CHAPTER 1: The Phone Call

["I know you're living your best life in Spain, Miss Adriana, but you need to come back to the Philippines."]

Adriana Ferrer frowned as she pressed the phone against her ear.

She had just stepped out of the shower and was standing in front of the bathroom mirror inside her luxurious villa in Madrid when the call came.

The number was unfamiliar.

She stared at the screen for several seconds, debating whether to answer it. She hated unknown callers, especially at such an ungodly hour. Nothing irritated her more than having her peace disturbed.

But whoever it was refused to give up.

With an annoyed sigh, she finally answered.

"Who is this?" she asked coldly.

Silence lingered on the other end before a familiar voice finally spoke.

"Enzo?" Her brows furrowed as she recognized it.

It was Lorenzo Reyes, her father's most trusted man.

["Miss Adriana... I'm glad you still remember me. I've been trying to reach you for hours, but you weren't answering your phone."]

"What did you expect?" Adriana snapped. "Have you seen the time? Aren’t you aware that it’s already late in the evening here? What do you want?"

Of all people, Enzo was the last person she expected to hear from. Especially in the middle of the night. Adriana had never liked him. Her father trusted Enzo more than anyone—even more than his own daughter and Adriana had never hidden how much that bothered her.

["Miss Adriana..."]

She swallowed. Something about his voice felt different.

Heavy.

Uncertain.

Almost...

Afraid.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

"What happened?" she asked, gripping her phone tighter.

When no answer came, her irritation flared.

"What the hell is wrong with you? If you're not going to say anything, then stop wasting my time. You and my father can—"

She was about to end the call when Enzo finally spoke.

["You need to come home."]

Adriana rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? Is that why you've been blowing up my phone?"

["Miss Adriana—"]

"If this is another one of my father's pathetic attempts to drag me back into the Ferrer Group, tell him to stop."

She walked out of the bathroom and went into her bedroom.

"I've already told him I have no interest in running his company."

There was another long silence.

When Enzo finally spoke again, his voice sounded even heavier than before.

["I'm not calling because of the company, Miss Adriana... I don't know how to tell you this."]

A chill ran down Adriana's spine. "What are you talking about?"

["I'm sorry, Miss Adriana... Your father is dead. Whether you like it or not... you need to come back to the Philippines. Your father needs you."]

Everything around Adriana went silent.

The only thing she could hear was the violent pounding of her own heartbeat.

She stumbled backward until she found her swivel chair and collapsed onto it.

"No..."

Her voice trembled.

"Stop messing with me, Lorenzo."

She switched to Spanish without realizing it.

"No es un buen chiste. (That's not a funny joke.) Eres un mentiroso. (You're a liar.)”

["I can’t understand what you’re saying, but I'm telling you the truth. Why would I lie about something like this?"]

"No." She shook her head repeatedly. "That's impossible. I talked to him just two days ago. He was perfectly fine. He even scolded me for wasting my life here in Spain instead of helping with the company. He compared me to you... like he always does."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"So no... I don't believe you.

"My father isn't dead, so please put him on the phone. I want to talk to him."

Enzo's answer shattered the last thread of hope she was desperately holding onto.

["I'm sorry... but you can't. Don Alejandro is gone. He was found dead this morning."]

Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"No..." She tightened her grip on the phone. You're lying. Dad isn't dead. He can't be..."

["I'm sorry—"]

"Stop it!" Her voice cracked. "Stop playing with me!"

["Miss Adriana—"]

"STOP IT!"

For the first time in years, Adriana felt genuine fear. Not the fear of making a mistake. Not the fear of failing an exam. This was different. This was the kind of fear that made it feel as though the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.

Her vision blurred with tears.

"No..." She shook her head over and over. "No... no... no..."

She kept denying the news, desperately hoping reality would somehow change. But no matter how many times she refused to believe it… the truth remained.

Her father was gone.

---

Three hours later...

"Please drink some water, Señorita. You've been crying for hours."

Yaya Jona gently placed a glass of water on the coffee table before sitting beside Adriana.

She had served the Ferrer family for years and had been personally entrusted by Don Alejandro to look after his only daughter.

She was also the only person patient enough to put up with Adriana's difficult personality.

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that, Señorita." Yaya Jona sighed. "Your father asked me to take care of you. As long as I live, I'll keep that promise." She hesitated before softly adding, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Adriana didn't answer.

She simply stared at an old framed photograph of herself and her father resting inside an antique glass cabinet.

"It's heartbreaking," Yaya Jona whispered. "You didn't even get to spend his final moments with him."

Adriana shot her a sharp look before grabbing her phone from the coffee table.

"I still can't believe he's gone..."

With trembling fingers, she dialed her father's number.

It rang three times, but got no answer. Each unanswered ring felt like another knife twisting inside her chest.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated.

A message from Enzo appeared on the screen.

Expecting flight details or funeral arrangements, she opened it immediately.

Suddenly, her expression changed.

"Señorita?" Yaya Jona's face filled with concern.

"What's wrong? Who sent that message? Did something happen? Is there another problem in the Philippines?"

Adriana swallowed hard. "It's Enzo..."

She lowered the phone.

"He said... There's something my father should have told me years ago. He thinks Dad kept a secret from me."

"What kind of secret?"

Before Adriana could answer, her phone vibrated again. She opened the new message. Her face turned pale.

["Your father's death was not an accident."]