Chapter One

Life is unfair. Why do I have to live and then bear the cold treatment of my father, after?

I never felt my father loved me. He always acts cold towards me up until now.

Yes, he is providing all my needs and I am very thankful for that ,but that's not the only thing I needed. I also want his time and affection. And I don't know why it was so hard for him to give it to me.

He remarried again when I was ten years old. And I was even more excluded when my half-brother was born.

When I saw how he takes good care of my half-brother, that's where I started to think.

Why is that no matter how busy he is at work, he always finds time to bond with my half-brother? But when I was at that age where I also needed the attention, care, love, and affection of a parent, he refused to give it to me? Is it hard to love me?

"Daddy, we have a family day today. Can you come? Please? You, and mommy?" Brett blurted out while we were having our breakfast. He was my eleven years old half-brother.

"Sure baby, I can skip my work for you," Daddy replied, quickly. He smiled and messed the already fixed hair of my brother.

"Franco! Not his hair." My stepmother protested, but Daddy just laughs at her.

I let out a deep sigh while I am staring at them. They are a picture of a happy family. I felt like an outcast here.

I look away before I could even feel envious and decided to just focus on my food even though, I lost my appetite already.

"Dad, I have an OJT today. I might go home late." I informed him even though he wouldn't care.

I am taking up BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and I am in my last year now. I am having my on-the-job training at De Luca's Hotel and Suite. My best friend, Cassie offered me to do my OJT in their hotel which her parents immediately agreed.

"Okay," he answered dryly without looking at me. His attention was on the newspaper he was reading.

I sighed. When will the day he come to realize that he also has a daughter that needed his attention?

"Ellena, I placed your money on your study table." My stepmother called for my attention when I was about to leave the dining area.

"Thank you," I answered casually. She just nodded. Her face is void of any emotion.

My stepmother is not rude to me, but we are not close either. We just act and talk formally to each other if given a chance. Just like now.

I went straight to my room and took the money from my study table and put it in my wallet. I go straight to my bathroom and took a quick shower.

I wore a simple white t-shirt and pants because I decided to change into uniform in the hotel locker room. I let my black and straight hair loose because it was still wet.

They were no longer at the dining area when I passed by. Maybe, they went to my brother's school already.

I looked at my watch and I have one more hour left before my works start. I go out of our house and walked for a few minutes until I reached the highway. It was a good thing that a jeep passes by immediately and the traffic isn't heavy so the ride didn't take long.

When I get inside the hotel, the receptionist stressed face is what I first saw. She looks nervous while she is scanning the logbook. I wonder why?

"Alice," I called when I approached her. She is also one of the many students who are having an OJT here and I will be the one to replace her later.

"Ellena. Good thing you are here," she said and sigh a breath of relief.

"Why do you look stressed?" I asked confused. She exhaled deeply.

"The owner of this hotel is here. He is doing his rounds now," she replied, somewhat startled.

"And so what? Is there something to be worried of?"

Giovanni de Luca, Cassie's brother is the one who is managing their hotel right now. I haven't seen him yet because he went to Thailand to check their other chains of hotel there. I didn't know he arrived already.

"You should've seen him a while ago. He was very furious. A VIP guest wants a presidential suite, but the receptionist who was on duty yesterday mistakenly entered in the computer a wrong room number. Goodness, his employees were very scared with his sudden outburst. Good thing that the girl is not on duty today. She was surely be fired by now." she explained catching her breath.

"Breath Alice. You look pale already."

She breath deeply while fanning her face. She's being exaggerated. I chuckled softly.

Her brows met when she saw me laughing at her."Don't laugh at me. You will be the next to be scolded if you still won't change right now. You only have ten minutes left before your duty starts. Good luck, Ellena," she said mocking me. The corner of his lips even lifted up for a smirk.

I looked at my watch and my eyes widen, she's right. I leave her without saying goodbye and ran straight to the locker room. I quickly change into my white long sleeve and pencil-cut skirt three inches above the knee. Ponytailed my hair into a bun and immediately put on makeup on my face. It took me a while because I didn't know how to make up's. I am not used putting it on my face. After that struggling moment, I wore my three inches high heel and hurried out.

When I looked at my watch again, I had already exceeded ten minutes so, I walked faster than usual. I was about to turn left when I bumped into someone causing me to fall on the marbled floor.

"Ouch!" I winced and closed my eyes tightly.

A searing pain struck my back causing me not to move for a minute.

"Miss, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" A deep and baritone voice asked with a hint of panic in his tone.

I opened my eyes and a man with hazel eyes met my gaze. He was on his bended knee and offering me a hand, but I declined it. Instead, I stood up on my own and loose down my skirt that slided up.

He sighed when I didn't took his hand.

I glared at him. "Are you blind?" I asked almost shouting while pointing my finger at him.

A loud gasped echoed in the hallway and when I looked who it was, I saw three men in a black suit glaring at me, too. It must be his bodyguards because they look like one. Well, I don't care.

I raised my eyebrow and match their glare before I looked back at the man who bumped at me.

He was wearing a corporate suit and black leather shoes. In his left hand, I recognized the newly released Rolex gold-plated watch. I know because I love collecting magazines featuring expensive items.

He looks like a CEO in his outfit. I'm not surprised though most guests who come here are a big-time businessmen.

"Miss, don't talk to my boss like that." One of the bodyguards reprimanded me.

"And who are you to command me? Are you the one who got hurt?" I asked, sarcastically.

He was about to speak again,but the man in a corporate suit raised his hand signaling him to stop.

"Look miss, I'm sorry. I didn't saw you earlier. Let me take you to the clinic, please?" he offered with sincerity.

"No need." I refused.

I am not wounded. My butt only hurt, but it will soon fade away.

He reluctantly looks at me. He seems not convinced, but I don't care. This is my body, and I know if I am deeply wounded or not.

I did not give him a chance to speak again because I turned my back at him when I remembered that I still have a duty. I greeted my teeth because of frustrations. My supervisor must be very angry now.