Even though they have known each other since childhood, Cheryl and Carlos have been trapped in a relationship without the blessing of their parents. Not only her Daddy, but Mateo also often shows his disapproval whenever Cheryl tells about her wedding plans with Carlos. However, three months ago, everything changed. Jackson finally gave permission after a long silence every time Cheryl and Carlos showed their seriousness. After struggling for years, Cheryl and Carlos finally got the chance to formalize their relationship through a simple engagement party held privately at his family's mansion. Cheryl doesn't like a party that is held privately. She likes luxury and also the attention that is only focused on her. However, everything about her wishes was always the opposite of Carlos's. It's okay. It's just an engagement party. Carlos had promised that he would make her dream wedding come true at their wedding party. "Hey, you've been waiting for me for a long time?" Cheryl walked gr
Veronica: Where are you? No kidding, Cheryl.Cheryl frowned when she read the short message sent by Veronica. She wondered, did Veronica know she was in Las Vegas to meet Rafael?Cheryl: What's wrong? I was at Grandma's house. Do you want to go here?Less than a minute later, Veronica sent a reply message.Veronica: Don't mess around, Cheryl. Did you come to Rafael's casino last night?Cheryl: How do you know?Cheryl impatiently tapped her finger on the phone screen when she didn't receive Veronica's reply."Quick," she muttered in annoyance.Veronica: I did ask you to play with him, but not to harm yourself.Cheryl: What do you mean?Veronica: Rafael's phone is with you, right?Cheryl blinked. She just remembered that she had not returned Rafael's cell phone. Instead, it was still in… in her trouser pocket.Oh no! Doesn't that mean she has a chance to meet Rafael again soon?Cheryl groaned in frustration in her heart. She didn't understand what was going on, which made her focus ofte
Cheryl stared at the piece of raw salmon in front of her. Instantly her stomach churned at the thought of raw meat in her mouth. However, like it or not, she still had to chew the food and swallow it with difficulty."Cheryl, I'm sorry I forgot that you don't like eating raw fish." Carlos noticed Cheryl's tormented expression as she was forced to chew the piece of salmon in her mouth."Not only raw fish, but Cheryl doesn't like all fish dishes either," Jackson added calmly. He glanced at Cheryl and smiled mockingly.Again, Cheryl felt as if her Daddy had wanted to tell her something, but he didn't want to say it directly. Cheryl knew her Daddy well, and it seemed that he wanted to play riddles with her now."Oh really? I just found out you don't like processed fish, Cheryl." Luisa commented.Cheryl smiled awkwardly, “I just don't like it. Not allergic to fish. I don't think there's anything wrong if I try salmon now.”"Don't force yourself," whispered Carissa in her ear.Cheryl's eyes
“Carlos, you cheat! You shouldn't have killed my horse!” Cheryl exclaimed in annoyance when Carlos again managed to read the move she had planned for her chess game.This time—correctly, since this morning Carlos had come to the Mansion to keep Cheryl company all day. Her Daddy and Mommy are back in Manhattan because they will travel to Barcelona tonight. Meanwhile, Cheryl decided to stay in Las Vegas before she returned to her busy life at Diamonique.Since a few hours ago, Cheryl and Carlos have tried various kinds of games in this Mansion. Starting from playing bowling, swimming, to golf. Having fun. They are having fun. And Cheryl was very happy because Carlos wanted to take time out of his busy life to be able to spend time with her."Then, should I give up on you?" Carlos laughed softly. He rubbed Cheryl's face in a gentle motion before giving a kiss on the tip of her forehead. "Princess, I will never lose to you," he said with full confidence.Cheryl snorted in annoyance. She s
Cheryl knew her decision to come to the airport at 11:40 in the middle of the night was stupid. Maybe Cheryl would wake up feeling regret tomorrow—perhaps she would curse her decision tonight. However, her mind suddenly stopped working. Empty. She didn't know where to go after asking Carlos for freedom.Only until her wedding day. After that, Cheryl will return to her old self. She will try to understand and always follow whatever Carlos says.Happy life? Yes, of course, it would be a happy life. They'd get married, have a kid or two, then live happily ever after. Oh, maybe not forever. They will fight and blame each other but eventually get back together again.Maybe they just needed some time to calm their minds."Yesterday, someone refused my invitation by saying that she did not want to run away with a poor man." Rafael sneered. He threw a brown food packet containing a burger."No problem, I'll pay for everything. I'm filthy rich, and I still have money,” Cheryl looked around, “W
“Calm down, calm down! You just need to take a breath and then let it out slowly using your lips," Rafael wiped Cheryl’s face using a wet cloth—maybe his jacket, or the shirt he was wearing, then tried to make her sit up straight while leaning against a tree."You know what's in the mud? The amoeba and other single-celled creatures must have burrowed into my skin and reproduced and—”"No," Rafael put a finger to her lips, "they won't get under your skin. You are okay!"“I must die, Rafael! I will surely die soon!” Cheryl was crying, howling with a terrified look.Oh God, she just drowned in a muddy swamp. Her head had entered the water when she struggled to open the car door and followed Rafael, who had come out first to help her swim. Unlike Rafael, who was able to adjust to the muddy swamp conditions, Cheryl immediately screamed hysterically so that Rafael was shocked and accidentally released his hold on her shoulder. Her body was detached from Rafael so she immediately drowned, sh
