The Royal Contract

She never wanted the attention today, but that was the price she had to pay for her fame. She might have gotten away a few times with her disguise, but not at that moment as cameras pointed in her way.

Unlike before, she only had to get away from the paparazzi and the legitimate press, but today, she also had to avoid her fans and those nosy people with their camera phones to get some privacy.

"Nora." She spoke on the phone as soon as her manager picked up.

She guessed she should have sought her help in the first place instead of trying to do it by herself. In her defense, she thought she could get away with it.

She had forgotten to arrange for an alias in a public place. In her haste to book a flight, she sloppily encoded her name on the booking.

"Serena, I am glad that you called. I have some good news. The..." Her manager rattled on without even letting her speak.

She pulled the receiver away from her ears, waiting until Nora finished her spiel about the many projects she already had lined up for her.

That was what she liked about her. Nora was the most hard-working manager she knew. But besides that, despite the things that happened in her life and career, her manager never lost faith in her.

"Are you still there?" Her manager finally stopped, realizing she had never responded to her long tirade.

But she had learned a long time ago not to interrupt her when Nora was in the moment. It was better if she waited until she had said her piece.

"Yeah, still here," Serena spoke while releasing a long breath.

She appreciated what her manager had done. Of course, she wanted the job her manager had lined up for her.

But, at that moment, she only wanted one thing. She wished to get to Adam's apartment in peace. She also did not want to alert Adam about her plans.

"You sounded like you are in a crowded place." Her manager surmised, probably hearing the noises in the background.

Although the airport staff placed her in the private lounge, there was a group of an Asian pop group that was having a good laugh about something.

"Are you in the airport?" She questioned in surprise. She must have heard the overhead speakers announcing the next flight.

"I am." Serena finally responded with a bit of frustration. "That is why I called." She narrated to her manager what happened, seeking her assistance.

"What were you thinking?" Nora shouted on the line, clearly not happy with her stupid stunt. "You should have called me. Now, look at what you have done."

Frankly, she was not thinking straight when she executed her plan. She momentarily forgot that she was a star.

"I know I messed up. Now, can you fix it?" She asked, knowing that a sermon was the last thing she needed.

First, it would not help her situation and waste time. Secondly, she felt annoyed, knowing it was indeed her fault.

"Of course, I can fix this," Nora said, outraged that she would doubt her abilities. "Now, sit tight and wait."

She believed if anybody could fix this, it was her. Nora had always been a miracle worker. She seemed to have a way of doing the impossible.
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She did what Nora told her. She closed her eyes and waited. Soon, she was flying in the air, unbothered, on her way home.

Hopefully, she would peacefully arrive at the airport without the press hot on her trails. Then, she would be free to proceed with her plans without any more problems.

"Ms. Serena, welcome back." Claire, her assistant, greeted her as she entered the awaiting car that Nora had arranged to fetch her. "I am glad to see you back." Her assistant excitedly added.

Nora must have instructed Claire to make the other arrangements while her manager dealt with the media.

But her eyes scanned her surrounding, checking if people were snooping around the car. When things seemed to be clear, she finally turned to her assistant.

"Hi, Claire. It is nice to see you too." Serena smiled at her assistant, feeling relieved. Then, she realized that she had missed her presence too.

Claire was a young woman deprived of good education due to financial problems. However, she did not allow her misfortune to stop her from pursuing her dreams.

She was hard-working, diligent, intelligent, and resourceful. She could have been anything she wanted if given a chance.

"I already booked a room in..." Claire declared, but she stopped her, seeing that the car was moving in a different direction.

She guessed her assistant presumed that she was checking into a hotel as per Nora's instructions. It was what she would typically do.

But not today.

She had other plans. And that did not include living in a room where everyone served her hand and foot. Besides, she learned how to care for herself in the last few months of living alone and staying at the orphanage.

"I am not going there." She told her assistant. "Can you turn right on the next curve?" She instructed the chauffeur behind the wheel.

She could see the stunned expression on her assistant's face. Even the driver looked in his rearview mirror to double-check if he heard her right.

"But Mam Nora had strict instructions that I should take you straight to..." But again, she never let her assistant finish.

Of course, Nora would try to protect her. It was her job as her manager and to worry as her friend. She appreciated her concern, but it was not necessary. She knew what she was doing.

She reiterated her directives, reassuring them that they heard her correctly. She had a plan, and there was nothing that could change it.

"I will handle Nora." She assured her assistant, seeing the hesitation in her eyes.

Her manager could be mean at times, especially when it came to what was best for her talents, especially her.

Nora always went beyond her obligations as a manager to protect her. Her manager tried to keep her away from those terrible relationships.

She guessed she was too stubborn to listen to reason and sound advice. She ignored her warnings and went ahead with her stupid decisions.

"Ok." Claire declared, but she still looked at her with trepidation while the driver followed the route she gave him.

But this time, she knew this was different. She was not making the same mistakes she did before. How did she know?

Because Adam was different from the other men, she had an affair before. He would not cheat on her or hurt her. He was a decent man.

She believed he would make her happy for the rest of her life. She had no doubt he was the one, possibly her soul mate.

"Where are we going, Ms. Serena?" Her assistant finally dared to ask, looking apprehensive when the car stopped at an old building.

"This is where I am staying." At least, that was the scenario in her mind.

But, of course, it would still be up to Adam if he would allow her to sleep at his apartment. Nevertheless, she did not doubt that he would welcome her with open arms.

"What?" Claire appeared shocked as she looked at her and the outside appearance of the building. "You are kidding? Right? She asked, raising her eyebrows at her in disbelief.

She could not blame her. The location of the apartment was not to Nora's regular standards. Then, the building seemed to have seen its better days.

Nobody would ever think someone like her would stay in such a place. Nevertheless, she could vouch for the safety of the vicinity since she had lived there before.

"No. I am not kidding." She knew it was a safe neighborhood, despite the unappealing first impression.

She grabbed her bag and exited the car, not waiting for the chauffeur to open her door. She took a deep breath, glad she had arrived without more complication.

"Are you sure you are safe to stay there?" Claire quickly jumped out of the car, assisting her with her luggage.

Her eyes kept scanning their surrounding, presumably watching for any danger. But she could guarantee that the people around this area were friendly and welcoming.

"I am sure." She grabbed her bag from her assistant's hand, determined to do things by herself. "And I will take that." Then, she looked at her assistant before beckoning the driver to come near.

"But Ms..." Her assistant was about to protest, but she raised her hand to stop her.

"I can manage it from here." She confidently said. "Now, I want you to stay in my hotel room and enjoy." Addressing her instructions to her assistant.

"And please, drive Claire back to my hotel." She turned to the chauffeur, pushing her assistant back into the car. "That is an order," Serena spoke with finality.

Her assistant reluctantly rode the car and left, leaving her behind. On the other hand, she moved toward the entrance, carrying her heavy luggage.

She did not regret sending them off. Because in a few hours, she would meet the man she came to see. That was all that mattered.

"Thank you." She said to the older woman who helped her with the door.

Now, it was a long way up the stairs, suddenly reminding her that she had regretted her exercises. She dragged her bag on a few steps before she stopped to take a breather.

"This is nothing." She mumbled to herself, challenging herself to push through.

She did not mind the hardship because she believed Adam was all worth the pain.