Chapter 1

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP DOING THAT!" A loud shout from Hera has stopped him from bullying her classmate.

He just amazingly looked at her, and even all the students around them looked at her while the others tried to stop her because she knew they were just afraid of what she could get in Inigo's hand, but she was not scared.

"And who are you?" he arrogantly asked her while raising his eyebrow. All the students around them just watched them, and no one dared to intervene.

"Hera!" Elsie stopped her, even her friend feared what she might suffer upon encountering this guy.

"Stop that. I don't know what that guy did wrong to you, but you're still doing it wrong," her tone was emphatic and authoritative.

"And who do you think you are to interfere with what I'm doing?" it's a sarcastic tone, and the insult on his face was blatant.

"Hera, that's Inigo! Don't you know him? He is the son of the school's owner. We have nothing against him, so please stop that," Elsie whispered, trying to stop her again.

"YOU KNOW WHAT! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE THE SON OF THE OWNER OF SANFORD UNIVERSITY!" she shouted boldly. "You're doing something wrong, so they shouldn't let this happen. And it's not because you're the owner's son, you'll do everything you can to any person or students here!" She still bravely shouted at him, but instead of answering her, he just gave her a loud laugh.

"You know, I want your boldness. But let's see how far your courage will take you," he smiled at her and slowly stepped closer to where she was standing. Because of that, the other students who were watching them started to walk away far from Hera. Everyone was afraid to get close to this guy. Even her friend Elsie walked away from her out of fear.

He sighed as he violently pulled her into her arm. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? RELEASE ME!" she yelled at him, trying her best to get rid of his hands on her arms, but his grip was getting tighter when she tried to pull herself out against him. And she couldn't do anything to follow him.

"HERA!" Elsie worriedly called her name.

"Hera? So, that's your name," he said while continuing to walk. He took her to an abandoned building that was also inside the school.

Inigo forcefully leaned her against the dirty wall there. She did not expect that to happen, so she couldn't help to sit down and writhe in pain in her back. It made her difficult to breathe, but instead of worrying and having some sympathy for what she felt, he just smiled arrogantly.

"You know, Hera, you were not here if you did not intrude," he said, then stepped closer to her, and because her back was still sore, she couldn't move to avoid him.

He lifted her again when he got closed to her and leaned her against the dirty wall. He held her two hands with only one of his hands, so she could not move even more.

"INIGO!" she anxiously called his name because she was hurt by what he was doing, but instead of letting go of her, he hugged his other arms to her waist, which made her even more alarmed. She tried to push him away, but he pulled himself closer to her every time she did it. "WILL YOU PLEASE LET ME GO!" She could still say it boldly to his face.

"It's not my thing to hurt a woman," he said, slowly releasing her two hands, but his other arms were still wrapped around her waist.

She couldn't help to look into his eyes, and to her surprise, she couldn't see any threat in those big blue eyes, and there was something strange in his eyes that she couldn't explain. And those looks gave him a strange tremor in her heart. And she couldn't understand where that was coming from because he knew what she was feeling right now was not a sign of fear.

From that moment, she suddenly felt his gentle caress on her face, a caress that added more tremor of unease to her. And she was shocked and couldn't move when he suddenly came down to her face and gave her a tender kiss on her cheek. That kiss slowly went to her ears.

"Now, can you tell me how you feel?" Inigo whispered to her ears, and his husky voice suddenly gave her goosebumps. He looked into her eyes again, and her heart seemed to stop beating. "Say you like it too, Hera..." he almost pleaded.

He then got her left hand and gently touched it on his broad chest, and to her surprise, his heart was also beating fast. She still did not understand what was happening between them and why the atmosphere had changed.

"Inigo..." only his name came out of her mouth. And what more confused her was she could not understand why his touch and glare that full of warmth swept all her sanity.

And now, he started to cup her face and stared at her. And she knew she was stuck at that moment. What she only felt was the throbbing of his heart and what she only heard was her heartbeat. He then suddenly softly and gently kissed her. A kiss that full of warmth and sensation. Honestly, she couldn't resist that, which drove her crazy.

She then started slowly being carried away by his hot and passionate kiss when he suddenly stopped and seriously looked at her.

"From this day forward, your lips, your gaze, everything about you was mine. You are mine, and no one can touch you except for me," he said and looked at her ID. "Always remember that Hera Andrea Ortega," his words were also strong and authoritative, so she couldn't help to nod.

