Claire’s POV
Claire was looking outside of the car.
She smiled when she noticed the familiar places.
My hometown. I will get to see my family again after a long time. I miss them so much.
Vladimir and Claire hasn't been talking since their last serious talk an hour ago.
They weren't even looking at each other. Claire even pretended that she fell asleep just to ignore Vladimir.She just opened her eyes a minute ago.
I’m hungry. I want to go home and eat my mama’s food, my favorite, menudo!
While thinking about it, her stomach suddenly grumbled loudly.
She was stunned but she recovered from it, and acted as if nothing had happened.
Claire noticed that Vladimir suddenly passed her something.
She looked at it, and
Claire’s POV“Are you hungry?” Claire asked Vladimir“Naaah. Not really. Why?”“Can we just eat at my family's house instead?” Claire asked, and then looked at her phone.“Because my mom is asking me when I am coming home, so,” Claire sheepishly asked looked at Vladimir again.“Yes, I’m okay with it,” Vladimir answered.“Jose,” Vladimir called his driver.The driver looked at the rearview mirror.“Okay, Sir. Thank you.”After an hour of drive, they have reached their destination.She the saw familiar houses. Claire smiled while looking at it.I’m home. At last.“We are here, Sir,” Jose declared.She opened the door and got out of the car.“I’m finally home,” Claire whispered.She just kept looking around when she saw Vladimir beside her.She looked at him, at first she got confused why he's with her, and then, realization hit her.She’s not just there to come home, reunite, and bond with her family.She’s there to tell them that the man beside him, Vladimir Villazanta III, is the man
Claire’s POVClaire was still in shocked while looking at Vladimir, and then he spoke. “Ma’am,” Vladimir looked at her mom. “ Sir,” Then he looked at her dad. “Just call us Mom and Dad, Vlad,” Her mom said. She looked at her mom with shock in her eyes. She heard her sister chuckle. “Go for it, Vlad! And at long last, for a very long time, my sister has come home with a man!” Her sister, Carla, said. She then glared at her sister. “I’m really honored to hear that, Carla.” She heard Vladimir say. She looked at him sharply. He looked at her but he just smiled at her before looking at her parents again. “What---” “So, as I was saying, Mom and Dad,” Vladimir said towards her parents. “Can Claire and I talk for a moment?” “Yes, sure, of course.” Her dad said. “Thank you,” Vlad said. Vladimir looked at her. “Let's go, Claire.” She looked at Vladimir and walked past him and went outside. She felt that Vladimir was following her. She opened their gates and walked
Claire’s POVClaire and Vladimir stared at each other. “Will you not regret the decisions you've made today, Claire?” Vladimir said after a while. Claire looked at the floor, and sighed. Of course, I will, but I don’t want to hurt them more once they realize that you and I are just in a contract marriage. “No,” Claire said still looking at the floor. “I will not.”Claire did not saw Vladimir's reaction, but he was silent for a while before answering“Okay.” Vladimir agreed. “If that’s what you want, Claire.”With a heavy heart, she turned around and started walking towards their house.He didn’t even stop me and just agreed. Why does he really want to marry me?She was thinking when he heard Vladimir's voice again. “Is that really what you want, Claire?” Vladimir said. She stopped from walking, she turned around and faced Vladimir. She was five meters away from him. “Hey! Why are you shouting?” Vladimir walked towards her direction. “But I want to tell them everyt
Claire’s POV Grace? The woman she has been waiting and loving for a long time? And, the reason why he made love to me that day? That, Grace? Claire looked at him and she saw him still looking at the woman, even though the car had already left for a long time. We just kissed, but here you are looking at another woman. Well, she's not just another woman. She is Grace. Well, how can I compete with someone who you genuinely love? I am just a woman whom you got pregnant and whom you had a one-night stand with. I'm just nothing compared to her. She turned around and started walking towards her family’s house. I will just let him be and let him think about what he really wants. “Claire, you’re done talking?” Her mom said. She closed the gate and hugged her mom. She sobbed and started crying. “Why? What happened?” Her mom asked. “I just missed you all. I missed you all so much.” She was still crying when she heard Vladimir talk “Why did you leave me there alone, Cl
Claire’s POV Claire and Vladimir started at each other. “Claire, marriage is once in a lifetime. You need to wear a dress for your wedding properly.” Claire's dad said. Claire then looked at his father. “Yes, Pa, I will.” “You go with your Vladimir. We will follow you later.” She smiled at her dad. “Yes, Sir, the other car will be here any minute now.” “Okay. Go ahead, both of you. And, Vladimir, you take care of my daughter. We will see you at the venue." Claire's father continued. She looked at Vladimir again. And so is Vladimir. “Let’s go, Claire,” Vladimir said. They went outside Claire's family's house.Vladimir then opened the gate and guided her outside. She said goodbye to her family and walked outside of their gate's house. She looked back and waved goodbye to her family once more. After that, she started walking towards the car. She didn’t even bother waiting for Vladimir. She is now in front of the car. She stopped and contemplated. Should I
