"ISABELLA Heyes, Magna cum laude!" I stood proudly, hearing the applause of everyone. As I walked across the stage, I noticed some students awkwardly glancing at me. For almost a year, I've been trying to find my purpose, attempting to move on from the past, but some things are just too difficult to let go. After receiving my diploma, I gave a speech to my batchmates. The cameras captured my every move, and I knew this would make headlines again. Most of my activities were already in the news, so I preferred staying at home or in my condo to enjoy solitude. Despite not being the valedictorian, they still asked me to give a speech. I didn't mind, considering the valedictorian also spoke. "Oh, why does our Disney princess look sad?" I shot a look at Dad for his remarks, but later, I smiled and hugged him along with Mommy Emely, Dad's new wife who just arrived from Europe. "Congratulations, my daughter! We're very proud of you!" They embraced me warmly, and I couldn't help but notic
"I'm too lazy to stir my spoon in my coffee while looking at my laptop. I've been working for months now, and I can say I spend more time reviewing submissions from the Planning department than preparing for the upcoming bar exam. A knock halted my activity, and moments later, my secretary entered. Different from Dad's secretary who worked in the adjacent building, I handled his businesses related to hotels and resorts nationwide. The latest project involved constructing a five-star hotel in Singapore, and this was my first time overseeing such a venture. It necessitated guidance from an expert in hotel design. ‘Good afternoon, ma'am. Mr. Montgomery has arrived.” Secretary Beischiel stepped aside, and in came Alexander with a man, presumably the skilled architect he mentioned, for our Singapore project. “Good afternoon, Ms. Dasmond,” the architect politely greeted, extending his hand. “He’s Architect Daiton, he will be with us, helping with the overall design of the hotel.” I stood
"You like baked cookies?" I lazily glanced at Alexander, who was pacing in front of me with an eagerness that matched his words. He's cooking in my kitchen. Yes, inside my condo. I couldn't bring myself to kick him out because the more stubborn I am, the more stubborn he becomes. "Okay." His face lit up with a satisfied smile, and he headed towards the ingredients, already planning his culinary adventure. "Soup?" "Okay." I replied with a half-hearted nod, my eyes not leaving the random patterns on the floor. "What about lasagna?" "Okay." I mumbled, still lost in thought. "Your mom was right, you eat a lot when you're having a fever. That's unique." A teasing smile played on his lips as he observed my peculiar behavior. He approached me, a subtle charm in his every step, and gently placed the back of his hand on my forehead. "You're still hot, why don't you rest in your room? You've been here in the kitchen for a while." I just looked down, staring into space. "I want to eat.
The bar exam takes place at one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines, and I just found out that the university is owned by Vuntier's parents. Vuntier, who is Alexander's business partner and a long-time friend. Despite having a board meeting, Alexander insisted on driving me to the university. His phone kept ringing during our journey. "You shouldn't have bothered to drive me. You have a board meeting today, and you're not even attending." "I can postpone the meeting. You're more important, and as the CEO, I can do that." I observed a change in him, being more open with me about small things. While we're not officially in a relationship, his actions often resemble that of a boyfriend. Architect Daiton, a friend, sent me a good luck message. Alexander noticed and seemed annoyed. "Good luck to him too," he muttered. Glancing at my phone again, he frowned. "Architect Daiton, huh? Is he the reason you've been smiling lately?" "He's just a friend, Alexander. Relax." He
This is the last chapter of the book, and the next one will be the epilogue. I woke up to a knock on the bedroom door and realized I hadn't set my alarm. It's already ten o'clock! I rushed to the bathroom, but the knocking persisted, so I shouted, "I'm not done! I'll be ready in a few minutes!" After a quick shower, there was another knock, prompting me to yell again. Wrapped in a bathrobe, I opened the door, only to find Alexander there in a tight shirt and shorts. "Alex, why aren't you dressed yet?" I asked, eyeing his outfit. "I asked Architect Daiton to go ahead. We can follow later," he replied, looking down before locking eyes with me. "What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook." Opting for bacon, I told him I'd be down in a moment. I quickly changed into shorts and a spaghetti top, leaving my hair untied. As I descended, the aroma of food filled the air, making my stomach growl. Entering the kitchen, I was greeted by a sight—Alexander in a black apron, half-naked, sh
ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY I hurriedly exited the car upon hearing Dachiel's information. We went to the location where my child was allegedly taken. To my surprise, it wasn't what I expected. There were police surrounding the area, and it seemed we were late. Someone misled us, pointing to the wrong location, causing a delay. A call redirected my attention to the correct place. It appeared we were intentionally set up to create confusion. I felt desperate and fell into the trap. I quickly approached a police officer and asked what happened. They said that the location was indeed the site of a kidnapping case, but it was too late because the house had exploded. I asked them if they saw a three-year-old boy, but they said they found no one there and the bodies they found were mostly around 25 years old-- probably the kidnapper's henchmen who were caught in the explosion. I was disheartened by what I heard, but a call woke me up again and I found out that a child was rushed to a nearby hos
