"Come in," she answered, her tone tinged with mild annoyance at the interruption. A man came in, carrying a large bouquet of roses. She got up from her chair, confused. The man extended the bouquet towards her. She stared at the bouquet, hesitant to take it."This is for you," he clarified, noticing her hesitation. "For me?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. She took the bouquet and began searching for a note. There it was nestled among the crimson blossoms. A knowing smile spread across her face as she realized who the sender was. "I'll take my leave," the man said. She nodded absently, her entire focus centered on the card. She opened the note, and her smile grew into a full-blown grin as she read it: "I Love You," in all caps. She gently brushed her fingers over the letters, her heart blooming like those flowers. You are my heaven. It is a simple sentence but deep enough to stir butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't stop smiling as she read and reread his confession. Bringi
"Don't try me," he warned her, adopting a tone he had never used with her before. Maya was stunned, heartbroken. "What's wrong with you?" Maya retorted, not able to understand why he was being such a jerk to her. Dante let out an exasperated sigh. "Just apologize to Eviana," he said. "I won't," Maya refused outrightly. Dante clenched his jaw. "It's okay. I don't want any apology. Just don't fight on my account," Eviana interrupted. "She has slapped you. It's not a trivial matter. The least you deserve is an apology," Katty asserted, giving dirty eye to Maya. Dante took an angry stride towards her, his huge frame dwarfing hers. "Don't push it, Maya. Just do as I say," he gritted out. He loved her but he wouldn't support her where she was wrong. She needed to take responsibility for her mistakes. "Watch your tone with me," Maya seethed, not backing out. "And you want her to run this house with you. She is immature, who can't take responsibility for her own actions," Katty punct
"You okay?" Miguel questioned after noticing her dour mood. "I am good," Maya answered flatly. Her lips pursed by suppressed fury. "Alright. Get up. We have somewhere to be," Miguel prompted her. Maya frowned. "Where to? You didn't say anything about going anywhere" she asked"It was last minute," he stated. Maya drew a sigh before getting to her feet. He hadn't stopped calling and messaging her since morning. But her anger hadn't eased a bit. Actually, she was more hurt than angry. She cut yet another call and followed Miguel out. She was determined to not forgive him this easily. He pulled over in front of a restaurant. They took their seat at the table in the corner. "Who are we meeting?" Maya questioned, drawing out her tab from the bag to jot down notes. "They'll be here any minute," Miguel said, taking a quick glance at his watch. Maya nodded while Miguel beckoned a waiter."Two drinks for us," he ordered. Maya didn't object. She was also craving something strong to fo
"What's wrong with her?" Katty had written below the pictures she had shared with Dante over the chatting app.It was pictures of Maya and a man whose face wasn't clear. The photos were taken from behind the man, with only Maya’s face visible as he carried her in his arms. Dante burned with jealousy. His eyes burned holes through the screen as he struggled to suppress his rage. He didn't respond to Katty, instead, he called Maya. She didn't answer, further fueling his anger.Seething, he stormed out of his office and drove to hers. .......Maya was surprised to learn that Dante had come to see her. Despite her craving to see him, she told her P.A to not let him in. The bruise he had inflicted on her ego was still fresh and hurting. Despite her clear instruction, the door of her room flew open a few moments later, startling her. She looked up to find him stalking toward her. His face- a mask of pure rage. She got to her feet, feeling intimidated by the oppressive aura he exuded. "Wh
Dante stood taller, his piercing eyes firmly locked on her as she descended the stairs. "Come home with me," his silent command rang clearly in the air, his stare unwavering."I am staying here tonight," she answered, her voice cold. Dante's jaw tightened in strong disapproval. "Why?" he gritted out, his voice low and dangerous. "This is her home. She doesn't need your permission to stay here," Mr. Diaz cut in. "This is not her home," Dante asserted, gaze still locked with her. Maya looked away, breaking their eye contact. "You better leave now. I will not come with you," she refused, folding her arms over her chest as if protecting herself. Though her voice was persistent, the furrow in her brows betrayed the conflict brewing beneath her calm facade. She avoided eye contact with him, afraid she might give in to his demand if she did. "Stop acting like a child and come with me," Dante insisted, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Don't make me call guards, Dante," Mr. Diaz war
Eviana bristled as she saw them together, walking in through the door, hand in hand. Her fists clenched, jealousy burning through her veins.For a brief moment, her eyes met Maya's. The frown on Eviana's mouth quickly curved into a smile, but Maya responded with cold indifference. She wasn't going to get fooled by her fakeness any longer."I am so happy you came back," Eviana approached them, speaking in a sickly sweet voice. "This is my home. Of course, I was coming back," Maya responded curtly, not buying her lies. From today on, she was going to trust her instincts. Eviana's smile hardened. "Of course, of course. The way you left, I thought you wouldn't come back until Dante had ground his nose to your feet," she joked before coming to a stop in front of her and continuing, "Please, forget about everything that happened. I can understand how embarrassed you must have felt while apologizing to me. In honesty, I also didn't like Dante's forci." She stopped to gauge her reaction. "
Dante gazed down at his angel, a soft smile curving his lips. Gently, he wrapped a lock of her silky hair around his finger, twirling it absentmindedly. A few months ago, if someone had dared to tell him this moment would be real—that he would have her by his side—he might have laughed bitterly or even snapped their jaw for mocking his feelings. He still, sometimes, couldn't believe she was really here. He recalled the day she had suddenly appeared before his car. It was impossible to recognize her, as her face was caked in dirt, her clothes torn, and her eyes closed. She looked completely different from her earlier self, but something in him recognized her despite her disheveled state. He was utterly shocked and distraught to find her like that. But they were past those days. Now that they were together, he was determined to fill her life with love and happiness. He had already prepared her divorce papers and the day he would find Paulo, he'd make him sign the paper so that he could
