Chapter 1

"Is everyone ready?" Tracy Alcantara happily asked her staff at her restaurant Zenai's Diner. She has three waiters, three cooks, and a cashier. She also helps to cook, especially on their specialty menus. Her business is small, but there is a big growth.

"We are ready, Ma'am," one of his waiters, Rigor, replied gracefully. Like her other staff, he also wears a collared T-shirt with the restaurant's logo. Her other employees nodded.

She smiled sweetly at them. "Thank you for your cooperation; expect to be busy today. Let's expect and hope that many customers will flock to us later. So, do our best, and I guarantee you will have overtime pay.”

On that day, many people flocked to the town of Sta. Maria. Many tourists from other parts of the country are arriving one by one. There were also some foreigners present. The town is famous for the Niyogan and Anihan Festival. Coconut is one of the main products that provide livelihood to the residents. The band started to march and play music around the whole town. A happy and lively festival noise is taking place. Everyone is busy, especially the restaurant businesses.

"I am motivated in my work as a cook," said a cook, Myrna. She already knows the girl when it comes to kitchen prowess. Next to it is a male cook called Menard. He is new to her restaurant, and she's assisting him with cooking, especially the best-selling menu.

They had a meeting for a few minutes to ensure it was ready. She ensured they had an adequate supply of cooking ingredients and backup. Tracy's Diner has been in business for two years, and it can be said that she has mastered being a restaurateur.

She was a working student before; she completed HRM at a state university in her hometown. That restaurant was originally owned by her former boss Mrs. Zenaida Galvez. She became her assistant here when she was still alive. After one year of her service here, she sent her to college. Ultimately, her boss decided to build a restaurant, and she was hired to manage it. But Zenaida fell ill with a serious illness, and it was the cause of her death. In the last will, she inherits the restaurant’s management to her. There was no objection from the former boss' family because of the skill and honesty she showed in her work. At the age of twenty-six, she was a businesswoman.

At that time, Zenai's Diner was fully open. Her staff immediately went to their jobs. She positioned herself to be part of the accommodation for incoming customers. A job she was used to. She wanted to greet and welcome the diners at her restaurant personally.

 Ten minutes later, customers began to enter Tracy's Diner until the capacity was filled. They become busy with their respective jobs. Later she will help in the kitchen.

She is happy again because of the continuous coming of customers. She also gave promotional flyers to invite them to eat at Zenai and sell their other menu. There will also be discounts and a free menu once the minimum order is acquired.

 "Hi, good morning Ma'am; welcome to Zenai's Diner," she kindly greeted the two elderly women who had just entered the restaurant. The smile on her lips was so sweet for them. One nodded at her, but then she stared at her face. She wondered and felt a shock. "Yes, Ma’am, is there a problem?"

One of the women immediately recovered from the shock but kept staring at her. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I can say that you are very beautiful, and you look like an actress."

"You are a look-alike of a famous artist of our time. I'm wondering if she's your mother,” the second one said.

She laughed softly at what the two old older women said. She was flattered because she looked like an actress back in the day. She is a woman who is not very aware or meticulous about her looks. As long as she puts on a little make-up, she is contented. "Thank you, Ma’am, for appreciating my face. But I assure you that my mother is not an actress."

"Oh, we are sorry. The actress who looks like you were our idol when we were young, and it's a mystery because she suddenly disappeared from showbiz then,” said the first old woman again.

“But don't worry Miss, we will eat, and it looks like your food here is delicious,” said the second one happily.

 Because of the pleasure of two older women, she delivers them to an empty table. She also handed them the menu book. She had one of the waiters assist them.

When she returned to the restaurant door, she suddenly thought about what the two older women said. Who could be a late actress who looks like her and referring by them? She was shy to ask the two adults.

 She just shrugged. Naturally, every person in this world has a resemblance. But there is still curiosity in her about her looked like. And once again, she was jealous of a family that had just entered, especially a daughter with them.

There was a mixture of excitement in Fien's chest when the car he was driving entered the wide yard of his family's mansion in Amante. He was separated from his hometown and family for two years. He fought the sadness caused by leaving the former company he worked for in Manila. After a few moments, he could see the four-story big house - the mansion of the Montagne. When the car he was driving stopped on the porch, he immediately saw the people waiting for his arrival. They looked excited while looking at his car.

When he exited his car, their servers immediately met him to take his luggage. He asked a family driver to park his car.

"Welcome home again, my dear son," his mother, Mrs. Margaux Montagne, approached him sweetly. Even at home, she is always in a good posture. She hugged him tightly. He also hugged her back. Next came a man with old age but still a strong body. His father Mr. Fiel Montagne. "Thank you, son, and you did not disappoint me this time for my favour to you.” With also had a wide smile on his lips, like his mother.

"Thank you very much, Mom and Dad, for welcoming me again. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," he said meaningfully to his parents as he looked at them.

His mother smiled at him while his father patted him on the shoulder. "And I am thankful, hijo, that you accepted the responsibility as a Montagne."

 "I miss you, hon." A slender woman approached him with a hug. She looked so good wearing a dress like a model. She immediately loosened from his body.

He smiled dryly. "Wow, Viena, you waited for me to come here."

 "Of course, hon, I'm excited to be with you, my future husband." She turned to him. "I want to be with you because I'm about to leave the Philippines." Viena is a ramp model and often works abroad. She promised to leave her job if they were married and said she was ready to be a housewife. She is the daughter of a close friend of their family, and they arranged to marry each other.

 "Much better than we can go inside the house to eat, especially you, son," said his mother, Margaux. "Take note; it was Vienna who cooked the dishes tonight."

Viena pretended to be shy, but her pride could be seen in the twinkle in her eyes. "Aunt, you know I love cooking food for Fien.”

Her mother laughed softly. He only smiled.

 "See Fien?" His dad patted him on the shoulder again. "Just now, Viena is proving she is ready to serve you." The two women giggled at the Montagne patriarch. Then Margaux invited everyone again to enter the family mansion. Fien knew that when he entered their luxurious home, he accepted the life his parents had set him up for. He will do everything he can not to disappoint his Daddy again.

Tracy was very tired as she sat in an empty seat on the bus she rode that night. She is coming back to Sta. Maria.  She picked up the large bag that was at her feet. She had to go to the neighbouring town of Amante to buy ingredients for the specialty foods offered by Zenai's Diner. She sat next to the window.

She first sent a message to the group chat of her staff at the restaurant to say that she was going back there. Her travel will take about thirty minutes before reaching her hometown.

She felt the bus stop to get off and pick up a passenger. Until she felt someone sit in the vacant seat next to her. She heard the wheezing of the seat as a new passenger boarded.

Suddenly her nose smelled a very fragrant scent of a male perfume. It was undeniable that it was coming from the passenger next to her. He grabbed her attention. "Who is he? He smells so good," she said to herself with compliments.  From the corner of her eyes, she secretly stares at the person next to her. His smooth and white skin is prominent.

She felt a big attraction to him. When she felt that he moved and seemed to look at her side, she quickly removed her attention from him. She focused his eyes on watching a movie on the player on the bus. Only then did she notice that the show was a family drama? Maybe the conductor couldn't think of playing a movie anymore, so it was shown.

 However, her attention was aroused by the movie she was watching. She was related to the scene where the girl begging for her parent’s appreciation. She has done everything to be accepted by her father and mother. She seemed to see herself in such a scene.

And she didn't realize that she was crying. She kept sniffing her hands because she could not find anything that could wipe her tears. She was too carried away by what she was watching.

"Take it,” said a baritone voice of a man who was the passenger next to her. And he handed her a white handkerchief—an unexpected gesture from a stranger.