"Stop here, sir!" I shouted to the driver, but it seemed he was deaf. The passengers seemed deaf too. I looked at the person next to me and tapped his shoulder. "Can you pass my fare?" I asked for a favor, but he just glared at me. What a rude guy. "Pass it or I'll kick you out? Your choice, you jerk!" I yelled irritably. As a result, the passengers turned to look at me. Even the driver glanced at us through the mirror. "There you go, if we don't shout and get angry, no one pays attention!" I complained to myself and forcefully placed the fifteen pesos in his hand. "Pass it!" The guy quickly handed over the fare. Maybe he got scared because of my fierce look. When I got off the jeep, I could still hear people whispering behind me. I ignored them and continued walking. I needed to get to the restaurant before I was late. "Wow, that woman shouts like a tiger," whispered a lady behind me. "Maybe she's just going through something," said another. "It wouldn't hurt if she calmed dow
I fell out of bed because of how much I was tossing and turning in my sleep. I ended up clutching my hip, nursing the pain. "Shit," I muttered softly as I struggled to stand, still holding my hip. When I looked up and saw the time, my eyes widened, and I immediately ran to the bathroom. "Fuck!" I cursed loudly and quickly showered, barely getting myself wet. I didn't even bother to grab a towel to wrap around my body. I ran back to my room naked to put on my uniform. There's no one else in my apartment but me. I'm sure there are no CCTV cameras either. I'm also sure no one is peeking through any holes in the walls since the apartment is made of cement. Sometimes, I even sleep in just my panties. It's really comfortable. In less than 20 minutes, I ran out of the building and sprinted to catch a jeepney that was just starting to move. Luckily, I wasn't late for the ride. It's really hard to catch a jeepney near my apartment sometimes. Why am I always late, anyway? I walked and ran u
ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY I hurriedly exited the car upon hearing Dachiel's information. We went to the location where my child was allegedly taken. To my surprise, it wasn't what I expected. There were police surrounding the area, and it seemed we were late. Someone misled us, pointing to the wrong location, causing a delay. A call redirected my attention to the correct place. It appeared we were intentionally set up to create confusion. I felt desperate and fell into the trap. I quickly approached a police officer and asked what happened. They said that the location was indeed the site of a kidnapping case, but it was too late because the house had exploded. I asked them if they saw a three-year-old boy, but they said they found no one there and the bodies they found were mostly around 25 years old-- probably the kidnapper's henchmen who were caught in the explosion. I was disheartened by what I heard, but a call woke me up again and I found out that a child was rushed to a nearby hos
This is the last chapter of the book, and the next one will be the epilogue. I woke up to a knock on the bedroom door and realized I hadn't set my alarm. It's already ten o'clock! I rushed to the bathroom, but the knocking persisted, so I shouted, "I'm not done! I'll be ready in a few minutes!" After a quick shower, there was another knock, prompting me to yell again. Wrapped in a bathrobe, I opened the door, only to find Alexander there in a tight shirt and shorts. "Alex, why aren't you dressed yet?" I asked, eyeing his outfit. "I asked Architect Daiton to go ahead. We can follow later," he replied, looking down before locking eyes with me. "What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook." Opting for bacon, I told him I'd be down in a moment. I quickly changed into shorts and a spaghetti top, leaving my hair untied. As I descended, the aroma of food filled the air, making my stomach growl. Entering the kitchen, I was greeted by a sight—Alexander in a black apron, half-naked, sh
The bar exam takes place at one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines, and I just found out that the university is owned by Vuntier's parents. Vuntier, who is Alexander's business partner and a long-time friend. Despite having a board meeting, Alexander insisted on driving me to the university. His phone kept ringing during our journey. "You shouldn't have bothered to drive me. You have a board meeting today, and you're not even attending." "I can postpone the meeting. You're more important, and as the CEO, I can do that." I observed a change in him, being more open with me about small things. While we're not officially in a relationship, his actions often resemble that of a boyfriend. Architect Daiton, a friend, sent me a good luck message. Alexander noticed and seemed annoyed. "Good luck to him too," he muttered. Glancing at my phone again, he frowned. "Architect Daiton, huh? Is he the reason you've been smiling lately?" "He's just a friend, Alexander. Relax." He
"You like baked cookies?" I lazily glanced at Alexander, who was pacing in front of me with an eagerness that matched his words. He's cooking in my kitchen. Yes, inside my condo. I couldn't bring myself to kick him out because the more stubborn I am, the more stubborn he becomes. "Okay." His face lit up with a satisfied smile, and he headed towards the ingredients, already planning his culinary adventure. "Soup?" "Okay." I replied with a half-hearted nod, my eyes not leaving the random patterns on the floor. "What about lasagna?" "Okay." I mumbled, still lost in thought. "Your mom was right, you eat a lot when you're having a fever. That's unique." A teasing smile played on his lips as he observed my peculiar behavior. He approached me, a subtle charm in his every step, and gently placed the back of his hand on my forehead. "You're still hot, why don't you rest in your room? You've been here in the kitchen for a while." I just looked down, staring into space. "I want to eat.