"You can guarantee that the Alejandro family didn't come here and blow up my ranch house when they found out that their daughter had run off with my granddaughter?" Alfonso Frederich spoke softly while sipping a cup of tea Rafael had made.Cheryl initially stared at the courtyard where Rafael was busy painting a wooden fence, but after hearing a ridiculous question from Rafael's grandfather, she immediately turned her head with a brief smile.Rafael’s grandpa is a fun, silly old man. Cheryl had completely changed her judgment of him because she had always been nice to her in the two days she was at the ranch house. In fact, he often made Cheryl remember her late grandfather who had died. In the past, Cheryl learned to ride a horse with her grandfather. He was also the one who taught Cheryl to play archery and introduced Cheryl to classical music, which made her interested in learning to play the piano."They don't know I'm in Canada." Cheryl shrugged."That's even worse!" He snapped h
"Are you going to slap me if I kiss you?" Cheryl's head was spinning instantly. Empty. Her mind is blank. Her hands were shaking, but her eyes remained fixed on watching Rafael's face which was right in front of her. Near. He was getting closer. Cheryl knew that Rafael's lips would touch hers in less than two seconds, but she didn't move as if she accepted every closeness he had created. Cold. Cheryl shivered with cold when Rafael's lips pressed against hers, kissing her slowly as if he was deliberately waiting for permission from her. Crazy, Cheryl must be crazy when she opened her lips slowly, giving access to Rafael, who was now moving closer. Tasting the taste, crushing her lips in a sweet movement that relaxes her knees. Cheryl would have fallen over if Rafael's hands hadn't been holding her waist. Her body went limp. Her legs couldn't support their own weight. “Cheryl…” Rafael muttered softly in the kiss they did, “you're cute. Very sweet." Cheryl was getting out of contr
"Put away your weapons!" Carlos glared angrily at his guards, who were still pointing their guns at Cheryl as they walked out of Liam Fernandez's mansion.Cheryl still sobbed in Carlos's embrace. She cried—crying was the only thing she could do. Seeing the destruction of ElWagner unfold before her eyes made her realize that the best ElWagner agents had sacrificed themselves for her— for her ambition."That's okay, Cheryl. You can cry," Carlos comforted her, holding her close even as they got into the car.She fell silent for a long time. She couldn't stop her tears, especially when she realized she was now in Carlos's arms."Why did it have to happen?" she muttered in a heartbreaking voice."Relax, you don't need to think about anything. Everything is right, Cheryl. You're with me again," Carlos whispered as he kissed her cheek."You left me, Carlos.""No, I am not," Carlos shook his head. "Not anymore. I apologize for my mistakes. After this, I will never leave you again. We will alw
Cheryl gripped her black jacket tightly around her body as the car she was in came to a halt at the gate of Liam Fernandez's mansion in Milan, Italy.ElWagner's top agents had successfully disabled the mansion a few minutes before she and Beatrice arrived. Rafael's trusted snipers, who had launched an attack on the mansion, had captured Liam Fernandez, who was now being held hostage in his office.The night wind struck Cheryl's face, making her shiver in the cold. Once again, she tightened her jacket. For the first time in her life, she carried a gun. Tonight, she walked in the darkness wearing a bulletproof vest, a gun tucked under her black jacket and a knife concealed in her shoe. Just in case, as Theodore had advised.The smell of blood hit her nose as she walked past the magnificent gates of Liam Fernandez's mansion. Her stomach flared up, but she calmed herself up, placing a hand on her belly. "Be strong, my baby," she whispered softly."Are you okay?" Beatrice turned her head u
There's one thing Cheryl learned as an Alejandro—she doesn't give up easily, and she doesn't forgive easily. She has big ambitions, and she has the courage to do whatever she wants. Just like her decision to stay with Carlos because she believed she loved him—although she didn't. She didn't love him, but she felt owed to Carlos, so she forced herself to believe that she loved him.But now, things have changed. She is no longer just an Alejandro; she's also a Wagner. So, there's no reason for her to be afraid."I found this data three days ago, but everything is still unclear," Beatrice showed a long analysis dataset.Cheryl furrowed her brows, reading the data on Beatrice's iPad and trying to understand a confusing family tree diagram of Wagner’s family. It starts from the ancestors of the Wagner family and goes down to Rafael. Even her name was in the data. However, there was something else in the data that looked suspicious."It does look confusing, but in short, Eros Wagner apparen
