1 PROLOGUE

Alitha's POV

"Alitha!" I can't stop running as long as I heard my nanny's voice.

"Come over here, Alitha!" Nanny Ursula is chasing me. She's also running like me inside our mansion. My sister, Eden, who is busy texting while laughing like crazy, glance at me. But she did not even say a word to me and just continue what she's doing.

My nanny wants me to meet my new tutor. But I don't like the idea of having a new one. I don't need a tutor for goodness sake. Because Alona already taught me a lot. I like her, my former tutor. She told me last week that she will stop tutoring me because she will get married. And I was sad because of that. She's been my tutor for four long years but because she found her true love, according to her, she needs to stop working. And that includes tutoring me.

I haven't seen my new tutor because I don't want to. I have told Daddy that but he still insisted. I am nine years old and I am not dull so why bother getting someone who will taught me anything.

My Daddy is a responsible senator in our country according to them, my family. When we were in our dining area, they kept on talking about that, politics, people, community, whatsoever. Topics that are not my interests. And will never be. That's boring and my head is always aching every time I heard my parents. I love them but when Daddy entered the politics, he had a lesser time for me. Teaching me, talking to me, and asking if something is bothering on me, etc. He forgot about that. He will just smile and hug me briefly if he sees me. Not minding if I am struggling on something. Everything changed.

Same as Mom. She's also busy with her business. She comes home late and seldom talk to me. She inherited her family's business, a production company. She's an only child that's why she doesn't have a choice but to continue run their business. She sacrificed us, her children. My eldest sister, Eden, I think she doesn't care. Doesn't care at all. She had her own world. Lot of friends, and boyfriend, Tom. Maybe that's why she's not lonely like me.

"Alitha!" I reached our garden and have no place to go to hide. The fountain won't accommodate me anymore just like before. My nanny Ursula, she's the one who takes care of me ever since. That's why I love her. But this time, all I want is to hide from her.

I stop running and wait for her to see me. Knowing her, she won't stop unless she will get me.

"Alitha!" I look at Nanny.

"Jesus! What are you doing?" She's panting when she comes closer. "I have been calling you!"

"Nana, you heard me! I don't want to meet her. I don't want another tutor. Shoo her away."

"Your Dad hired her. I have no say on that." Yeah. She's right.

"Tell her I'm not feeling well. Make her come back tomorrow. I will talk to Mommy later when she comes home."

"Aren't you going to see her now? I bet she's nice like Alona. She and Alona are friends. Maybe you will like her too." Nanny Ursula said as she wipe my sweat on my forehead. I smiled.

"Nice or not, I don't need her. Having a tutor feels like I'm a retarded or an ugly one. I will learn just by going to school and listening my teachers."

"Learning from school is different from learning at home. Your tutor will be focusing you, only you. Unlike in your school, you have a lot of competitors."

"Competitors?"

"Yeah." I lost my track on what my Nanny is saying. My attention converts by the cars who just arrived. Two black cars park on our parking lot. Just right beside our fountain. Maybe they're my Dad's visitor for the day. My eyes are waiting for them to got out of the cars. Three men got out from the car at the back. They are all in suit. Maybe my Dad's colleague.

Another two men got out from the car in front. They look younger than my father's age. All got a serious face while looking at our our. The two men from behind the car seriously look at the back of the car in front. Maybe they are waiting for someone to get out.

"Are you listening, Alitha?" My attention went back to Nanny when she tapped my shoulder.

"Who are they?" I ask her instead and motion my hand to the people who just arrived. Nanny Ursula look at them and furrowed her brows.

"I don't know. Your father's guests maybe." We are now looking at the men in black when suddenly the door of the car in front swung open. I saw a man in a gray suit step out. He was as my Daddy's age. Tall, lean and has an aristocratic face. But my eyes darted when someone step out of the other side. He is young but a tall one. A boy about my age or maybe older than me.

The boy got a stoic face. Wearing a white polo shirt and black pants made him look attractive. Not to mention his perfect thick brows paired with his deep set eyes. He is also oozing with aristocracy just like the man who is now beside him.

"Come on. Let's go. I will talk to your new tutor." Nanny is now facing me and hold my hand. She's gesturing me to follow her. I have strong feeling to look back and glance to that boy again. But Nanny is so persistent pulling me from her side. So I didn't got a chance to look at him again.

We use the back door to enter our house. But before we reached to the dining area, I went to Jen to ask what's for the dinner. Jen is our cook, a good cook in fact. I saw her making sandwiches and carbonara for snacks.

"Go, Nanny. Talk to her. I will eat first and meet her tomorrow." I didn't give Nanny Ursula a chance to talk. I take a seat and wait for Jen to give me my snacks.

"Okay." Nanny Ursula said and leave me in the kitchen.

Jen give me two sandwiches, carbonara and a glass of pineapple juice.

"Where did you two go?" She asks me. She's referring to me and Nanny. So I told her what happened and I even told her about Daddy's guests.

"Oh. Maybe I will prepare another set of sandwiches. How many are they?" I could see her panic yet excited face.

"Wait for Daddy's instruction first." I said before I took a bite.

"Okay. I am too excited preparing food. You know how I love cooking."

"Yeah, I do." She's already here before I was born. Mommy told me that she's her Nanny and her parents cook. So I was glad that she stayed that long in our family.

