While Oliver was focused on listening to Ruella's words, his jaws slowly clenched, and his expression darkened.By the time she was done talking, he had straightened up, stepped back, and stared at her grimly before he turned around and stormed out of the cabin without saying a single word. He seemed to have been so angry that he didn't even cast a final glance at her before leaving.Ruella felt something snap inside her thus she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.No matter how much her heart was aching, it had nothing to do with him. She has to deal with it to keep him away from her father's sinister thoughts until the end. He had used him once to control her and she's not allowing it to happen again!Hangga't pinapakita niya na may halaga pa sa kanya si Oliver, her father would always look for every opportunity to toy and keep her within control and hindi niya alam kung ano pa ang mga maaaring sumunod na maglalaro sa isipan nito. This time, she wanted to take a few steps ahead
It was as if Ruella was brought back to the time when she was still a little girl.Whenever she closed her little eyes, she felt someone hovering above her and when she opened her eyes, her mother's beautiful face would always greet her sight. The memory never faded throughout those years.Louella would smile down at her, kiss her forehead, and urge her to sleep. Sometimes, she would read her bedtime stories or sing her a lullaby until she felt drowsy.Her mother had loved and protected her back then and she yearned for nothing not even her father's love and presence. Unlike most children, desiring both, Ruella didn't wish for more.Tears welled up in Ruella's eyes as she mumbled in a daze. "I miss you so much, Mom..."Arianna, who was currently standing beside her gasped in surprise. Her eyes drifted from her cousin to the woman hovering above Ruella. She opened her mouth to speak but swallowed it back, fearing that she might offend her cousin. It seems to her that she mistook the wo
Oliver's mind was in a mess but he didn't forget to call his best friend, Emman to check on the company. He wanted to know if Don Antonio did something suspicious behind his back since he probably knew Ruella was with him by now. "May nangyari ba habang wala ako?" He immediately asked."Aside from the fact that I was taking over your piled work, wala naman," Emman responded dramatically. However, makalipas ang ilang segundo, nagsimula na ito mag-usisa. "Do you expect something to happen? What was it?" And he even demanded. "Tell me!"Oliver never meant to drag his buddy into his mess but he felt like he had to share it with him even for once. Just in case Ruella's father might do something sneaky. It was best if Emman knew what was coming so he could prepare at least."Listen to me..." He then began.Ipinaliwanag ni Oliver ang pwedeng mangyari at matapos ang ilang minutong pag-uusap, nakabuo ang dalawa ng counterattack plan.Emman was about to drop the call when someone barged in, sc
Makalipas ang sumunod na araw, Ruella woke up feeling better.Nakita niya si Arianna na nakabantay sa kanya at tulog pa itong nakayuko sa may gilid ng kama. Nahiya siyang gisingin ito kaya marahan siyang tumayo mula sa higaan upang magtungo sa banyo.Napansin nya na kaunti na lamang ang laman ng kanyang IV drip kaya, tinanggal nya na rin ito at nilapag ang karayom sa kanyang pinaghigaan. Masakit pa din ang kanyang sugat ngunit kumpara noong isang gabi, medyo na okay na ito. Sa pakiwari nya ay kaya niya na kumilos na dahan-dahan kung alang-alang sa sariling kapakanan.Pagkapasok nya ng banyo, nilinis nya kaagad ang sarili gamit ang mga basic necessities na nakita bago sya ulit lumabas."My God!" Bulalas ni Arianna. "I've been looking for you everywhere!""Did something happen?" Nabiglang tanong nya.Marahan namang kumalma si Arianna pagkakita sa kanya. "No. I just thought that you're gone!"Ruella shook her head in confusion. "Why would you think of that?""Ahm..." Arianna fidgeted he
Ruella's mouth hung wide open. "Anong ibig mong sabihin, Ollie?"She suddenly felt uneasy.Ang buong akala niya ay nagkasundo na sila. Hiniling nito sa binata na magkanya-kanya na lamang sila. Kung ano man ang naging pinagsamahan nila, hiniling ni Ruella na ibaon na nila ito sa limot at magpatuloy na lamang sila sa buhay. Hindi niya akalain na magmamatigas pa ito."You can think whatever that is," Oliver replied curtly. "I won't let you throw me away from your life, Rue. I swore from seeing you again that I'm not letting you go.""Oliver!" Ruella hissed. "Huwag mo na 'to ipilit!""No Rue!" Oliver protested. "You listen to me. Kinailangan mo nang pumili! Time is ticking!"Ruella didn't know what to say. Mukhang hindi niya na ito kayang pigilan pa. Papayag na lang ba siya sa gusto nito? Paano kung ikapapahamak niya ito?Ruella's fingers trembled in fear. "I can't let you do that, Oliver. There's a lot of things that you don't know.""Then start telling me!" He urged impatiently. "This i
