"Would you allow me to sip on your coffee cup?" he asked. Whenever he tried to entice her, she quickly found a reason to avoid it. But he wouldn't settle for that. As time passed, he found himself more challenged by this woman who seemed unfazed by his charisma. "No," she quickly replied, her smile widening. "Why not? I don't have any contagious illnesses." "I'll do it for you," she answered. But before she could get up, he took the paper cup and brought it to his lips. "Iced coffee in the morning?" He raised an eyebrow when he realized it was cold. He immediately placed the glass back on her table. "I prefer it cold," she replied. He waited for her to take it back so she could drink. Perhaps she felt embarrassed, which is why she took another sip. "Now you just tasted my lips, sweetheart," he said with a smile while she still held the glass. He also noticed her cheeks turn slightly red. "How does it taste?" "It tastes like coffee," she shrugged and turned her attention back to the screen. Her reactions were starting to irritate him. He quickly stood up and headed to his office. Not even five minutes later, she entered his office with a pen and a few folders. He stood up and sat on the edge of the desk in front of her. "What's my schedule for today, sweetheart?" "You have only three meetings today because Mr. del Mundo suddenly canceled yesterday," she replied. "Yesterday was Sunday, Anikka." "He called my number," she answered, furrowing her brows at him. "He's calling you off office hours?" He handed Anikka the company phone she was supposed to use. It slipped his mind that clients would use it to call her even when she was off duty. "Just to cancel the meeting for today," she quickly explained. "Is Oliver calling you often?" he asked, referring to the supplier who now stood in front of her table. "Sort of." She shrugged again. He cursed quietly. "Add my visit to Zenclub at six in my schedule later," he instructed and returned to his swivel chair. "You're going with me," he added. "That's not within office hours, Jayzee," she declined, as he expected. He didn't pay any attention to her, instead starting to go through the folders she brought. "You will now be in charge of taking minutes of the meeting from now on," he also ordered, a task usually handled by his father's secretary. "You'll be with me in the conference room later." "A bit sudden, isn't it?" she smirked. He, on the other hand, was boiling with irritation at the thought that Oliver was often talking to her when she wasn't in the office. "It's part of your job as my secretary. I didn't assign it right away because you're still new." "Okay, boss," she said, teasingly this time, still smiling while he was serious. "Is there anything else you need?" "I need a coffee," he said without looking at her. "Hot or cold?" she asked. He stared at her, seeing her amused by his apparent annoyance. "I don't drink cold coffee, sweetheart." He looked at her intently. "I want it as 'hot' as you." He emphasized the last part, but she still didn't react. She left his office for a moment before returning with a cup of coffee. "Here's your hot coffee, sir," she said, still teasing him. He stood up to meet her. "Is this as hot as you?" he asked playfully, deliberately taking her hand as she handed him the cup. If she thought she could outsmart him with teasing, she was wrong. And if Oliver thought he could beat him to the girl, he was also wrong. He wouldn't be Jayzee Albano if he could be easily surpassed by another man. "You decide," she replied, waiting for him to take a sip of the coffee to answer his question. "I can't decide yet," he said after taking a sip. In truth, he had burned himself slightly because the coffee was still hot. But he had to stand by his words. "Why not?" she challenged him. "Because I haven't tasted you," he almost whispered, automatically placing one hand on her waist and kissing her in surprise. He quickly placed the cup on the table and raised his other hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. To his surprise, Anikka responded in a way that showed she knew how to drive him further from reason. They both struggled to catch their breath afterwards. "I think you're hotter," he quickly said to dispel any awkwardness between them. She didn't respond, but quickly turned and left his room. He sat back in the swivel chair. Her mouth was sweet; a mixture of mint and coffee. He had answered one curiosity about Anikka - how she kissed and what her kisses tasted like. He was sure that was her first. He smiled and felt a sense of pride. He promised himself that wouldn't be the first and last. Welcome to my world, Anikka Merced... he said to himself.
Chapter 1 1
"My child, Agusto! Where is Ana?" Diana's voice trembled as she lay on a stretcher inside a hospital in Quezon Province. They were on their way to Manila in her father's Pajero when the car collided with a bus bound for Manila. There was a pile-up of vehicles on the zigzag road, and she suspected that her father's brother, Octavio, had something to do with it. She also suspected that her family's mining accident in Camarines Norte was the result of Octavio's actions, though she still needed to prove her claims.
