Sofia chuckled after reading a nonsense print ad she found in a paper dated five months ago and concluded that the man could be super rich or a scammer. Who in the world would need more than a hundred beautiful women as assistants? Nevertheless, she took a photo of the questionable advertisement before she discarded the hardcopy into the trash bin.

She pressed the red button above the headboard of her bed, and Jana came running in a minute.

“Yes, Miss Sofia?” Jana noticed that Miss Sofia was dressed to kill, and she wondered where she’s heading this time.

“I want to go shopping,” she answered as she picked up the black sling bag from her bed.

Jana made a sign of the cross when her boss mentioned shopping because she knew that the woman has other plans…just like the last time. She said she would be shopping but she met with Ariel Dizon and they went somewhere…just the two of them. Although the man was her fiancé, Don Armando prohibited their private meeting. “You cannot!” she objected in a powerful voice to scare Sofia.

“Oh really? I don’t think so,” she answered and sashayed her shapely figure towards the door. “If you don’t want to come with me, then I can go alone.” If she had known that being rebellious would attract his father’s attention, she should have done it before!

Jana was aghast at Sofia’s statement and concluded that Ariel was a bad influence on her behavior. Every day, she has turned into someone rebellious and defiant, and Jana believed that it was because of Ariel Dizon. Did that man coerce Sofia to defy her father? “But Miss-”, her objections have fallen into deaf ears as the woman continued to walk outside, and she had no choice but to follow.

Don Armando has trusted Jana for her welfare and Sofia was lucky because her bodyguard has a kind heart. “Thank you, Jana. You know how my father is, so without your help, I will just be bored at home.” She said as they were inside the car.

“But Miss Sofia, I believe that Mr. Dizon has become a bad influence on you. Since you were engaged, you become a different person.” Jana voiced out her suspicion. She was not the same woman who was obedient and reserved. Sofia has become feisty, rebellious, and spirited in a matter of two months!

“Nonsense, Ariel was just being a friend and I like the new Sofia Arellano. Even when I was in London, I wanted to be a fierce woman but my fear for Papa was stronger and powerful so I couldn’t do anything, but it's different now, Jana. Ariel assured me that my father will not hurt me physically because he needed me for the merger.” She expressed her gratefulness for Ariel’s encouragement.

“I don’t understand why you have to befriend your fiancé when you don’t like getting married to him,” Jana stated a fact.

“Because we are on the same boat, I mean, Ariel was also against this arranged marriage but we must do it. Anyway, we are looking into it on how we can be free from this bondage,” she revealed to Jana about their plan to cancel the wedding and the guard was horrified. Ariel told her that he would look into the signed agreement between their fathers, for sure, there would be loopholes that they could find.

“So, where are we going this time?” Jana inquired.

“Ayala Mall,” Sofia answered. There’s a chic café in Ayala at the lower ground floor that served her favorite food. She liked it because it was not crowded and most of the shoppers would dine at The Terraces where various restaurants lined up.

Oh George Café was quiet and isolated, and at their first meeting, Ariel had a hard time finding the dainty café. As he has a sweet tooth, their moist chocolate cake has become his favorite. He was on his second slice of cake and second cup of coffee when Sofia arrived with his bodyguard, Jana. He ordered Sofia’s favorite, the red velvet cake, and coffee, while Jana was free to get anything she wanted.

Sofia and Ariel sat on a table near the counter, while Jana chose the vacant seat close to the door, and fronting the corridor. It was the best spot where she could see any familiar faces from afar that may endanger the three of them. Her vigilant eyes darted from one corner to the other as she sipped her coffee.

“So, have you looked into it?” Sofia asked first when both of them were ready to discuss their impending marriage.

“Yes, and I was right. My attorney found a loophole in the contract,” he announced. Since last night, he wanted to spill the good news to Sofia but stopped himself, fearing that Don Armando would do something about the papers.

“Wow, tell me, Ariel, what have you found?” She whispered and tried to conceal her excitement by pinching her skin.

“There was a clause, that if one of us can find our true love before the wedding date, that person will be free from honoring the agreement.” Ariel was glad that his father was a believer of true love, otherwise, he wouldn’t add that certain clause.

“I see. But it will be impossible to find our true love in the next few months…no, I can’t do it.” Sofia said. She has read a lot of books about love and romance, and she knew that love couldn’t be forced unto a person. It would just come, unexpectedly. It disheartened her that the only way of her escape was too impossible to achieve.