"I will bring this to Eden and ask your father if he needs me to get them snacks."

"Okay."

Few seconds and I am now alone in the kitchen. Nanny Ursula is my Nanny when I was a little. She's a good cook too. I like them both, actually.

When I finish my food, I got up and decided to go to my room. I will finish the book that I am reading. The new book from my favorite writer. When I reach the dining area, I heard a loud voices coming from Daddy's office. My Dad's office is just a few feet away from where I am standing.

"Who give you the right to come here in my house?! This is trespassing!"

I heard Daddy's voice. He's shouting and he's mad. I got nervous. I got curious so I decided to go to him. His office is on the right side of the house. I walk slowly and halted while hearing them talk.

"Stop meddling my business, Mr. Dominique! You just ruined my one billion deal!" A shaking voice from someone. Shaking because of anger. I could sense him.

"Your illegal business, Max! You will ruin a lot of young people because of that! Are you not ashamed of your own son hearing you?!" I suddenly felt afraid because of my father. Even his voice is also shaking because of anger. They are shouting because of anger. Is it the man I saw earlier? Or are they the people from the parking lot? My father is alone and I saw six men earlier. Seven if I count the young one.

What are they doing? What is happening? What if they will hurt my father? Because of some hilarious scenarios kept on pooping in my head, I walk faster. But suddenly stop when I saw three men outside my Dad's office. Abruptly feeling cold all over my body when I saw them looking at me. Their faces are serious and angry.

As much as I want to turn back, I couldn't. Thinking about my father talking alone with them make me think of bad scenarios. So I run not minding the angry stares of the three big men. When I reach my father's office, I expected them to stop me from going in. But I was swrong. They let me in, actually.

Inside, I saw Daddy standing his back at me. The two men are sitting, facing the door and not minding my presence. The man at my father's age is shouting and saying words I don't understand. His face is red while looking angry at my father. When he suddenly got up, I gasp. Afraid of what he will do next.

I was about to call my father when my eyes darted to the young one who is now looking at me. His stoic face earlier became bored and ballistic. He furrowed his brows upon seeing me. And I felt my feet glued on the floor upon seeing him. His deep set eyes are scanning me from head to foot. I got conscious by his stare. Why? Because I am only wearing my Winnie-the-Pooh t-shirt and hello kitty short shorts.

I suddenly forgot my intention why I came here. Because of his stare, I now can't hear the conversation of the two olds. But when I saw him smirked, i felt like my face heat up. His rudeness covered my attraction to him.

Wait.. what?

Attraction?

No! I'm not attracted to him! Why should I?!

This rude, skinny, ugly duckling young man! Why would I be attracted to him? He's not my type!

I sneered in front of him. And maybe he did not expect that I will do that.

"This will be my last warning, Dominique! Stop minding what's not yours!"

"When you started doing that, Max, I already considered that mine! My business! I think you forgot who I really am. Should I remind you again?"

Their arguments feel like a bug that suddenly echoed in my ears. An awful sound that I unexpectedly heard.

"No need! But this I promise you, Mr. Senator, the next time we see each other, I will see to it, you will know me better then."

That's all. The man in gray suit started walking toward me. He looked at me but it was just a sudden stare. He's in a hurry to leave our place. The other man in black followed him. Lastly, the rude young man followed. But when he walked toward me, he's eyes also not leaving mine.

I keep on looking at him as he is at me. There's this feeling I couldn't name. The urge to look what's in him.

"Ali?" I didn't realized Dad was already beside me. His hand on my shoulder pulling me away from the young one. When I couldn't see him anymore, I look up at my father. But I noticed his hand is shaking above my shoulder. "Ali? Are you okay?"

"Who are they, Dad?" My father's face are all red. He's angry while looking at the open door. It's as if he's still seeing the men he's talking to.

"They're nobody, Ali. Don't mind them. Are you okay?"

"But you were shouting. What was that?" I couldn't stay at ease knowing and hearing what just happened.

"I said nothing!" I flinched when his voice was raised. But not long enough he realized something. He held both my shoulders and pull me to face him.

"I-I'm okay."

"Listen, Ali, you didn't heard anything. You didn't saw anything. Don't tell this to your Mom. Understand?" My father's eyes are something heart shattering. He looks frightened yet assuring. Assuring me that everything is fine. That we are safe and he won't let anything bad will happen to us.

"Ali, promise me." He tightly gripped on my shoulder. "Promise me you won't say anything to your Mom."

"Why, Dad?"

"I don't want her to think anything. I don't want her to be in fear. She already got a big responsibility. So, let's not give her another thing she could think of. Okay?"

Despite from their busy schedule, I found out that they still love and care for each other. Daddy is thinking about Mommy. And I know that Mommy is thinking about Daddy too. She will get hysterical once she find out about what happened right now.

"Okay, Dad. I will not tell her." He nod and he hug me after.

All my sulking and grouching are gone. For my parents not having time with me, for them not talking to me or asking about me every day, for not allowing and considering every decision I made that they think are not good enough for me are now washed away. They're gone just by witnessing what happened earlier. Because I found out that my parents love us still despite their busyness in their career. That they are only doing that also for our sake.

However, the face of the young one keep on flashing in my head. His stare is like a light not leaving my head under the sunlight. I keep on seeing him in every part of the office.

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