security guy pressed the button that says 'C9,' which stands for 'Crystal floor,' the most expensive floor of Crystal Dinners.

"Ding," the elevator opened, and Mr. Gale Blackburn and Martin stepped into the most magnificent floor. Other rich people stopped eating to see who came in; it's like everyone is ready to judge who can afford the grand floor. 'Tsk, rich people.

---

**Staff Quarters**

Some staff on break were seen talking about Mr. Gale and his appearance, while other ladies were adding touches to their makeup to charm some bachelors.

"Omg, he's so hot," a lady with blonde hair chimed in among a group of girls.

"Mama, I was at the VVIP floor and I couldn't help myself. I really wanted to get Drake's autograph, but you know we have to be professional," a brown-haired girl spoke.

"The celebrities' floor is amazing. I love my shifts there," the blondie replied.

"I love the Grand Floor," a black-haired girl spoke.

"Oh, you mean the presidential suites," another Asian-looking lady replied.

"Yes!" they all chorused.

"Sorry, I'm still new here. I'm still mixing up the floors," the Asian girl replied back.

"But what about the last floor, the 10th floor?" the brown hair asked.

"Oh, no one really knows," the blondie replied.

"But I heard it's special for the boss. Funny, we don't even know him," the black head replied.

"Kathy, I would really not like us to talk about it. It's off-limits, remember?"

"Ewww, what's that smell?" the blonde asked, looking at Scarlett in particular.

"Haha! Very funny," Scarlett walked into the staff hall with her dirty uniform. All she wanted was to get a snack; she was hungry. It was 4 PM already.

"Of course, you're always a joke. That's why you stink at your job," Kathy said with her hands on her waist.

"Watch it, big head," Scarlett warned her.

They all laughed at her. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm actually better than all of you who waste time trying to seduce men."

"How dare you!" Laura, the blonde, confronted Scarlett.

"That's enough!" Rose stepped into the staff hall. Everyone scattered like rats invaded by a cat. Kathy and Laura smiled evilly at Scarlett before leaving the hall.

"Scarlett, what are you doing here?" Rose asked.

"I'm hungry," Scarlett pouted at her.

"What has that got to do with me?" Rose looked puzzled.

Scarlett sat on one of the couches with her hand around her tummy. "Please, Rose, just let me have food from the kitchen." Other staff laughed at her words.

"Seriously, Scarlett, we pay you. It's not like your salary can afford a portion here," Rose eyed her as she smiled.

"Fine, so you won't give me?" she asked with her arms crossed.

"Get to work, SCARLETT!" Rose yelled back and turned around to leave.

Scarlett smiled to herself as she stood up. She cracked her neck side to side with a wicked grin on her face. She cracked her knuckles. "If you want something done, do it yourself."

Like a ninja in swift mode, Scarlett headed to the staff bathroom. Purposefully, she bumped into a female staff.

"Watch it!" The female staff pushed her.

"Oh, sorry, clumsy me," she smiled to herself after the lady left. Putting her hand in her pocket, she stuffed the name tag in it.

"Now it's time for plan B." Heading to a random locker, she took a spare uniform and changed into it.

"Aish, I'm too good now," Scarlett headed to the elevator and pressed the C9 button.

*Ding.* Soon, she was on the Crystal floor. Other rich people stopped eating to see who came in. It was like everyone was ready to judge who could afford the grand floor. 'Tsk, rich people.'

Scarlett scanned the hall for an empty table with half-eaten lunch. 'I can't blame myself; rich people spend millions on food yet they don't finish them for show off.' She made her way across the hall, moving like the staff, just as she practiced.

"Of course, you may enjoy, ma'am," came the voice of Rose next to a couple.

'Oh no, what do I do?' Scarlett ducked to smooth a table beside her. Two men at the table looked at her with surprise on their faces. She smiled brightly at them.

"Bon appétit, monsieurs... mesdames," she said, turning to leave.

"Voilà," she spotted two females leaving their table with much untouched food. 'Hehe,' she clapped in her mind.

She moved for the table, picking the trolley beside it. She hastily arranged the food on it. Almost done, just then her heart dropped.

"Scarlett!" Rose shouted at her. She turned around to face an angry Rose.

"Ah, men... Hi... Rose, it's not what you think," Scarlett said in a nervous manner.

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