Chapter 6

 

YNA was bored out of her mind. She’d spent the entire day glued to her phone, just scrolling through the internet. When she finally stood up and glanced at her watch, it read three in the afternoon. Perfect timing, she thought. She decided to take a shower and head out for some shopping — way better than wandering off to a bar, which she’d sworn never to step foot in again.

 

She dressed casually in ripped jeans and a white off‑shoulder top, finishing the look with her favorite pair of Vans. Nothing fancy, since she didn’t plan to stay long at the mall anyway.

 

As she made her way downstairs, her father spotted her. “Where are you off to?” he asked. She braced herself — he’d probably get annoyed again seeing her go out. This was actually the first time she was leaving the house in a whole month, ever since that terrible incident at the bar.

 

She walked all the way to the front door, then turned back and gave him a soft smile. “Just going shopping, Dad. Don’t worry — bar hopping is the last thing on my mind right now.” With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

 

Jonathan let out a sigh and shook his head, trying his best to keep his frustration in check.

 

Yna started her car and drove toward the mall. Sundays had always been her favorite day to shop there — secretly hoping she might catch a glimpse of Janus, her ex‑boyfriend. The place belonged to his family, though she’d never run into him. For all she knew, he might already be living abroad.

 

Once she parked, she slipped on her sunglasses and stepped out. Head held high, she walked right into the entrance. Plenty of eyes turned to look at her, but she couldn’t care less.

 

She took the escalator up to the third floor — and even though it only had three levels, the mall itself was huge and spacious.

 

She was almost at the top when she saw a broad, familiar figure riding the escalator going down. She turned around so fast to get a better look that she completely forgot to watch her own feet. Her shoe nearly got caught, and she almost tripped and fell. Stupid me, she cursed silently. Not that it mattered — no one here even knew who she was.

 

She acted like nothing happened and walked straight to the newest stalls selling designer clothes. She picked out dresses she’d been wanting, then moved on to Gucci to treat herself to new bags and heels.

 

She rushed to pay for everything, her foot still throbbing from that near‑accident. Well, that’s what I get for being foolish, she told herself. Why did she have to stare again at someone who only reminded her of him?

 

Just as she was pulling out of the parking lot, another car almost scraped the side of hers. “Ugh! Is today really this unlucky?” she groaned in frustration. Everything seemed to go wrong — and to make it worse, the other driver didn’t even bother stopping to apologize. Fed up and irritated, she drove straight home.

 

She locked herself in her room the moment she arrived, letting all her annoyance out. She didn’t even feel like eating anymore; the whole day had turned into nothing but bad luck.

 

 

 

The next morning, Yna woke up with her stomach growling loudly. As she headed downstairs looking for food, a mouthwatering aroma drifted from the kitchen — her favorite dishes. She blinked in surprise when she saw her mother standing there cooking. She wasn’t dreaming.

 

She walked over with her hands on her hips, grinning playfully. “What’s the occasion, Mom? Why are you up so early making all this food?” she teased, already knowing her mother well enough to guess something was up.

 

Marie turned around smiling. “No special reason — I just felt like cooking. Besides, you barely ate anything last night.”

 

Yna just rolled her eyes. She knew this kindness meant only one thing: sooner or later, her mom would ask for a favor.

 

A few minutes later, Jonathan also wandered in, drawn by the delicious smell. “Wow, that smells amazing.”

 

“Of course, dear — I made it with all my love,” Marie replied sweetly.

 

“Ugh, so cheesy,” Yna muttered.

 

Her parents just laughed. She was probably just jealous — without a love life of her own these days, every little show of affection felt annoying to her. She sat down and waited for the meal.

 

“Dad, Mom, I know you two are planning something. And just so you know — I’m saying no right now,” she warned them.

 

Marie ignored her comment and continued serving, while Jonathan pretended not to hear.

 

“Let’s not talk about serious things yet. Let’s just eat first, okay?” her mother said gently.

 

Yna smirked. “Fine.”

 

“Let’s dig in — I’m starving,” Jonathan added.

 

Yna fell quiet. The food tasted as wonderful as it smelled, and she realized just how hungry she was. She ate peacefully, without another word.

 

 

 

After breakfast, Jonathan asked her to join him in the library for a private talk. Their home library was large and cozy — Yna loved reading there, and she’d always dreamed of writing her own stories, even if she’d never really pursued it.

 

Her father had long wanted her to take up Business Management instead of Journalism. Though she already held a degree in the latter, she felt no spark or passion for running businesses at all.

 

Yna walked slowly toward the library, shoulders drooping. Jonathan was already waiting inside. She knocked softly.

 

“Come in.”

 

He sat comfortably in his swivel chair and gestured. “Take a seat — let’s talk.”

 

She sat down quickly, hoping to get it over with fast. “What is it, Dad? Does it really have to be this serious?”

 

“It does, and I’ll be honest with you. I want you to grow into a responsible, independent woman. So here it is: you’re going to work — in another company.”

 

Her eyes went wide in disbelief. She hated working even in their own family business; why on earth would she want to work somewhere else?

 

“No way. My answer is final.”

 

Jonathan rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath, holding back his rising temper. “Very well — but remember this: if you refuse, you will no longer be recognized as the heir to our family fortune.”

 

Yna stood up, shocked. “You’d really do that to me, Dad?”

 

“I absolutely will. Every privilege will be taken away — your bank accounts emptied, until you agree to my terms.”

 

She pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling tears well up. “How can you do this? I can’t live without money — no shopping, no going out, nothing. You know that!”

 

Jonathan gave a faint, knowing smile. “If that’s all you care about, then it’s time you learned to earn it yourself. You will work at Dela Merzcid Real Estate. That’s the only way to get back everything you have.”

 

“Please, Dad — not there, I don’t want to!” she begged, but he remained firm.

 

“This is not up for debate. Work hard to earn your own money, build your own future, and reclaim your inheritance. If you fail or refuse, you are free to leave this house — and I won’t stop you.”

 

Her voice trembled. “O… okay. I’ll work there — but only on one condition: don’t cut off all my credit cards.”

 

“If you’re working, you’ll receive a salary anyway. Why would you still need them?”

 

“I just can’t function without having some money on hand. Please — let me keep just one,” she pleaded again.

 

“Fine. One card, with a monthly limit of only 10,000 pesos. Take it or leave it.”

 

Yna stared, stunned. How would she survive on such a small amount when she was used to having everything she wanted?

 

“Deal. But I’m driving my own car to work every day.”

 

“Agreed. Now, sign this agreement.”

 

She realized too late that her father had already planned everything out perfectly. Deep inside, she wanted to tear the paper into pieces — it was clearly a trap set just to force her hand.

 

Jonathan smiled broadly. “Well done. You may go now — get yourself ready, because your first day is tomorrow.” He handed her a slip of paper with the company’s address and the name of the person she should report to.

 

Yna didn’t leave right away. She sat back, tears finally streaming down her face. Meanwhile, Jonathan walked out of the library feeling relieved — at last, he had found a way to push his daughter toward real change.