MY DETECTIVE BOYFRIEND (ON- GOING)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏

IVY ZEAH'S POV

The sunlight streamed into my room as I lay in bed; it was already 9 am, but I still felt too lazy to get up.

"Rise and shine, Ivy!" Tita Mira greeted me with a smile from the doorway.

Returning her smile, I stretched before reluctantly getting out of bed.

"Good morning, Tita Mira," I greeted her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

Tita Mira reminded me immediately that today was the day of my job interview, so I hurriedly took a shower and dressed.

Exiting the bathroom, I found my bed neatly made and caught the tantalizing scent of Tita Mira's cooking, which made my stomach growl with anticipation.

Tita Mira had already set the table with my favorite dish, tinola manok. I reached out to grab a bite, but Tita Mira playfully slapped my hand away, gesturing for us to pray first.

As we ate, Tita Mira cautioned me to be careful, as she often thought of me as a fragile young lady. She mentioned a minor scratch on my leg from playing in the playground.

After breakfast, Tita Mira insisted on doing the dishes while I bid her goodbye. With a smile, she reminded me once more to take care.

Tita Mira had been the one to care for me after my parents passed away 15 years ago; my mother in an accident, followed soon after by my father, who couldn't bear to live without her, Tita Mira had told me.

I quickly made my way to the station and boarded the bus that would take me to my job interview. Fifteen minutes later, I disembarked and walked towards my destination.

Standing in front of the large coffee shop, I took a deep breath and entered. I was third in line, hoping no one had been hired yet. The previous day, I had overheard one of the employees mention that they were urgently hiring due to someone resigning.

Tita Mira had told me I didn't need to work, as she could provide for all my needs. However, I insisted on working because I felt shy about depending solely on her and wanted to familiarize myself with our new surroundings, as we had moved here just two weeks ago.

Finally, it was my turn! I glanced at myself in the large mirror, adjusting my white long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and smoothing down my natural brown, long, curly hair. I clutched my cute sling bag tightly.

"Good morning, I'm Ivy Zeah Chua," I greeted the two people seated on a couch, the Manager and the top employee, judging by their name tags.

"Why should we hire you?" the Manager asked lazily.

"You should hire me, sir, because I promise to be an honest and diligent employee," I replied with a smile.

"I'm also rehearsing, sir, as I aspire to own my own coffee and pastry shop someday," I added proudly.

Baking pastries had been my hobby since childhood, especially when Tita Mira always left me alone at home to work.

I hadn't continued my studies not because Tita Mira couldn't afford it, but because she preferred I stay home for safety reasons. Despite this, she always brought home books for me to read, which I eagerly devoured. Now that I was old enough, I had persuaded Tita Mira to let me work.

"So, you plan to compete with our coffee shop someday?" the top employee asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

"No, I meant that our shops could collaborate someday," I replied politely before offering them a smile.

I heard applause behind me and turned to see a young man smiling at me.

"Sir Ryker, there you are!" the Manager exclaimed in surprise, rushing over to shake hands with him.

"This is Sir Ryker Evangelista, the owner of the coffee shop," the Manager introduced Sir Ryker to me.

I extended my hand to shake his, but the top employee slapped it away. Instead, I smiled and nodded at Sir Ryker as a sign of respect.

"Congratulations! You're hired. You can start tomorrow as a cashier; people like you are great at engaging with customers," Sir Ryker announced with a smile. He was dressed in a black polo shirt and white pants, with messy black hair.

"Thank you, sir," I said, smiling and nodding eagerly.

"Okay, okay, you can leave now," Clarisse said impatiently, rolling her eyes at me as she pushed me towards the door. But I wasn't going to let Clarisse, the top employee, ruin my mood.

Unable to contain my excitement, I felt like dancing. As I danced, I noticed the disappointed looks on the faces of the other applicants as they left one by one. They must have realized that someone had been hired, and that someone was me!

Walking home with a smile on my face, I couldn't wait to share the good news with Tita Mira.

However, on my way, I noticed a crowd gathered nearby. Curious, I made my way over to see what was happening and was shocked to find two people lying on the ground, covered in blood.

Men in long coats and black shoes arrived, flashing their badges; they were detectives. One of them presented his card, indicating that he was the lead detective.

As I was about to leave, I spotted a man standing nearby, his clothes stained with blood.

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