CHAPTER ONE

A Lady with long curly waist length black hair, beautiful brown eyes, a perfect face and stunning figure descends the stairs in a black knee length dress. She hugs an elderly woman and joins her for breakfast.

"When are you leaving?"

"Today after breakfast. My private jet is all set."

"I hope you are successful in your aim."

"Hmm. Where's Ava?"

"School. She had to complete some last minute works."

Her phone rings and she answers it whiles drinking her juice.

"Yeah, I will be there in like four minutes."

She hangs up and quickly finishes her toast. Hugging the elderly woman, she bid farewell and leaves with the driver.

A gentleman enters the indoor gym to see his younger brother working out.

" Do you always have to work out? You already have a perfect body and to top it all up, girls are in love with your face. All that is left is for you to join the game."

"Good try Arnaldo but I don't even like the mention of the game and you know why."

"Diego....."

Diego shuts him up with a glare and wipes his face with a towel.

"Tell Mom that I'm not interested. I know you talk about the game with me only when mom asks you to."

"Yes mom asked me to talk to you. What's wrong in that? She just wants her children to be happy and continue to with what he started."

"It's pointless to talk to you Arnaldo. Just tell Mom, I'm not interested."

Diego walks out as Arnaldo sighs angrily at his stubbornness.

The lady massages her head as she alights the plane and sits in the car responsible for taking her to her mansion. Her phone rings and she lifts it up.

"Ava hi."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"You called and now you telling me that you don't want to talk with me? Why did you call then? To sing me a song?"

"I told you to wait for me but you didn't."

"Ava, I needed to leave. Just like how you left for school because it was needed of you, I left because it was needed."

"Okay fine. You never loose an argument anyway. So are you at San Rigoso?"

"Yes. It's beautiful with the trees and birds here."

"Can I come visit you during vacation?"

"Yes of course. I need to go now, bye."

She hangs up and asks the driver to stop. She alights from the car and nears a burnt down house.

"Everything is just like it was. I feel like all these is a dream but it isn't and you are all gone. I'm going to make them pay for everything they did to us."

She wipes the lone tear that escaped her eyes furiously and sits back in the car.

The driver stops after three minutes, telling her that they've arrived. She went straight into her room leaving the maids and guards to gape at her beauty.

Diego joins his parents and elder brother for lunch quietly.

"Diego, you want some salad?"

Emelia, his mom asks with a smile.

"I can serve myself mom and please stop acting innocent. I know what you told Arnaldo."

"You know I want both my sons to continue my reign."

"I don't want that. I want to be independent and make my own decisions. Can't you just do that for me?"

Emelia looks at Diego intensely, then shifted her gaze to her husband, Rahul. Rahul clears his throat gaining the attention of his sons and wife.

"The Mondragons are organizing a party and we were invited. I want us to convince many people as we can to join hands with us. Diego, there's no way I'm allowing you to escape this. You'll be coming with us and that's final."

Diego angrily leaves the table as Emelia smiles.

"We'll see how you escape this Diego, my son."

They laugh wickedly.

The lady walks down the stairs with her Bluetooth in her ear.

"But why do I have to attend the party mom? You know I hate these blood thirsty elites."

"I wouldn't have asked you to go if I was there with you. Please, just this once. I want you to gain the trust of the Mondragons."

"You say that all the time but okay. I'm used to this anyway."

She ends the call and sits on the couch. A maid places the coffee she asked for on the table and she takes a sip.

She has to end everything and for that she has to fight all her disgust and fear.

Diego meets a girl under an apple tree. She hugs him but she doesn't hug him back.

"How are you?"

"I'm good Diego and so is our baby."

"Why did you call me here?"

"Diego, when are you gonna introduce me to your parents? My baby bump is gonna show soon and people will start questioning my character."

"I'm going to do that soon Aiya but I need you to be patient."

"For how long?"

"I need to go"

Diego leaves as Aiya sighs , both not knowing they were being watched.

The lady enters a grand Hall in a blood red beautiful gown. She had on a simple diamond bracelet and high beautiful red heels. As she walked around, a man who she quickly recognized as Robert Mondragon approached her.

"I don't remember inviting you."

"You didn't. I'm here in place of my mother."

"And who's your mother?"

"Romina Aguas"

The whole hall goes silent.

"Y..... You a.....are Ivy Aguas"

Ivy smiled seeing how terrified this man was of her.

"Yes. I'm Ivy Aguas."

Robert forces a smile and walks away. The guests quickly avoid eye contact and she just smirked.

As she approached her reserved seat, a family approaches her. She looks at them sharply but they hardly flinched.

"How may I help you?"

"We're the Ardientes and we'd like to join hands with you."

Ivy scanned through them and her eyes settled on a handsome gentleman.

"May I know your names?"

"I'm Emelia, This is my husband Rahul and my son's, Arnaldo and Diego."

Emelia introduced her son's while pointing at them.

Diego, so that's his name. She glanced back at Emelia and saw Rahul taking in her form. She curses him in a mind.

"I'll think about it."

Ivy walks away.