The night wind swept through Cheryl's hair as she lay on the rooftop, making her shiver from the cold for daring to lie there in the middle of the night. The words spoken by Beatrice and Mateo kept replaying in her mind, adding to her torment—making her suffer even more.Every breath, every heartbeat, and even every passing second felt increasingly painful when she knew the cause of Rafael's accident. It was her. She was the cause. Rafael left because of her. It was all her fault. Everyone was crying and suffering because of her.Rafael's presence had been like a miracle to her. But, on the contrary, she had become the source of his suffering.With her weak body and pale face, she walked to the edge of the rooftop. Every memory they had spent in this place played in her mind. She looked out over the vast forest expanse at the rooftop's edge. Maybe she wouldn't hesitate to jump off if she wasn't pregnant. But now, her situation was much more complicated. She had to stay alive when she
"I will announce Rafael's death one week from now," Ares' firm voice shattered the silence in the dining room.Everyone froze, staring at Ares with bated breath, except for one person: Cheryl."How dare you?! Don't you dare announce anything other than good news when Rafael returns," Catalina retorted with a sharp gaze."What do you expect? We can't keep waiting. How long will we be like this? Didn't we already release the flowers into the sea two days ago? Isn't that enough for you?" Ares responded."There's still a chance he's alive! I don't care about flowers or anything you say. I don't even care about your concerns for your company heir. But don't you dare announce my son's death!" Catalina's breath raced as she stared at Ares with a palpable gaze. "We just need to wait a little longer. There will be good news. Haven't the search team found—""Three bodies in nearly unrecognizable condition?" Ares cut in swiftly. "What are you waiting for, Catalina? Do you need to see his corpse
Days passed in a blur. One day after hearing the news about Rafael's plane, Cheryl fell ill. She had a fever, and her condition didn't get better even after a week had passed. And during that time, there was not a single word about Rafael. His plane, his whereabouts, and even how he was doing. Everything still seemed vague. There was no certainty whatsoever. There was no trace as if his plane had simply disappeared.Almost all the news on TV, the internet, and newspapers was filled with the news of the crash of Europe WGR's heir. Everyone was curious about the accident, and some of them even predicted that Rafael's plane had crashed due to bad weather. Therefore, three days ago, the search was carried out by combing the sea area to find clues about his whereabouts.In contrast to them, Cheryl hoped that the wreck of Rafael's plane was not found. The plane didn't crash. Rafael was alive, breathing and fine. He was on the other side of the world, and he would only take a little while to
Cheryl stared at the food in front of her with an annoyed look. It had been almost three hours since she had sat alone at the table, but Rafael had not arrived.Their last conversation was five hours ago when she had just finished training with Theodore. Now, all her cooking was done, beautifully arranged on the table, while her fingers were covered with plaster cuts from holding the knife. She had done all this for Rafael, to welcome him home like any other wife would. However, he did not come. Even their communication devices have been disconnected since she turned them off a few hours ago.Gosh, she regretted turning that thing off. Rafael must have been upset with her, so he turned off their phone connection."Rafael,"There was no answer.Cheryl exhaled in annoyance."You're late, and I'm really mad at you."Even though she knew that Rafael did not hear her voice, she kept talking— babbling like crazy."I won't forgive you. Let alone dessert, you won't even get a meal tonight! I
"Who sent you?!" The shout echoed through the Dominggos family mansion located in Canada.Carlos Dominggos stared angrily at the crowd of bodyguards pointing guns at him. Meanwhile, hundreds of Dominggos family bodyguards had been taken down outside his room. Some of them were lying helplessly on the floor."Answer me! Is it that damn Rafael?! Or maybe Ares Wagner?!" He shouted again. Despite his anger, he kept his hands behind his head—just as he had done to the ElWagner agents surrounding him. There was no choice. He was now trapped inside his mansion while ElWagner carried out a massive massacre of his bodyguards, killing them and turning his mansion into a horrible pool of blood.Silence. No one made a sound until an approaching footstep broke the silence in the room. "More precisely, the leader of ElWagner—Rafael Wagner." Rafael greeted while walking with a sharp gaze. His terrifying face was suffocating even without carrying a gun like the bodyguards did. He strode calmly in a b
"You're leaving again?" Cheryl frowned when she saw Rafael already dressed in his suit at 7 a.m. His hair was slicked back, and he looked handsome and gorgeous."Yes, I have a meeting with ElWagner's secret leaders."When she heard Rafael's work agenda, she felt her heart skip a beat.Even though she knew that Rafael had competent bodyguards like Theodore and Lex, she still couldn't calm down when she learned that he was going to ElWagner's headquarters in Canada."It's December 28th. Can't you take the end of the year off to spend time with her?"Rafael turned his head, then smiled briefly at her, "I'll go straight home tomorrow. After that, I won't be working again until early next year. Are you happy, Princess?""Can I come to Canada?"Rafael frowned, "Don't you have an event with Mommy Carissa today? Are you going to cancel?"She smacked her forehead lightly for forgetting the important agenda she would do with her Mommy. They rarely had time together. It was hard to choose betwee