Chapter 1: Fired.

Racing down the hospital hallway in fear, Dua's lips moved in a silent prayer, "mom, please, be okay." While at work, she was called by her neighbor that her mother was rushed to the hospital.

Soon, the doctor came out of the ward with a not so happy face. "Dua, your mother's condition is growing worse, her surgery shouldn't be delayed any longer." He said.

"Doctor..." Dua was saying but the doctor cut her in, "you should have brought her for dialysis at least. She missed dialysis for three months. I must say, your mother is a strong woman. If it were some people, they'd be long dead by now."

With eyes glimmering with tears, Dua replied, "Doctor, I'm trying my best..."

"I understand, Dua, but it isn't enough." He said.

"She's stable for now," he continued and Dua gave a sigh of relief as she tried hard to control her tears.

"Although her condition isn't that good," he added and the tears Dua tried to hold finally fell, making the doctor sigh.

"It is well with you," he said a prayer to her, patting her shoulder, and then left.

Dua gazed at the ceiling, trying to take back her tears before she finally entered the ward. She hated to be seen by anyone especially her family when crying. "Hi, mom," she smiled like everything was alright.

"I'm sorry, Dua, for the hell I'm putting you through." Dua's mother (Stella) said.

Since Dua's father died, Stella's been taking care of her three children until she was diagnosed with kidney failure. Even so, she continued to provide for her family, until her case grew worse, and Dua had no choice but to pick up the responsibility of being the breadwinner of the family.

"No, mom, I'm the one who is sorry for failing you. I've been unable to help you get the surgery." Dua apologized.

She and her siblings were ready to donate their kidneys to their mother, but the problem was the surgery fee.

"I promise, I'll try my best to make sure you get it this year. Just hang in there a little longer, mom." Dua smiled.

Stella smiled, feeling grateful for having Dua as her daughter.

"How are you, mom?" Dua asked.

"I'm fine." Stella smiled, but Dua sighed deeply, knowing it's all a lie.

"Mom, see you at home, gotta go back to work." Dua said and Stella nodded.

Dua left the ward and paid the bills with the money she came with, and left the hospital. By the time she was out of the hospital, she was penniless, so she had to walk back to work. As she walked, she took out her phone and called her younger sister, Denise.

"Hello, sis." Denise answered the phone.

"Mom's in the hospital, go there when you return from school." Dua said.

"Oh, my God, is she alright?" Denise panicked.

"She's fine." Dua assured her and Denise sighed in relief.

"Okay, sis, take care." Denise said and Dua ended the call.

Getting to work, she was called into her boss's office. "You're fired!" Her boss spat and she sighed, putting her head down. She already expected this since she rushed out of work to the hospital without seeking permission.

"I'm sorry, it was an emergency, my mom was in the hospital. Please consider, sir," she pleaded.

"Leave my office," he said and her head sprang up.

"Now? Just like that? What about my pay? At least I've worked two weeks in this month." She protested.

"What?" He scoffed. "You committed an offense, I fired you, and you dare to ask for your pay?"

"Of course, I begged you, but you asked me to leave your office, so I'll like to have my pay." Dua replied.

"You're such a rude child, this is exactly why we're asked to not employ teenagers. Her boss shook his head as he gave her an envelope.

"It was nice working with you," she bowed as she received the envelope and left the office.

She went straight home and decided to shake off her sad mood by doing a little chore. She prepared lunch and ate her lunch with a lot of things on her mind, especially how to get another job.

In this countryside in Mexico where she lives, no one under the age of twenty years can be employed, as they're still counted as teenagers. This happened because an eighteen year old sued a company by saying that she was employed against her will. Dua's workplace was the only place that accepted her, and she was the only teenage employee there.

As she thought, the door opened, and her family came in. "Yo, sis!" Her younger brother and last child of the family, Desmond, said.

"Yo, kiddo," she replied him, while she smiled at Stella.

"This is noon, why are you home?" Denise said but Dua was silent.

"I smell something nice," Desmond sniffed as he entered the kitchen. "Oh, my word, sis!" Desmond yelled.

Dua cooked, but left a messy kitchen as a landmark. A lifestyle she's now accustomed to since she always cooks hastily.

"Just shut the hell up, and clean up!" Dua yelled too.

"Sincerely, Dua, why are you home early from work today?" Stella asked.

"Sick leave." Dua lied.

"You never stay back from work even if you're terribly sick." Denise said and Dua sighed, she'll have to tell them the truth.

