Rica Hortaleza, the heiress of the Hortaleza Group, once thrived, but now the group has been seized by her own uncle, Roberto Hortaleza, after the sudden death of her father, Rogelio Hortaleza.
Grief-stricken and stripped of her position as the heiress, Rica has been given a small plot of land in the countryside suburbs, ordered by Roberto to be bound and monitored by him, to prevent her from provoking him in the future.
Though she appears strong on the outside, Rica is not as resilient as she seems. She knows her uncle was the sole reason for her father's sudden death, but without solid evidence, she pretends to know nothing, even as she realizes that every attempt to find proof leads to a dead end.
Today is Rica's 18th birthday, the day she was supposed to inherit the company. Feeling defeated, she plans to make an appointment to sell the land given to her by her uncle, hoping to cut ties with him and start a new life far away from his influence, so she can one day make a comeback.
After negotiating with the agent, the same agent laughs and tells her that a man of her age is interested in buying the worthless land, implying that the agent is in league with her uncle, a leech like him.
As Rica and the agent move to the section where Reniel is waiting, she feels a chill, sensing she is being watched. When she looks around, she sees a man of her age looking at her with a worried expression, before he suddenly collapses. Rica recognizes him as her former classmate from grade 6, her father had enrolled her in public school to understand the struggles of the lower class.
The truth is, she really doesn't know how to interact with so many classmates around her, as she was previously homeschooled.
Fortunately, Reniel noticed her and approached with a warm, friendly smile that made her heart race for the first time. This welcoming gesture was akin to the comforting embrace of her father.
She grew accustomed to talking with him every day, and made a vow to treat each other well with respect, these interactions became cherished memories.
However, not everything was perfect.
One day in class.
Marko's jealousy towards having to talk to the most beautiful girl in their class reached a breaking point, leading him to aim his pen at Reniel's head. However, Reniel unknowingly dodged the pen, causing it to hit the teacher instead. This action angered the teacher, who demanded to know who was responsible. Both Marko and his accomplice pointed at Reniel, causing Rica to become vigilant of the situation.
Rica defended Reniel when he was wrongly accused of throwing a pen at the teacher, and emphasize that it was marko who did it. angering Marko in the process. After school, she witnessed Reniel being beaten by Marko's group and immediately intervened, using her judo skills to subdue Marko. But she was ultimately overpowered by his subordinates.
Reniel realized the potential danger Rica faced if he didn't step in. Observing a sinister smirk on Marko's face, he swiftly rose to his feet and delivered a powerful kick towards Marko. However, Marko anticipated the move and intercepted him in mid-air, providing Rica with an opening to launch a counterattack. She managed to overpower Marko's two henchmen. Thankfully, Rica's bodyguard arrived just in time to rescue them both, causing Marko's group to retreat in defeat. As they fled, it was evident they had been bested. Following the incident, Reniel remained silent and departed with minor injuries. Rica never saw him again after that day.
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This incident makes Rica's father realize the gravity of the situation, and he withdraws her from the school. Rica stood up for Reniel when he needed it. Even as she left the campus and visited his house for the final time, Reniel's mother told her he didn't want to show up and locked himself in his room.
Rica sensed a deep sense of betrayal due to their broken promise.
Now, the boy she had almost forgotten, Reniel, has suddenly reappeared, stirring a longing feeling within Rica.
Reniel was sent to the company infirmary, and according to the report, he was in good physical shape. The nurse who examined him suggested this may have been a reaction akin to a hardened emotional state, where a loved one unexpectedly appears. However, this was not entirely accurate.
It's mana depletion duh!
A sudden wave of gossip swept through the staff.
"A love so powerful it can render you unconscious."
"Maybe he's the son of a tycoon."
"With his good looks and money, I wouldn't hesitate to marry him."
"Stop daydreaming and get back to work! He already has a girlfriend with him - can't you see?"
"Isn't that the Hortaleza heiress?"
"Yes, but she's not the heiress anymore. Didn't you hear the news?"
"Oh, I feel bad for her."
"Shh, be quiet! What if she hears us?"
Though their gossip was true, it stung Rica to the core.
While Reniel was lost in his dreams, his lips uttered Rica's name with love and passion. This moment made Rica's heart race faster than a bullet train, making her forget all her worries.
Suddenly, the agent cleared his throat. "Pardon me for interrupting your moment, Ms. Hortaleza."
Reniel woke up and saw Rica beside him. Forgetting he had reincarnated, he embraced her tightly, crying on her shoulder, saying, "I thought I lost you forever."
Though shocked, Rica gently pushed him away and patted his shoulder. Reniel then realized he was back in the present, and vowed to never let his feelings sway him again. He apologized for his actions, making the situation more awkward.
The agent introduced them formally, "This is Mr. Reniel, and the lady is none other than Ms. Hortaleza. I hope we can do business together." Reniel then composed himself.
He discussed acquiring 30 plots of land, including Rica's property, and emphasized the urgency of transferring ownership as soon as possible."
Reniel, aware of Rica's situation, offered to buy the property but suggested making a deposit upfront to ensure the land did not fall into other hands. This was one of Rica's regrets she had realized too late that the property was not only her family's ancestral home, but also a dungeon where her uncle bought back and monopolized the rare and legendary items, equipment, scrolls, and elixir of life found there."
The hortaleza group disregarded the urgency of the situation during a monstrous wave from the cracks, resulting in a loss of profit on the offer. As a result of their refusal, many players perished in the process.
Mr. Brooks appeared content, yet his grin concealed a malevolent intention. Reniel was well aware of his true nature, making him the ideal candidate for such transactions. He prioritized his own gains, even if it meant tripling the initial price without regard for the landowner's interests.
Reniel obtained 800 million pesos from winning the lottery, greatly surpassing the 70 million from buying off properties. He intended to allocate these funds towards preparing for a potential monster wave invasion, as well as for manufacturing items in the upcoming period. Additionally, he planned to utilize the money to safeguard against the extinction of humanity, recognizing that the wealth would hold no value if humans were to perish.
Reniel later asked Rica to join him for dinner, to which she kindly agreed. She was keen to ask about his health and the reason for not informing her about his absence when she visited him that day.
Still she continued to long for him even more.