{Volume 1: King Finds His Queen} Chapter 1: The Beginning

Sitting on the beach of my private island I gazed at the peace and serenity of the ocean. I must praise my husband for gifting me this beautiful island as a honeymoon gift. For the past five years we have used it as a family getaway during the holidays, I guess it unintentionally became our family tradition. The beach stretched out alongside the water. The sand is the gentlest hue of gold with just the right comforting warmth.

I love this beach. I love this island.

The entire trip is filled with nothing but love and laughter. During the day we bask in the sun and let our worries float away in the ocean. In the evening, we watch as the sun disappear, painting the sky in every shade of orange. My favorite though, of everything that is here upon the softly rolling dunes, is the beautiful tropical trees and plants that whispers so sweetly into the gusting breeze.

Then as the sunsets, the boys would barbecue while the kids play games and build sandcastles, and us girls would sit around the bonfire reminiscing about our past. Suffering from trauma. The lies. The deceit. Victimized by people we thought would love us to the bitter end. How is it that just a thought can bring long buried emotions and stir what was settled? I guess that's why people say leave the past in the past, to not riffle still water. But my mind couldn't help but to wonder back to eight years ago...where it all began.

Eight Years Prior

It is finally here. The moment of truth, the steppingstone to the real world. I should be ecstatic about finally reaching the finish line and given the golden medal of freedom, but it was bittersweet for me. Unlike 90% of my graduating class, I won't have family members sitting in the bleachers silently crying for my success, I won't have family members waiting for me after the ceremony with a bouquet of roses congratulating me on my accomplishment.

I lost my mother and older brother in car accident when I was eight years old. I had suffered from a trauma that caused me to have selective amnesia. The event was too dramatic for my little body to handle at the time.

We were heading back home from the grocery store when a drunk driver in a semitruck head on collide with ours. I was told that the impact from the truck flipped our car over ten times throwing me out in the process, that's how I was able to survive, but my mother and brother died on sight. I don't really remember much about the incident or much about my life before then.

Honestly, I have my doubts about the whole situation because there was no viewing of the bodies, a funeral, nor any indication that the accident ever happened. When my father told me about the incident, I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel sad or hurt or feel the need to grieve over their deaths.

At first, I thought there was something wrong with me, but then I did some research, in most trauma inducing cases like mines the patient would lose their memory but not the feeling. The feeling of missing something or longing for someone, like your heart is trying to trigger your brain to remember. I had those feelings just not towards the two people my father claimed to be my belated mother and brother.

Since I was eight until now, I've had the same reoccurring dream about a girl crying in a corner with a little boy with no face comforting her, then she was alone, blood was everywhere, the boy with no face was fighting to protect me, a woman with no face but soothing voice comes to me and tells me to run, gun shot, and then I wake up in a cold sweat.

Every time I looked at their photos my dad had around the house, I felt confused. Confused that I didn't feel anything. Confused that I looked nothing like them. Confused about who they were. Confused about who I am.

My doctor said it was my brains way of protecting my body and when I was ready to handle the reality, all my memories will come back to me like a flood. I guess even until this day I am still not mentally prepared to remember what happened that night.

As for my father, that's something I don't want to get into on my graduation day. It will be my mother and brother's death anniversary in a few weeks, soon you will understand why I loathed that man.

Even if I won't have my blood family by my side, at least I will have my best friends, my sisters, Alicia, Nina, Zoe, and Sandra, graduating alongside me. They watched and molded this broken girl into the woman I am today. When I was still learning how to put my trust in people, nevertheless they remained by my side. They have been with me through the good, bad, idiotic, fun, and womanly changes since grade school.

I also have eight self-proclaimed brothers; they are currently out of the country handling business and won't make it to the graduation ceremony. But they claimed they would make it up to me somehow.

Alicia walked into my room with her normal jolly self "Hey Livia babe, are you ready for our big day?" she asked while hugging my waist with the biggest smile on her face.

I placed my flatirons on the counter to hug her back "I have been ready sense sophomore year, but I am hella nervous about the ceremony."

"What is there to be nervous about, you will only be giving your ceremonial speech in front of one of the youngest top earning businessmen in the country, Apollo River." She teased.

The bold and confident Nina walked into my room "Apollo River. Even his name sounds powerful. He has the kind of face that stops you in your tracks. A 6'3 well-built sun kissed Adonis; he is the blueprint of what a man should look like and be." She said in a dreamy tone while sprawling on my bed.

