Maxwell's Pov. Due to my workout schedule, I had to get up early the following morning, and when I opened my eyes, Amihan was the first thing in my thoughts. I sighed as I lay on my bed, recalling all that had happened the previous night, and then stood up to freshen up for work. Since I would be working alongside Judith, the last thing I wanted to do was be late for work. As I walked out of my hotel apartment, I chuckled as I thought about my chat with Amihan the previous night and even though she hadn't responded, I was already looking forward to our weekend date. As soon as I got in my car, I quickly texted her before I drove, (Hello beautiful. I hope you had a beautiful night last night because I did. Chatting with you was the antidote I needed to calm my nerves and I wondered the effect spending time with you would have on me.)I thought about how lovely her smile would be when she opened my message that morning. Judith had not yet arrived when I went to her office to che
Dalisay's pov: I paced around the living room, thinking of the best way to tell my husband about my planned trip that weekend. Karl had usually let me travel on my regular vacations without any restrictions, but for some reason, this one made me feel a little uneasy. Perhaps because it was a weekend time-out with Adam and it was our first time traveling on a vacation together. Karl was in the bathroom when I finally worked up the nerve to enter our bedroom. I sighed and took a seat on the bed. He left his phone on the bed, and a few minutes later it rang. "Honey, your phone is ringing," I said as I sat on the bed. My attention was drawn to the caller identifier. "Papi" was the caller's saved name, complete with heart emoticons. I looked at the phone questioningly and stepped closer, but the ringing stopped. "Was that my phone?" Karl asked from the restroom."Yes, Honey," I turned to face the bed as the phone started ringing once more. The caller was the same person. I was
Karl's POV: I was left stunned by what Amihan had done during my visit. Without uttering a word, she made fun of me. I couldn't bring myself to be upset with her actions. Even her cruel behavior could not erase the fact that I was in love with her.The cracking of the room doorknob interrupted my thoughts as I showered. Dalisay had left the room a few minutes before, so I knew it had to be her. Perhaps something had escaped her attention and she had returned to get it. Outside, Dalisay and I were more in love than we were indoors. We only followed up with each other after we had been apart for a considerable amount of time. I knew nothing about her other than the fact that she tried to tell me everything about her daily schedule, for reasons that only she knew. I had previously made an attempt to get close to her, but all of my attempts had been unsuccessful, so I gave up. She mentioned something about my phone, but I couldn't hear her clearly because of the running water. A ph
Judith's pov. I paced around my office as I thought about the best way to approach Maxwell. He had walked past me that morning. Although, he pretended like He didn't see me. I thought about approaching him then but he kept a straight face and walked quickly without paying any attention like he knew what I was thinking. After I told Amihan everything that had happened between us the day before, she asked me to apologize to Maxwell. Despite not knowing him, she chastised me for the way I had behaved. I was starting to think about what she had said about me taking a vacation from my work. I was hurting from my separation from Jake, and Maxwell had been unlucky to meet me at just this moment. I heaved a deep sigh as my mind wandered. What if apologizing to him right now was a bad idea being that I had offended him the previous day? He might still be upset and end up snubbing me. I thought about giving him more time. Would that not make things worse and make him feel I was sincere
It was a beautiful Friday morning. the atmosphere was so friendly that the morning sun shone brilliantly as I stepped down from the car and slammed the door. I walked into my office with poise, as my dad had sent me the job report from our previous month, which showed that the Philippine company had performed exceptionally well. "Good morning, Miss Amihan," Ciara greeted with a broad smile that made her eyes seem like they were about to close. "Morning Ciara," I replied swiftly. She reached for my handbag and added, "You haven't received any calls yet this morning." "Thank You, Ciara," "A congratulations message had been sent to the company's mail by the New York team," Ciara told me with a smile."Yes! My father called me last night. We had performed exceptionally well," I smiled satisfactorily in response. "Ma'am, the CEO also sent promotion letters to some of our staff," she exclaimed with enthusiasm.Ciara was among many who had fought for a pay raise and promotion. Despi
Judith's pov. After my last encounter with Maxwell, I made up my mind to be distant from him and never give him a second glance. I had purposefully ignored him as he passed my office area that morning. He seemed astonished, but I could also see he didn't mind. The CEO had given my responsibilities to a lower-ranking employee that Friday to make up for the stress I had endured with Maxwell, so I had less work to accomplish that Friday. The fact that Maxwell had not been racing around like he usually did made me believe he had been granted the same liberty. Not that he was assigned challenging assignments the way he made them seem by exaggerating how busy he looked. He had fewer responsibilities than other lower staff members and was always given preference by the CEO, making him his favorite. An opportunity that should have been saved for distinguished employees was presented to Maxwell on a silver platter without any prior experience.When my phone rang, I went for it in my bag