"I will find Ana, Diana. I promise," her husband quickly nodded, tears still streaming down his face. He left her and went to check on some of the survivors, but their daughter was not among them. He fervently prayed that their child wasn't among the casualties. The worry didn't leave him, as ever since the chaos erupted and their child slipped from his grasp, he hadn't seen her again.
There were about seventy people on that bus, making it difficult for him to find their child, especially now that relatives were arriving. He stepped out of the hospital, and there were a few bodies already declared dead. His heart pounded as he examined each one. The last thing he saw was the lifeless body of a woman nearly the same age as their child.
"Anikka..." a young woman's voice cried out, presumably her mother, as she held the child's hand. He couldn't bear the sight, as it reminded him of his own child, and he couldn't bear to think the same fate had befallen her. He couldn't bear to lose his only child.
He circled back to continue searching for Ana, but he was unsuccessful. He also couldn't face his wife, who was crying even harder. He sat for a moment in the emergency waiting area, his eyes still scanning around.
"Papa..." a small voice spoke, immediately sending a jolt through his chest.
"Ana?" He turned his gaze to where the voice came from and saw the child being held by the woman who had been crying earlier, clutching the body of another young girl. "Ana!" He immediately embraced his child, exhaling a sigh of relief. He looked up at the woman, who was smiling faintly.
"Thank you," he said to her. "I'm so sorry for what happened to..." She nodded in understanding, her face still etched with sorrow. "If there's anything I can do to help."
"I just need to take Anikka home," she replied through her tears. He could feel the pain she was going through.
"I'll help you. Where do you live?"
"In Nueva Ecija. We just visited some relatives, that's why we're here. I wish I hadn't brought her." She broke down again, allowing her pent-up emotions to flow.
"I'll take care of everything. Wait for me here. I just need to see my wife, she's worried about Ana." The woman nodded. "I'm Agusto Mondragon. And you are?"
"Lucila Merced," she replied. She nodded before bidding him a momentary farewell, holding her child.
After he brought Ana to Diana, he quickly called a friend who would help them leave the area. Octavio didn't need to know their current situation. He needed to get his family away from his brother's malevolence.
"I can't be separated from my child, Agusto," Diana said when she explained her plan to take Ana away from Rancho Mondragon.
"We need to make it appear that Ana is missing, Diana. Octavio won't stop until he gets revenge. She'll be safe far from Octavio. I'll accompany her to Mother Tina's. We won't let any harm come to her." Mother Tina, referred to by Agusto, was the woman who had worked in the mansion and now lived outside Hacienda Mondragon. She was Agusto's mother-in-law, as she was the mother of Agusto's father.
Diana didn't respond, as she knew why Octavio harbored such intense anger towards them. He was Diana's first love, and she became pregnant with his child when they were still young. However, because he was abusive, Diana decided to distance herself from him. When he found out about the two of them, he offered to marry her and take responsibility for the child she was carrying. It was then that her feelings for the young woman began to grow. Octavio's anger escalated, leading to further violence against Diana, which ultimately resulted in the miscarriage of their child. He vowed that they would never find peace because of the betrayal.
That was just one of the resentments Octavio held against her. Another significant reason was the loss of his inheritance at Rancho Mondragon. The land belonged to his mother, Manuela Mondragon, and when his father died first, his mother ensured that Octavio had no claim, as he was the child of her husband Roman from another woman. His mother passed away a year ago, and that's when his slow but sure revenge began after he learned about the family's will from their lawyer.
"Promise me that no one will find out about all of this, Diana. Ana's safety is at stake here. You wouldn't want to lose her for the second time, would you?"
She released a gentle nod. She guided her husband away from the hospital without their daughter Ana.
APRIL 2018
"Maybe I can take you home now, Nikka," Jude, her boyfriend, said as he picked her up from school one afternoon. It had been a year since she agreed to be his girlfriend after eight months of courtship. But it seemed she wasn't ready for their relationship to progress to a more serious stage, especially since she still had many secrets she hadn't shared with him. Her father had also arrived today for an important discussion.
"I can't right now, Jude. Maybe next time," she made an excuse.
"You're always making excuses. Are you not serious about our relationship?" he said with a hint of frustration. Suddenly, a headache struck her as they talked. Jude was actually kind and a gentleman. He never once pressured her to go beyond a kiss. He was a twenty-five-year-old call center agent.
"My father is at home waiting for me," she gave another excuse. "Let's just set it for another day."
"I want to propose to you, Nikka. You've already finished college."
