It is snack time where all the kids will have their food individually.

It will be distributed by the staff of the orphanage at each kid’s desk.

While I, in front of them, sit at a desk waiting for them to have their food and will resume again with our class when they are done.

My ears desired to hear the clamor of the children.

Smiles that my mind instinctively captured.

Seeing them happy fills my heart with joy, and I know this is what my life desires.

I am confident, without a doubt, that I can do this for the rest of my life.

A young boy in a white top and blue shorts approached with a piece of bread on his hands, "Ms. Alexa, do you want some bread?"

He went beside me with a lovely smile with his hands extending toward me.

His eyes were so genuine and pure.

While sitting in my chair, I lowered myself to his level and moved my face closer to him.

"Hey, Nicolo, you are so sweet! Thank you for thinking about me."

I took the bread and placed it on top of the tissue paper on my table.

Unexpectedly, he hugged me and said to my ears, "Thank you, Ms. Alexa."

I cleared my throat, trying to keep the tears from spilling.

I'm convinced it was the most sincere thank you I've ever heard.

"Thank you too, Nicolo!"

He removed his embrace from around my shoulders and stood in front of me.

Then I held his hands and said to him, "Promise me that you will study hard, okay? Then, through that, you will reach your dream."

He nodded with a smile on it.

"I will, Ms. Alexa."

"Will you promise me too that you won’t leave us?"

Nicolo's words, as a four-year-old boy, struck a chord with me, leading me to pause.

I'm pondering how I should answer.

I looked down at the floor and heard another word from him again.

"Please?"

I have no ability to reject it. It is my weakness, or rather, they are my weaknesses.

I won't be able to crush their hearts.

Nicolo was waiting for my response and I gave him a nod.

"Yehey!"

He hugged me tightly again and went back to his chair.

I had the same desire. That is what I really want, but...

Ring! Ring! Ring!

My cell phone rang on my table.

I picked up the phone to see who was calling and discovered that it was my father.

I knew exactly what my father was going to say.

After clearing my throat, I answered my phone.

"Hi, dad."

"Alexa, are you ready for dinner tonight?"

My dad said. He was looking for the assurance that I am going to attend the exclusive dinner with the Bettencourt family.

Their son, Dion, became my fiancé.

"Dad…"

He was the heir of his parents, who owned the most popular luxury brand of high fashion across the world.

However, he has already started his own firm. He is the CEO of a successful cellphone manufacturing company that has led to the country's number one brand.

But it was not the life I wanted.

There is a condition that after our marriage, I will focus on his business and I have to learn also the business of his parents, which was about to transfer to him.

In a nutshell, I will leave Nicolo, all the kids here, and this place.

I'm not sure if it's just me who places too much emphasis on the children in the orphanage, but I really can't.

I just can’t leave them.

"Alexa, you have to be there. I am expecting you. Don’t do this to me. Don’t make everything hard for me."

But here’s my father, who was pleading for my yes.

He was the second richest man in our country, and he was well aware that marrying a Bettencourt would elevate him to first place.

I am his only daughter with a two sibling boys.

I am the only access to the richest of the Bettencourt. Dion is their only child and I can proudly say that he likes me. He really is and no one can deny it.

But it was too serious to live the life he wanted.

Like my father, he wants riches and to be the best.

"Dad? Please. I can’t."

"Alexa?! Think straight! You don’t have to do this. Marry Dion and we are done."

"You deserve the best, you deserve Dion and nobody will be!"

"Come to our dinner or else…"

Dad was using the orphanage as a form of blackmail against me.

He is offering to purchase the property so that they can relocate away from me.

It was quite simple for him to do so because a small property like this cost him only cents.

If it means jeopardizing his goals, particularly my marriage to Bettencourt, he will do it without hesitation.

I grabbed some courage form the air and answered my dad,

“I am sorry, dad. I never meant to hurt you but those things are not for me. ”

“I love you but I am really sorry.”