Zoe plopped next to her "Careful Nina, if you keep fondling over Livia's man like that, she might just kill you, you know it is one of her many talents."

Sandra leaned against the door post with a smirk on her face "No let her continue I would gladly help Livia bury her unattractive body. Besides, it's not like the little spoiled hot head would be missed."

Nina glared at her slowing getting off the bed like a lioness stalking its prey "You have been provoking me all day, now you're dead."

Sandra dashed into the living room trying to avoid the raging Nina "See you just further proving my point of being a hot head."

I rolled my eyes watching them run around the apartment like a bat out of hell "Anyways back to the subject of Apollo River. One he is not my man and two I could care less about how handsome he is, how much he his worth, or what his bank account looks like. I admire him because he is something I could be. Powerful, influential, and respected on a global scale. I mean he came from a rich family but chose to make a name for himself."

Alicia playfully rolled her eyes at me "Of course, you would speak so highly of a man who is the CEO of your dream company."

I gently pushed her "Oh, please don't act like if you all weren't giving the opportunity you wouldn't take it."

"I never said that. Money speaks louder than words babe."

I shook my head laughing at her "I thought it was actions speak louder than words."

"Same difference." We burst out laughing at her craziness.

Who would believe this is the same girl graduating with a degree in Industrial Technology and a minor in Business Management?

"You're really confident, are you?" Zoe suddenly asked.

Alicia and I looked at her confused "What?"

Zoe elegantly sat on my bed and nonchalantly examined her nails "I mean you admire yourself so much."

Alicia gasped with wide eyes "Oh no, she is about to have one of her wise woman moments."

"Zip it child." She said sternly.

"Who says zip it child? How old even are you?" Alicia laughed out mockingly.

Zoe casually took off her designer slippers "You see this designer slipper? It's beautiful, isn't it? Well Alicia sweety if you don't want this beautiful slipper to meet the cushion of your cute butt, then you will zip it."

Alicia gulped knowing Zoe never gives empty threats. Zoe is the oldest out of us. She tends to take the role of the mother of the group; she keeps all of us in line and discipline us when needed. You never ever want to get on her bad side.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes I was saying you are confident to admire yourself so much."

"But I wasn't admiring myself."

"You were. Don't you see the qualities you admire about Mr. River are embedded within you. Though you don't come from a rich family, you are making something with the cards you were dealt."

"You don't have to flatter me." I always become flustered when I am complimented.

"I wasn't flattering you. You earned money on your own, got scholarships, and put yourself through school. I mean for goodness' sake you double majored in Industrial Technology and Computer science with a minor in Business. What kind of person would put themselves through that? The better question how many people could pull something like that off and succeed. You are the Summa Cum Laude of our class for peaks sake."

This is what Alicia meant by Zoe having her old wise woman moment. Since I've known her, she has always had a way with words.

"Alright, I get it I am equal to Mr. River, but unlike me he is well established."

Nina tsked at me "Do I need to remind you that you are the leader of our gang, even the notorious Mafia King of the Crimson Clan respects our dear leader of Ruby Tears. They even tried recruiting you on multiple occasions."

"Need I remind you that you and the girls are the underbosses of said gang and need I remind you it wasn't only me they were recruiting it was all of us." I retorted.

Sandra sighed being done with my antics "Nevertheless, even though you are not established in the way Mr. River is, you could be, and you will take the world by storm. People will speak your name in hushed tone and revel over your beauty. The girls and I would be right here supporting you."

"You are such a sweet talker, San." I said while gently pinching her cheeks.

"Ouch! Livia release my precious cheeks."

"Okay chipmunk." I released her cheeks and began smothering her face with kisses.

"Eww Livia, I know you love me, but this is too much. Get off me."

I gave her a flirtatious look "I wonder what your lips taste like." I said while slowly leaning in as if I was going to kiss her.

She shoved me away and quickly ran out the room "Bye, I need to get dressed."

"You are such a tease." Alicia placed her finger under my chin making me look at her in the eyes "But you know I would take your offer any day."

"I cannot deal with you two today." Zoe pinched Alicia's ear dragging her out of the room.

Nina followed behind them looking me up and down "It's too much female bonding for my taste."

I winked and blew her kiss "You know you want me."