CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

KATRINA

“Dad, I’m going up to my room now.”

I stood up from my seat and gave my arms a long, satisfying stretch. I was ready to crawl into bed. My dad had just gotten home from work a little while ago and decided now was the perfect time to knock on my door, bringing with him a photo album of Pierre.

He has so many names. But Pierre was the only one who stuck in my brain. Nothing else seemed worth remembering.

“Good night, Dad,” I said while yawning as I turned away and began to walk slowly out of the kitchen, shuffling down the hallway like a zombie while scratching my butt.

I left him downstairs and trudged my way up to my room. Once I was inside, I closed the door behind me and headed straight for the bed.

Without even bothering to change or fix myself, I threw my whole body onto the mattress. I bounced a few times from the impact, face buried deep into my pillow.

“I’m really getting married…” I muttered into the fabric.

Of course, I’m not ready.

Especially not to a man I’ve never met and never even seen in person. 

Just past several months ago, I visited Boss Valerion’s mansion.

My father has been working there for years as a personal driver. He started when he was still single and trying to find his way in life. Even though he never finished college, he managed to survive, and more than that, he worked hard enough to save and provide for a future.

That’s also where he met my mother.

She worked in the same mansion as the housekeeper-in-charge. But things didn’t work out between them. Their relationship was far from ideal. I don’t even remember when they separated. I was too young at the time to fully grasp what was happening.

Still, despite my mom's leaving, my Dad stepped up. He became both mother and father to me He sacrificed so much to make sure I had a good life. He worked endlessly to send me to school, and somehow, he made sure I graduated.

I wanted to work in another country. That had always been the plan, to use my degree to find a better job overseas but I cared for my dad. He said he was afraid to be left alone when I wasn’t around.

So I gave it up. That's my decision alone.

Aside from that, no one would take care of him if I left. He could manage on his own if he really wanted to. He was capable of looking after himself. But I didn’t want him to go through that kind of burden, especially when I could be there to make things easier for him. That’s why I’ve taken over all the daily responsibilities, getting his clothes ready for work, cooking meals, and making sure he has everything he needs.

Because when I was still in school, he did everything for me. 

All the duties that should have been my mother’s, he took on without complaint.

And my mom, has her own life now. She’s taking care of a different family. Her new husband and their children.

And me, I’ve never had a man in my life. 

I made it a point to avoid any guy who tried to get close to me. I didn’t want to be distracted from my studies. I didn’t want anyone pulling me off track. So I rejected every single one who tried.

Some even went as far as speaking to my father, asking for his permission to court me, thinking it might help their chances.

My dad never had a problem with any of them. He’s a kind man.

But they were having a hard time with me.

I’m already twenty-four, and not once did it cross my mind to get a well, a boyfriend. I wasn’t interested. I had other things to worry about. But all of a sudden, life decided to skip that stage and go straight for the marriage thing.

And it all started because of one very, very stupid mistake.

My dad has never failed to remind me, every single time I leave the house to double-check the appliances. And I usually listen. I even made it a habit to switch off the main breaker before going out, just to be sure. But that day, I forgot. I was in a rush, just planning to grab a quick meal outside. I thought I’d be back in no time.

But when I returned, the street in front of our house was crowded with people. A bunch of neighbors had gathered, all looking in one direction, toward our house. Some were whispering, others were on their phones, and a few had their arms crossed.

Then I saw smoke near the window, a firefighter stepping out of our front door, and the scorched smell of something burned lingering in the air.

I had left the iron on.

I burned our entire house down.

Nothing was left.

If anything survived the fire, maybe it was just a few concrete walls and some corrugated roofing, charred and useless.

Our world crumbled before our eyes.

But before any government official or public servant could even step in, help arrived.

Boss Valerion heard about what happened. And without hesitation, he extended a hand. Financial assistance, supplies, clothes, everything we needed, he provided.

Well, on the bright side, thanks to him we are now living in a beautiful home. Far more spacious and elegant than the house we lost. It’s almost hard to believe somehow. 

Like a cruel tragedy that somehow opened the door to something too good to be true.

I know that without Boss Valerion’s generosity, we would have had nothing.

And that same generosity...  was what pushed dad to agree to his request.

My father didn’t even try to say no.

All because he was afraid of what Boss Valerion might do if he refused.

That’s why I made a plan that barely works. 

While I was lost in my thoughts, I heard a soft knock on my door as I had my face buried in a pillow.

“Sweetheart?” It was Dad. “Are you asleep?”

“Yes,” I answered quickly.

I heard him laugh softly at my reply.

“Kitty, did you see what’s hanging in your walk-in closet?”

“Yes, Dad. It’s pretty.”  He was talking about the elegant dress that I should wear tomorrow.