"I'm too lazy to stir my spoon in my coffee while looking at my laptop. I've been working for months now, and I can say I spend more time reviewing submissions from the Planning department than preparing for the upcoming bar exam. A knock halted my activity, and moments later, my secretary entered. Different from Dad's secretary who worked in the adjacent building, I handled his businesses related to hotels and resorts nationwide. The latest project involved constructing a five-star hotel in Singapore, and this was my first time overseeing such a venture. It necessitated guidance from an expert in hotel design. ‘Good afternoon, ma'am. Mr. Montgomery has arrived.” Secretary Beischiel stepped aside, and in came Alexander with a man, presumably the skilled architect he mentioned, for our Singapore project. “Good afternoon, Ms. Dasmond,” the architect politely greeted, extending his hand. “He’s Architect Daiton, he will be with us, helping with the overall design of the hotel.” I stood
"ISABELLA Heyes, Magna cum laude!" I stood proudly, hearing the applause of everyone. As I walked across the stage, I noticed some students awkwardly glancing at me. For almost a year, I've been trying to find my purpose, attempting to move on from the past, but some things are just too difficult to let go. After receiving my diploma, I gave a speech to my batchmates. The cameras captured my every move, and I knew this would make headlines again. Most of my activities were already in the news, so I preferred staying at home or in my condo to enjoy solitude. Despite not being the valedictorian, they still asked me to give a speech. I didn't mind, considering the valedictorian also spoke. "Oh, why does our Disney princess look sad?" I shot a look at Dad for his remarks, but later, I smiled and hugged him along with Mommy Emely, Dad's new wife who just arrived from Europe. "Congratulations, my daughter! We're very proud of you!" They embraced me warmly, and I couldn't help but notic
I calmly got out of the car, carrying various types of flowers. The breeze greeted me before I gazed at the place where I wanted to go. It's been years and this is the first time I have visited him. I didn't know where he was buried because I didn't know anything about him, except for his first name. I calmed myself before placing the basket full of flowers in front of it and looked at the familiar photo in front. Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw his face, smiling. "How are you? Are you happy wherever you are now?" Suddenly, the wind blew around me as if it was hugging me. "I miss you.. I hope you watch over us from there." I wiped the tears and stepped back. I have to hurry because an important person is coming here today. I hid myself, it's only right to see who will approach the grave. The surroundings were getting dark, so it was dark where I was positioned now. I used the veil to cover my face and waited for the exact time. At 6:30, I could hear footsteps slowly approac
He quickly unhooked my bra, thanks to its thin fabric. He placed his palm on my left breast and started massaging it. He played with my nipple using his thumb while our kisses continued uninterrupted until we ran out of breath, and that's when he pulled away. "Do you want here? Or in the shower?" he mischievously answered. "I go anywhere. I can even go to the balcony to see those below," he raised his eyebrows. I slapped him. "Just kidding, I don't want us to get caught because we're live here." "Then—" I screamed as he lifted me and headed straight to the shower room. With no clothes on, my chest was against his face as he continued to lift me. When he finally put me inside the shower room, he quickly kissed me, pressing my back against the wall. He aggressively kissed me down to my neck while my hand reached for the shower, wetting our entire bodies. He's busy playing with my breasts while I'm gripping his hair, and I pulled it because he was entering his two fingers into my wom
I took off my bathrobe and stepped into the water, enjoying the warmth of the Jacuzzi in the late evening. Even though Alex and I didn't talk much earlier, he bid farewell as he needed to meet Lavinia. Despite wanting to stop him, I couldn't interfere as Alex mentioned Lavinia's desire to speak with me personally. After learning about Alex's departure, I had plans to call Dad. Despite the time difference with Switzerland, I timed it carefully to catch him during his extra hours. He was on a business trip to Korea, and I needed to express my frustration. "Dad." "How's Switzerland?" "I hate you, Dad." My words hung in the air, and he fell silent. "Why did you do that? You should have told me." "I'm sorry, anak. That's the only way for you to be safe, especially when I heard that your guard died." "You mean the guard who was just watching over me?" "Yes. To prevent Alexander's father from intervening, I had to inform Xander about your situation. I also learned that Xander was close