The Runaway Heiress

"Honey, where's the iron?" Cael Navarro paused in the middle of preparing breakfast. His eyes slowly closed. There were only two people living in their apartment. And somehow, every morning felt like a search-and-rescue operation. "In the cabinet." "It's not here." "Second drawer." "Which drawer?" A deep sigh escaped him. "Ariana..." A few seconds later, he stepped out of the kitchen and found exactly what he expected. His girlfriend was sitting on the floor in the middle of their bedroom. Every drawer was open. The cabinet doors were hanging wide. Clothes were scattered everywhere. And in the center of the disaster sat Ariana Zane Villacruz. Looking completely innocent. Cael stared at the scene. Then at her. Then back at the scene. "Did a typhoon pass through here?" AZ frowned. "I'm looking for the iron." "The iron wasn't hiding from you." "It might be." He laughed despite himself. Walking toward the cabinet, he reached for the top shelf and grabbed the iron immediately. AZ's jaw dropped. "How?" "You mean how did I find the thing I personally put there?" "But I checked there!" "No, you looked at it." "That's the same thing." "It's not." She crossed her arms. "You're impossible." "And you're spoiled." Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?" "One year." "What?" "We've been living together for one year." He pointed toward the iron. "And you still can't find anything." AZ gasped dramatically. "The disrespect." Before she could launch into a full argument, Cael leaned down and kissed her forehead. Instantly, she forgot what she was about to say. Her cheeks turned pink. "That's cheating." "It works, though." She tried not to smile. Failed miserably. "Good morning." A smile appeared on his lips. "Good morning." For a moment, everything felt peaceful. Simple. Ordinary. The kind of life AZ had always dreamed about. Because growing up, nothing about her life had been ordinary. She had grown up inside a mansion. Had servants waiting on her hand and foot. Had drivers. Bodyguards. Private tutors. Private chefs. Everything money could buy. Everything except freedom. Yet now... She was standing barefoot in a small apartment while arguing with her boyfriend about an iron. And somehow... She had never been happier. "What are you making?" she asked as she followed him into the kitchen. "Tocino." "Tocino again?" "It's either tocino or instant noodles." She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "One day we'll be rich." Cael nearly choked. "We?" "Yes, we." "Honey..." "What?" "You're already rich." She immediately covered his mouth. "Shhh!" He laughed. Even after a year, she still reacted that way. As though saying the word rich would summon her family out of nowhere. And honestly... Maybe it would. Because Ariana Zane Villacruz wasn't just wealthy. She was the only daughter of Alejandro Villacruz. The chairman of Villacruz Holdings. One of the largest business empires in the country. The media used to call her: The Golden Heiress. The Princess of Villacruz Holdings. The Future CEO. Titles she never wanted. Titles she never asked for. Titles that felt more like chains than privileges. One year ago, she walked away from all of it. The mansion. The fortune. The future they planned for her. And she never looked back. At least... She tried not to. AZ stole a piece of tocino from the frying pan. "Ow!" She immediately dropped it. "It's hot!" Cael laughed. "What did you expect?" "I thought it was ready." "You literally took it from the pan." She pouted. Then took another piece. "AZ!" "What?" "Stop stealing breakfast." "No." "Why?" "Because I'm hungry." "We're about to eat." "That sounds like a future problem." Cael shook his head. Sometimes he wondered how she survived before meeting him. The woman couldn't cook. Couldn't budget properly. Couldn't remember where she put things. And somehow managed to lose her phone at least twice a week. Yet despite all of that... He loved her. More than he probably should. More than he ever intended to. --- A few minutes later, they sat together at their tiny dining table. Their apartment wasn't much. A small living room. A small kitchen. One bedroom. Old furniture bought secondhand. Nothing fancy. Nothing luxurious. But every corner carried memories. The couch where they watched movies together. The kitchen where AZ nearly burned rice for the fifth time. The dining table where they shared meals after exhausting days at work. It wasn't perfect. But it was theirs. AZ looked around the apartment. A soft smile touched her lips. "What?" Cael asked. "Nothing." She took another bite. Then smiled. "I like it here." His chest tightened. Because he knew what she meant. Not the apartment. Not the furniture. Not the neighborhood. Him. She liked being here with him. And for a moment... Neither of them spoke. The silence wasn't awkward. It never was. It was comfortable. The kind of silence that only existed between two people who genuinely loved each other. Then suddenly— "Honey." "Hm?" "If your family ever finds you..." She froze. The fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Cael immediately regretted asking. But the question had lived inside his heart for months. "If they come back..." He swallowed. "...would you leave?" The room became quiet. Outside, traffic continued. People walked past their building. Life moved on. But inside their tiny apartment... Everything seemed to stop. AZ slowly put down her fork. Then reached across the table. She took his hand. And intertwined their fingers. Her grip was warm. Steady. Certain. "Why would I leave?" Cael looked at her. Because to him, the answer was obvious. Her family was powerful. Influential. Rich. She could have anything she wanted. Meanwhile, he was just... Cael. An ordinary man. An ordinary employee. An ordinary life. AZ smiled. The kind of smile she reserved only for him. Because despite everything she had left behind... She never regretted choosing him. Not once. "I already found what I was looking for." His heart skipped a beat. "And what's that?" She squeezed his hand. "A home." For a moment, he couldn't speak. Because somehow... The woman who once lived in a mansion had just called their tiny apartment home. And him... Home. Neither of them noticed the black luxury sedan parked across the street. Neither of them noticed the men watching the building from inside the vehicle. Neither of them knew that after a year of searching... The missing heiress had finally been found. And very soon— The peaceful life AZ had built would begin to crumble.