All Chapters of Legacy: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

​It is hard being a fresh graduate of a course that requires strong connections just to get your foot in the door of your dream job. I was just lucky to have parents who supported all my dreams. I am Hannah Martin, and we live on a small island in the Philippines. My parents are farmers, and the life we live here is quiet and peaceful. The only sad part is knowing I will have to temporarily leave this sanctuary to fulfill my ambitions. ​In a month or two, I will push my luck and head to Manila. I’ve lived with my parents for over twenty-one years, and the thought of living without them makes me feel like a complete stranger to the world. I don’t know how I’ll cope, but I know I must. ​Early one morning, I decided to take a walk. I pulled a pair of shorts and a plain black shirt from my closet, already feeling the humidity making me sweat. I stepped outside to take in the view, but as I looked up, something caught my eye in the distance. ​"Holy sh*t!" I gasped. There was a helicopter

​Chapter 3 Hannah’s POV ​Not long after leaving Luke on the shore, I heard a soft knock at the door. ​"Uh, hey!" Since the door was already propped open, I saw Luke standing there immediately. I was surprised to see him; usually, I’m the one who heads over to Miriam’s to bring him food since he’s still recovering from his injuries. ​"Hey, come in," I invited, not taking my eyes off the sausages I was frying. ​"Can I?" he asked tentatively. ​"Yeah, of course," I insisted. As he walked in, I realized once again how small our house felt. With only two rooms, a kitchen, and a small living area, Luke seemed to tower over everything. He’s incredibly tall, and he looked almost out of place in our modest space. ​"I didn't mean to bother you or Ash. Sorry for—" ​"Luke, it's really nothing, okay?" I interrupted as I walked over to him. He was settling onto our small couch, and it was almost comical how much he had to fold his knees just to fit. "Ash says he has a soft spot for you, which

Chapter 5 Hannah's POV Manila is nothing like the island. On the island, you can hear the breath of the ocean; here, all you hear is the suffocating roar of engines and the impatient honking of jeepneys. The air doesn't smell like salt and roasting corn; it smells like exhaust and old rain. ​It has been three months since the black helicopters took Luke away. Three months of silence. ​I smoothed out my blazer—the most professional thing I owned—and looked up at the glass giant standing in the heart of Makati. CROMWELL LEGACY. The name was embossed in silver, gleaming under the harsh midday sun. It looked untouchable. ​"Don't be intimidated, Hannah," I whispered to myself, clutching my portfolio. "You’re a filmmaker. You’re here to tell stories." ​The lobby was a cathedral of marble and silence. People moved like clockwork, dressed in suits that cost more than my father’s entire farm. I felt like a stray colored pebble in a sea of grey stones. After a grueling hour of waiti

Chapter 7 Hannah's POV The drive felt like a lead weight in my hand as I stepped into the executive elevator. The digital clock on the wall flickered to 4:58 PM. My heart was drumming a frantic rhythm against my ribs, each floor the elevator passed feeling like a countdown to a firing squad. ​I had spent the last three hours obsessively checking every frame, ensuring the light was perfect, the transitions seamless, and the metadata spotless. I wasn't just submitting footage; I was submitting proof of my existence to a man who had erased me. ​The heavy oak doors of the CEO’s office were closed. I took a deep breath, adjusted my blazer, and knocked. ​"Enter," Luke’s voice barked from inside. It was cold, clipped, and utterly devoid of the warmth that used to fill my small island home. ​I pushed the doors open. The office was an expanse of glass and steel, overlooking the sprawling chaos of Makati. Luke was seated behind a desk that looked like it cost more than my parents’ far

Chapter 9Hannah's POVThe air in Sarah’s condo was thick with the scent of hairspray and expensive perfume. It was a far cry from the salt-tinged breeze of the island. Sarah was a whirlwind of energy, darting between her vanity and the full-length mirror, her laughter echoing against the glass walls that overlooked the city. ​"Hannah, stop fidgeting! If you keep biting your lip, the lipstick won't stay, and we spent twenty minutes getting that shade of deep rose perfect," Sarah scolded, though her eyes were sparkling with excitement. ​I sat on the edge of her plush velvet stool, my hands cold. "I don't know if I can do this, Sarah. I feel like I’m wearing a costume. Back home, the fanciest thing I wore was a sundress for graduation. This... this feels like armor." ​"That’s because it is armor," Sarah said, turning me around to face the mirror. ​The emerald green silk flowed down my frame, catching the light in a way that made me look like I had brought a piece of the forest w