She looked at him quickly before turning her gaze out the car window, seeing him looking at her. She wasn't even ready to introduce him to her parents, let alone get married. She hadn't even experienced working and building a career in her chosen field of Mass Communication.
She let out a deep sigh while still looking out the window. When they reached her house, she saw her father's car parked in front of the gate. Her father was outside, talking to her mother Lucila, seemingly waiting for her to arrive. She quickly said goodbye to Jude and kissed his cheek, but instead, he turned to her lips to kiss her. She quickly pulled away in fear of her father seeing them.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your father?" he asked, seemingly waiting for a good answer. His face darkened when she couldn't speak. "Goodnight," he said without looking at her. She quietly got out of the car and quickly entered the gate.
"Anikka is here," her mother Lucila said, and her father immediately turned and welcomed her when he saw her.
"Hi, Pa!" She kissed his cheek and smiled.
"It's good that you're here. We have something important to discuss," he said, walking with her into the house. Their house was small with only three small rooms. She put her bag on the study table. Her father stayed standing at the door, his hands clasped.
"It's time for you to go back, Ana. I will give you an hour to pack your things."
"W-what?" she asked in surprise. She knew they used to live in Camarines Norte because she was eight years old when they left that place, and there was an accident where Lucila's real daughter, Anikka, died. She was too young to understand things back then; why she had to go with a woman she didn't know and take on a new identity.
"You've finished college, Ana," her father said. When she was called by that name, it felt like a stranger to her because she grew up using Anikka. Although in school, she was allowed to use her real name, Anastacia Mondragon.
"I'm okay here, 'Pa," she said as she took off her sneakers.
"You need to face your real life. You need to learn the ins and outs of our business and how to manage the ranch. I'm sorry, my child, but you're the only one I can rely on because you're the only child of your mother," her father continued to say. He gestured to the vast land of Rancho Mondragon and the various companies established by her grandmother.
"But weren't our lives in danger, which is why you took me away? Why do I have to go back?" The anxiety in her chest slowly rose.
"Because your Uncle Octavio wants to claim half of the ranch and the earnings from Golden Land Mining Corp."
"If that would appease him, why don't you just give it to him? Maybe he has a right as Lolo's child," she reasoned. Truthfully, she didn't want such a huge responsibility. She was content with the simple life in Nueva Ecija.
"If only it were that easy, Ana. The reason your uncle is contesting his inheritance is because he needs a large sum of money. He'll only sell that land if he wins. We suspect he is a druglord, and having that piece of land would make him rich and powerful."
"Then I shouldn't go back there, Papa. My life was in danger thirteen years ago, it will be in danger now. Can't you declare me dead?"
"We never declared you dead, Anastacia!" her father said angrily. "Missing, yes. But there's someone pretending to be you in the mansion."
She stared at her father, confused by what he was saying now. "W-what do you mean?"
"Five years after that accident, when we claimed you still hadn't been found, Octavio brought a girl to the house who was your age. She was claiming she was our daughter. We accepted her anyway because of your Mama's longing for you."
She couldn't believe what her father was revealing. She couldn't stop the tears at the thought of someone else assuming her identity and being with her real parents. While Lucila had been attentive to her, she still couldn't fill the void she felt for her true family.
"So, he's using my name?"
"No. I would never allow someone else to use your name or your Lola's name. She's simply Ana Mondragon. Where Octavio found her or whatever his reason for bringing the child to us, we don't know. But now everything is becoming clear. We suspect she is Octavio's child with another woman. Since we only have one child, she will be the sole heir. If it turns out we can't find you, Ana will inherit everything – which will all be in favor for Octavio."
"And now that your real child is returning, what do you think she'll feel?"
"She lived a comfortable life, Ana-"
"Anikka, Papa," she corrected him, insisting on being called Ana. "Let her use that name. My identity has changed now."
"You will always be my Ana," her father said emotionally, but she didn't pay it any mind. "She won't suffer because she was legally adopted by your Mama."
"So Uncle Octavio still wins, Papa, if it turns out her adoption was legal."
"No. The Rancho Mondragon is already in your name since you were eight years old. If she gets anything, it will be shares in the company, but just enough for her to live comfortably."
"I wasn't prepared for all of this, Papa. I never expected it. I wanted to think about it first."
"Sooner or later you still have to claim what is yours, Anikka."
"But as I said, this is the life I want now. I've also applied for a job at a local radio station here. My friends are here, and I have a boyfriend too."
"You're already set to marry the child of a close friend, Anikka."
"What?!"
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