CHAPTER 1

Three years later 

TRIANA immediately kissed Caleb’s lips when she saw him waiting outside the door of her friend’s house, Lara. Caleb fetched her since they agreed to see each other tonight. 

She had to see her friend immediately when Lara called her. Her house was only a few blocks away from hers. Lara was heartbroken when she found out her longtime Nepalese boyfriend got married when he went back to Nepal a few weeks ago because of an arranged marriage. She didn’t want to leave her tonight because she needed a shoulder to cry on, but her boyfriend was adamant that they couldn’t cancel their date tonight. 

“I’m sorry for being pushy today, darling,” Caleb claimed her lips again. 

Her lips turned up to smile after they broke the kiss. “It’s all right, I understand.”

Triana was dating her dream man, Caleb Ortega. He was the CEO of a well-known construction firm in the Philippines. They had been dating for two years since they met at one business convention in California. She couldn’t wish anything more about their relationship because she was sure they loved each other so much. 

Caleb looked dashing in his moss-green long sleeve shirt paired with gray pants. He appeared so hot and dignified. Her sleeves were tucked that compliment his gold Rolex watch.

“You look so sexy.” She winked at him as she scrutinized him further. They share almost the same complexion, fair and fresh. His prominent nose looked perfect with his monolid eyes. 

He appeared like a Korean superstar at a glance, which was why many girls gave her an envious stare every time they were together. At thirty, he looked many years younger. 

“And so are you, my love.” She sweetly held her face, removed some strands of her hair, and put it in her ears. 

Triana playfully smelled him. “Gosh, I really love your scent. So manly, like I want to shower you with kisses and bite you.”

Caleb laughed. “This is why I love you so much, especially your sense of humor.”

Triana giggled. “I love you….”

But of course, her pretty face was never far behind. She stood five feet and seven inches. It was perfect for Caleb’s height of five-eleven. She had a quarter of Spanish blood, and it was visible on her physical features. 

Triana had naturally long wavy brunette hair, expressive brown eyes, and a proud nose that made her look intimidating. 

“Shall we?” Caleb held out his hand. 

“Let’s go!” She nodded and smiled as she reached out. They walk hand in hand, going to the spacious garage of Lara’s house. 

Triana quickly fixed her simple, floral beige dress paired with white flat sandals. She put little effort into wearing heavy makeup since she was confident that no matter what look, Caleb would love her the way she was. 

TRIANA was dumbfounded when Caleb suddenly put on a blindfold after they parked their cars when they reached their destination. She immediately savored the rich aroma of the jasmine flowers around them and the soft breeze. It was the famous flower farm near the city. 

“What is this?” Triana looked puzzled as she questioned him. But in the end, she let her boyfriend do what he wanted. Caleb loved surprises, and this was not new to her. 

“Just trust me,” Caleb whispered in her ear, giving her a tickling sensation. 

Triana breathed out and sauntered in the direction where Caleb was guiding her. She could smell his masculine perfume as if teasing her with a warm embrace. Maybe later, she would crush him by hugging him tightly. This was one of her fetishes with him. His scent made her feel calm and secure. 

“Can you remove my blindfold now?” Triana smiled when she asked. 

“Just a little more, darling.” His arms still stretched out on her shoulder, guiding her to wherever it was. 

“What are you planning this time?” She giggled. 

“Shh.”

A moment later. Caleb finally revealed his surprise. 

“Now, everything is ready.” He slowly removed the blindfold, and everything materialized from Triana’s eyes. There was a circular glass table filled with flowers and food. At the center stood two medium-sized pink candles. On the ground, there were scattered red rose petals. 

“Wow! You prepare a candlelight dinner. I love it!” She gave her boyfriend a quick peck on his cheek. 

“Silly, not that. Look up!”

Triana raised her head, flabbergasted at what she had just witnessed. It was a drone air show giving vibrant red lights in the sky, slowly forming the words: WILL YOU MARRY ME?

“What—” She couldn’t finish her sentence because Triana witnessed Caleb down his knees, holding a ring from a red velvet box, when she turned her head. 

“Will you be my wife, darling?” Caleb confidently smiled as he popped the question. He gently reached out her left hand. 

Triana was teary-eyed as she tilted her head in agreement. “Yes, yes, of course!”

He slowly put on the ring. It was a princess-cut diamond ring that perfectly suited Triana’s finger. 

Caleb stood up and embraced her tight. “I love you so much, Ria. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, waking up every morning by my side and sharing thousands of meals.” His eyes welled up as he uttered those words. And Triana could feel his utmost sincerity. 

She kissed his cheek. “No words can explain how much I love you, Caleb. Thank you for coming into my life. You are not just my knight in shining armor, but the radiant universe that always gives me light when everything goes dark.” Her face beamed with joy. Triana was euphoric because Caleb would be the first and last man she would love in her life. 

They were both elated when they had their dinner. Triana would always give a glance at the ring on her finger. She was over the moon! 

“This is the reason we couldn’t cancel our date tonight,” Caleb said after he sipped his red wine from his wineglass. 

“I feel bad for Lara, though. She is having a hard time right now.”

“You can be with her anytime from now on. Maybe we could bring her along while making our wedding preparations. It will help her be less occupied.”

“That will be perfect!”

“Shall we tell your mom about our engagement when you get home?” Caleb poured wine into his glass again.

Triana remained silent. She pretended to slice the medium-rare Kobe beef steak on her plate. She didn’t know what to say until now, and she had not formally introduced him to her mother. Although her mom was aware that she had a boyfriend, her mother would never conceal her displeasure every time she tried to open the topic. 

“How about next week?” She raised her chin and met his gaze. “We need to impress my mom about us. Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll like you.”

Triana silently cleared her throat. Deep inside, she knew everything would not come easy. Because even though she was in her legal age, she knew that her mother wanted her to marry someone else.