52

VALERIA

I was walking back to my apartment with a bag of groceries in my arm. The scorching sun was brutal on my skin, burning it up in flames. Good thing I wasn't a vampire, this would have been my doom.

God, I hate this. Why did I agree to this normal student life? I suck at trekking. I never had to do it in Spain. I was chauffeured to wherever I wanted to go, even the restroom.

Tina, my manager, always got me the newest models of cars and they are all packed up in my garage in Spain.

But here I was, no different from a peasant. And shit, my arm hurts from carrying this bag. Why did I ask to go grocery shopping anyways?

Just then, my phone vibrated and I stopped walking to take It out of my back pocket. I checked the caller ID and it was Tina. Speaking of the devil.

”Hey, José, what's up?!” Tina's tiny voice came through the speaker of my phone. She always called me by my last name, José.

“I'm gonna die from this sun and my ghost will hunt down your fat ass, bitch,“ I snorted, squinting my eyes to keep the rays away.

She laughed at my outburst like I'd just cracked a joke.

“Hey, easy on the attack, alright? What's wrong?“

“Everything is wrong, Tina. I feel like I'm gonna die from this normal student shit. I'm not cut out for it, alright? I need my luxurious life back,“

“But you asked for this, remember? When you were so desperate to return to California with Daisy. So why is your ass complaining now?“

She was right. I asked this. I was just taken over by my emotions. When Daisy said she was leaving Spain, I couldn't bear the thought of being away from her. I was in the Philippines at that time, and she was in Spain. The distance didn't matter much because I consoled myself with the fact that when I returned home, she'll be there waiting for me.

Spain has always been my home, my root. But when Daisy came around, she made it my haven too. She gave me warmth and friendship, and when she was leaving, I knew she was gonna leave with them. The thought of staying in Spain with no Daisy in it wasn't appealing at all. So I decided to leave with her.

I found out she was trying to live like an ordinary student and I agreed to do it too if that's what I had to do to tag along with her. I never knew it was gonna be this hellish.

“I know I asked for it, but it's hard. Tina, please. I need my credit cards, I need to get myself a car,“

”Is Daisy moving around with a car?”

“Daisy is used to living an ordinary life. Before her fame, she was an ordinary girl. I've never been an ordinary girl, Tina. I've always lived in luxury. Please, they are my cards after all. So just let me have them,”

”Your Mum took them already. She had them locked up in her safe,“

“Mum?”

If Mum has it, then that's the end for me. I had a strict Mum and she would never let me have those cards, especially because she never supported me coming down here. She wanted me to stay around the business. But I insisted, and she said I was gonna regret it. And now she has my cards just to make sure Tina doesn't send them to me. She's gonna do anything to make me regret my decision.

”Yes, your Mum. She took them, locked up your garage, sealed up the gates to all your estates, asked your modeling agency to have you replaced,”

“Mum had me replaced?!” fuck. She went too far.

”Yes, she did. I think you gonna do a whole lot of groveling when you return,”

Damn. What mess have I gotten into? But no, there was no backing out now. I already came this far. Mum can lock the whole world for all I care. I'm always gonna be the princess of our empire. And when I return, I'll take back what was mine.

My Mum was a single parent, and I think training me up alone and building up our empire at the same time made her astute and hard. Almost inaccessible. You could say I was trying to be as cold as Mum.

I don't know the jerk whose sperm helped in forming me, and I don't give a fuck about him. Wherever he is, I hope he drops and dies. The world would be better without half-assed men like him.

”Hey, Josè, Liam is with you guys, right?” Tina asked. The mention of Liam suddenly put me in a sour mood.

“So what if he was?”

“Why don't you try asking him to lend you one of his cars?“

”Are you nuts?!“ I almost dropped the bag of groceries I was carrying from my outburst, “Why would I do that?”

”Didn't you just say you needed a car to drive around with? You are in California. The Lawrence family resides in California. Liam is your friend, I don't see what the problem is,“

“Liam is so not my friend, and if you wanna know what the problem is, I'll tell you. It's L.I.A.M. That bloody show-off is the problem,”

“He got on your nerves again, didn't he?”

”Doesn't he always?“ I rolled my eyes like she could see me.

Tina chuckled, she always enjoys my fights with Liam. Like it was some comedy show.

“What did he do this time?“

”Tina, how many Porsches do I have in my garage?“

“I think a whopping 10. Why?”

