Raynold Dione. A name that commanded respect in both fashion and business. The man behind Dione Luxe, a luxury brand that could stand shoulder to shoulder with giants like D*or and Lou*s Vu*tton.
With a sharp eye for innovation and an iron grip on the industry, he built an empire known for timeless elegance, handcrafted quality, and a perfect fusion of modern and traditional artistry. His designs had graced Paris runways, been worn by global icons, and even led to exclusive collaborations with world-famous designers.
A business tycoon. A self-made mogul. A visionary.
And above all—a father of two.
His eldest, Reinold Dione, was somewhere far away, pursuing a business degree—focused, disciplined, everything Ray could hope for in an heir.
But his youngest—his only daughter—was busy getting called into the principal's office. And this time? Even the school president's office.
Ray had always figured that as his kids got older, their maturity would naturally follow. That made sense, right?
Apparently not.
At first, he brushed it off as harmless childhood mischief. Kids will be kids. Of course, it's normal to get called to the guidance office, even to get suspended—especially in grade school.
But as the years passed, things only got worse. Suspensions turned into expulsions. School violence—no matter how often she insisted it was an accidental self-defense, no one believed her. She was always in the middle of trouble.
And to the school? She was always the one to blame.
Eventually, the schools stopped listening to her side of the story altogether. Their solution? The easiest one—transfer her. Maybe a fresh start would clear the air… though never her record.
More years passed. They cycled through private schools—even the most exclusive international ones. But no matter where she went, the same pattern played out, again and again.
A few days in—suspensions.
A week later—another incident.
A month? Transfer papers.
So different from her older brother.
Reinold had always been mature for his age. Ray could trust him to be independent, to make the right decisions. But Careina…
If left unchecked, Ray feared the next time he saw her, it wouldn't be at a school—it'd be… the hospital? No—that wasn't it. Despite everything, she always seemed to avoid the worst of it. No, knowing Reina… it'd be at the police station.
He sighed, quietly watching the flow of traffic.
In the rearview mirror, the driver glanced up discreetly. He had already reported that Reina had been dropped off at home—and that, despite being grounded, she still had her phone with her.
Ray let her be. He always did.
After all, she usually calmed down when talking to her older brother. At least with him, she wasn't out looking for trouble.
Beside the driver, Ms. Evergreen sat quietly scrolling through her tablet, folders neatly stacked on her lap. Their last appointment had just wrapped up. Now they were heading back to the office before calling it a day. The car moved smoothly through the city streets, but her boss' mind was elsewhere.
Ms. Evergreen sighed softly, shaking her head. She had been reminding her boss about the upcoming meetings for the week, but he hadn't looked at her once. Fifteen years as his secretary had made her an expert at reading his moods. This silence—this distant, distracted stare—always meant one of two things.
Business... or, more likely, his biggest headache.
His daughter.
"Sir, the school president sent an email detailing the damages miss Careina caused."
She kept her tone neutral, knowing anything to do with his daughter usually snapped him back to focus.
Ray pinched the bridge of his nose before nodding—a quiet sign he was listening. "Damages?"
Ms. Evergreen nodded slightly. "Yes, sir." She scrolled through the email. It listed the damages after the school's water pipes burst—one after another—forcing the entire school into lockdown.
Ray scoffed lightly. "Just send them the money. Keep the receipts."
His private investigation team had already flagged the incident. It was always 'an accident,' and like how his daughter always claimed it was. But no matter the evidence, people around her never believed it was just that. So Ray just covered the costs and looked for another school.
Ms. Evergreen turned her tablet toward him, the screen glowing in the dim car interior. An online forum was open, full of anonymous posts.
'The Cursed Dione Strikes Again.'
The page was loaded with videos, pictures, and supposed proof of his daughter's incidents.
Front and center was the latest scandal—titled : Another School Bombing. Ray didn't bother reading the details, but the numbers said it all. Hundreds of thousands of comments, shares, and reactions.
"Should I take the page down, sir?" Ms. Evergreen murmured. "I can also trace the owner's computer identifiers if you want."
Ray exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "No need. They always come back anyway." His fingers drummed on his knee. "If we keep reacting, they'll just keep growing."
Ms. Evergreen stayed silent, letting his words hang in the air.
Ray sighed, eyes drifting to the passing city lights. "Let's just hope it's only a group sharing gossip and not anyone planning to target her…" His voice deepen. "Because if they do, things will get ugly fast. They don't want to test their luck with her—luck don't exist when she's around."
Outside the car window, the city lights blurred by.
His biggest concern wasn't always his business rivals, or even those internet trolls.
It was something much closer to him.
His daughter.
Careina.
No school had been able to handle her. The school first semester wasn't even halfway through, yet, like clockwork, the same cycle played out—incident, suspension, transfer,repeat.
He sighed sharply. "I can't keep leaving her to her own devices," he admitted, his voice low and tired. "She's only just started high school—a sixteen-year-old, getting ganged up on by those people, just because she's curious and acts before she thinks. She's never been like other kids. Even when she was younger, there was always… something about her."
Ms. Evergreen hesitated. "What about homeschooling, sir? Online classes?"
"We tried that," Ray muttered. "Reinold was right—she needs to be out in the world, not locked away. Even her therapist agrees. She'll only get worse if we isolate her."
A brief silence settled in the car. Then Ms. Evergreen spoke carefully.
"Sir… are you sure you want to transfer her again?"
Ray gave a dry chuckle. "If there's a private school left that's still willing to take her, she'd already be there." He sighed, rubbing his face. "I might have to send her abroad this time."
"If it is abroad…" Ms. Evergreen said gently, ""I know of a school that might actually help her."
Ray looked at her sharply. "What do you mean by that?"
Ms. Evergreen handed him her tablet. On the screen was a school profile.
Ray frowned, reading the name.
"Lyceum Institute?" He scoffed. "If the best private schools couldn't handle her, you think some school out in the middle of nowhere is going to do any better?"
Ms. Evergreen smiled knowingly. "This one's different."
Ray's eyes dropped back to the screen. As he scrolled, his gaze sharpened in recognition.
"It's known for reforming and shaping students to thrive in the real world despite their backgrounds. It's strict, competitive—but it works. Even heirs of big tycoons like the Mualdez, Nox, Suarez, Grecia, Tiu, and Villa families send their kids there. If anything, this school might be the challenge Miss Careina needs."
Ray fell silent, scrolling through the school's website. He read its legacy, stakeholders, and history—he'd definitely heard of it before, though he couldn't recall when or where.
For years, Careina had caused problem after problem to—her schools, her environment, the people around her. But despite it all, Reina stayed the same—fierce, stubborn, completely uncontrollable, and never backing down.
Maybe it was time for a new tactic.
Maybe she needed to experience a world outside the bubble he'd built for her.
Maybe it was time for the unstoppable force to meet the immovable object.