CHAPTER 1 - FIRST ENCOUNTER

Mansion of the De la Vega family

Marco and his father, Philip Dela Vega, on the veranda of their mansion, are having coffee while facing each other. Marco silently observed his Father as he stared into the distance. A 50-year-old man like him appeared to have a younger face than his current age. Elegant and handsome as ever, he can still make any woman fall in love with him. But he knows he has never remarried since his mother abandoned them.

His Father called him, "Marco, how old are you? How soon are you getting married?"

"Marriage is not in my plans, Dad. Why are you so concerned if I amn't married?" He seemed annoyed to respond to his Dad.

"I'm getting old, son. When will you give me a grandchild? What if I'm too old to play them? You may be putting off your wedding until I pass away.”

"Look at what you're saying, Dad! We're talking about my marriage; this is not food I would spit out if I did not enjoy it. Besides, you've taught me not to put too much faith in women." It was evident that he felt irritated in his response to his father.

"How long has it been now, Marco? Are you saying that you still haven't met your future wife after all this time? I told you not to trust women immediately because I don't want the same thing to happen to you as it did to me. But Marco, why do you always close your eyes? You didn't even like any woman your age?" To avoid a misunderstanding with his son, Philip stifled his anger.

"Let me manage my own life, Dad, I tell you. I'm not interested in getting married. I'm going to leave." He quickly turned his back on his Dad, but just as he was about to step off the porch, he heard him yell at him, making him stop in his tracks.

"Marco! Don't provoke my wrath! It doesn't matter if you don't want to, but you must get married! One month from now, I want to meet the woman you want to marry! If you don't find a woman who suits you, I will!" After hearing what his father said, he felt his blood boil inside his body.

Marco clenched his fist, attempting to block out his father's words. He tries not to be enraged by his meddling in his personal life. He slammed the car door shut and drove away.

"Boss, Boss, Boss! Boss, I'm still here!" As he watched the car speed away, the driver scratched his head. "Why did I take so long? I got left behind "As his boss's car sped away, he blamed himself.

**

Marco's entire day had been ruined by what his father had said. His anger affected his business partner, whom he had just met today. His steps were quick as he walked to his car when the woman slammed into him.

"Ahhhh, ouch!" Katleah exclaimed in shock and was thrown to the side of the drain. Fortunately, she avoided the drain itself; otherwise, she might have shown up to work reeking like a sewer. She glared at the person who had inadvertently bumped into her.

"Who are you, oh my gush!" She stopped what she was about to say as she stared at the man in front of her. With just one glance, she can see he is the most beautiful Adonis, the Greek god creature in the world.

"Hey, Miss...I’m asking if everything was all right? Have you had enough of staring at my face? Are you pleased with my appearance?"

Katleah frowned in response to what she heard. She denies the fact that he is attractive. The man in front of her had a thick face that turned her off immediately.

"And who told you you're attractive?" The depth of your self-esteem, man. I can't believe how thick your face is!” She was only irritated when she noticed him simply grinning at her. “This arrogant man still possesses a prominent dimple.” Kathleah pondered.

''Huh? Am I the only one with a thick face? It was you that I told you to get to your feet earlier because you weigh so much. You've been lying on top of me for a while now. Are you going to stay here with me for the night?”

Katleah abruptly stood up when she noticed their awkward position. She was on top of him. She wishes to bury herself in shame by digging a hole in the ground. She could feel her face flushing with embarrassment.

“Why block my path when the road is wide?” She asked him as she agitatedly scrubbed the mud from her uniform and looked at him with a look of anger on her face.

“Is it still you who feels the need to lash out? If you're combing your hair, there's no need to walk like a horse. You're passing through this public space. Did you get what I was saying?”

 His response irritates her even more. "Aaaahhhh! I've never seen anyone with a face as thick as yours! You're a monkey! No, the Monkey has a more appealing face than you!" She retaliated by insulting the man. She felt her face flushed red from over-restraint. She desired to leave and did not wish to ruin her day with the man in front of her.

She'd only taken one step when someone grabbed her hand. The man's grip was firm as if he feared losing his captive. Katleah turned, and their gazes locked. As he looked at her, she could feel his rage.

"Let me go." She gave the man an order while pulling her hand away.

"Where are you going, huh? Can you take me to your bad tactics, woman? I understand that's just one of your strategies for getting close to me. Do you need money? Say it; you don't need to think of any tricks to get noticed." 

He told her bluntly as if she were of low social standing. What she heard made her frown. 

“How dare you call me a trickster! Haler? Are you okay, Mad Man? Did you get your head stuck in the gutter earlier? Just let me go. I'm already running late for work, and you're not making it any better.” She drew her hand once more. She tried to break free from the tight hold on her hand, but nothing happened. The man tightened his grip even further.

"Don't be so mean, because I know very well what kind of woman you are. You were acting innocently, pretending to meet a wealthy man so she could easily approach and be captivated to make money. You're all the same women; all you care about is money. "You have nothing else..."

Slap!

When she slapped him, he flinched in pain.

“That's not your business to tell me, and you certainly have no business passing judgment on who I am. Regardless of your hardships, remember that you are not the only one who has experienced more difficulties in life. And I'll say this, and you'll stuff it in your fat whore: You don't give a damn if I eat salt or sleep here anyway. Let's say you've made it big time and are desirable. Is that enough to let you judge me? Please don't think too highly of yourself; you are not the man of my dreams! Could you please snap out of it!? Just so you know, if you are wealthy, I have no plans to share!”

Katleah could no longer tolerate the man's sharp tongue, so she slapped him abruptly. She was trembling with rage. She couldn't take what he was about to say next. Assuming he is wealthy due to the presence of so many bodyguards, she disregards this fact and stands firm in her refusal to allow anyone to diminish her unique identity. She abruptly turned around and dashed to the mall where she worked.

As Katleah walked away, Marco's lips parted as he watched her back. She slapped him so hard that he still felt numbness and redness in his left cheek. Marco couldn't believe the woman he'd just met would hit him. What he said to the woman earlier was too harsh, and he knows it. She was correct. He only got a brief glimpse of her, so he had no basis for making any judgment. “Whoa, she's pretty cool. She's fearless and aggressive. She was the only woman he met who dared to challenge him.”

Marco believed he might have been overly affected by his parent's divorce. He was only seven years old when his mother abandoned him for another man who was wealthier than his father. Since then, his father has always warned him not to put too much trust in women because they only want money from him. So he hardened his heart so that no woman could ever make him feel anything but cold and distant. When his secretary showed him a motive, he dragged her out of his office. His friends didn't bother trying to set him up with a potential girlfriend because they were afraid the same thing would happen to them. Let's say he dislikes commitment and has an allergy to women. He considers all women to impede his business expansion plans. He could take his family's business to the very pinnacle of success in just three years. Because of his high IQ, he became one of the country's most popular business magnates.

He looked deeply at his trusted assistant, James, and the latter grasped his meaning. He approached him quickly.

"Boss, tell me: do you want us to teach that girl a lesson?" 

"I want you to investigate that woman."