Where the Waves Know Me

Prologue

"If it weren't for you, I'd probably be a beggar by now, Dahlia!" Bea exclaimed with a dramatic sigh.

I just smiled proudly at her words, taking a slow sip of my coffee while gazing at the vast, open field in front of us. The sun was beginning to dip on the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue over everything. It was peaceful, deceptively so, considering how chaotic Bea's life had been lately.

"Thank you so much," she added, more sincerely this time.

"You're welcome," I replied with a small, modest smile. Truthfully, what I did wasn't extraordinary. I just stepped in and ran her failing business the way it was supposed to be run. Simple. Logical. Efficient. But to Bea? It was life-saving.

Tingin ko nga ay talagang doon ako magaling. Iyon ang kaya kong gawin. Sabagay, sa ganoon din naman ako na-train.

To be completely honest, Bea had no business running a business in the first place. She had no background, no training, not even a proper plan. Her degree was in Pharmacy, for heaven's sake!

Business wasn't just unfamiliar territory, it was an entirely different universe. And this was her third attempt. The first two failed spectacularly, and frankly, I didn't lift a finger.

But this time? This time she cried. She begged. She said she had invested everything she had, her last chance, she claimed. I couldn't ignore her, not when she looked so desperate.

"What do you want me to do for you? Just name it, gagawin ko," she said, eyes wide with sincerity, like she was ready to become my full-time assistant.

I waved her off with a chuckle. It's not like dito na matatapos lahat. She still needs to continue and handle the business well. Just because I revived it doesn't mean the job has been done. Kaya marami pa siyang kailangang gawin. No need for her to do anything for me.

"I don't want anything in return, Bey."

And that was the truth. I wasn't looking for compensation or favors. If I were being entirely selfish, all I really wanted at that moment was to lie down in my soft, oversized bed and get a full night's sleep. I was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thanks, in part, to the damage control I had to do for her business.

She's lucky, really. Lucky she's my closest friend. Kung hindi ay baka ubos na ang pera niya at baka'y maging pulubi na nga talaga siya tulad ng sabi niya.

"Of course. You probably already have everything," she teased, laughing lightly. "I always knew you were destined for success, Dahlia."

I shrugged. If 16-year-old me had heard those words, she would've burst out laughing.

Back then, success wasn't even a concept I could grasp. I was broken, insecure, and drowning in self-doubt, most of it thanks to my father. He made it very clear that without him, I was nothing. That I would never make it without him. That I was just a girl who knew how to spend money, not earn it.

But I proved him wrong.

I had to prove him wrong a thousand times, just to feel like I was worthy of something. I built everything with my own two hands. Took over my mother's failing hotel business and turned it into a regional powerhouse. And now? Dahlia Theresse Hernandez. Youngest chairwoman of the most prominent hotel and resort chain in the Philippines, and soon I want to conquer Asia too.

Yeah, I did that.

Still, it took me a while to realize I didn't need to prove anything to him. Or to anyone else, for that matter. My accomplishments speak for themselves. I'm not just my father's daughter anymore, I'm a whole empire on my own.