Chapter 2: Chapter 1

Tracy...

DESPITE my inner reservations, I went ahead with it.

What do I have anyway, apart from my family? My parents are already gone, so the Cysco's are the only family I can consider close.

My father was a policeman, and his name was Oscario Martinez. My mother was Anastacia Cysco, the kind of wealthy woman who fell for an ordinary man like my father. It's almost like a story from a novel, isn't it? But unlike other novel tales, their relationship didn't turn out as beautiful.

According to my father, my mother wasn't accustomed to the kind of life she had to live with him. So one day, my mother returned to the Cysco's, choosing to take me with her, but my father didn't agree. My mother was wealthy, but my father managed to sneak me away to a distant province. From then on, we kept moving to different places.

I can't say my father was a bad parent, but I know he fell short. As I grew up, I longed for the care of a mother, and one day, I woke up realizing I could never feel that again. They told me my mother died in an accident, and when we found out, it devastated my father. I saw how he suffered from his anger towards my mother, and at that moment, I forgave him. I knew he didn't want what happened to my mother, either.

Every day, I saw the sadness in my father's eyes, and that's when he decided he shouldn't be selfish any more. I wondered why bother? It's too late, my mother was gone, but now I know. He knew he was also leaving, and he didn't want me to be alone.

So here I am now, needing to prove myself to a family I'm not sure will accept me. They blame my father for what happened to my mother, and I feel uncomfortable because I know they resent him and I know what they think of me, too. They know I share my father's blood, and I was raised by him, so they don't trust me completely. It's hard to fit in with them; it's filled with tension and anxiety, but where else can I go?

I'm not done with college yet, and I've just turned eighteen, so it's not a wise decision to live my life independently because I can't handle it, and they might think I'm too proud. So, I'm doing what they tell me to do. Before my father died, I was already putting myself through college by working part-time jobs.

Being a working student is tough because sometimes I have to battle exhaustion, but I endured it for my future. My father's income was just enough for our daily needs until he passed away, and I stopped studying.

I remember Lola Trinidad, the day she picked me up after my father's funeral. Maybe that's also why I feel awkward around them; Before I started college, they talked to me and offered help, which I refused. They told me to join them, but I chose my father instead. I felt like I hurt them, but I couldn't leave my father behind for a more luxurious life. They wanted that for me because they were angry at my father, and I guess they thought I'd forget him and cut off communication with him.

I've only been with the Cysco's for a month, and I still feel very uneasy. I'm in the process of changing my last name, even though I don't want to do it, but I think it's best to satisfy their pride. They want Trinity Anastacia Cysco, not Martinez. My name follows that of my Lola and my Mama, and sometimes I feel like they're bringing my mother back to life when they call me Ana because that was my mother's nickname. That's also something I need to change; I should call her Mom or Mama when referring to my mother. They don't like the sound of "Nanay," and they don't want me to mention any stories about my father, so I usually stay quiet.

Tracy Martinez. I smiled as I read the name on my résumé. This is my real name, Tracy.

"Ms. Martinez?" I turned to the person who called me. "You're next."

I nodded and entered the room where the woman who had called me earlier led me. "Name?" a man – wait, a woman? She looks too beautiful for a man – asked.

"Miss, your name?" She raised an eyebrow at me, and I found myself still studying her appearance. Is she really the one conducting the interview? If so, now I understand why the women who came out earlier were so excited, even though they said they weren't accepted. "Are you applying, or are you an artist planning to sketch every detail of my face?"

"Huh?" I stuttered in response. She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Give me your résumé," she said, and quickly glanced at what I handed over. "Hmm, Tracy Martinez," she read what was on it and gave me a meaningful smile. "You're hired."

"Huh?" That fast? She didn't even ask me anything except my name.

"I can see you have a good record, and you've worked at Cysco Corporation. They're actually our rival company, but I know you can help us, right?" She smiled and stared at me with a look I couldn't decipher.

"Neon!" I turned to look behind me. "You're crazy, that's the HR's job, and now you're hiring her!"

"Ivan?" the person I talked to earlier exclaimed. They look almost the same, but Ivan has slightly stronger eyebrows. It was only then that I realized they were the twins, Ivan and Neon Simonne. Ivan grabbed his brother, but before that, he spoke. "Guess what? Gael already has a secretary!" He chuckled as he spoke.

The guy he called Ivan looked at me and then looked back to Neon. "You're really such an idiot! Do you know that people here are working seriously, and you're causing trouble!"

