Prologue

"Your grace, someone calling you from the Philippines."

Napaangat ang tingin ko mula sa mga papeles at tinitigan ang nakayukong babae sa harapan ko. Mabilis kumunot ang noo ko sa narinig at tinanggal ang suot na salamin sabay sandal sa upuan. Kumurap-kurap akong iniisip ng mabuti kung tama ba ang narinig ko.

Someone calling me from the Philippines?

Tumaas ang sulok ng aking labi at tumawa ng mahina sabay ngiti kay Aria, my butler.

"What he said?" I asked her.

It's a miracle that he called me and alam kong may gusto itong sasabihin sakin o ipapagawa. Knowing that old hag, he won't call me without any reason. Ano kaya ang kailangan nito at sa loob ng sampung taon ay ngayon lang ito tumawag after I decided to cut my ties with his clan. I'm already an independent woman and I made my name in the business industry here in Europe. Sa loob ng sampung taon ay hindi ako humingi ng tulong sa kanila kahit isang piso lamang. I stand on my own feet. I used my voice and brain.

"He wants you to go back to the Philippines, your grace." mahinahon nitong balita sakin.

Di ko mapigilang itaas ang kaliwa kong kilay. Why? Why does he need my damn presence unexpectedly, hmmm? Aside from na hindi niya alam kung ano ang buhay ko ngayon dito sa Europe, ang alam lang nila ay nagtatrabaho ako dito para mabuhay. Minamaliit na niya ako- nila ako without knowing I am more powerful than them. Well, I have no plan to tell them what I am now mahirap na baka siraan pa ako. Insecure pa naman ang pamilyang yun. Napailing nalang ako sa naiisip at pinaikot ang swivel chair sa glass wall kung saan kita ko ang city.

"Really? Did he tell you the reason why I need to go back to the Philippines?" nakatalikod kong tanong sa kanya.

Staring at the city makes me calm dahil dito ko maramdam kung nasaan ako ngayon. Ang paghihirap ko upang makamit ang tuktok na ito at ang sarili kong titulo. I can't deny na hindi ako nahihirapan lalo na't nagsisimula pa lamang ako and I am not pure blood royalty. Sobrang hirap especially since I am new to this kind of status in life pero heto ako ngayon, nakatayo at matapang.

"No reason, your grace." sagot niya.

Suminyas ako na pwede na siyang umalis. Matapos kong marinig ang pagbukas-sara ng pinto ay napangiti ako. How about I'll visit them without telling them about my arrival? Tutal they want me to go back home.

HOME. My ass. That place is not my home. I will never call that damn place my home. Paano ko yun matatawag na home kung ginawa nila akong alipin? Stupid.

"Well, let's see why he needs my presence," I whispered in the air.

***

"Don't forget to report me if something happens and update me on everything, Aria." habilin ko kay Aria kung saan ay nakayuko sa aking harapan habang nasa likuran nito ang iba pang tauhan ng aking Residence.

Ang araw na ito kung saan ay aalis ako papuntang Pilipinas. I'm still stuck with not knowing the reason why they need my presence. Alam kong may plano sila. Hindi naman nila ako papansinin kung wala diba? And almost 10 years of living far away from them, masasabi kong tahimik ang buhay ko. I can do what I want. I am free like a bird. Sa paglipas ng mga panahon, natuto akong tumayo ng mag-isa at nalaman ko kung sino ba talaga ako.

I understand now why God let me live in this cruel world and that is to know my worth. To know why I need to survive with those devils in disguise. Hindi madali pero I need to survive.

Huminga ako ng malalim at inilibot ang tingin sa paligid. Mula sa malaking mansion, two big fountains, and extensive gardens, hanggang sa mga tauhan ko na handang sumunod sa aking mga utos. I can't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for what I've built here in Europe. This is my kingdom, and I rule it with an iron will.

As I boarded the private jet that would take me back to the Philippines, I couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. Returning to a place I'd left behind, a place filled with memories of struggle and pain, was not something I had anticipated. But there was a curiosity burning inside me. What could be so important that they needed me now?

The flight was long, and I spent it lost in thought, reminiscing about my journey from a powerless girl to a formidable woman. I had learned to navigate the treacherous waters of high society, and I had become a force to be reckoned with in the business world. No one would dare underestimate me again.

As the plane touched down in the Philippines, I felt a mixture of emotions-dread, and anger, but also a strange sense of nostalgia. I had come a long way, and I was determined not to let anyone, especially my family, diminish my accomplishments.

With a firm resolve, I stepped off the plane and into the unknown, ready to face whatever awaited me in the land I once called home. But returning to the place I called home, I never knew that it would turn into a reckless and unpredictable journey, a journey that would challenge me in ways I had never imagined.

Because, I, Katharina Esmeralda Grimaldi, Duchess of Monaco, part of Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) found myself in an arranged marriage with a dangerously beautiful beast and cold-hearted billionaire, Rome Benjamin Azcárraga, CEO of Azcárraga Oceanic Shipping Lines Inc. One of the prominent and biggest shipping companies in Asia.