Prologue

The world has always been divided into two kinds of people—those who have everything and those who struggle for every little thing.

Maya Reyes had always belonged to the second kind.

Born into a humble family, Maya was the only child of Joseph and Nerissa Reyes, a hardworking couple who did everything they could to give their daughter a good life. They weren’t rich, but their small home was always filled with love, laughter, and the scent of home-cooked meals.

Her father worked as a construction worker, while her mother took on various jobs—sometimes as a seamstress, sometimes as a vendor in the local market. Maya never had fancy clothes or expensive toys like the other kids, but she never complained. She had her parents. That was all that mattered.

Until one tragic night took them away from her.

She was only seven years old when it happened. A rainy evening. A phone call. The sound of her grandmother crying. The news that her parents had been in a car accident and didn’t make it.

Maya didn’t understand it at first. How could they be gone? They had just promised to take her to the park this weekend. But the reality hit her when she stood in front of their caskets, her small hands clutching the hem of her lola’s dress as she cried.

From that moment on, her world changed.

She moved in with her grandmother, Lola Nida, an elderly but strong-willed woman who became both her guardian and her source of comfort. They lived in a small bungalow house in the province, surrounded by rice fields and dirt roads. Life wasn’t easy—money was always tight, and they often had to stretch meals just to get by—but Maya never once felt unloved.

Her lola raised her with discipline, kindness, and wisdom.

"Maya, anak, ang talino mo. Pero tandaan mo, ang talino lang, hindi sapat. Dapat marunong kang makisama. Dapat mabuti kang tao."

She took those words to heart. Maya studied hard, determined to give her grandmother a better life. She knew that if she wanted to change their future, she had to succeed.

By the time she reached high school, she became strong, responsible and kind-hearted person she is and she became the top student in her small-town school. She excelled in math, science, and literature, winning competitions and making a name for herself as the brightest student in town.

That was when the Dean of Westridge International School noticed her.

A prestigious school like Westridge wasn’t meant for people like her—it was a place for the wealthy, the powerful, the privileged. But the dean saw potential in her and offered her something that could change her life forever—a full scholarship.

It was an opportunity she couldn’t refuse.

Even if it meant stepping into a world where she knew she would never fit in.

Even if it meant standing among students who looked down on people like her.

Even if it meant facing challenges she never expected.

Maya accepted the scholarship, knowing that this was her chance to change everything. But she had no idea that stepping into Westridge International School would lead her to someone who would challenge everything she knew about herself—Adrian Navarro.

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