Panandaliang nawala si Oliver sa kanyang ulirat.Hindi niya lubos maisip na ito ang kanyang dadatnan sa loob ng isang malawak na kwarto. Bukod pa roon, naguguluhan din siya sa nakita."These..." Maiksing sambit niya habang marahang pinaikot ang kanyang paningin sa buong silid. "Why do you have all of these?"He was amazed to see a lot of Ruella's photos attached to the wall. They were taken from her childhood till now. They also have a shot at the airport where they hopped on the Royal family's private jet."Isn't it obvious?" Mrs. Salvatorre asked. "I thought you were smart? Don't tell me we're wrong about you, young man!"Oliver stared at the walls. "She believed that all of you had completely abandoned her since birth but in fact, you're looking after her secretly.""Of course," Mrs. Salvatore seemed pleased that Oliver finally understood the true meaning of what he saw. She continued, "The royal blood still runs in her veins and we can't deny that she still belongs to us. Antonio,
Pagdating ni Oliver sa hospital, nagtungo ito kaagad sa loob upang magpa-check.Since Ruella doesn't match, he expected that he must be Louella's match. They were father and daughter after all so It's impossible not to.He was brought into a private room and after a few hours, he was wheeled out.Tulad ng hiniling niya, dinala din siya sa ward kung saan naroon ang dalaga. He wished to stay with her until they both regained their strength para makapag-usap na rin.Habang mahimbing na natutulog ang dalawa sa magkahiwalay na kama, palihim na bumisita naman si Aurora. Marahan siyang pumasok sa loob at pinagmasadan ang dalawa. Hindi niya maipaliwanag ang sayang naramdaman at noon lamang niya naisip ang bagay na dapat matagal niya na ginawa.'Forgive me, Louella! I couldn't protect your daughter before but I promise not to cower anymore! I'll do everything to get her back into this family.'Tahimik itong umiyak habang inaalala ang kapatid ng ilang oras bago ito tuluyang umalis at bumalik sa
"Lucas!" Marella tried to stop her husband as she saw him getting ready to go. "You remember trying to hold her for 48 hours, right?"Saka lamang ito naalala ni Lucas. Tinignan niya ang asawa. Napansin nito ang pagkabalisa. "I don't even know how to face her!" Sambit ni Marella habang . "All this while, we've been nothing but cruel to her. We already took her daughter from her and are now about to ask for her help. I feel ashamed, Lucas!""It's a matter of life and death, Marella. We can't just stand and watch our little Louella die without doing anything!" Lucas' voice trembled with emotion. "If I have to lower my pride to gain her forgiveness, I'll do it to save her. I hope her father didn't turn her heart into stone otherwise...""No!" Marella interrupted her husband. "She's here because she loves her daughter and is willing to help!""Donating her bone marrow differs from bearing another child, Marella." Lucas reminded her. "It could change her life and Antonio would never allow
The loud screeching of his tires caught the massive attention of people heading in and out of the race track. Everyone looks at his car in awe. Their eyes focused directly on his windshield, trying to catch a glimpse of him but Oliver didn't notice this. His attention was solely focused on his phone."Come again, Uncle?" He asked, wondering if he heard him correctly since Sofia was in jail.Before this, he hadn't received any updates about her being taken to the hospital so how is it possible that she is out there fighting for her life? What happened?"Sofia is in critical condition," Mr. Castillo repeated, and since the police had already briefed him about Sofia's involvement in the incident, he also explained according to his knowledge.Hearing his subtle explanation, Oliver's face turned cold. He remained silent until the older man finished talking. Taking the details into consideration, he finally said. "I can't make it right now, Uncle. I'm busy but I'll be there as soon as I'm
In the race track, Ruella was summoned out of her team's private lounge for a quick interview, and out of courtesy for them, she agreed though she hadn't tried facing the camera. Wearing her signature sunglasses, she dragged herself out immediately.A lot of reporters came running as soon as they spotted her coming out. They look trailed and ecstatic at her fully geared-up appearance. She got most men's attention once she stood not far away from the race track.Her long cascading brown hair was blown by the impact of racing cars passing by adding a sense of amazement to everyone. They couldn't take their eyes off her. It was as if they saw a goddess descending from no one knows where."Miss Ventura," One of the reporters began to ask. "Since when did you start showing interest in car racing?"Ruella thought for a while before she answered. "Since I was fifteen."They all gasped, unable to believe her words. One reporter then came forward to ask her another question."The Annual Racing