Then he let go of her from his hugs and left her dumbfounded. She couldn't help to touch the lips that he was just kissed. That was her first kiss!

I hated you for doing this to me, Drake Inigo Sanders.

~~~

"HERA, what dish do you want for dinner?" her Mom asked her. She was currently preparing their food for dinner.

"Anything will do, Ma, except pork," she replied. It's not that she doesn't eat port. She knew it was hard to digest pork, especially after dinner.

She was already twenty-one years old, so she should be independent for that age. However, since she was still studying, her mother wanted her to finish her studies before letting her live independently. She promised to do everything to finish her studies so she could retire and rest.

She loved her mother so much because her mother was all she had since his father left them when she was only eight years old for another woman. She was angry with her father. Ever since he left, her father was not even tried to call or visit her. And she had no idea where he was right now, and she didn't hear any news from him. Even though it hurt her inside, she knew that her father had forgotten entirely about her.

Her mother sat down in front of her. She is currently sitting on their living room floor while doing her homework. She only set a small table because their house was also small.

"How was your day at school today?" she asked her. Hera and her mother are used to talking about what is happening in their day.

"Nothing new, Ma. It's still the same," she replied as she continued what she was doing. Even though many bad things happened to her during the day, she did not want to tell her mother about it because she knew it would only worry her. "Eh, how about you, Ma? How was your day?"

"Well," she started, then settled down and smiled at her. "Do you remember the man I told you about last time?" She nodded softly in response, reminding her of the man she had met in the hospital. "We officially start dating today!" she couldn't help but smile because she could see the happiness register on her face. "But, Hera, is it okay with you?" she seemed hesitant so she asked her.

"Of course, Ma!" she smiled broadly at her mother, then came next to her and hugged her tightly. "You deserve to be happy, Ma. You dedicated your whole life to me, and I think it was time for you to give yourself time. So, if that makes you happy, I will support you."

"Thank you, Hera!" Her mother almost cried. "I also thank God for giving me you as my daughter," she said happily and hugged her tightly.

"But if that guy makes you cry. I will surely beat him hard!" she boldly said, so her mother laughed loudly. For so many years, that was the only time she saw her mother that happy.

"Anyway, he told me he has a son, and I think he's the same age as you, but I haven't seen him yet. We plan to meet you at a family dinner together, "she said as she slowly moved away from her.

"Sure, Ma. Just set the date, and I am so excited to meet my soon-to-be stepbrother and stepfather," she said while smiling at her.

"Okay," he replied cheerfully. "All right, finish your assignment. I'll finish what I'm cooking," she said, then got up and returned to the kitchen, which could also be seen from where she was sitting.

They had been living in that apartment since she was eight years old, and she was used to their life. It was a small apartment. Her mother bought it with the money from their sold last old house where they lived when they were still with her father, and also from that money, her mother was able to buy a second-hand car which she uses when going to work at the hospital.

She knew and was aware of all the hardships of her mother. For that reason, she became her inspiration. She also did her best to get into a prominent college university to get a full scholarship because that was her only way to help her mother.

She did not fail because she is currently in her fourth year and the last semester of her Bachelor of Arts and Communication course. Her biggest dream was to become a journalist. Although everything she went through was not easy, she was optimistic that she would be able to achieve her goals.

When she was done doing her homework, she got up from her seat on the floor and looked at her mother, who was in the kitchen and cooking. "Mom, I'll go into my room. Just call me when we are going to eat," she said before enter to her room.

"Okay," she replied.

Her room was only four steps from the living room because their house was not that big, and they only had two rooms.

When she entered the room, she walked toward her bed. It was her bed since she was eight years old, so frankly speaking, that bed was too old. She also has a small cabinet, small study table, and small bedside table. She had been using all of that since childhood.

She lay down on her bed and suddenly felt the pain in her back because of what Inigo had done to her. When she remembered everything, she quickly got up again and approached the mirror in her room. She slowly lifted the blouse she was wearing and saw the large bruise on her back.

She knew that was the cause of Inigo pushing her into the wall. She didn't like that person's behavior because he also had very high self-esteem. That guy knows that no matter what he does, the people around him cannot do anything.

It was her first time seeing that kind of commotion. And because he is one of the Sanders and the son of the school's owner, no one tried to stop him. But not her, because she could not bear to look at such people like him.

It is okay to despise other people because you have everything, and you can get everything.

"Hera, we're going to eat," her mother called, so she left the room instead of worrying about the man.

After they ate, she rested because she was still early the next day.