CHAPTER 1
"Why do you need to work as a regular employee when you are the owner, KC?"
KC suppressed her smile after hearing what her daddy Tor said.
"You've inherited the company and it is only right that you'll train under me. But working as a regular employee there?"
Right after graduating her master's degree in Business Management in the US, she decided to go to Russia to train for a year then go back to the Philippines where their main office for Stellar Recording Company is located.
The company is one of the biggest recording company in the Philippines. The company is the home of the biggest and largest stars in the country.
She graduated with flying colors and she received a lot of offers from companies that wants her to work for them.
"And why would an heir accept offers from those large companies here in the US when you have a conglomerate to run in Russia?"
She can still remember what her bestfriend and schoolmate Hanna told her when they were still in he US.
"I'm not saying I'd accept those offers best. I am just saying that they are not bad offers. It would be a great addition to my resume, you know."
"You mean your outstanding resume?" Hanna exclaimed.
"You've been staying here for too long Kaze. Honestly, you don't need to. Tita Yumi and tito Tor called me last night and ask me to convince you to go home. If not in Russia, then in the Philippines then."
The main office for the Dostoevsky Group of Companies is located in Russia. But she don't feel like she belong in that place.
There are too many bad memories that she have been trying to bury in the past.
She love her father's home country but she still have to conquer all her nightmare that is connected to that place.
Aside from the fact that you have a certain someone you already want to meet in the Philippines, right?
She almost smiled at the thought.
Her heart is telling her that it is time to go home—where her heart really belongs.
Stellar Recording Company is where she had been eyeing to work for so many years now.
Yes, thanks to a certain someone!
She mentally shake her head at the thought.
She doesn't want her mom and dad to know yet. They are too paranoid and overprotective—they've been like that over the years.
"You know I really want to start from the bottom Dad. I want to experience everything, know everything regarding the company."
"You can do that even if you are already the president."
She smiled when her Daddy Tor frown at her.
"Dad, you've taught and trained me well. You have nothing to worry about. You told me before that you will never become a good leader if you don't know how to become a good follower. And that's why I want to follow before I take the lead first. "
She bit her lip to suppress the guilty feeling that's been eating her.
She knew in her heart it isn't the main reason she's willing to take the risk of suffering as an employee in their own company.
I just want to try my luck. I know in my heart that Nikolai and I are meant to be.
I've loved him ever since time immemorial. I just really want to try my luck and may be the heavens would hear me and my earnest prayer out.
"Stop worrying Dad. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself."
She tried to sound confident though deep in her heart she very nervous.
"Alright." Her daddy Tor finally waved the red flag.
"I am not going to oppose this charade of yours but I am only giving you a year at the most to do this undercover thingy, young woman."
"Right after that, be ready to take over the company. I still don't believe you need this though. You are a genius honey. You finished your 10-year course in just 8 years. And you already trained in our main office in Russia. There is definitely no reason for you to do this but I do trust you and your judgment."
She almost leap in happiness. Her dream of meeting, seeing and working with Nikolai is just one step away.
She finished her breakfast and walk to where her daddy Tor is sitting.
She kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly from his side.
Her mommy Yumi hasn't been home yet from the hospital where she worked as the Executive Director.
Despite all that has happened in her past, she's still grateful that her tita Yumi and tito Tor are always there for her.
"I am afraid of what will happen to her, Tor."
Yumi has been nervous ever since KC decided to come back home.
Life hasn't been that good for all of them.
First, her sister and husband, KC's parents were brutally killed when she was still 7 years old. Three years later, it was their only son that passed away because of leukemia. And Oreo was so dear and close to KC that she shut herself again to the world.
Ever since that day, they took extra care of KC.
They even have her best friend Hanna, who's a psychiatrist, be near her all the time just so they can make sure of KC's well-being.
They aren't that comfortable with Tin and Sandy but they need them to know what KC has been doing in her life—in detail.
They are the ones, especially Sandy, who knows every single detail of what is happening to KC, even her thoughts and feelings.
Sandy may be a bit bitchy and aggressive but she is the most protective of KC, and for that they appreciate her.
Tin is the introverted and shy one but she is really good in understanding what KC feels and thinks.
"I know and I feel the same way, hon."
Her husband is the most understanding and patient to her and KC's situation.
"I am afraid of what will happen to her in that company. Yes, we manage it but we don't know what is happening in every corner of the company. Why don't we just let Hanna work in the company as well?"
She really can't control her frustrations with KC's decisions.
Sandy might have already told them about the reason KC has been doing all of these but she still can't help but worry for her.
"Hanna? What will be her job description there? She is a psychiatrist hon. Everyone would definitely know that in the future. And you know the stigma of people seeing psychiatrists right?"
All she can do is nod in agreement.
Filipinos have this notion that you are a crazy person the moment you see a psychiatrist, even just a psychologist.
Although it has nothing to do with being crazy, KC still have some off-moment because of the traumatic incidents she had to experience when she was still young.
She still have nightmares and blackouts and that's where Hanna comes in.
"Everything will be fine. She is already a woman who knows exactly what she wants in life and is willing to do anything to get it, to achieve it. Let's trust her okay?"
She silently prayed that her husband is completely right.
Nikolai felt tired and dizzy so he decided to leave the party early.
His 10th studio album was a huge success. It has been a week since it was released but it is still in number one on Itunes, spotify, and all his songs are on radio stations' most requested songs.
Just a week since it was released yet it's already certified platinum that is why his recording company decided to have a victory party for him.
