Chapter 1

"But Dad—" Trina couldn't finish what she was going to say when her father cut her off.

"No more buts, Trina! You and the only son of the Dela Vegas group are getting married. Don't disappoint me,” her father said before leaving the room. Trina couldn't do anything but throw the pillow she was holding onto the sofa in annoyance. 

How can she marry someone she doesn't even know? Someone she doesn't even love? Maybe that's her fate for being her father's illegitimate daughter. 

She went out of her father's office and saw her older sister.

"It looks like Daddy is mad at you again. You did nothing but humiliate him," her sister said bluntly.

Trina ignored her and went past her before entering her room. Ever since her father took her to this household, the relationship between her and her sister had not been good. 

She couldn't help but cry every time she remembers her late mother. It's been four years since her mother died but it felt like yesterday.

Why did she have to marry her father's business partner's son? Why did it have to be her? Their company wasn't losing money. It was growing even more. But she didn't understand why their company needed to merge with the company of Dela Vegas, which she didn't know existed until now. She didn't understand how her father would give up his daughter so easily. Was he not afraid of what might happen to his daughter? But on the other hand, she had only been with her father for four years so who was she to complain? She was only twenty years old to get married.

She just rested on her forehead and sighed. "Am I really going to marry a stranger? I can't believe it," she complained to herself. 

She left the room and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. She was planning to ignore her father, but she stopped walking when he spoke.

"Get ready, Trina. I'll just deliver the dress you'll use later to your room."

"For what?" she asked without looking at her father.

"We're having dinner with the Dela Vegas." 

She just rolled her eyes and didn't answer her father anymore. She went straight to the fridge to look for something to eat and then went to the pool to entertain herself for a while. What other ways could she do to prevent this marriage from happening? She couldn't count how many times she rolled her eyes and heaved sighs that whole afternoon.

"What did you and daddy talk about he even gave you a present?" asked her sister.

"Why don't you ask him instead? I don't feel like talking now, Sister. If you want that gift—if you can call it a gift—talk to daddy and tell him you'll go instead." 

Her sister, Joyce, glared at her. "No, thanks! If you didn't like what daddy said, I wouldn't probably like it too. I don't like the business world. I don't fit in there because it fits better when I parade my beauty." 

Trina didn't say anything because she knew what her sister was saying. She didn't like business because she prefers to be a model. 

She lay down and closed her eyes. What did she do for her father to do this to her?

When the afternoon came, she decided to go to her room. She saw two boxes on her bed that contained a dress and a pair of heels. She didn't look at it. She ignored it and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Her father didn't want anything or anyone to slow him down so she needed to prepare quickly. She didn't know. Maybe her father thought of his children as maids whom he could order around anytime he wanted.

She soaked her body in water and still couldn't believe that this would happen to her life. She thought that arranged marriage doesn't exist anymore and only happens in movies. She never thought that she would also be a victim of this setup.

After taking a shower, she went out and opened the box where a beautiful dress was placed. She smiled bitterly. Ever since she lived in her father's house, he never gave her anything. He always gave her cash so that if she wanted to buy something, she would use that. Her father didn't fail to give her money, but it would be better if he gave her something that he bought himself. 

She stared at the dress. It was simple but very beautiful. She looked at the clock and it'll be seven in a few minutes so she put it on and put a little lipstick on her lips. Her makeup is simple. Even though she puts on less makeup, she's already beautiful. One thing she inherited from her mother.

She took the five inches heels. She was not small but this was what her father gave her to suit the dress. When she was done, she stared at herself in front of the mirror and took a deep breath.

Mr. Montenegros quickly opened the door when the doorbell rang.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Dela Vegas.” With a smiling greeting, he turned his gaze to the young man who had a serious-looking face.

"Good evening, Mr. Montenegros.”

"Come in. Come in." 

They went inside the house but Trina still didn't come out of the room. Joyce curiously looked to see who her father's guests were even though it was late at night. Her eyes widened when the young man with them, Darren, turned to her. She quickly went to her mother to ask.

"Mom, isn't that Darren Dela Vegas?" she excitedly asked her mother who was also fixing herself.

"Hmm, why?"

“Oh, my God! For real? Why are they here?” she asked happily. Her mother looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

"That's the Dela Vegas and your daddy will talk to them about something. Why? You're too excited. Did you just see them now?”

"Yes, Mommy. I only saw them in a magazine or on television. I can't believe he's here in our house now." She screamed even louder because of the thrill she felt.

"Do you like him?" asked her mother teasingly.

"What girl wouldn't like him? He's so appealing and handsome and he's even the sole heir of the Dela Vegas!” Joyce continued to shriek in excitement while Trina didn't know what to do if she was going to come out or not. She was especially nervous because she didn't know them.

Joyce and her mother went out of the room at the same time and went to the garden where the Dela Vegas family was. Joyce was smiling sweetly then she tucked her hair behind her ear. Darren didn't look at her. She sat down opposite the young man's seat but her father said that she should sit next to her mother, making her frown. She had been infatuated with him for a long time now but she didn't know how to approach him. He seemed too high like the sky and he was so hard to reach.

"Is this your daughter, Zack?" asked Darren's father.

"She is my eldest. Where is your sister, Joyce?"