“Liam showed up the other day with a Black Porsche. He was so smug about it, and when I tried to sit in front, he wouldn't let me. He insisted Daisy was gonna be the one to sit in front,“

“Well, that makes sense. If he's driving, then it's only natural that the woman he loves sits in front with him, right?“

“That's not the point. He was being an arrogant ass…”

An incessant honk from a car had me spinning around. It was a fucking nuisance and at some point, I couldn't hear myself talking because of how loud it was.

“Let me call you back, Tina. Alright? Love you,”

“Okay, Josè. Take care,“

“Will do.”

I stuffed my phone into the pocket of my pants and waited to see who was behind the wheels of the car. It was a black Lamborghini, the latest model. The tinted glass got winded down, and I got to see who the driver was. Fucking Liam Lawrence!

He alighted from the car, making such a show that made ladies swoon over his looks. He was dressed in a white suit and had his sunglasses on. He was enjoying the perks of having his family house in the same city as he is. I had no problems with that, except he was being rather arrogant about it.

Seeing him looking so fly had my blood boiling in jealousy. I was looking like his live-in maid, and that crooked smile on his face was evidence that he was already mocking me.

He leaned against his car, crossing his legs and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Like a model.

“Uh, excuse me, miss,” He waved his hand slightly at me, ”I'm looking for a bratty girl who I was asked to give a ride to. I think she went this way. Could you give me pointers on how to find her?”

Fucking bastard! I just hate him more right now. And what? A bratty girl he was asked to give a ride to? What nerves!

I'm sure Daisy sent him to come give me a ride. She does just the nicest things.

His get-up tells he had been at the company. And it did give him a good share of masculinity. Too bad he was an ass.

I didn't say a word to him, whatever I said now would be useless anyways. He had an advantage over me and he was making good use of it.

”You gonna have to ask politely if you want me to give you a ride,” He said in a cocky tone.

“I'd rather smash my head against the wall than be polite to you for anything at all, jerk,” I fumed. It was stupid of me to be this rude right now when I needed an escape from the sun. But my ego would never let me accept defeat.

He gave a dry, cocky laugh, “I'm a busy man, Val. I don't have the time to stand here and banter with you. If you not gonna do what I ask, then I'm just gonna get back into my car and drive off. I'm not your fucking chauffeur,”

”Oh really? Would you say that to Daisy?“

”Nope. Are you Daisy?” He retorted.

“Oh, no. I'm not. And that's why you say the nastiest things to me, but go ahead to kiss the ground Daisy walks on. Fucking simp!”

In the war of words, anything goes, as long as it can hurt your opponent. But don't get me wrong, I love Liam for Daisy, those two would make an amazing couple.

From the moment I realized just how much Liam loves Daisy, I've wanted nothing more than to see them together.

Liam Lawrence might be the most arrogant, self-absorbed, narcissistic young heir in California and beyond, but to Daisy, he was an iconic lover, just the right guy for her.

But I can't tell him that I thought he and Daisy made a perfect couple. That's just gonna inflate his already-inflated ego. Liam and I don't see eye to eye on anything. It started back when we were in middle school.

Our parents shared a great business and personal relationship, regardless of the huge difference in ethnicity. But somehow, Liam and I ended up being more of rivals.

Liam always came first in class, whereas I came second. I hate being second at anything, I was raised with a winning mindset. It was either I win or I win. There was no middle ground. But academically, Liam was the winner and I always came second to him.

But when it came to the social world, I never failed to trample on him. He was a fucking introvert, and I was a fucking star.

All the birthdays he celebrated in middle school and high school were flops. I always threw parties the same day as his birthday party, and since I was the queen bee of the school, everyone comes to my party, and he doesn't get a single guest. Liam always ended his birthdays in tears. That was my payback to him for always coming first in class.

Our parents tried to get us to settle but we just couldn't. We both had inflated egos, and neither of us was ready to make the first move at reconciliation.

When he lost his Mum to the cold hands of cancer, I was right there for him as a friend would. It was a period of truce, as he was hurting and needed time to heal. I offered him all the support I could, and he appreciated it. But when the mourning period was over, we were back at each other's necks.

It was at that point that we realized we could never be the usual kind of friends. We would always bicker, it comes naturally now.

Liam checked his wristwatch and sighed, I saw his lips move, he was probably cursing me. He got away from his car and took fast strides to where I stood.

”I'll be damned if I'm late for my meeting 'cause I had to pick up your ass,“ He seethed and snatched the bag from me.

“Hey!”

“Shut the fuck up and get in the car!” He snapped, holding my hand and dragging me along with him.

”Let me go. I can walk perfectly on my own!” I yelled at him. But he wouldn't stop.

Just before I could make the second attempt to jerk my hand away from his hold, he grabbed my hand.

Him. The guy from the elevator.