Chapter 1

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

"Noooooo!" Shizu disappointedly closed the book she had just finished reading. "How can she live happily ever after with him?! She could have a happier ever after with Roan! Urgh! I have second lead syndrome again."

She looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.

January 30, 2017

Oh no! She suddenly remembered something. My fiancé is coming next week!

Yes. Fiancé. She was engaged to his childhood friend, Blake. It was arranged by their grandparents. Their grandfathers are business partners from different countries. Her grandfather was a Japanese tycoon and Blake's grandfather was a Korean. They both had Filipina wives and it made their partnership stronger. They even decided to settle down in the Philippines and bought properties in Cavite. It was supposed to be their children to officially bind their ties closer from business partners to a family but it became impossible when they both had sons. Lucky for them, my grandparents had one granddaughter. ME!

Blake became her friend ever since they were little. They have the same age and so their parents made them entered to the same school since Preschool. They knew about the engagement when they entered high school. Blake admitted that he was in love her, and in her case, she thought she felt the same way towards him so they just accepted it. They were had always been together after all.

After the official announcement of their engagement on her 18th birthday, Blake had to go to America to have his college degree. She was supposed to go with him her family needed to go back to Japan to settle something regarding their family business.

Four years after, she and her older brother, Drew, decided to go back to the Philippines. Her brother started to manage their family's company in the Manila while she decided to pursue her dream to become a novelist.

And now after three years, everything seemed to be perfect until she remembered about her arranged marriage. Their wedding was scheduled after her 26th birthday and Blake promised to return for her one year before the wedding.

She had really nothing against their wedding until she met Zeek.

Zeek! The second lead of my life!

Zeek was her big brother's best friend since college. He had also become Drew's business partner when they came back to Philippines. She fell in love with him the moment she first saw him in front of their house looking for her brother. It happened when they were still in Japan. Drew was about to graduate in college and she was just a freshman.

It was a very perfect moment for her when their eyes met. He didn't look like a Japanese. He was very tall and has blue eyes. His blue eyes seemed to be captivating her heart that they made it stop beating for a moment. His face was very serious but it made him very manly just like how she imagined Apollo would look like when she studied the Greek mythology. She then later discovered that Zeek was half Greek and half Filipino.

She did everything to get Zeek's attention, but for some reason, Zeek seemed to be annoyed with her. Still, she didn't stop bothering him. She felt overjoyed when Zeek came with them when she and her brother went back to the Philippines. He even bought the house in front of theirs and became Drew's business partner. It gave her hope that he might someday have a happy ending with him. Until he introduced her girlfriend a year after they came back to the Philippines.

Urgh!

She looked at the calendar again. What to do?

An idea suddenly hit her head. Ole!

She got up from her bed and walked out from her room.

She then found herself ringing the doorbell of the house in front of theirs. When nobody opened the gate, she rang the doorbell again and again until it opened. She was greeted with the most handsome face she has ever seen. She was mesmerized again with his blue eyes so she didn't mind the frown on his face when he saw her.

She smiled widely. "Hi, Zeek!" she waved her hands to him.

Zeek was wearing pajama. It seemed that he just got up from his bed because his hair was a little messy. So sexy!

"Do you know what time is it now, Shiz?" he asked her. He really looked annoyed as he brushed his hair with his hand. She smiled at him. She liked the way he called her "Shiz". Her family and friends called her "Shizu" or "Shi", but he was the only one to call her "Shiz". She thought it was kinda sweet.

She innocently looked at her wristwatch. "It's 2 o'clock in the morning," she told him sheepishly.

"And why are you playing with my doorbell at this hour when you're supposed to be sleeping and letting your neighbors rest." He looked more annoyed. But still handsome!

"I need to ask you a favor." She clasped her hands and looked intently at him. She blinked her eyes three times and smiled widely.

"Oh no. I know that look, Shiz. The answer is no." He tried to avoid her eyes. He was about to close to gate but she immediately got inside before he even closed it.

"Come on, Zeke. Aren't you my best friend?" She innocently walked inside the house and sat on the sofa.

"When did you become my best friend?" He is now standing in front of her. She needed to stretch her neck to look at him since he was tall.

"Since the beginning." She smiled while looking straight at his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, I need your help. I heard from my brother that you're going to have a business trip to Baguio tomorrow---"

"You mean later." He interrupted her. He crossed is arms.

"Later? Oh yes, later. So can I come with you?"

"No. And I need you to go home now and let me sleep before I drive later to Baguio." He opened the door to let her go.

She remained sitting. She got a pillow and hugged it. "Please, Zeek. I just need you to let me ride in your car, then I'll be on my own when we get to Baguio." She blinked her eyes again while smiling.

"Why don't you go there on your own?" He avoided her eyes again.

"You know I can't drive."

"Rent a driver."

"I won't be comfortable with a stranger."

"What are you going to do in Baguio anyway?"

"I just need a new environment for my next novel."

"Where are you going to stay there?"

"Aunt Cecile lives there. Are you allowing me to ride in your car now?" Her eyes sparkles, hoping for him to agree.

"No. Kate will come with me."

Urgh! The girlfriend! I really thought they finally broke up.

She showed him a fake smile. "It's ok. I'll be in the backseat."

"Still no. Did had your dinner last night?"

She paused for a moment. "I did?" Did I?

"Your brother told me you didn't come out of your room since yesterday morning."

"Oh. I was reading. Wait! Don't change the topic. I'm asking you a favor here."

"I'm not changing the topic. I already answered no. Now go home and eat and sleep."

"I'm not hungry and sleepy."

"Really? You already look like a zombie."

��What? I'm not!" She threw the pillow to him. He just caught it.

He yawns. "Go home now."

"Let me ride with you to Baguio first."

"No." He walked towards the stairs.

"Hey. Where are you going?"

"Bed. I'm going to sleep. Lock the door when you go home." He continued walking to his room upstairs. "Eat first."

"Urgh! Zeke no baka! I won't go home!". She laid down on the sofa. "I'm going to sleep here."

*"Zeke no baka" means "Zeek is stupid" in Japanese.