"Earth calling, Maya. Do you copy?" Miguel teased, waving his hand in front of her face. Maya blinked, her eyes refocusing as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Sorry, what?" she asked, meeting his amused gaze. "I was wondering if you've prepared the papers for presentation," he said, unfazed by her lack of attention. "Yeah. It's done. I'll share it with you right away," she replied. "No need. I want you to present it today," he told her. Maya shot him a look of confusion. "Your dad will be presiding over the meeting. So make sure you impress him," he advised her, an encouraging smile on his face. Maya felt a tightness gripping her chest as memories of that night surfaced. The rift in her relationship with her dad had deepened when she left with Dante the following morning. Her dad didn't want her to go back but staying away from Dante was excruciatingly painful. "Hmm," Maya responded with a small smile. Even with little preparation, the presentation was a success. She was, no d
DANTE POVFirst-sight love never made sense to me until she looked into my eyes and conquered my forlorn heart. What no one could do in years, she did it in just one look. And suddenly, I was obsessed, hopelessly smitten with a girl 10 years younger than me. I found msyelf counting stars at night, daydreaming about her, and touching myself while thinking about her. Damn! I was looking forward to getting married to her and starting a family together. She had been so firmly etched into my heart. But all my dreams came crashing to the ground when she confessed her feelings for another man to me. I didn't know heartache could be this devastating. Fuck! I couldn't even breathe properly for a week. It hurt to breathe, to exist. I don't know if it was my love for her or my grief that God returned her to me. Call me selfish, but I was happy their relationship didn't work out. I was happy that she lost her feelings for him. Her heart was broken and I was determined to heal it. If need be, I
Dante plucked fresh red blooms from the garden. Getting rid of the thorns, he bound them together with a ribbon and headed straight towards their room. The fresh morning breeze played with his hair as he walked through the front porch. The house was quiet right now but not for long. The moment his kids would wake up, his quiet sanctuary was going to turn into a rooster house. Everyone predicted right. Their daughter was indeed a handful. From the moment she learned to walk, she was always running- leaving a trail of chaos in her wake. As for little Vincent, he would join his sister in everything she does. And amid the whirlwind of noise and destruction their kids caused, it was Maya who bore the brunt of it all.He gently pushed the door open and walked in to find Maya asleep. A smile formed on his lips as he gazed at her. Her unparalleled beauty made his heart ache with love. He had taken a day off today so she could rest. He was guilty of not being there as much as he should. His w
She screamed her throat raw but that stubborn baby didn't budge from its place. Maya, coated in sweat, was already exhausted. She could tell this baby was going to be a handful. "Push," Dante encouraged her, giving a squeeze to her hand. Maya pushed harder, tears welling up in her eyes. She had never strained her body this much in life before. Indeed becoming a mother was like taking another birth. "We can see the head," the doctor stated. Maya's emotions were running high at the moment. She loved her baby with all her heart but she needed him/her to come out already. It was hurting beyond her tolerance. But despite the pain, she pushed harder. The excitement to see her baby couldn't be surpassed by any pain. Dante stroked her arm, desperate to bring her comfort. He wished he could take away her pain but that was impossible. The nature was unfair considering that both partners share the pleasure of creating life but the pain is reserved only for women. He couldn't even imagine the
Maya placed the portrait on the wall where she could see it from her bed. There were tons of pictures taken on their wedding day and this one was her absolute favorite. It was the picture of her, him, and Vincent, radiant with happiness. Her hand hovered before she traced his face, her touch lingering as memories of that day swirled around her. She smiled, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude. Just then a pair of hands came to rest on her waist. Her smile deepened as she noticed his reflection in the portrait. "I want this to be my second view in the morning," she told him. He placed his chin on her shoulder, eye holding hers. "And what's your first view?" Dante asked, his warm breath caressing the curve of her neck. She turned in his embrace, her gaze lifting to meet his. Even though small, she fit so perfectly against him. This woman had him wrapped around her tiny fingers. "You," she answered, a soft smile tugging at her lips. Dante was tempted to drink on that."So,
Submission isn't only for wars, love demands it too. And in love, when one surrenders, they gain the joy of belonging. To belong to someone is a blessing wrapped in love and trust. Just like the moon belongs to sky, rivers belong to oceans, she belongs to Dante. Only family and friends were invited to their wedding as they wanted to keep it low profile. She stepped out of her room to find her parents waiting. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz froze at first before gentle tears claimed their eyes as they saw her ready to start a new chapter of her life. "How do I look?" she asked sheepishly. Her wedding gown was stunning, she didn't know if she was doing justice to it. "Beautiful," Mrs. Diaz replied, approaching her. "Then why are you both crying?" Maya asked, her eyes drifting to her dad. "You'll understand the day you'll wed off your daughter," Mrs. Diaz told her while adjusting her neckpiece. Maya understood. Seeing their children start a new life must be an emotional moment for parents.
