Jane Reynolds was a beautiful woman despite her age. Her messy brown hair was fading to ash white, her eyes were warm and she had a calming aura.

"I've been watching you for a while now. You're so thin."

Rayne suddenly felt embarrassed. It was true she was getting thin. She had to be careful with money in order not to end up penniless again. That meant cutting down on food as well.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it? You can talk to me."

Rayne froze. "How did you know?"

Jane heaved a sigh and smiled. "I've noticed. I watch all my employees, but you struck my interest the moment you walked in here for an interview. You had that fire in your eyes to work, but now it's almost all quenched. You space out at work, hence the occasional breaking of dishes. You serve the wrong order because you're always thinking. So Rayne, what's going on?"

Rayne broke into quiet sobs as she narrated her plight to Jane, leaving nothing out.

Jane put her arms around her in a hug. "It's going to be okay, honey."

"I don't know what to do. I’m poor, and pregnant. I don’t want to abort my baby, but how will I care for him or her after birth?" Rayne mumbled.

"I’ll take care of you." Jane patted her hair.

"What?" Rayne looked up.

"I've always wanted to be a grandmother but I've never had the chance after losing my husband and children to an unfortunate accident years ago. Now, I do and I wouldn't miss it." Jane took Rayne's hands. "Rayne, I want to adopt you as my own child. And then your baby will be my grandchild."

Rayne was too stunned to speak.

Rayne asked for some time to think it over, but her friend Dana told her to not overthink it. This was a great opportunity for Rayne to have a secure future for herself and her unborn children. They both knew how nice Jane Renolds was, so they knew she had no ulterior motives.

And that was how Rayne became Rayne Reynolds. She was legally adopted by Jane since she was an orphan, and then she became the heir to the Reynold’s Relish restaurant chain. Hamish was furious when he learned that Raynw was now his boss. Rayne no longer worked as a waitress, she was now Jane’s right hand and only worked on supervising the daily activities. She was happy that she had made the right decision to become Ms Reynolds' daughter when she found out she was having triplets. She would have never been able to care for them on her own, but now she had a support system.

Dana was promoted to floor manager, and together, they ran the restaurant till it was time for Rayne to give birth to her triplets. Jane was by her side when she gave birth and Dana was by her side when she awoke. Rayne had never felt so lucky. She finally had a family again, and that was all she asked for. In order to honour their sacrifice, she gave Ms Reynolds, and Dana the chance to name two of her triplets. Rayne named her daughter, Sierra. It was her biological mother’s middle name, and she wanted to keep her memory alive. Ms Reynolds named one of the boys Sage, and Dana named the other boy, Saber because she thought it was a cool name.

They lived as a family till five years later when Ms Reynolds passed away in her sleep at the age of 81. Rayne was devastated, and the triplets didn’t really understand death, but they cried because they were told they wouldn’t see grandma again. Rayne watched behind her dark shades as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Her children were in the car, being watched by their Aunt Dana. She didn’t want them to see their grandmother’s body being lowered into the grave.

Then she went back to the car and they all drove home. Rayne looked at her babies. They were all grown up now. The boys were looking adorable in their little black suits. And Sierra wore a pretty black dress. Jane would've loved to live longer to see them grow even more, but life had other plans for her. There was nothing they could do. She was just glad that Jane had the opportunity to have a family before passing away. She was a great mother to Rayne, and an awesome grandmother for the triplets. They would find a way to move on without her. For now, they were allowed to mourn her and honour her memory.

Two weeks later, the lawyer met with Rane concerning Ms Reynolds' will.

"Everything Jane Reynolds owns now belongs to you, her sole heir." Duncan Roser, Jane's close friend and lawyer said.

"Jane was so happy the day she adopted you. I remember her telling me she'd spoil you and your babies to the core. She said you were a blessing to her. She almost committed suicide when she lost herfirst family years ago. So, I’m glad she got to experience it again before dying." Duncan stirred his cup of coffee before taking a sip.

"She was the blessing and not the other way around." Rayne's voice cracked as she broke into sobs.

She was glad the kids weren’t with her, else they would have joined her and it would have become a competition of tears.

“What of Dana? She is part of the family too.” Rayne asked him.

“She left two million for Dana to finally be able to travel like she always wanted to. There is also a separate account set up to cover her flight and accommodation costs so she can use the two million for herself. After travelling to her heart’s content, if she decides to return, she can be hired as part of your management staff.” Duncan took to his feet, clearing his throat. "That's all for now. If you need any help, I am willing to render my assistance."

When he tried to leave, he suddenly remembered. "One more thing. Your mother was about to sign a major partnership agreement with a big company. The restaurant would become a distribution partner for the company's products and also open a new branch of Reynolds Relish in their city. It was a great deal but unfortunately, we lost her. She would want you to complete the deal. I have all the documents prepared and I’ve gotten in touch with the company’s CEO to reschedule the contract signing meeting. Go through the documents and initial agreement before the day of the appointment."

When she agreed to continue the signing process, she hadn’t expected that she would have to return to the same city she ran away from. Rayne clutched her purse as she stood outside, admiring the skyscraper she was about to enter. It belonged to a billionaire named Arden Nevarre whom the company was named after. Nevarre Conglomerate was the largest corporation in the country, and Rayne had wondered how her adopted mother had even gotten the deal in the first place. But it seemed like one of the executives of the company had eaten a meal at Reynolds Relish and loved it, so the executive recommended the company to their CEO and that ended in a business meeting.

With a short exhale, she walked inside the building. She was a bit nervous because it was the first time that she was running the business deals for the restaurant on her own. She missed Ms Reynolds even more now. In the lobby, she met the receptionist and was directed to the elevator to get to the executive floor at the very top.

Walking out of the elevator, Rayne was shown to a conference room by the CEO’s secretary. Heads turned the moment she stepped in. She was more of an introvert, so it wasn't in her nature to draw too much attention to herself. But she was a beautiful woman, and despite having children she was still young. No matter how modest she dressed, she would always attract attention.

She didn’t come with a lawyer because they had already gone over every aspect of the deal. What was left was to sign the deal, and give the CEO the opportunity to meet with the new owner of the restaurant. She was informed that the CEO would join her in five minutes, so she waited. Just in time, the door was opened and a man walked in with the secretary she had met earlier. Rayne stared at him while he was speaking to the secretary beside him.

Tall, broad shouldered, with curly dark hair, and a defined jaw. The sight of him made her heart beat faster, and it wasn’t just because he was handsome. He turned to face her, and she held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t recognise her. It had been six years since they met. His gaze was so sharp she thought it pierced into her soul. His expression immediately changed to a scowl.

“You thief! What are you doing here? Did you really think I wouldn’t recognise you?” He snapped at her and she got up from her seat.

She had no words to say in her defence because she had actually stolen his watch. Before she could respond to him, he turned to his secretary.

“Call the police, and have her arrested immediately.”