Cheryl looked up at the seven masked men sitting around the rectangular table in front of her. At the far end, she could see Beatrice who was staring at her with wide eyes. Even though she wears masks, Cheryl can recognize her easily.Seven masked people. Cheryl muttered in her heart. She remembered that Beatrice said there were eight secret leaders. Then, why were there only seven people wearing masks?Besides the seven masked people, there were several other people sitting at the big table.Silence. They bowed their heads deeply. Not a single sound could be heard. Even she couldn't hear the sound of their breathing.Cheryl swallowed her saliva. Crazy. Beatrice was right. Even though Mateo was one of the secret leaders, that man didn't react at all when he saw her sitting on Rafael's lap. She couldn't even find her brother among the six masked men.Where was Mateo? Did he really not care about her?"Rafael," Cheryl muttered under her breath, raising her head to look at Rafael who was
Rafael gazed at Cheryl, who was starting to lose consciousness.True. She was indeed a terrible wine drinker. Just five minutes after sipping half a glass of the champagne he had given her, she lost because she was a bad drinker."Take her out of here," Rafael looked at Beatrice, who was sitting at the end of the table across from him.Beatrice let out a brief snort. "Alright, Sir," she replied reluctantly. She got up and walked towards Cheryl, pulling her away from his lap."It seems you're bored of playing with Alejandro," she played her part epically. She asked with firmness, cruelty, and cunning, deliberately making everyone hear her voice.Rafael raised an eyebrow. "She is indeed a boring woman," he said, gazing at Cheryl. He kept muttering apologies to her in his heart for all the crazy things that had happened. "Other than her game in bed, I like nothing about her."He wanted to take off his mask. He wanted to hold Cheryl and take her out of this dreadful place. But he couldn't
Cheryl groaned softly, rubbing her throbbing head. The bright light shining into her eyes made it difficult for her to adjust."My head..." She murmured, touching her temple, which felt sore.Her vision swayed, spun, causing her stomach to churn.Damn it. She was going to throw up."Use this," Beatrice handed her a vomit bag just before she opened her mouth.The remnants of the wine she had drink only to end up miserably spewed out as she vomited."It's better if you empty your stomach completely," Beatrice said.Cheryl turned her head, looking at Beatrice who was sitting calmly beside her. She was driving with one hand while the other was extended to massage Cheryl's neck.A few moments later, Cheryl's head lowered again as she emptied the contents of her stomach.Crazy. She had never been this drunk before. The wine Rafael had given her had quite great an effect."I already gave you an antidote, but you're still vomiting?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a mocking ex
"Mateo, will you marry me someday?" 8-year-old Cheryl stretched out her hand, asking Mateo to keep holding her hand as they walked into the church.Occasionally, her hand reached out to touch the flowers on both sides of the path that would lead them to the main door of the church. She wanted to pick the flowers and put them in her pocket as she usually did, but she quickly abandoned her idea when she saw the dress she was wearing. Today, she wore a white dress, so she didn't want to soil the beautiful dress by storing flowers in her pocket."No! Why would I marry you? I'm your big brother, Cheryl!" Mateo held her hand, walking ahead of their parents, who were still busy behind them.Cheryl looked up, staring at Mateo, who was much taller than her. "Why?" She pouted.Mateo rolled his eyes. "No one wants to marry their own sister. I'm going to find a beautiful girlfriend and marry her.""Why? Are you going to leave me?" She almost cried at the thought of Mateo leaving her."You're goin
"Do you need more wine, Honey?" A Latin woman in a low-cut red dress approached, sitting on Rafael's lap as he started to lose consciousness from the alcohol.The thumping sound of loud music still filled the air in the crowded place. However, Rafael felt empty. Silent and so quiet. He was alone, unsure of what to do after seeing Cheryl bleeding and unconscious.Rafael observed the woman closely—green eyes, sweet red lips that smiled, and a seductive figure. Oh goodness... her eyes were green."Are you here?" Rafael mumbled softly. He laughed, extending his hand to pull that woman's body closer. He laid his head against her chest, leaning as if confirming that he was tired and weary. His body might appear strong and sturdy, but his heart was fragile.Rafael closed his eyes slightly. He was enjoying their closeness. Feeling her heartbeat against his chest.It felt like he wanted to ask God so that their heartbeats could always be in the same rhythm. When her heart raced, his heart woul
Cheryl could see the surprise on Beatrice's face as she watched Mateo stepping out of Alejandro's helicopter that had just landed in the farmhouse yard. Alfonso hurriedly made his way out, that old man looking taken aback by the commotion of the helicopter's rotor blades."I'm leaving, Grandpa. Thank you for allowing me to stay here," Cheryl offered a brief smile as she approached Alfonso."Leaving?" Alfonso's eyes widened. "You're going back to Manhattan?"Cheryl nodded slowly. She briefly glanced at Beatrice, who let out a short snort, then walked away from her—disappearing behind the tightly closed door of the house."Why did you come home suddenly, Dear? I thought you were going to stay here for a few more days."Cheryl bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears as she remembered that she had spent this past week in vain."I'm getting married. I hope you can come to Manhattan for my wedding," she murmured."You have invited me before, and I told you I'll be praying for you,"
"Where are you going, clever boy? Isn't your head still spinning?" Catalina panicked as she saw Rafael stumbling out of her mansion. "I have important business to attend to. I'll be back later, Mom," Rafael replied, glancing back before quickly walking away. Accidentally, his right hand bumped into a green emerald ceramic vase in the room's corner. The sound of shattered ceramics immediately filled the room. Rafael jumped in surprise, and Catalina, now glaring angrily at him, turned her eyes away as if she were a dragon about to breathe fire. Rafael swallowed hard. Just a few months ago, Catalina had proudly displayed that $2,8 million vase after winning it at an auction in Italy. Oh boy, he was in big trouble. "My clever child, why did you destroy my house?!" the woman screamed hysterically. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll replace your green vase later!" Rafael hurriedly walked away. "I don't need that green vase! Bring me a green-eyed daughter-in-law!" she shouted from afar. Rafael chuc
Cheryl stared out of the window of her private jet at the dark clouds. Her hand moved slowly to wipe her face. She was alone, sitting while enjoying a glass of freshly served orange juice while Mateo was busy with his work.Just like the sky outside the plane, her heart also felt dark.She had seen the darkness in Rafael's life, but instead of being afraid, she was drawn to it. She was trying hard to find another dark secret about him that had been hidden from her.Rafael and his concealed secrets made her even more intrigued to delve into it. The leader of ElWagner, the ElWagner clan, who can kill people with a single bullet, secret attacks, and the secret people who hid weapons beneath their bodies."Sorry to disturb you, Miss. But you should fasten your seatbelt because we'll be landing shortly," a flight attendant came to warn her."I can handle it myself," She declined when the flight attendant reached out to assist her."Very well, if you need anything, you can call me."She nod