Claire’s POV Claire is currently wearing a sophisticated white dress that’s hugging her body and flows down her legs. The wedding dress has a low V-neck line paired with a half-centimeter strap. She walked towards the mirror to look at herself. And, there she saw how beautiful she was. The make up artists weren't joking when they tild her she was so beautiful.She can't believe how the wedding dress complemented her features.Just like what I've imagined. The woman who assisted them a while ago asked her about her preference, and she described it to her. She tried on one dress a while ago but disliked it because it was too daring. And now, the neckline, the strap, and the dress suited her preference well. “I—I love it.” Claire said out loud. “Yes, Ma’am, it feels like the dress has already found its owner.” She looked at herself. She didn’t know that she would be able to wear her dream dress on her wedding day. “Do you want to show to your future husband yourself, Ma
Claire POVClaire and Vladimir’s pictorial ended.Vladimir took her hand and held her. He then led her. She just followed him, and held his hand tightly. As if that was the only security she needed that time. She took a deep breath.After a while, they reached the garden at the back of the Boutique, where they got their wedding dress and wedding suit.Shock was understatement.She looked around. And, saw how beautiful her wedding was. Their wedding.She smiled at the thought. It’s a garden wedding! Her dream wedding.Tears almost escaped from her eyes when she saw her family near the altar. But, she stopped herself from crying. Claire saw the priest waiting for them in front. The guests who are present are her family, on the left side, and the woman on the right side.A woman? She looked at Vladimir to ask who the woman was, but he wasn’t looking at her but her family. She saw her mom and dad standing up and walked towards them. After a while, her parents reached them. “Ma’
Kela sat by the window, gazing out at the view of the city. The wedding had been beautiful—everything she had ever dreamed of. But now, in the quiet aftermath, the reality of her situation felt heavier than the delicate lace of her dress.Vladimir’s presence beside her startled her, though she had heard his footsteps approaching. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, the touch warm and reassuring.“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured, his fingers softly kneading her skin.Kela turned to look at him, his deep brown eyes filled with an intensity she couldn’t quite read. His proximity made her heart race. She wanted to pull away, to create distance, but something in her wanted to stay.“I can’t stop thinking, Vladimir,” she whispered. “About the child. About the contract. About everything that’s been… planned for us.”He stepped closer, his breath warm against her neck. “Kela, I never meant for any of this to be so complicated. But it is. I need you to trust me.”The softness in
Time passed, and with each passing day, Kela found herself falling more in love with Vladimir. He was attentive, loving, and completely dedicated to her. There were no more doubts about his feelings—he had proven himself over and over again with every gesture, every touch, every word.The contract still hung in the background, but now it felt more like a formality. She had stopped thinking about it, stopped fearing its consequences. She knew that whatever happened, they would face it together.One morning, as they sat on the balcony of their home, watching the sun rise over the city, Vladimir turned to her with a smile that made her heart skip a beat.“I’ve been thinking,” he began, his voice soft. “About the future. About us.”Kela raised an eyebrow, curious. “What about it?”“I don’t want to wait anymore,” he said, his eyes filled with determination. “I don’t want to wait for the contract to end. I want to make this official. I want you to be my wife.”Kela’s breath caught in her th
The weeks rolled on, and with every passing day, Kela found herself drawn deeper into the life that Vladimir had promised. The uncertainty of the contract continued to hang over them like an invisible thread, but their love was growing stronger, more tangible. It was something she could feel in every touch, in every whispered word, in every lingering look. Yet there were still questions, still doubts, that neither of them had addressed fully.As much as Vladimir’s words reassured her, Kela couldn’t escape the reality of the ticking clock. She knew the contract would end, and with it, a promise that both of them had been trying to avoid facing. What would become of their love, and would Vladimir still want her once the conditions of the agreement were no longer relevant?One evening, after a long day of work, Kela found herself alone in the living room. The baby was already asleep in the nursery, and the silence in the house felt deafening. She stared out the window at the setting sun,
The days following their conversation were filled with a new kind of closeness. Kela felt the tension between them slowly begin to fade as they worked through their issues together. Vladimir was more present, more attentive, and Kela couldn’t deny that his efforts were making her feel more secure in their relationship.Then the baby’s first words came soon after, a sweet sound that melted Kela’s heart every time she heard it. Vladimir was there, as always, with a proud smile on his face. Despite the lingering tension between them, there was something about the baby that seemed to unite them, drawing them closer together in a way Kela hadn’t anticipated.But as the days turned into weeks, the reality of the contract loomed over them. Vladimir had promised her that he would never let her go, but what did that really mean when the time came to honor the contract? What would happen when the year was up? What will he do? What should she do?As days goes by, lots and lots of questions are c