I take a big breath and place my phone back on the table.

Then I heard a child's voice.

"Ms. Alexa!"

My gaze was drawn to her as I was taken aback by the way she called my name.

"Look! We are done eating." She showed their table was clean and no food was found and remained.

"Let’s resume our class. Please?"

She remarked this while hopping around her place, with a huge smile on her face, and I felt that she was so excited about it. And all of the kids agreed with what she said.

All of my stress and worries took off that moment because of them.

I don’t know how long I am going to be with them or until when my promise to Nicolo will last.

But as long as I can keep that promise, I can.

A luxurious automobile arrived just as we were about to finish our class.

It was the most recent black Sweptail Rolls Royce, and I'm convinced no one in our country owned one. It was without a doubt my father's automobile.

I'm in checkmate mode, and my father followed through on his threat.

Nobody wants to play with him because he means what he says.

The door of the room opened and my co-staff called me in a tensely voice.

“Alexa! Your dad!”

I rubbed my face with my left hand as I am totally cornered with the situation.

“Children, we are done for today. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Then I left the classroom with my bag and exited the room.

The head of the orphanage was waiting for me outside the classroom who was done speaking to my dad.

“Alexa,” Ms. Miriam said with her face evidently sad and with fear.

“Yes, Ms. Miriam?”

“Your father came and he was talking to me about buying the whole area of this entire village not just the orphanage and you know that we cannot resist your father’s power.”

“If he will proceed to that decision, we can no longer stay to this place.”

“He told me that you two have an agreement but he didn’t told me the details.”

I bit my lower lip and my wrinkles showed up as I look unto Ms. Miriam’s face.

“Miriam, we can’t leave this place. You know that this was the home of the kids since then. Even them, they didn’t want to change home unless they are going to be adopted.”

“A lot of people in this village will be relocated to if your father will going to buy this place.”

“I am asking for your help. Please don’t let your father do this to us. The kids are innocent. They don’t have to experience this kind of situation.”

The passion and dreams broke at the same time as I heard this because no option was given to me.

It is either I leave of they will leave.

I put a smile on my lips and showed Ms. Miriam the assurance that I will d something about it and there is nothing to worry about.

“I got it, Ms. Miriam.”

“Let me solve this problem.”

As I am saying those word, it was the equivalent of my good bye to them.

“Thank you, Alexa.”

Ms. Miriam went back to her office while my steps are on the opposite side and went outside to see my father.

I saw my dad with a normal posture with four body guards with him and he was in the middle of them.

When my father saw me exiting the door of the orphanage, he already knew that he won and got me.

“Alexa, Alexa.”

He clapped his hands while moving closer to me and put his hands on his pockets.

“Dad, why are you doing this to me?”

I wanted to shout but since the people inside the orphanage was watching at us, I have to act plainly like there is no problem at all.

“Am I deserve that question? I think I should be the one to ask you that.”

“Why are you doing this to me, Alexa?” He said while shaking his head.

“You don’t have to make this things hard. If you just agreed to our conversation earlier, I didn’t have to be there, right?”

“Please, dad!” I am asking for his mercy that moment.

He came closer to my face like he is the one who cannot be threatened.

“Alexa, no please, no buts. You know that there is only one word that I need to hear from you now, yes or no?”

He was holding his phone and called the owner of the whole village and put it on the speaker mode.

“Yes, Mr. Walton? Are we going to have a deal?” the owner of the village said over the phone.

“What, Alexa? Do you think I am still playing around?”

“Is it no or yes?”

My heart rate increased and my skin got more sensitive to air as I became worried about what would happen to the orphanage only because of me.

“Alright, fine! Yes, I will come on the exclusive dinner tonight.”

My dad ended up the call end put is phone on his pocket.

“Great decision, Alexa! I am easy to talk to.”

“See you later and don’t test me again.” My dad whispered to me with a full meaning and serious voice.

He got in to his car and left.