"What are you doing in my mansion this early in the morning? Do you want to take refuge here?" Mateo grumbled when he found Cheryl lying on the bed in his room with Veronica when he came out of the bathroom.Cheryl raised one eyebrow, then went back to watching the movie with Veronica—ignoring Mateo."What? Why are you ignoring me?" Mateo grumbled in annoyance, this time while pulling Cheryl and Veronica's legs in turn—making them laugh."Stop it, Mateo!" Cheryl kicked Mateo's hand, then pulled Veronica away from him."Stop, or I'll lock you out!"Cheryl's yelling didn't make Mateo stop, but Veronica did. Mateo stopped as soon as he heard her threat. He gave them an annoyed look, then grabbed the television remote and turned it off while stomping his foot irritably.Cheryl squinted, then turned to Veronica. "Your husband is ridiculous!" She said as she rose to her feet—ready to walk out of the room."A little better than your husband, who left you!" Veronica laughed.Cheryl turned aro
It had been five days since Rafael left for Canada to take care of Europe WGR's problems, and Cheryl hadn't slept properly since he left. It felt as if there was something empty in her heart every time she saw the empty bed beside her. She missed him, but she couldn’t call him. She even rejected all of his video calls with various excuses—being busy, sleepy, or lazy. But the reason behind her refusal was shame. She was embarrassed if he saw her crying during their video calls.She was upset that Rafael chose to call Veronica over her, but she wouldn't pick up when he called her. What a ridiculous thing"No need to follow me, El." She looked at Elezar, who was walking quietly behind her."I'm sorry, Mrs. Wagner, but Mr. Wagner said that I should follow you." Elezar nodded respectfully, "I promise you won't notice me." He said.Cheryl stared at the elderly hospital yard in front of her. It had been almost three years since she became the main donor at that place. In the past, she often
Cheryl's body shook with fear when she saw the flames around her. The room was on fire after the bomb thrown by Elain exploded moments ago."Mrs. Wagner," Elezar rose to his feet with difficulty. His body was covered in wounds. Even Cheryl could see blood flowing from the tip of his head.She looked at that man with fear—very much fear."We need to get out of this place," Elezar coughed, then he spat beside him.Cheryl shuddered in horror when she saw Elezar spitting blood from his mouth. His body was full of wounds, but he still prioritized her safety."Are you okay? Can you breathe?" He asked.Several of ElWagner's bodyguards walked over to her—forming a circle and helping her walk. One of them even offered to carry her."I..." She gasped, her hands shaking with fear at the sight of the flames. "I want to get out of here," she muttered.Oh God, anything but fire.Ever since the kidnapping and fire a few years ago, she was still terrified at the sight of fire. Her chest feels tight.
Cheryl looked nervously at the clock in her room. It was already 3 a.m., but Rafael still hadn't come into their room.She got up, tightened the straps of her nightgown, and walked out of her room. Without Rafael, she wouldn't be able to sleep, especially after the horrible incident that happened to her a few hours ago. She needed Rafael. She needs his hug to get through their dark night.So, she decides to go out and get him.However, as soon as she opened the door to her room, she frowned in confusion when she saw Elezar standing in front of her door."Elezar?" She immediately pulled up her nightgown, hugging her own body as she stared at Elezar, who was now lowering his head as if he knew that she was uncomfortable."Mrs. Wagner," that man nodded politely."What are you doing here? Did Rafael send you?" Cheryl was surprised. Of all the places in the world, their mansion was the safest. There were no roads. Their home could only be reached by helicopter, so anyone infiltrating would
The tinkling sounds of Merry Christmas echoed through the hallway of the Alejandro family mansion. Dozens of maids were busy preparing food in the living room, which had now been transformed into a dining room with a relaxed atmosphere, but full of the warmth of Christmas. This Christmas was a little different because it wasn't just the four of them, but also Veronica, Rafael, and even Rafael's parents who had decided to take a three-day vacation in Manhattan to attend the Alejandro family's Christmas celebration. Veronica had spent many Christmas holidays at their mansion, but this was a first for Rafael.At the far end of the room, Cheryl sat with Rafael as they played the piano together. Rafael was a good piano player, so she loved playing with him. Unlike when she played with Jackson or Mateo, they sucked, and she was always annoyed with them. However, at that time, she had no other options, so even though she was annoyed, she still forced Mateo and Jackson to play with her.Meanw
"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
"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
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
"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