Amihan's Pov. I walked into the living room wearing a purple miniskirt and pencil heels, ready for my date with MX. Judith gave a surprised look as she turned around and saw me, "Are you heading out? You just returned from a meeting with your client a few minutes ago?" I shook my head and scoffed at Judith's question. "I informed you about my outing with Mx tonight so why are you surprised I'm going out? I replied. "Oh, it escaped my mind," She said. She seemed to be bothered by the strange call she had received the day before, as seen by her many absences from attention during the day. "Why didn't you just stop at the bar and grab the drink before heading home," She asked. "Because I needed to take a shower and change into something nice," I said, rolling my eyes, before putting on my earrings. An awkward smile appeared on Judith's lips, "Oh, I see," she said as she stared at me. "I know that smile is," I said sheepishly and we both giggled. "No you don't," she said g
Maxwell's Pov. As I moved into my new apartment all I wanted was for the day to end so I would see Amihan once more. Even though I was exhausted from the work I had done that day, I didn't mind, all I wanted was to see her and the sooner we got acquainted the better it would be for my family. I beamed immediately after she forwarded a message with the address where we would be meeting and I hurriedly freshened up as I wanted to arrive a few minutes before her. The moment, Amihan arrived I was dumbfounded by how beautiful she was, with her white top in her purple miniskirt and pencil heels,"You look amazing," I said with a broad smile."Thank you," she replied. For a few moments, we were engrossed in one another's sight, I couldn't believe such a beaut had accepted to go out on a date with me and couldn't wait to have numerous dates with her as my girlfriend soon. "You got an amazing eye too," I said staring at her beautiful eyes, watching an involuntarily smile curve on he
Three years later, Amihan's Pov, Three years had passed, and everything had changed. I stood at the window, looking out at the world below, and a wave of mixed emotions washed over me. Nostalgia, regret, wistfulness, pride, hope. It was a complex stew of feelings, impossible to separate or label. I closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me like a summer rain.As I thought about the journey that had brought me here, I felt a deep sense of gratitude. It had been a long road, full of twists and turns, but I was finally where I wanted to be. The funeral for Dalisay was a somber but beautiful affair, a fitting tribute to a life well-lived. As she was laid to rest, it felt like her soul was finally at peace.In the weeks and months that followed, Karl and Adams threw themselves into raising Bella. They loved her fiercely, determined to give her everything they could. And as she grew, she began to resemble her mother more and more, both in looks and in spirit. With little Bella by
Amihan's POV, I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head and stomach was excruciating. I could feel the grogginess of sleep slowly fading away, and I became aware of my surroundings. It was a hospital room, and the memory of the shooting came flooding back. "Mom," I said weakly, my voice hoarse from disuse. "Where is Dalisay?""Dalisay's getting the best care possible, honey," my mom said, her voice gentle and soothing. But even as she spoke, I couldn't help but sob. I felt so guilty, knowing that Dalisay had risked her life to save me."She's going to be okay," my mom said, rubbing my back comfortingly. "And you're going to be okay too. We're all going to get through this together."I wanted to believe her, but my emotions were still too raw. I couldn't stop crying. My gaze shifted to the corner of the room, and I saw Judith standing next to my father. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked like she had been crying. I felt a surge of anger well up inside of me."What is sh
Two weeks later, Judith's POV, The last two weeks had been a blur of pain and anguish. My best friend, Amihan, lay comatose in the hospital, clinging to life by a thread same as Dalisay. I blamed myself for everything that had happened. It was my selfish desire for Maxwell that had caused all of this. I had been so jealous of Amihan's relationship with him, that I had pushed her to move into the mansion, even though I knew it was dangerous. And now she was fighting for her life, while I was left with nothing but regret and guilt."Judith, you look exhausted," Amihan's mother said, her face filled with concern. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? You've been here at the hospital for days now."As soon as they had received news of Amihan's incident, her Foster parents had flown down from New York, arriving the next day. They had been at the hospital ever since, taking turns to stay with Amihan. She was right. I hadn't slept in days, and I was running on empty. But I didn't want
