The Life we never Planned

CHAPTER ONE HER POV I had always believed that if I wanted something, I had to be willing to work for it. Nobody was coming to save me. Nobody was going to build my dream for me. And honestly, I didn't want them to. I wanted to know that when I finally stood at the top, I had climbed there myself. I stared at the email on my phone for the third time, making sure I hadn't somehow misunderstood it. Congratulations, Ms. Angela. Your application for the International Business Expansion Program has been accepted. A smile slowly spread across my face. Finally. “Why are you smiling at your phone like you're in love?” I looked up. Benedicta stood in front of my car with her arms folded across her chest, staring at me suspiciously. “I'm not.” “You are.” “I got accepted.” “Accepted where?” I handed her my phone. She read the email. Her eyes widened. “Angela!” “Don't scream.” “You're going international!” “I know.” “You're actually going international!” “I can read.” She pulled me out of the driver's seat and hugged me. I laughed, trying to push her away. “Benedicta, you're crushing me.” “I don't care.” She finally released me. “You've been talking about this for months.” “I've been working toward it for years.” She looked at me for a moment, then smiled. “I knew you'd get it.” I glanced back at my phone. The excitement was there, but beneath it was something else. Pressure. The program wasn't a vacation. It was an opportunity to meet international investors, entrepreneurs and business owners. People who could help me establish my company outside the country. That was what I wanted. Not somebody's money. Not somebody's family name. Not a man to finance my dreams. My own money. My own company. My own name. I had spent too much time building my business to suddenly become dependent on someone else. “I have to prepare,” I said. “For what?” “The program.” “You have weeks.” “And?” “And you're already planning everything?” “I like knowing what I'm doing.” Benedicta laughed. “You're so predictable.” “That's not an insult.” “It is when you're twenty-four.” I raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?” “You're supposed to be outside enjoying your life.” “I enjoy my life.” “Working isn't enjoying your life.” “It is when you actually love what you're building.” She rolled her eyes. “You're impossible.” “Thank you.” “That wasn't a compliment.” “I accepted it anyway.” She laughed again. We started walking toward the university building. My final year. Sometimes that thought still felt strange. For years, university had been the center of my life. Classes, assignments, exams, presentations, deadlines. Now it was almost over. And instead of feeling scared about what came next, I felt ready. I had plans. Big ones. My business had started small, but I had refused to let it stay small. I had reinvested almost everything I earned. I had learned from every mistake. I had spent nights researching markets while my friends were sleeping. I had sat through meetings where older businessmen barely looked at me because they thought a young woman couldn't possibly understand business. I had smiled. Then I had proved them wrong. I didn't need people to believe in me. I just needed them to give me enough room to prove myself. “Angela.” I looked at Benedicta. “Hmm?” “You're doing it again.” “Doing what?” “Thinking.” “I think every day.” “No. This is different.” I smiled slightly. She knew me too well. I wasn't a person who easily explained what was going on inside my head. I preferred solving my problems quietly. Maybe that was why people often misunderstood me. I could be friendly, but I wasn't overly social. I could talk for hours when I was comfortable with someone, but most of the time I preferred my own company. I didn't hate people. I just loved my peace more. And I had learned that not everyone deserved access to it. My phone rang. I looked at the screen. One of my employees. I answered. “Hello?” “Good morning, ma.” “Morning. What's wrong?” “There is a problem with the supplier.” I closed my eyes briefly. Of course. There was always something. “What happened?” He explained. I listened carefully, asked a few questions, then gave him instructions. “Don't cancel the order yet. Send me the documents first.” “Yes, ma.” “And don't agree to anything without speaking to me.” “Understood.” I ended the call. Benedicta stared at me. “What?” “You just got accepted into an international program and you're already dealing with business problems.” “That's called being a business owner.” She shook her head. “You're going to be an old woman with twenty companies.” “Twenty?” “Fine. Fifty.” I laughed. “Why stop at fifty?” “That is exactly what I'm talking about.” We entered the lecture hall. I found my seat and dropped my bag beside me. For a moment, I looked around. My classmates were talking, laughing and complaining about graduation preparations. I listened quietly. This was the last stretch. Soon, I would leave this place. And I knew exactly what I wanted after that. Expansion. I wanted to take my company beyond my country's borders. I wanted offices in different countries. I wanted to build something that could survive without me standing over it every second. I wanted to create jobs. I wanted financial freedom. I wanted the kind of independence where nobody could ever look at me and say, You wouldn't have this without me. Everything I had, I wanted to earn. Everything I built, I wanted to build with my own hands. Love? I wasn't interested. At least, that's what I told myself. I had never understood why people allowed relationships to become the center of their lives. Maybe one day I'd understand. Maybe I wouldn't. Either way, I had more important things to worry about. My lecturer walked into the room, and everyone gradually became quiet. I opened my notebook. The future could wait. For the next two hours, I had to focus. I didn't know that the decision I had just made would eventually take me to another country. I didn't know that one business meeting would change the direction of my life. And I certainly didn't know that somewhere in that country lived a man whose name could make powerful people lower their voices. A man who had everything money and power could buy. A man who had never needed to chase anyone. A man the world feared. The Tyrant Ruler. And three years after he had first seen me from a distance... I was going to walk straight into his world. Neither of us knew it yet. But when our paths finally crossed, neither of our lives would remain the same.