A faint cry of pain slipped from her mouth as she woke up to a crushing headache. She blinked against the harsh white light piercing her vision. "Maya," her mother called. Maya slightly turned her head to find her parents seated beside her. "Where is Dante?" she asked in a whisper. Anxiety etched across her face as she remembered the last night. They had met an accident. Dante had covered her with his body. That's all she remembered. "He is fine," Mrs. Diaz assured her. Maya searched her eyes for any lie but there was none. "My baby?" she asked dreadfully. Her heart began to hammer vigorously against her chest. She didn't know how she would endure if something had happened to her child. "Baby is fine too," she told her. Her eyes blurred with tears of relief. "Ssshh..my child. Everything is fine now," Mr. Diaz consoled her. "I want to see him," she implored through her tears. She had to make sure he was fine. She was not able to recover from the horror they experienced last ni
"We did it," Maya exclaimed, bursting with joy. The thrill lingered until the biting chill of the air nipped at her skin, causing her to tremble. Just as the cold began to seep deeper, a sudden unexpected warmth engulfed her. Startled, she turned to see Dante gently wrapping a scarf around her shoulder. His eyes filled with tender emotions.She pulled the scarf together, her heart swelling with tender love."City looks so beautiful from up here," Maya said, dazzled by the sight of lights glimmering across the hillside. Smiling, Dante stepped forward. "But this is not why I brought you here," he revealed, confusing her. She turned to look at him. He raised his hand and pointed a finger towards the sky. Her breath caught as her eyes widened in awe, her gaze drinking in the breathtaking beauty of the glittering night sky. He stood behind her, his chest touching her back. "Ain't they beautiful?" he asked softly. She nodded, caught in the beauty of the sky. He couldn't help but marvel at
Maya locked eyes with Katty. A maid had told her that Mrs. Martinez was waiting for her in the living room. She had no idea why she wanted to see her but she had a hunch that it was related to her pregnancy. She had decided she would refuse outrightly if she asked her to abort her child. Mrs. Martinez offered her a soft smile as she rose from the couch. Maya reciprocated with a hesitant smile of her own. "Since Dante isn’t around, I thought it was the ideal time to meet you." Katty started, deepening her sense of unease. "Why..why did you want to see me?" Maya asked, her guards up."You are glowing," Katty noted before adding in a friendly manner, "Pregnancy does that to you." Her eyes drifted to her belly where her grandkid was growing. The warmth in her gaze didn't escape Maya's notice."Thank you," she replied, smiling genuinely. She was glowing not because of her pregnancy but because of him. Her son was the reason behind her happiness. Dante was on cloud nine since he heard
She yanked him closer. Her hands moving with an urgency as she began undressing his chiseled frame. She traced the hard contours of his chest with her palm, the beats of his heart sending a fluttering sensation through her core. He was fascinating- sculpted like a statue. Perfection. The sexual attraction she felt for him was insane—the aching need to have his body wrap around hers. He ripped open his shirt, the buttons scattering across the floor with a sharp clatter. After that, he grabbed the fabric of her nightdress and tore it open with a ripping sound that mimicked her urgency. They both were burning in the inferno of desire. Gripping her wide hips, he drew her against his erection. With a titillating grinding motion, he moved it against her pulsating tender flesh. She moaned, her senses unraveling with need. Desire overwhelmed her to the point she wanted to cry. "Dante," she moaned breathlessly, he was teasing her relentlessly. "What do you want, baby?" he demanded in hoars