"I got fired," she smiled, but met blinking eyes.

"You were what?!" Denise finally came out of shock.

"Don't worry, I'll find a new job," Dua smiled again.

"We're doomed." Desmond sighed.

"Who are you deceiving, sis? No one will employ you." Denise was on the verge of tears. With Dua being jobless, it was like the end of life for them. She was their only hope.

"Why were you fired, what did you do?" Stella asked.

"Forget what I did. He's always wanted to fire me, and today he got his heart desire." Dua laughed to lighten the mood but no one laughed.

"What did you do, Dua?" Stella gave her a piercing look and she swallowed, there was no way to avoid the question.

"Okay, fine. I left work without seeking permission." Dua replied.

"This is all my fault." Stella facepalmed herself, blaming herself.

"No, mom, it's not." Dua said. "Come on, guys, be positive. I'll get a new job tomorrow." She tried to console them, but they wouldn't have it. They looked more down than she who lost her job.

Somewhere in the heart of the capital city of Mexico, stood a dreamlike mansion in an elite estate. It was the residence of the notorious, ruthless and enigmatic Steven Levi, known only as "The Devil," in whispered circles. He ruled the Mexican underworld with an iron fist, feared by all, that even the Mexican government trembled at each mention of his name.

While Steven worked on his laptop in his study, his assistant and right-hand man, Shane walked in and bowed, "my King."

"Stop that, Shane. I told you to address me casually." Steven said and Shane chuckled. He addresses Steven formally to tease him.

"Miss Sierre is here." Shane said.

"Send her away, I'm busy." Steven replied and Shane turned to leave but Steven halted him, "wait."

"Send her in," he added and Shane nodded and left.

Few minutes later, a young beautiful woman came in, Diane Sierre, his fiancee. "Steven," she smiled.

"Get to the point, I'm busy." Steven replied, sending shivers down her spine.

"You know our wedding is the day after tomorrow, we should go for our dress fitting today." Diane said.

"I look good in anything I wear." Steven replied without taking his eyes off his laptop.

"Then the photoshoot, we should go check the pictures." Diane said.

"I look perfect in any picture I take." Steven turned her down again and she sighed.

"At least look at me," she said and with a pause at what he was doing, he looked at her, "don't desire my attention, because you'll most likely never get it." He continued his work and she sighed again.

"See you at the altar," he added.

She was about to say something, but her phone rang so she gave him one last look, and left the room. She took out her phone from her purse and hissed when she saw the caller. It was her boyfriend who she used to have fun and while away time with. She had no feelings for him. The one she loves is Steven who doesn't even have any interest in her. He was only marrying her for a reason.

She drove to the boutique to try out her wedding dress which she didn't even put on, and just requested for a few designs to be added to the dress. Then she drove to the photo studio to check their pre-wedding photos, but was told that they were already delivered to her house, so she drove home straight instead.

Getting home, she unpacked the packages and the pictures came in view. She smiled as her fingers traced Steven's face on the picture, "just as you said, you look perfect in any picture you take."

"Are you that happy to get married?" Her mother, Sandra, asked. She was too overjoyed that she didn't even notice her parent's presence in the living room.

"I'm happy... happy that I'll be spending the rest of my life with the man of my dreams." Diane smiled, her eyes filled with admiration as she stared at the picture.

"Have it in mind that you'll have to carry out a little and easy assignment on your wedding night." Her father, Bob said.

Diane dropped the picture and walked to her parents, wearing a smile on her face. "What's the assignment? If it's little and easy, I'll gladly do it."

"You'll eliminate Steven." Bob sneered and Diane's smile disappeared instantly, her brain trying to process what she just heard. "What?"

"You want me to kill my husband on our wedding night?" Diane couldn't believe her ears.

"He's not your husband!" Bob said.

"He'll be my husband on the wedding night!" Diane replied.

"Whatever, I can't let my only daughter be a debt repayment." Bob said as his expression slowly changed to angry one.

Diane scoffed, "you owe a debt, so it's only right that you should pay!"

"By using my only daughter?"Bob said.

"Oh please, dad, stop this pretense," she was getting sick of it. "You're the one who initiated the idea of using me to pay your debt."

"And I know your reason for it is so that you could use me to kill Steven, so you can become the Mafia King. It's all because of your greed!" She lashed at him.

"And you know what, you got the wrong daughter," she smirked and stormed out of the living room.