It has been more than a decade now since he first stepped into the limelight and he's still grateful that everyone still love, adore and supports him.
But sometimes, all the limelight and flickering flashes of the cameras exhaust him.
He feels like he's getting old though he hasn't hit his prime yet.
I am just freaking 30, for Christ's sake! How can I feel this old?
He can't help but wonder where the time goes by.
He is beyond and immeasurably grateful but sometimes he just wants to isolate himself to a place where no one knows him. He wants to experience all the things he never experienced just because he is the famous singer, Nikolai Belliveau.
He looked around the room and saw everyone talking and laughing. Everyone seemed in a party mood.
You are such a party pooper! They are having this party for you. This is your victory party and you are feeling so under the weather.
He decided to go to the rooftop of the building where the victory party is being held.
He looked at the city's flickering lights as he looked back to all that has happened in his life.
He was just 16 years old when he was discovered by his now manager tita Sally.
He was part of a high school band at that time and they were simply having fun and having a jam session inside a bar owned by his band mate.
He was the vocalist and lead guitarist of the band.
He was an orphan and has been trying to survive in the big bad world ever since his mother died when he was just 13.
They were very poor and he can still remember every single detail of their hardships.
They lived in the Metro's squatter area where the poorest of the poor's live.
Their house was a patchwork of different kinds of woods, they only eat two times a day, three if they got lucky.
His mother's job was to take laundry from their neighbors, that's 3-dollar a day. They pay no rent since they lived illegally in the squatters' area, and everyone there lives in the same way.
Her mother's usual customers were the prostitutes who lived there. They don't have any time to do their laundry since they are usually working at night and sleeping and resting in the morning. And they have bigger incomes that they can afford to pay for his mother doing their laundry.
The government has tried to drive them away for so many times but days later and everyone will be back to their 'homes'.
His mother told him before that he looks exactly like his father a former US army who was assigned in the Philippines. She told him that he was a good father and even acknowledged him by giving him his last name.
They had a better life when he was a child, since his father took care of them at that time. He don't exactly remember all of those things but she believes her dear mother—every word she told him.
They have a very simple life but they are very happy. However, when the war broke out, his father is one of the unfortunate ones who died in the field.
His mother was so devastated at that time but decided to be strong for him. She became the provider of the family.
And his mother never fell in love again after that.
It must have been what they call one's great love that only comes once in a lifetime.
When his mother died, he had a lot of part-time work while studying but singing has always been something he was passionate about.
Tita Sally was one of the few customers at the bar where they played at that time and right after their jam session, she gave them her calling card and introduce herself as an agent.
At that time, no one believed her, even his band mates. They were all afraid to try contacting her since they don't want to be scammed.
At that time, scammers were all over the place. It has been all over the news and everyone was too careful.
Some of them would introduce themselves as agent, let's you sign a contract and makes you their talent. It would be too late when one would realize he or she signed up as a male or female prostitute. You are already in deep shit since you've already signed a contract with that person.
But he was determined at that time. He wants to take the risk and hope for the best instead of pondering what could have been's.
He was afraid as well. There is a small portion of his heart that is telling him to just focus on his studies, just like his band mates.
He was juggling his time on studying and working part-time that one side of himself is stopping him to contact tita Sally.
But the bigger part of himself is telling him to take a risk and jump. Whether he'll be scammed or not, he won't lose anything anyway since he had nothing left except himself.
And as what they say, the rest was history.
Tita Sally became his manager and she supported him in all his auditions—may it be for singing competitions, drama roles, advertisement auditions.
Tita Sally helped him to be signed under the biggest recording company in the Philippines—the Stellar.
She became like a mother to him. She helped him with everything, even with his finances.
Other people were telling him that he should never trust anyone when it comes to money because money changes people—even the kindest and most generous one.
But he never listened to them. He was more than grateful to tita Sally and it might be stupid for some people but his heart told him that she is trustworthy.
And she never disappointed him. His finances were well-taken care of, his properties over the years, his investments. Everything was organized and in place.
Tita Sally became his only family.
But just last year, tita Sally also left him. She died after her years of battling cancer.
And now, he's left alone again.
With all his fame and fortune, he has no one to call his own family.
People might love him and even praise him but all they love is the person they see and hear from TV, not the real him.
The real him who still seeks belongingness in this world.
The real him who is still looking for that one person who would not only complete him but complement him as well. Someone who would make his life exciting in a different way that his fans and awards has gave him.
As a famous superstar, he's been in and out of relationships. He dated maybe almost all types of women. Supermodels, actress, teacher, producer, director, photographer, painter—and the list goes on and on. But never had he experienced a love that is worth his retirement as of the moment.
Love just like his parents had. Love that will make him hold his breath for a while and then exclaim in excitement and happiness.
He feels like something is missing in his every relationship.
It's definitely not the sex 'cause he also experienced different kinds of sex with his past relationships.
They always ended the relationship since he would always see fault on his partner.
And some are just too jealous and clingy that he felt too suffocated when he's with them.
And there were also some who just used him for their own personal gain.
All I want is something or someone worth of being put up in a pedestal. I am not asking for the perfect person or perfect love. All I want is a love just like what my parents had. A love that lasted a lifetime.
But where is she? Where is that kind of love? Will I ever be able to find it in this lifetime? O am I destined to be alone forever?
He can't help himself from sounding Shakespeare-ish.
And that feeling seems to be eating him whole this past few months.
He continued watching the Metro's flickering lights while silently praying for a miracle to come.