“Make sure you wake up early, okay? Don’t be late… But before you sleep, brush your hair. It’s going to be a mess to fix if you wait until morning…”

“Yes, Dad. I’ll brush it now,” I replied, though I still hadn’t moved from the bed.

“You said it, Kitty… You’re going to face my bosses tomorrow,” he reminded me, his voice turning a little more serious. “Please… don’t embarrass me."

“Are you coming with me to that mansion?” I asked.

“Of course, sweetheart,” he said. “But you’ll be going ahead. Boss Pierre’s driver will pick you up from here, and I’ll be the one picking up Boss Valerion.”

I let out a long breath.

“Go on now... Brush your hair,” he said gently.

“I don’t want to be picked up,” I muttered.  “I’ll just take a taxi or something.”

“But everything’s been arranged already. I’ve spoken to the boss, sweetheart. The driver’s coming for you.”

“Alright. Fine,” I said. “Good night, Dad.”

"Just do what I told you. Your hair..." He was really worried about my hair. I wasn’t even sure if I could ever bring back the beautiful hair I once had. 

“Good night...” he said gently. He walked away from my door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Slowly, I lay on my back and pulled the blanket up to my chest. 

As soon as I closed my eyes, I snapped them open again. I forgot to set my alarm for six in the morning. I shot up from bed and began looking for my smartphone. It wasn’t on my study table like it usually was. Then I found it right under my pillow.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by the loud sound of my alarm that I had set the night before.

I immediately pressed the lower volume button, and the alarm stopped. I slowly opened my eyes, but everything was still blurry. Still half-asleep, I lay there for a moment, not quite ready to get up. I finally gathered the strength to sit up, my eyes still closed, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The cold tiles of the floor made me shiver slightly, and I fumbled around to find my slippers. When I finally stepped into them, I stood up slowly and began to shuffle toward the bathroom.

"Ow..." I groaned in pain as I accidentally bumped into the hard, closed door. That was when my eyes finally opened, and I got up to open the door, rubbing my forehead as I did. I kept yawning nonstop as I made my way toward the bathroom mirror.

I stopped in front of it and stared at my reflection for a moment.

I really looked like a homeless person, quietly laughing at myself as I studied how I looked. Even when I tried to run my fingers through my hair, there was no hope of fixing it. It had been weeks since I last used a comb.

All I ever do is wash it with shampoo and that’s it. I just let it dry on its own, so now my hair looks like a completely wild and all over the place. It’s starting to look like a permanent disaster.

My dad wouldn’t be leaving for work until later, so I had time. I decided not to bother cooking breakfast for us.

There was a gorgeous dress hanging in my walk-in closet, freshly pressed and all set. But I didn’t even look at it. 

Instead, I grabbed one of my dad’s old T-shirts.

He used to wear it when he was gardening in our backyard. It still had stains, probably from plants or soil, or whatever mysterious stuff he’d get into back there.

The shirt hung down to my thighs, almost like a dress. For the bottom, I wore a long black skirt I had bought from a thrift store ages ago. The hem was frayed, and there were tiny holes scattered along the edges. 

This is now my outfit. 

I walked out of the room and grabbed my backpack. Threw it over my shoulder, took a deep breath, and stepped out.

I called a taxi.

That’s what I rode to get to the mansion of none other than Prince Percival Pierre Cario.

Just saying his full name is enough to make me lose my breath.

I was sleepy during the ride, barely keeping my eyes open. But I couldn’t risk dozing off, I might miss my stop.

Eventually, we entered the village where his mansion was located.

It still took a few more minutes before we actually reached the place. I waited, staring blankly out the window, until the taxi finally pulled over. I got out, paid the driver, and watched as the car drove off.

Then I slowly turned to face what was in front of me.

My eyes traced upward, following the tall, imposing iron bars of the gate.

“Someone’s really scared of getting robbed huh…” I mumbled under my breath.

“And it’s freezing…” I added, hugging my arms around myself.

My knees were already trembling from the cold. The early morning fog clung to the air, making everything damp. I hadn’t even thought to bring a jacket or a scarf to fight off the chill.

I lowered my gaze from the gate and glanced over to the four security guards patrolling the front. Each one of them was holding a long rifle, hands gripped tightly around the barrel.

They weren’t just standing there, they were walking the perimeter, pacing along the gate and continuing down the tall brick walls that surrounded the property. 

Those walls were massive too. Steep and solid that impossible to climb.

From where I stood, I could make out the mansion in the distance. It looked so huge and elegant, partially hidden behind the fog, tried to sneak a few peeks through the bars.

That’s when I noticed one of the guards had stopped walking.

He was staring at me.

Just standing there, facing me like he was trying to figure out if I was a threat.

Then, without warning, he gave me a sharp suspicious look.

So, naturally, I gave him the exact same look right back.