Chapter 1

"Hey! Have you heard the gossip spreading around here?" Lyka whispered like a secret agent sharing top-secret news. She was almost bursting with excitement.

"What is it this time?" asked Roxane, pretending not to care, though her eyes betrayed her curiosity as she continued doing the laundry. She tried hard to hide her irritation at whatever nonsense her friend Lyka was going to say next.

Roxane clearly had no choice—Lyka was her childhood friend, and she knew that if she didn’t listen, something embarrassing would happen. So she made an effort to look busy, even though she was actually listening intently, her face almost buried in soap suds.

“Good grief, Lyka,” she sighed as she pulled on a piece of clothing as if it had a life of its own. “If that ‘good news’ of yours can’t make us money, don’t even bother saying it. Can’t you see I’m busy here doing laundry? You could help me instead—because honestly, your whispering is louder than my washing machine!”

“There you go again, always disagreeing!” Lyka said, half annoyed but still smiling. “You’ll regret it if you’re the last to know. And besides, this one can make money, I swear, Roxane!”

Roxane shook her head and sighed. “You’re unbelievable, Lyka. You’re like a radio—always broadcasting gossip.”

“Uhmmm, you’re being so extra!”

“So what? If it’s not about money, what’s the point?” Lyka teased.

Roxane smiled. “Fine, I’ll listen. But if I get in trouble because of this, I’m blaming you!”

“My goodness, I haven’t even started and you’re already blaming me? You’re too much!” Lyka exclaimed, pretending to be offended but smiling, as if to say, ‘Seriously, this girl is something else!’

“Hahaha, I’m kidding,” Roxane said with a grin, though her eyes were serious. “But really, what’s the news? You’re so excited you’re about to explode.”

“Okay, here it is!” Lyka almost shouted, her heart pounding with excitement. Sweat trickled down her cheek as her face flushed with joy. “The son of Don and Doña Villamonte is arriving today—the most powerful, richest guy ever! You know him, Roxane—the one who always wore designer clothes and had bodyguards like a celebrity!”

“Ahh, DN?!” Roxane raised an eyebrow and sighed. “So what if he’s coming? It’s not like he even knows us!” she said, continuing to scrub the clothes harder, as if the laundry were to blame for her irritation. Clearly, she wasn’t interested in her friend’s news. “And how exactly do you think we can make money off that DN, huh?” she added, rolling her eyes at Lyka.

Lyka’s excitement suddenly faded when she noticed the change in her friend’s expression. There was a heaviness in the air that she couldn’t explain.

“Uhm, why?” she asked hesitantly.

“Are you mad at DN? Because he left you when we were kids?! He didn’t fight for you against his parents?!” Lyka added dramatically, clutching her chest as if she were in a soap opera.

“You’re insane!” Roxane shot back with a glare.

“You’re so over the top! How could we even know each other? I haven’t even seen him in person! And besides—I have no plans of getting married, okay?” Her tone was sharp, filled with irritation, though it carried a hint of something unspoken.

“Okay… we’re at that part again, where you say you don’t want to get married. But this is what you need to know—this one’s a real opportunity. Did you know they’re hiring thirty housemaids for the Villamontes’ mansion? Crazy, right? It’s like the universe reminding you that this is no ordinary chance. They’ve got big plans, huge funds, and behind all those smiles, there’s ambition.”

“When’s the hiring at the Villamonte mansion?!” Roxane asked eagerly, laughter and excitement sparkling in her eyes, while Lyka grinned widely at her reaction.

“Perfect timing! We’ll apply together at that palace!” Lyka replied, her voice trembling with excitement, as if she could already feel their lives changing.

“All right then! But help me rinse these clothes first,” Roxane said with a smile, her tone mixed with joy and a bit of nervousness. “After I finish this, we’ll head straight to DN’s palace!” (Dark Nathaniel Villamonte)

“Ah, I just remembered—I still have something to do at home. Sorry, best friend!” Lyka laughed—the kind of playful laugh of a child who escaped a scolding—and dashed off.

“Hope you trip,” Roxane muttered playfully, watching her friend run away with a mischievous smile.

“Its hurt!” Lyka screamed.

“You witch, Roxane! You wished it again, didn’t you? That’s why I tripped!” Lyka complained while brushing dirt off her knees.

Ever since they were kids, that’s how their friendship had always been—teasing, bickering, but full of care. It wasn’t really true that Lyka tripped because of Roxane’s wishes—Lyka was just naturally clumsy. But every time Roxane said something like that, fate seemed to play along. Coincidence or not, the world seemed to enjoy joking with them.

Roxane sighed after hanging all of her mother’s laundry. She shook off the dust from her clothes, gathered the basins and laundry tools, and tidied everything up before saying goodbye to her mother’s employer and heading to her best friend’s house.

She checked the time on her cellphone. Just in time—she couldn’t afford to waste a minute, because if Lyka was the one spreading gossip, it was probably true. Her heartbeat quickened, a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation for what was to come.

Roxane walked cheerfully along the main road—a stretch called the highway that led to Vellamonte Village. But as she looked at the small houses that seemed like miniatures beside the grand mansions standing tall above them, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Despite the Villamontes’ luxury, those little homes seemed plain and humble, as if they were mere decorations along the path leading to the world of the powerful.