My Dream, My Destiny:The heiress's second chance

Chapter 1

29th June

Sarkorina, Ukraine

I pressed the pen to the page and let the words come slowly, the way I liked them.

I can't believe I'm finally going back to Seoul after so many years. I will be so happy to see Arlene, Carlene, and all my friends again…

Seven years. Seven years since Dad decided that Ukraine was where I needed to be — away from Seoul's distractions, buried in business seminars and private tutors and everything required to mold me into the perfect Diego heir. And I did it. I studied, I learned, and I was ready to be what he wanted.

But God, I missed my life.

I was still writing when the scream nearly took the door off its hinges.

"Camilla!!!"

Mom. I could tell by the specific pitch — that particular blend of love and barely-contained hysteria that meant we were either late, very late, or catastrophically late.

"I'm in here!" I called back, shoving the diary under my pillow in one practiced motion.

The door flew open. Ariel Diego stood in the frame looking immaculate and furious simultaneously — a skill only mothers truly master.

"Camilla. What are you still doing? We are going to miss our flight."

"Where's Dad?" I asked, already moving toward my wardrobe.

She pushed the hair from her face . "He will meet us at the airport. He has important work to finish, so he might be a little late."

Important work. Always important work.

"Alright. Give me two minutes."

"Camilla—"

"Two minutes, Mom."

She gave me a look that said you have one and turned on her heel back downstairs.

I dressed fast — red trousers, white top, white sneakers. Grabbed my backpack. Dragged my travel box to the door and took one last look at the room I'd called mine for seven years.

i breathed hard , finally out of this dungeon if not more like a trap

Downstairs, Nanny was waiting by the entrance, hands clasped, eyes already a little wet. She exclaimed the moment she saw me, reaching out like I was still ten years old.

"Oh my baby, you look so beautiful!"

I went straight to her and hugged her properly the kind of hug you give people you're genuinely going to miss.

"Nanny, I'll really miss you. But I promise to keep in touch."

"It's alright, love." She patted my back gently. "Just keep being a good girl."

"Yes, Nanny." I kissed her hands.

Mom signaled the guard to take our cases.

"Alright Nanny, we should get going."

"Safe journey, ma'am."

"Thank you so much," Mom replied, already moving.

I gave Nanny one last look over my shoulder.

Then I left Ukraine mansion behind as the car sped out of the gate

Dad was waiting at the airport, arms open wide, that warm easy smile doing what it always did making me forget I was supposed to be a little annoyed with him.

"Oh, look at my princess!"

"Dad!" I walked straight into the hug. Held on for a second longer than necessary. "Why do you always have work to do?"

He chuckled. "It is all for your future too, my dearest."

I hummed. That answer was never going to fully satisfy me, it has always been his answer but I let it go.

We checked in our luggage and boarded, and somewhere over the clouds I put my earbuds in, pressed my face to the cool window glass, and finally finally let myself feel it.

The fizzing, nervous, barely-containable excitement of going back.

Seoul.

The red Bugatti Veyron Mansory Vivere Dad's favorite indulgence roared through the tall iron gates like it owned the city. Which, in a sense, Dad kind of did.

Beyond the gates, the Seoul mansion rose in all its dramatic glory, walls of glass catching the golden evening light, throwing it back at the sky.

Nearly thirty staff lined up in a neat row outside. Everything exactly as I remembered. Everything exactly as it should be.

I barely had a moment to breathe before our Seoul Nanny was pulling me into her arms, kissing my cheeks, holding my face in her warm hands.

"Oh my baby, how are you?"

"I've missed you so much, Nanny." And I meant it.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Cam." She looked past me. "George. Ariel."

Dad walked up with his hands already in his pockets, that particular habit of his that Nanny had been fighting for years.

She spotted it immediately. Her brow lifted.

"You still haven't stopped that habit of yours. So my hands are now too filthy to greet?"

"No, Nanny. It's not like that..."

"It's alright." The words were mild but the tone wasn't. "Some people never change. I hope you are doing well."

"Yes," Dad replied briefly.

I hid my smile. Nanny was one of the three people on earth who could make George Diego squirm, and she did it with such effortless grace.

Then I heard footsteps on the staircase and looked up.

A fair-skinned boy with brown hair and almond eyes was coming down slowly, holding a single flower with such deliberate calm that it took everything in me not to burst out laughing.

Jürgen.

I didn't wait. I launched myself at him.

"Jürgen!"

He caught me with a dramatic grunt, laughing. "Oh my, my little puppet has grown so big!"

I pulled back immediately. "I am not a puppet."

"Yes, yes, I know that." He held my cheeks between both hands, grinning. "How are you?"

"Good." I slapped his hands away. "How is Seoul?"

"Better now that you're back to cause chaos."

Dad cleared his throat behind us. "Alright, enough joking. Let's go inside and talk properly after everyone settles down."

He signaled a guard to handle the luggage and led the way in.

Jürgen helped me unpack, which mostly meant sitting on my bed and offering unhelpful commentary while I folded clothes. I didn't mind. It felt normal. It felt like before.

"So," I said, shaking out a dress. "Arlene and Carlene. Do they know I'm coming back?"

"They'll be here in a few minutes." He paused.

"And Cam — you know their lifestyle. Try not to act too proud around them."

I gave him a look. "They're my childhood friends."

"They're still your childhood friends who you haven't seen in seven years. Just… be warm. They've grown."

"I hope I can still recognize them."

"You definitely will—"

A knock. And then the door burst open without waiting for an answer, and two nearly identical girls came rushing in, both shrieking at the same pitch.

I dropped the dress.

"Arlene! Carlene!" Seven years collapsed in an instant. I grabbed them both and we stood there in the middle of my bedroom being completely undignified, and I didn't care even slightly.

When we finally pulled apart, Arlene looked me up and down with that signature tilt of her head.

"Wow. You haven't changed at all. You're still the princess." She reached out and touched my hair.

I caught her hand — gently, but deliberately — and moved it aside. "Er… thank you."

Carlene had already picked up one of my folded blouses from the bed.

"Please put that down," I said, keeping my voice light.

Jürgen caught my arm before I could say anything else. I stopped. I set my expression back to neutral.

"Sorry," I added.

"Forget that," Arlene said, waving it off. "So how is Ukraine? I hope it is more beautiful than Seoul."

I stared at her.

"How can you say that?" I folded my arms. "Seoul is one of the biggest cities in the world. How can you compare it with—" I caught myself. "With Ukraine."

Arlene laughed. "Cam, you haven't changed. You're just like your father."

"Of course I am." I lifted my chin. "I'm my father's daughter."

"Alright," Carlene said, already moving toward the door. "We only stopped by to say hello. We'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Okay. I hope you girls can help me settle in."

"Of course. Bye, love," they said together, and swept back out exactly the way they'd swept in.

The room went quiet.

Jürgen looked at me.

"Camilla. You really need to stop being so classy."

"I was raised this way." I turned back to my unpacking. "Forget about me changing. It runs in my blood."

He opened his mouth.

"Jürgen! Camilla! Come downstairs for dinner!" Mom's voice floated up from below.

"Stop glaring at me before your eyes fall out," I said without turning around, and headed for the door.

He followed, muttering something under his breath

Being back to Seoul was one of the best thing that could ever happen to me and deep down inside my heart I can't wait for what will unfold.