"I already accepted her, you can't take that back!" he laughed again, and I saw his sibling give him a glare. "You're all just nonsense!" the other guy's nose was almost smoking, but Neon just kept grinning.

I saw a guy who looked like an angel with how he's face looked so soft and kind enter the room, none other than Gabriel Simonne. "What's going on here? What are you two doing here?" he gently scolded them both.

"This Neon is causing trouble again with the usual nonsense, hired a secretary for you. We don't even know if she was interviewed properly," the one speaking acted as if I wasn't there.

Gael looked at me. "I'm sorry, but would it be okay if I interviewed you myself?" I nodded.

He turned to the other two. "Both of you, you're underage for this."

"We're almost eighteen!" Neon protested.

"Almost eighteen is not eighteen," he pushed the two out of the door. "Behave yourselves, especially you, Neon!"

I'm a few months older than the twins. I don't know much about them because, as Marc said, I should focus on the three of them, so it's only now that I saw them. Marc mentioned that even though the Simonnes are famous, not many people recognize their faces because they've become more private due to the parents of the twin's tragic deaths. You can read about them in society magazines, but you'll only see pictures of their parents, Gabriel, and Jared Yael Simonne.

I know there's a five-year gap between me and Jared Simonne, and Gabriel Simonne and Caleb are the same age, around twenty. They're young, and just two years older than me, but because they carry those last names, they're higher up in society.

"Congratulations, Ms. Martinez," he extended his hand to me after the interview, and I couldn't help but smile secretly. "You'll need to stay at the Isla Simonne Hotel, you're aware of it, right?"

I nodded, as it was one of the things Marc had explained to me. "But don't worry; it's not like the bustling city of Makati. It's quieter there and a great place to work. Your job won't be too demanding, except when there are many tourists, as you know. Being my secretary comes with benefits and privileges, too, so I hope you do your job well."

"I will, Sir," I smiled.

"WE should celebrate, Ana," I turned to Marc, who was pouring champagne into two glasses and handed one to me. "I told you, you'd be accepted without much trouble, didn't I?"

I just nodded and smiled. "One more thing, Ana, we also need to clear your mother's name."

I lowered my head; I didn't want to hear or discuss this matter right now. But since he had brought it up, it was best to think about what to do next.

Marc was right. I wouldn't agree to this if I didn't have something to gain from it. But it was more than just money; and more than the approval of Cysco's.

"You know your mom is not capable of being a mistress. They twisted it all, making it seem like Aunt Ana was a mistress of Conrado Simonne," he took a sip of the champagne, and I saw the bitterness in his expression. "We know better, Ana. The Simmones play dirty, they'll do anything to cover up their family's dirty laundry. That's why I'm not surprised Ivan and Neon, the twins, got kidnapped back then, and their parents died. There are many who hold grudges against them. I know you're doing this for your mom, so I'm sure wherever she is now, she's proud of you."

I smiled at his words. He was right; this was what I had to do, to clear her name from the dirt they threw at her. Some said the rivalry between the Cyscos and Simmones started because the Cyscos provoked it, trying to match what the Simmones had. But they didn't know that there was more to it than that.

During the time when my mom was searching for me, she met Conrado Simonne. According to the stories that circulated, my mom seduced Conrado, which led to their affair and eventually to a car accident. But as their child, I didn't believe that's how it happened. My grandmother said that they really met each other. Conrado supposedly told my mom that he was separated from his wife and promised to help her find me. But my mom didn't really like Conrado romantically because she only saw him as a friend. However, as time went on, my mom would come home with bruises, and they found out from a letter she left before leaving and having the accident that she was raped by Conrado, who also threatened to harm us if she didn't comply. His family was wealthier, so my mom agreed to his demands.

I could understand why they hated the Simmones and my father because they believed they were the reasons they lost my mom. I couldn't bring myself to be angry at my father, but when it came to Conrado and what they made my mom out to be, I didn't know. So, maybe that's why I agreed to Marc's plans, even though I knew what I'm doing is wrong.

"Conrado has a child with his wife. I think if you can get close to that child, we might learn more. But for now, this position is suitable for you. Let's focus on the company. Once we've grown like them, or even more, we can challenge them."

He patted my shoulder. "This is a long process, Ana, but we'll find a way. We'll find the right moment for us."

I looked at a picture of Conrado's child.

"Eventually, our paths will cross and we will meet, Caleb Simonne."

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