“Hey, don’t be depressed. You know, I believe in destiny and fate. Somehow, I’m still positive that Erin will show herself anytime soon.” Ariel declared. For ten long years, he had been waiting for that woman to resurface in his life, and he had been counting on her friends to locate her after a few detectives failed to find her location. The last record he could find about her was at the hospital, where she was admitted.

“I hope she will be here soon, Ariel. No offense meant, but you’re not the man I wanted to spend for the rest of my life.” Sofia stated the truth.

“I understand because we feel the same. You’re beautiful and elegant, but there’s just no spark between us.” He added.

“I know right. So, after this, where will you go?” She asked Ariel about his next destination.

“I have a meeting with the project engineer,” he answered. They have a project near Ayala Mall and the construction was ongoing. The said project was Khalil’s brainchild but his brother has gone somewhere that only his parents knew. It’s not the usual offering of five-star accommodation by Dizon Group, but more of an economy living space for workers earning a minimum wage. Khalil argued that it’s time to give back to the community, and his priority was the workers who had to suffer long hours on the road caused by the worsening traffic condition in the city. Ali’s Boarding House was a five-story building with a total of two hundred and fifty rooms that could accommodate at least a thousand-bed spacers.

“I see. Anyway, I won’t take so much of your time, as you still have a meeting to attend to…thank you.” Sofia was truly grateful for his friendship.

“I’ll keep you updated, Sofia,” Ariel promised.

“Thanks, you may go ahead now, I’ll pay this time.” She offered.

“If you insist,” Ariel replied, and prepared to leave. As a gentleman, he should insist on paying for their meal, but Sofia would be disappointed, so he allowed her to settle the bill.

As soon as Ariel left, Sofia gave her platinum card to the cashier. Don Armando provided her with a credit card that she could use for shopping and dining. “Jana, do you need anything like clothes or shoes?” She could buy her anything if she wanted.

Jana was taken aback by Sofia’s kindness. Yes, she was aware that her boss was a kindhearted woman, but she didn’t expect it. “I’m okay, Miss.” She answered. She would be fired from her post if she would accept anything from Miss Sofia as Don Armando would take it as a bribe.

“Are you sure? Hmm, let me know if you need anything, okay?” She understood why Jana was hesitant to accept her offer. Even her nanny in London was like that- no gifts allowed.

As she walked out of Oh George Cafe, Sofia was careful with her movements not to gain unwanted attention. Don Armando warned her not to expose herself to someone who worked in the media industry to remain mysterious as the people didn’t know how the heiress of Katerina looked like. She even wore a baseball cap, but there was someone who was arrogant enough to block her way and Jana was immediately on the move to fend off the unwanted person.

“I think I know you,” the stranger said.

Upon hearing it, her heart almost skipped a beat and panic, but her training in London saved her from giving herself away to the stranger who could be bluffing. “Excuse me?”

“You look like a model,” he said and he nearly lost his footing when the woman smiled. Her deep-set dimples on both cheeks looked captivating, and her lips were pouty and ripe for a kiss.

“I am not, but thank you for your compliment, sir.” She walked past ahead of the stranger who was bluffing and Jana followed. It wasn’t the first time that she was mistaken as a model because of her rounded face shape, subtly arched brows, and a set of dimples that make her attractive, as some would claim. But for Sofia, a beautiful face was nothing compared with a beautiful heart.

“Hey!”

Sofia turned around and saw the stranger running towards her. “Yes, what is it?”

“In case you will need a job, I’m the man for you.” He said and gave her his business card.

Sofia accepted the business card and smiled at him after reading his details. “Thanks, Mr. Anthony Quileopas. I’ll give you a call when I need one,” she lied.

“Great. See you around, then.” Anthony said before he left.

Sofia chuckled at the man’s guts. While it could be true that he was in the field of advertising and may need a model, that wasn’t the way to recruit a future model! If he wasn’t handsome, then maybe she would ask Jana to deal with him. “I like him,” she said to Jana.

“He’s a charmer,” Jana agreed with Sofia.

“Yes he is,” she nodded. Sofia and Jana were in the bookstore to grab some books when Sofia received a call from Ariel. “Yes, Mr. Dizon?” she jested when she accepted the call.

“I got bad news for you, Sofia. My attorney just called and informed me about an additional clause of the contract,” he said.

“About what?” Sofia inquired and when she heard the details, she paled and her body swayed that Jana came to assist her.