"Maybe she's still in her room, Dad," she answered sweetly. Darren turned to her and Joyce smiled. He just looked at her blankly then turned his eyes in another direction.

Trina took a deep breath. She had just finished and she also knew that her father's guests were there but she still hadn't gone out. After a while, she heard a knock on her door so she didn't have a choice but to open it.

"Daddy called you," Joyce said grumpily.

Trina went out and Joyce looked at her. She just removed her crossed arms from her chest when she saw her sister's appearance. 

"Why are you dressed like that? Did you know the Dela Vegas was coming so you dolled up yourself?! It's not so obvious that you prepared for it, huh?" Joyce exclaimed, annoyed while looking at her sister. This was the first time she saw Trina wear heels. "I guess it's better not to leave your room."

"Ma'am, Mr. Montenegros is calling you," one of the maids who was downstairs interrupted them. 

Joyce marched downstairs in annoyance. Trina slowly walked down because the height of her heels was no joke. And their staircase was also high.

"Where is Trina?" her father asked when the frowning Joyce got back.

"She'll be here in a minute," she answered.

Her frustration only lessen after seeing Darren, who was still looking blankly at her.

"She's here." The maid grabbed their attention. 

They all turned to Trina. Darren's mother just smiled because Trina looked more kind and more innocent than the firstborn who seemed arrogant. Darren couldn't take his eyes off the shy girl either. Joyce just rolled her eyes.

"Sit here, Trina." Her father motioned the chair in front of Darren's with a smile. She sat there and kept her head low. 

"This is my second child. Meet Trina Montenegros." 

She raised her head slightly. "Good evening. I'm Trina," she introduced shyly. She was not used to these kinds of events, especially since marriage would be discussed later.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Zack," Darren's mother pointed out with a smile.

Joyce had been rolling her eyes nonstop since it felt like all they could see was Trina.

"Let's have dinner first then let's talk about it later," Zack said and the adults agreed with a nod. 

As the maids served the food, Trina looked at the young Dela Vegas. She couldn't deny his good looks and appeal, but his face was too serious. Darren looked at her blankly. Their eyes met but Trina also looked away because she couldn't meet his eyes. It seemed like she was going to melt. 

Joyce glared at the two because she was at the end of the table. If only her father had not sent her there, she would probably be staring at him now, not Trina.

They started eating and all they talked about was business. That was not new to Darren because wherever they went, they would only talk about business.

"How's work, jiho?" Trina's father asked Darren.

"Well, for now, it's okay. It's not too tiring yet," he replied. They all smiled except for Trina who was just eating.

Joyce was thrilled because she still couldn't believe that the man she liked for a long time was here eating at the same table. 

Darren looked at Trina as she was looking at the bowl of shrimp. She couldn't reach it but she was too shy to take it or ask for it so she just picked another dish. Darren held his chopstick and then picked a shrimp that was not far from him before putting it on Trina's plate. They all looked at each other because of what Darren did. Even Trina looked at him. He just continued to put shrimp on Trina's plate then he stared at the girl.

"Thank you," she said shyly. 

Joyce's face grimaced because it should be her. She should be the one sitting there. Mr. Montenegros and Mr. Dela Vegas, and even Darren's mother smiled at what they saw. But Mrs. Montenegros was not happy especially when she found out that her daughter had a secret crush on the young Dela Vegas.

"Surely you two will get along quickly," Darren's father said with a smile. Darren just looked blank and then continued eating.

After they finished eating, the maids put away the food they had eaten before serving the desserts.

"Looks like you have a good chef here. Your desserts just smell really good," Charlotte, Darren's mother, said.

"Not really. It's just right," said Emily, Joyce's mother. But everyone could see her bragging about it. They ate dessert first but Darren and Trina didn't eat anymore.

"So let's talk about it now. Have you told your son about that?" Raul asked Darren's father. Darren and Trina were not even surprised because they already knew what they meant but Emily and Joyce were confused about what Dela Vegas was saying.

"Sure, we have no problem with it. I have already told him everything."

"Then should we start planning their wedding?" Raul asked impatiently.

"Excuse me. What is happening? I mean, Dad, who's getting married?" Joyce asked, unable to stop herself from asking. It seemed that she felt happy to hear about the marriage from the Dela Vegas people. If there was a marriage between the young man and one of her father's children, she was ready to marry, especially with Darren as the groom.

"Your daddy and I have agreed that our son, Darren, will marry one of his girls." Darren's father answered. Joyce was smiling because she couldn't wait.

"Trina, jiha, are you aware of this?" Darren's mother turned to ask her.

"Wait, what? Are Trina and Darren getting married?” Joyce growled. Her father's eyes widened at her so she closed her mouth.

"Yes, Trina and Darren," Charlotte answered. 

Emily remained silent but was no longer happy about what was happening because she was thinking about her daughter, especially since she liked the young man. "Trina, huh?"

"Yes, I already know about it. Daddy already told me," she answered gently while playing with her fingers under the table.

"Good, then. I'm sure you're a good match for my son." 

Joyce was annoyed. She poked her mother but she ignored her so she grudgingly sat down in her seat.

"We have to talk about everything. The same goes for the date of their wedding. The faster, the better,” Darren's father stated. They happily talked about marriage. Darren and Trina kept quiet. Darren looked at Trina and smirked, noticing that the girl didn't want the marriage.