The next few days were a whirlwind of emotions. Kela couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between her and Vladimir. There was a subtle change in the air—an unspoken understanding that things were different now, more real. Yet, despite the reassurance in his words, she couldn’t shake the fear that still lingered. It wasn’t just Grace. It was the unspoken contract, the promise she had made, the future that loomed over them like a dark cloud.Vladimir could sense the change in her too. He tried to reassure her in little ways—touching her arm when they walked together, holding her hand a little tighter in public, giving her a lingering kiss on the forehead before bed. But he also seemed to be preoccupied with something, a distance in his eyes that Kela couldn’t quite place.It was the middle of the afternoon when she found herself standing in the garden, looking out over the horizon. The sun was beginning to dip below the line of trees, casting a golden glow over everythi
Days passed in a blur of routine. The baby’s first coos, the first feeding, and the tiny milestones that made Kela’s heart swell with pride. Vladimir was there every step of the way, his presence a steady comfort, yet his mind seemed to remain elsewhere at times—far off, lost in thought.Kela noticed the change. It wasn’t like before, when he was fully engaged, consumed by their baby and the life they were trying to build. Now, there was a distance, a faint tension that never seemed to dissipate.One evening, after a long day spent caring for the baby, Kela found herself sitting alone on the balcony, the cool evening air brushing against her skin. She looked up at the stars, her thoughts drifting back to the contract, to the promise she had made, and to the woman who still lingered in the background of their lives: Grace.“Vladimir?”She heard him approach before she saw him, his footsteps quiet but deliberate. He came to stand beside her, his presence as familiar as ever. She didn’t
The days that followed were a mix of quiet contentment and uneasy thoughts. Kela felt herself pulled between two worlds: one where she allowed herself to hope and feel something for Vladimir, and the other, a world of doubt where she kept her heart guarded. Every time Vladimir held her, or kissed her forehead, or smiled at their child with such genuine love, the walls she had carefully built around her heart crumbled a little more. Yet, each time she remembered the contract, the promise of an end, the fear came rushing back.The morning sun streamed through the window, casting a soft glow across the room where Kela stood, preparing for another day. Her fingers fumbled as she adjusted the baby’s blanket, her thoughts far away. She heard the soft click of the door opening, followed by the gentle sound of footsteps. Vladimir appeared in the doorway, his expression calm but with an unreadable glint in his eyes.“You’re up early,” he said, his voice warm, a smile playing on his lips. His g
The days following their heartfelt conversation were filled with a strange tension. Kela found herself constantly second-guessing her decision to trust Vladimir. Every time he spoke of the child, or when they spent time together, the weight of their contract hung over her, an invisible barrier that she couldn’t quite ignore.She knew what she had promised: after a year, the custody would be his. It was a deal she had made, but now, each time she saw Vladimir’s eyes on their child, a small part of her felt that ache of uncertainty. Could she really hand over the child after all this time? Could she trust that he would keep his word?Vladimir, for his part, had been making an effort to prove his sincerity. He was patient with her, never pushing too hard. He would hold her hand during meals, kiss her forehead before leaving for work, and spend hours with their child when he was home. He was trying, and Kela had to admit that his actions spoke volumes, even if she couldn’t always put her
The evening had turned chilly, the cool breeze brushing against the curtains of the living room where Kela sat, her thoughts a whirlwind. Vladimir had been distant since their conversation earlier, lost in his own world, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was really thinking.She was shaken from her reverie when she heard footsteps approaching. Vladimir appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of indecipherable emotion.“You’re quiet,” he said, his voice low, his eyes searching hers.Kela stood up, her posture tense. “There’s a lot on my mind,” she replied, trying to steady her breathing.He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “We need to talk. About the child. About everything.”Her heart skipped a beat at the mention of the child. It had been a constant source of tension between them—his desire for the inheritance, her desire to protect her child from the world he wanted to bring them into.“I’ve been thinking about what we agreed on,” she said slowly, her voice stead
Kela sat by the window, gazing out at the view of the city. The wedding had been beautiful—everything she had ever dreamed of. But now, in the quiet aftermath, the reality of her situation felt heavier than the delicate lace of her dress.Vladimir’s presence beside her startled her, though she had heard his footsteps approaching. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, the touch warm and reassuring.“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured, his fingers softly kneading her skin.Kela turned to look at him, his deep brown eyes filled with an intensity she couldn’t quite read. His proximity made her heart race. She wanted to pull away, to create distance, but something in her wanted to stay.“I can’t stop thinking, Vladimir,” she whispered. “About the child. About the contract. About everything that’s been… planned for us.”He stepped closer, his breath warm against her neck. “Kela, I never meant for any of this to be so complicated. But it is. I need you to trust me.”The softness in