JAC 1

"YOUR total amount, ma'am, is five hundred and sixty-five thousand. Do you want to use your credit or debit card?" the cashier asked, but before she could finish, Taphney quickly pulled out her black card. She felt safe and untouchable whenever she had her father's black card. She could do anything she wanted, eat anything she desired, and go wherever she wanted using this magic black card.

She immediately raised her eyebrows at some of her bodyguards to get her purchases, but her annoyance grew when she heard an irritating sound coming from the cashier's machine.

"What the hell?! The machine is declining her card! Her father's card!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but do you have another card? It seems that our system is having an error in reading your card. Perhaps you have another one?" the cashier asked.

"No, I only have that card. Please try it again," she ordered, but every time the cashier tried to swipe the card, she became even more irritated. The result was always the same! Her father's card couldn't be read.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but still, our system is declining your card. If you want, you can pay us in cash."

"Fine, I'll just withdraw some money," Taphney said, feeling humiliated as she saw the people around her.

She felt embarrassed! It was the first time in her life that she had been so humiliated, and it happened in front of people she didn't even know.

But she quickly headed to the parking lot, feeling upset. What happened to her father's black card? Did he find out that she stole it while he was sound asleep? What the hell?!

"Ma'am, where to?" her driver, Kuya Atong, asked.

Taphney immediately rolled her eyes. Couldn't the old man see that she was annoyed? That she was about to burst into flames because of her anger?

"Where else? I'm going home. I'm fucking sick of seeing this dirty mall. What's the point of their mall if they can't even read Daddy's black card? A ridiculous mall! Eww."

She ranted for a long time before she closed her eyes and felt the car move. Her day was fucking ruined! And it was all because of that damn mall! She didn't even get to buy the dress she wanted so badly. She felt like it was love at first sight, but she missed her chance.

Oh well, she didn't want to think about it anymore. It was just making her more annoyed.

The ride only took a few minutes, and they finally arrived at the huge mansion of the Vergara family. She quickly got out of the car and shouted for her father.

"Dad! Dad, where are you? I have to ask you something. Dad-"

"Ma'am Taphney, Sir Danilo isn't here. He hasn't come back for three days now," their housekeeper, Nanay Esting, answered.

She frowned immediately.

Her father hasn't come home yet, and it's been almost three days? Where could he be? She was away for a week, island hopping with some of her cousins, and he didn't even bother to call her to see how she was doing. And now she found out that he wasn't even in their mansion?

Her father was so good at hiding things!

"Okay, I'll just go to the office. Maybe Dad's just busy right now," she said before walking out of their living room. But before she could leave, an old photo of them caught her attention.

It is a family picture taken when her mother was still alive. She was still a child, maybe five or six years old. She smiled as she looked at her mother's beautiful face, which resembled hers. She wished her mother was still alive so that she wouldn't be the only one stressed by her father.

"Kuya Atong..." she called her driver. He immediately approached her.

"Yes, ma'am Taphney."

"Let's go to the office. I'll visit Daddy," she said and walked ahead towards the backseat of the car. Kuya Atong quickly opened the car door before going to the driver's seat.

While on the road, Taphney repeatedly called her father's number, but it was still unanswered. Is her father always that busy that he doesn't notice his only daughter's calls?

As soon as she arrived at the building, she took the elevator. She even rode with some of her company's employees who greeted her.

"Hey Hans, where's my dad?" she asked when she saw her father's secretary. The secretary first put on her glasses before looking at her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"A-ah, ma'am Taphney, it's you."

"Obviously, so where's dad?" she asked impatiently, not wanting to answer her question.

"A-ah, ma'am, because..."

"Because what, Hans? Where is my brilliant father?!" Tapheny exclaimed. She was already annoyed since earlier, and now her father's secretary is adding to it.

"Ma'am Taphney..."

"Answer my freaking question or you will be fired right away? You choose, Hans," she threatened him. He immediately nodded.

"It's been almost a week since Sir Danilo has not come to the office. I can't contact him either. But the last place I saw his GPS was at..."

"Don't string me along with your words, Handy, or else I'll really hurt you. Where is my dad? Is there another woman? A family? Or does he have other children?" she bombarded him with rapid questions, which he quickly tried to answer.

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief. At least it's not that bad.

"...so where is my dad? Tell me before I kick you out of this building," she added.

"He's at a casino hotel. I think he's still there until now."

"What?! He's gambling again. That old man! He'll really get it from me!"

What did her father do this time? Is it related to why his black card was declined? She thought it had stopped, but it had only been a few years and he's already back at it!

What will she do with her stubborn father? It's hard to raise parents!