Chapter 1 Hacienda Mondragon

'I warned you Zav'

It completely slipped on her mind. Her self-willed decision was more than enough a reason. She disobeyed her mother's only advice. It was about her working abroad plan. It's not really wrong to go abroad and dreamed of a better life on one's own. That was just her mother thought. Indeed  against her plan from the start. Her mother's reasons were she's already a doctor, graduated and earns enough to live. And another reason she's an heiress. So why would she seek a life abroad. But she has her own perception in life. There were three compelling reasons why. First she really wanted to work at Italy. Second is to seek for the different path. To have a foreign destiny man. Start to create a new life and may have a family.

"Huuh!" a deep sigh escaped from her troubled mind.

She's not at Italy. And she certainly wasn't safe until she could get away from the place where she is. She was outside their house leaving for her flight. Someone step out of the car and forced her to get on board.

Is she really in a state where she needs to think precisely and fast?

She would have followed her mother. Mother knows best about everything. She would have never dreamed of going abroad. She could be on duty on those hours. At the hospital where she was just a year old resident doctor. It's four o'clock in the afternoon. At any moment the darkness has bitten. Who will she ask for a help?

Even if she will shout loud. She is sure no one could hear her.

Her voice would only get fade. That isn't the way she can definitely help herself out of the situation. She tried to convince herself that she's brave. But it no longer works.

Although fears reduced but the nervousness was still there. Her mood was weakening. If only the time could be restored. She would prefer to change her decision and thus not suffer from what is currently happening.

It's true that destiny doesn't seem to allow her.

'You should be quick thinker Zav or else you will lose the little chance to get safe' she whispered it to herself.

She needed to think of a way to escape away from the people who forced her to get in the car. And had took her to the unknown place where she didn't know where it is on earth. Fortunately she escaped. But she was certainly not yet sure of her safety.

"Look! All of you idiots. She's only one woman. How did she escaped from all of you. Idiots! You are all idiots!"

It was a demonic lady that she heard shouting to her men. Zav could imagine how that woman has her ears smoking with anger at how she got fled away.

"Senyora Silva, we haven't searched her all around," her disciples replied. They are rightly be called black disciples because they are good followers of evil commands.

Fortunately there was a dead tree there next to the boulder where she first hid. She squeezed into the hole of that dead tree. And fitted herself to hide. She didn't even know how to make it so hard for her to get out. Even so, she didn't want to disturb her own mind to think of that. As long as she can't think the way how to be get safe from the demonic lady and her goons. She was sitting on the edge of a boulder when she saw a vehicle running to her direction. It was still far from her. There was a part of her mind that was happy because she could now ask for a help. But what if the same vehicle was owned by Senyora Silva. It was up to her to stay as she sat on the boulder so that whoever was riding in the Land Rover Defender vehicle could see her coming.

"Miss why are you here in this place? It's awkward time." The man opened up the door then stepped out of his vehicle.

The man has a stature of six feet and handsome with tan skinned. Could be compared to the models on the Edsa's billboard. He look even more awesome with his both hands clasped on two side pockets of his pants while asking to her questions.

"I dont know how I got to this place," she answered.

"Is it like you are sleeping then you are walking without knowing where your feet has brought you. When you woke up you were already here."

Zaviah didn't have time to hit the seemingly teasing style talking to her. She would rather go straight to the point what she is needing.

"Can you help me get out of here? Zaviah didn't flinch anymore. She immediately asked the man for help.

"How can I make sure that the one I am helping is a good person."

"Do I look like I'm going to cause you a trouble? I may not yet be able to prove that I am a good person. For now, help me first."

Whether her words were true or not, the man was still ready to help her. She is a woman who could not be alone in the woods overnight. There can be something bad happen to her.

"Come on board now."

The man turned around after telling her to hop inside. What could be the easier decision she would choose. She had to trust the man she didn't know rather than be overtaken by darkness in that woods. Luckily, she was helped rather than being trampled by wild animals at night alone.

"May I also ask you where this place is? "

She asked the place she has been taken by those men who abducted her.

"Rancho Villaverde," the man answered right away.

Zaviah was shocked to what she hears. Rancho Villaverde was familiar. Although she wasn't sure if that was the place told by her mother.

"Is this in the town of San Fernando?"

She asked again the town name to confirm where was Hacienda Mondragon and Rancho Villaverde according to her mother the place was located.

"Wait. Why don't you seemed to know where you are?"

A question was also answered to her. She knew it was question to begin asking her some information. To ask her why she was, who she was and why she was there around.

"Zaviah .... Zaviah Mondragon is my full name."

The man was obviously surprised by her surename Mondragon too. Suddenly, the brakes were kicked and she fell to the front mirror of the vehicle.

"Why are you here in the territory of the Villaverdes?"

"What is so surprising? Is it because I'm a Mondragon?

In those moments Zaviah began to worry for herself. Is she even be safe from the person she sought for a help? She was asked why she's at Villaverde's territory. The man's question was so intense that she thought. Is she Shouldn't have stepped along that land. But there she was. She didn't like it either.

"It's a long story. Is someone like me wouldn't be safe to be with you because I'm a Mondragon. One thing a favor, just help me get back to Manila."

"Then you must be the only grand daughter of Don Rafael Mondragon."

The man was right to what he is asking. She's the only grand daughter of Don Raftael. She is the only heiress but she wasn't interested in the wealth of the old man once she was not recognized as a grand daughter. She knew her grandfather had changed but it was too late. The wound created to them with her mother will never heal.

"Grandma Trinidad is the only parent I know of my father."

She expresses her anger towards Don Rafael. There is nothing in her vocabulary to be a part of Hacienda Mondragon.

"Just go back to Manila. For your quiet life. You better leave this place."

The car stopped at a large arch. Zaviah looked outside. Hacienda Mondragon is large written above.

"Is that the mansion owned by Don Rafael."

She doesn't really seem to like as Don Rafael as his grandfather as she only mentions Don's name. She has no love for the eighty -seven -year -old wealthy man living in the mansion she overlooks.

"If you wanna change your mind. You can step down and go  young lady."

There was something she could not understand why she opened the door and slowly descended. And finally walked slowly away.

"Miguel Villaverde is my name." The man's voice speaking as the  window of his Land Rover Defender slowly rising up .

She was ashamed to think that she hadn't even asked the name of the person who had helped her. She looked like so ungrateful that she forget to say thank you.

'If he hadn't just said his name, I wouldn't have known him by name at all'  Zav whispered it to herself.

The Land Rover Defender started running as she slowly approached the gate of the mansion. She looked up and rolled her eyes. Old design from the time of the Spaniards. It was no longer a surprised because her great grandfathers were pure Spaniards according to what has his daddy told her when he was alive. She was eight years old when her dad died in the accident. They had a comfortable life when it was still alive with them.