Chapter One

"Mama!." Miesa Devane whined just as the end credits to her favorite cartoon rolled. "I'll be late for school if you don't hurry. It's Monday after all."

"Coming!". Her mother Elyon called. "Is it over?".

"Yes." She replied. "Unfortunately." She added as an afterthought.

Miesa blew out her breath and stared at the TV. Her favorite cartoon had ended and it was time to leave. They were going different routes and it wasn't easy because her mother didn't have a car. 

She was scared of driving for one reason or the other which was something that baffled Miesa but her mother had refused to tell her why so she'd no longer bothered asking.

She took the remote to turn off the TV when her all time favorite Mexican movie came on so she sat back, interested again but it was that time her dear mother decided it was time to leave. She always had the worst timing.

“Mimi..it’s time". Elyon said. She stopped short when she saw the movie. "What…are you watching?". She looked like she'd swallowed a bitter pill and maybe she had. Her five year old daughter was watching a movie meant for adults and even she as an adult didn't watch the movie. She knew she should've put in the code to restrict some channels from showing these kinds of traumatic things.

Fiona was a very interesting movie which was loved by everyone in the country and internationally but it was eighty percent rated eighteen so she didn't bother watching it all because of said daughter.

“Fiona." Miesa replied without looking at her mother.

Elyon snatched the remote from her and turned off the TV causing Miesa to groan in frustration. “You’re not supposed to watch that. It’s rated 18.” She scolded her.

“Meaning?.” Miesa frowned. "Speak english mom.”

Elyon rolled her eyes. “It’s for adults, not babies like you.” She stated. 

“So? I like it.” Miesa shrugged nonchalantly.

“No you don’t baby". Elyon shook her head.

“I’m six mom." Miesa said drily. "It’s not like I think about it every time.” She rolled her eyes heavenward. "It's just a movie I enjoy."

“How old are you again?”. Elyon arched a brow, slightly amused by her daughter's words. She was five but she talked like someone older than twenty. Elyon guessed that she probably took after her biological father. A man she'd never let her daughter know.

Miesa stared at her mother then shook her head. "Let’s go." She carried her bag and lunch box and left.

With everything turned off and the front door locked, they both walked down the driveway and got into the taxi waiting at the curb and the cab drove off.

Elyon relaxed and watched as the houses in the suburban area where they lived flew by and soon they were on their way to Miesa's school which was about a mile and half from Elyon's workplace but it was the way they traveled everyday and they were used to it. 

At least Elyon was okay with it but she couldn't vouch for her daughter who had a mind of her own. She didn't understand how it worked sometimes.

“By the way baby…you’re not six yet.” Elyon reminded her, smiling cheekily. "You're five."

Miesa lifted her chin up. “I’m counting down the days". Miesa said. "Too bad…daddy won’t be attending again". Her face fell. "I miss grandpa.”

“Me too baby". Elyon said. "A lot.”

Miesa was quiet for a while before she looked up at her mother. “Is my daddy really dead mom?”. She narrowed her eyes on her mother. "Or he's alive and you don't want me to know him."

“Um..yes of course baby, he's dead". Elyon said, lying through her teeth. "Died before you were born. Why are you asking again?”. She hated discussing anything concerning that matter and no matter how many times she hoped that her daughter would never bring it up, the girl did.

Miesa shrugged. “So why does Cesari Sandoval look a lot like me?”. She questioned innocently. "I've just been wondering." She looked down at her hands on her lap. "Not that I'm hoping it's him or anything."

Elyon sighed. “It's not him. Definitely not. What gave you that impression?".

"People talk." Miesa said.

"It’s as grandpa said…God created two people alike. I'm quite sure I have someone who looks like me in another part of the world. At least we found your aunt Evie's doppelganger once." She quietly hoped Miesa would buy it this time but as she said... the girl had a mysterious mind of her own. 

“Somehow I don’t believe that anymore." Miesa told her then gave a half shrug. "But if you say so.”

“Don’t think too much about it sweetheart." Elyon told her grateful Miesa was letting it drop so easily this time. "Remember you have a class debate today. You remember what you're supposed to say?".

“Yes.” Miesa muttered. "But just so you know…if I find out that you lied to me and I in fact have a dad..I’ll never forgive you mom.”

Cesari Islan Sandoval was considered the richest man in Meredor and was third richest in the world worth a lot of billions. He was referred to as a god but he was just a man with the midas touch. His empire was vast having started from scratch and he dealt in oil and gas, automobile, mining and owned a chain of hotels around the world, a shoe company called Suenos and of course Islan Sandoval foundation for the poor, homeless and disabled.

No one knew anything about the man and it was like he'd just burst onto the scene overnight overtaking all other businesses in the country.

Cesar used women like he used everything else he didn’t like but one of the women he’d slept with, one night many years ago had been different but he couldn’t remember her name even if his life depended on it and both of them had been drunk so there’d not been much talking between them. 

By the time he woke up the next morning,his Cinderella had disappeared without a trace.

Apart from being a billionaire playboy, he was also an actor and movie producer. He’d starred in so many films and was mostly a villain but the recent one he’d produced and directed himself, he was the good guy in love with the bad man’s daughter.

Cesari was every woman’s dream guy with black curly shoulder length hair, electric blue eyes and a face that any man would kill to have. He was just blessed like that. 

Cesar figured he must have slept with many women but not his feisty personal assistant Elyon Devane who always tried to put him in his place whenever he acted out of character with her but he’d taken her by surprise one time and he’d never forgotten that stolen kiss.

Elyon Devane was a twenty four years old single mom working at Sandoval Corporation as Cesar’s personal assistant. Elyon was a beautiful woman with brown eyes,brown hair and about 5ft 8 but she didn't think she was Cesari Sandoval's type at all. 

Not when he had gorgeous models fawning over him like moths to a flame. It really was absurd that it wasn't funny.