Karl's POV,"We have to be fast with whatever we have to do, because Chloe or Susan whichever you want to call her, is a crazy woman and wouldn't hesitate to do anything, her words shouldn't be taken lightly," I said to them who had been listening to me without interruption with my eyes wide open, I swallowed hard in an attempt to quell my panic that had gotten a grip of my heart,I was scared as I spoke which made my voice shake, I was scared if revealing the truth about my status with Chloe, the fear of making Luciana and Dalisay find out that I had been lying to them about my first wife made me pick my words with care."So, what are we going to do now? Because as long as I'm concerned, everyone of you here are suspect, and I'm going to get you all arrested." Maxwell responded unflinchingly, without any iota of panic in him, his expression was grimly as he spoke making everyone shift uneasily on their spot, except Luciana who had been sitting quietly with her fingers resting on her
Dalisay's POV,"Then who did?" he demanded, slamming his hand down on the desk, sending the files scattered across its surface into disarray. His eyes blazed with anger, and his frustration was palpable. "Who was the last person to see her? I need answers, and I need them now!"As I rolled my eyes in thought, a sudden realization hit me. It dawned on me that my mother could be behind Amihan's disappearance. My eyes widened in horror, and I bit my lip, trying to keep my composure. I knew that if I let my emotions get the best of me, this man would see through my facade. "Please calm down, we'll get to the bottom of...""I can't calm down!" he shouted, cutting me off in mid-sentence. His breathing was labored, and his eyes flashed with anger. The look on his face was terrifying, and I felt my heart skip a beat. He looked like a man possessed, and I knew that I had to tread carefully. Fear gripped me as I tried to find the right words to say. I knew that I had to diffuse the situation,
Maxwell's POV,My heart skipped a beat as I saw Amihan's name flash across my phone's screen. I hurriedly picked up the call, but the noise of the airport around me made it difficult to hear what she was saying. She sounded upset, her voice urgent and panicked. I tried to make out what she was saying, but it was impossible. I needed to find a quiet place to take the call.I began to look around for a secluded spot, but the airport was crowded and bustling with activity. Everywhere I looked, people were rushing around, their voices blending together into a cacophony of sound. I had been planning to move to the United Kingdom and start over, but Amihan's call had given me pause. "Babe," I said, my voice quivering as I answered the phone. "I'm sorry. Are you there?""I'm here," she said, her voice trembling. "Please...help me." And then, the line went dead.My heart sank, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me. What had happened? What could she need help with? I tried to call her back
Amihan's POV, "Bella, please wait!" I heard Adam's voice calling after me as I ran from the mansion, but I ignored him. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to be alone. "Leave me alone!" I shouted, not even bothering to turn around. I just kept running, my feet carrying me further and further away from the pain and the betrayal.My heart thumped as I hurried away from the mansion, its weight pressing against my chest as if to crush me. Each step I took reverberated in my head, a pulsing reminder of the hurt that lay ahead. As memories of the betrayal that followed my misplaced trust flooded back, they threatened to drown me in despair. The images of the accident that had almost claimed my life ten years ago flashed before my eyes, a maelstrom of chaos and pain. I threw myself into the car, slamming the door shut as if to keep out the demons that pursued me. I could barely breathe, my chest rising and falling in rapid, panicked breaths. I knew I had to get away, to put
Karl's POV,"Where do you think you're going, sneaking off like that?" Luciana's voice rang out behind me, causing me to freeze in my tracks. She was sitting comfortably, cigarette in hand, a smirk on her lips. I felt like a deer caught in headlights, and I knew I had to think of something quickly."You're... here," I managed to stammer out, trying to regain my composure and collect my thoughts."I was just... I was just getting some fresh air," I stammered, my voice trembling with nerves. "Of course I'm here," she replied, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Her gaze was fixed intently on me, as if she were sizing me up, her eyes boring into mine. "I've always been here, and my eyes have always been on you."I felt myself flush under her gaze, feeling like a bug under a microscope. I knew I had to say something, anything, to break the silence that was hanging heavy in the air. But I couldn't think of a single thing to say."You have something urgent to take care of?" she asked, rais
Judith's POV,Despite the shame and pain coursing through my body, I climbed into my car and slammed the door shut. I had no destination in mind, I just wanted to get away. As I sat there, I realized that my hands were shaking and that my entire body was trembling.In a desperate attempt to relieve the pressure building within me, I let out a primal scream. But it did nothing to soothe the turmoil inside me. At that moment, I realized that Maxwell's mother was to blame for much of the mess I was in. She had played a part in orchestrating the events that had led to this moment, and she needed to take responsibility for her actions.The more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that the only way out of this situation was to confront her directly.With shaking hands, I rummaged through my bag for my phone. As soon as I found it, I dialed Maxwell's mother's number. The phone rang and rang, and just when I was about to give up hope, she answered. Her voice was cold and uninvitin