Past

Finn shoved the two suitcases on the settee and exclaimed, "I don't believe this, Victoria. Two millions for a teenager!"

Victoria was herself surprised, "But dad said it contained only a few hundreds... I guess he trusted me more than I imagine."

She wished she could have hugged him at that moment...if only he was there. She looked at Finn who seemed quite irritated, "Thank you, Mr Hyland."

He dryly responded, "It's okay. Are you going there?"

Why was he avoiding the word; funeral. She had accepted the truth. She would learn not to be afraid anymore.

"Yes, I'm going at the funeral with Mrs Hyland."

Rosabella placed a Fedora cap on her head, "I don't want anyone to see your face. Let's go."

Finn proposed, "I'll drive you."

Rosabella noticed how exhausted he was looking and said, "No. We'll be fine. You should rest, Finn."

Victoria sat in front, next to Rosabella as she started the car. Rosabella asked, "Victoria...don't you think the police will be of a better help?" Victoria was looking outside the glass window. The images were moving at a slow pace because they were driving at a very slow speed. She effortlessly understood that Rosabella wanted to talk to her.

"The police would have been a help only if they had evidence against Robertz Hills. And I appreciate the help of Mr Hyland but I fear that he might lose his job or even his life because of Robertz. Now that my father is gone, he will be more powerful because he will take his place."

"You are imagining things. A business won't pass to someone else just like that."

Victoria whispered which was unheard to Rosabella, "You don't know him."

The car came to a halt only after a long twenty minutes. Victoria slowly got down. Many people were dressed in black and she knew why. They were surrounding three graves in the cemetery and she knew why. Her tears began to forcefully fall and that also, she knew why. The bodies of her parents were already buried. Robertz has organised everything really fast as if he already knew what would have happened. There were many people around them and she was not seeing anything but hearing what the priest was saying was enough.

"We are here today to show our love and support to the Miller family who has been there for us in our difficult times. May the Lord bless their soul."

People would approach the graves and place some flowers and leave instantly after. Victoria wanted it to be a rainy and cloudy day. It had to be a sad day but the sun was shining brightly in the sky. She barely heard several people comforting Robertz Hills who was only a few metres away from her. When everyone had left a good while later, she then neared the tombs on which were written Andrew and Emily Miller.

She knelt in front of them, joined her hands and whispered as tears felt on the fresh glass, "I love you mom, dad. I will always. Please give me strength and keep an eye on me. Please be with me forever. I need your love and your support. I will always love you."

She sobbed as she recalled the moments they have passed together. If Rosabella had not come to raise her up, she would have continued to cry. The woman who was no more a stranger to her said with a sad smile, "Your parents were good people, Victoria. Don't worry. The Lord will look after them. We should go now before someone sees you."

As the driver opened his door, Robertz Hills got inside. He wiped his crocodile tears in his white handkerchief and smiled as he said to himself, "Enough of crying now. It's time to do some business. This immense empire will soon be mine." He had always despised his friend. They had attended the same university, got the same teachers, followed the same training and yet, Andrew got all the opportunities. He was somehow or the other always one step ahead from him and despite working really hard, he could not reach his level.

He evaluated every decisions carefully and came only second to Andrew while the latter could easily take every chances without even trying. Jealousy became stronger when Andrew became CEO and he was left with the post of his financial consultant. His priority had become to ruin his life and for that, he had proceeded with several ways. Before him, he was his best friend but behind his back, he was his enemy. He had sold secret information to his business rivals but Andrew had such a sharp mind that he could turn the strategies in his benefits to the detriment of others.

Everyone knew Andrew but no one knew him. He had even tried to break his family but his wife loved him to such an extent that no one could separate them. He was jealous of his friend's happiness and the only way he could calm himself had been through his death. He had to do that for his peace of mind and for the future of his descendants. His family name would continue while the Miller had halted, completely erased from destiny.

Present

Victoria stormed outside the elevator towards the exit. She was frustrated. That man was aggravating. He did not have the right to judge her when he heardly knew her. But he did the right thing for himself because she would be the one who would cause the downfall of his family. They had started this game but she would have the final word in it. She was impulsively heading straight towards the main gate when a man seized her and stopped her in her track.

She exclaimed, half surprised and half-furious, "What?!"

The man was moved by her abrupt reaction, "Mr Hills wants to talk to you and has asked you to wait."

"Tell him to go to hell and release me!"

At her request, the guard held her more tightly. "Fine, I'll wait."

She said,knowing that she won't be able to deal with the huge man's strength. She relaxed her body, the man automatically loosened his grip, thinking that she was being cooperative and then she snatched her arm away with a callous force and with two swift movements, she twisted his hand behind his back. She stopped right on the border where the pain would start and whispered, "Mess with me again and I'll break it."

She released the astounded man and as she turned to walk, she stopped right in front of Jake. A single more step and they would have collided. She held her breath and raised her head to look at him. "Don't you know what waiting is?"

By the way he was looking at her, she knew he was vexed. She stepped back to allow herself some space and ignored his question, "Come to the point. What do you want?"

"You are engaged. Collect your Employment Contract and start tomorrow. I'm warning you. It is a part-time job." How easily he changed his mood! A while ago, he was teasing her and now, he was more formal than a formal conversation should ensued.

She was surprised he so hastily changed his decision but then she had to bear one thing in mind, "I don't need your pity. I'm not desperate for that job, you know?"

That woman was ridiculously challenging. He did not give her the job; she was furious and now that he was giving her the job, she was still furious, "This is a job, Kate. You either take it or leave it."

He could have taken an equally qualified person who had the experience but he realised he had to give her a chance to prove herself. Any other person would have readily accepted the generous offer; not like her...she was pensive as if weighting whether to accept the job or not. He urged, trying to deal with his impatience, "Kate, your decision?"

She finally firmly replied, "I'm taking it, Mr Hills and my name is Victoria."

Now that she thought about it, since when did he start to call her like that? Her middle name was only used by Finn. In fact, since the perturbing event in the past, only Finn and Rosabella knew about this name. Jake nodded to the guard, "Thank you, Sam."

He arched an eyebrow wondering why his proficient guard was rubbing his arm but then decided to let it be. "Now Kate, I--"

He broke his own sentence, wondering where that woman has gone in that split of a minute. The guard gestured towards the door, "She went inside, sir."

How could she? She should have waited for him but damn her. She indirectly kept insulting him. Why did she not understand that he was Jake Hills; one of the most powerful and feared man in this world? He would set her right away. She was going to be his father's secretary and he would make her life like hell.

Good thing that his receptionist had sharp eyes. She told him that Victoria had taken the elevator. He knew that she might have probably gone to the room where she had been interviewed. To say for short; his office. He contained his anger within himself and made his way to the lift. It did not take him long to reach his spacious office. Contrary to what he had thought, she was not sitting but had the guts to walk around without his permission.

He roared, "Victoria Hyland!"