"She never said anything about it," Oliver flatly replied. "I don't want to meddle in your affairs right now but you've got to get her as soon as possible," Don Antonio said hurriedly. "Her Aunt was freaking out right now!""Is that Oliver?" He even heard Aurora's loud voice in the background which meant that she was indeed throwing a tantrum. "Tell him to get his wife right now or I'll do it on my own!"Don Antonio sighed helplessly. "You heard her. You've got to hurry before she calls someone else to take her away from that race track!"Holding his phone, Oliver didn't know how to react. From the way Don Antonio speaks, he seems a little scared of Aurora which makes him quite baffled.His mind immediately wondered. 'When did he allow Aurora to boss him around?'After quite some time, Oliver's thoughts became steady again once the line was dropped dead and Emman's confused face came into his view.Startled, he blinked several times before he snarled. "What are you doing?""When are
Oliver gazed at her in shock. It took him a couple of minutes before he finally managed to ask. "What did you just say?"Ruella's hot tears streamed down her face as she repeated. "I... I am pregnant!"He finally snapped out of it. The next second, he smiled and began kissing her happily."Isn't this good news for us? We're having a baby!" He looked elated in contrast to her melancholic reaction.He was all smiles but his moment of happiness slowly vanished seeing Ruella's endless tears. It was only then that he remembered her question earlier. His expression began changing."Are you telling me that I'm not?" He asked. His expression turned gloomy.Ruella, still crying, nodded and shook her head at the same time.Meanwhile, Oliver was getting confused. He clumsily wiped her tears before he asked. "Rue, I don't understand. Please stop crying and explain it to me clearly."Sniffling, Ruella opened her mouth to speak. "The baby might belong to him or yours, I'm not sure!""What?" Oliver w
Oliver sensed something odd about her behavior lately but he pushed it aside. He went on comforting her until she eventually calmed down.After quite some time, Ruella finally felt so much better. She closed her eyes and soon drifted to sleep.Meanwhile, Oliver just observed her. He jumped out of her bed slowly after ensuring her breathing became even and went to the balcony. He stood there for quite some time, looking into the distance. No one knew what he was thinking as his face was unreadable.The night has deepened but the lights in the hollow streets shine brightly like the sun, creating a morning glow. The sky turned dark and the wind became chilly followed by a slight drizzle of raindrops.Oliver was immersed in his deep thoughts when the sound of his mobile phone snapped him out of it.It was then he realized, he had been standing there for a long time. Moments later, he went back inside Ruella's room. Shortly after, he received Aurora's phone call stating that they'd stay a
Ruella rushed to the bathroom and retched everything out. Unbeknownst to her, Oliver followed her immediately."Rue, are you okay?" he asked, sounding worried as he supported her bent form over the toilet.Ruella couldn’t speak; she continued to vomit, feeling as if her intestines were about to come out as well. She had sworn never to experience something like this again, yet here she was, back in the same situation. The difference was that Oliver was now by her side, unlike before.He rubbed her back gently while holding her long hair and grumbled anxiously, "I'll bring you to the doctor!"Ruella was alarmed and instinctively replied, "No!" Wiping her mouth, she looked up at him and forced a weak smile. "I... I'll be fine, Ollie. I'm just not feeling well."She looked pale and exhausted, which worried him even more. He tried to convince her, "Rue, don’t be so stubborn. You can’t afford to be sick at this critical time..."She shook her head adamantly. "That won't be necessary."Dragg
Ruella didn't know what was running in her father's mind.The words he spoke just now made her uncomfortable, so she quickly stepped in before he uttered other offensive words."Dad," Eyeing her father seriously, she said, stealing his attention from them. "I'd like to have a word with you."Don Antonio raised his eyebrows, amused at her daughter's quick intervention. But noticing Ruella's expression, he pursed his lips and stood up. "Follow me to the study."Ruella and Oliver went up with him leaving Aurora, Philip, and Lily.As soon as the door to the study closed, Ruella promptly occupied the couch followed by Oliver."Dad, where's Sierra?" She confronted. "Haven't I told Tommy to bring you to the island? Why are you still here?"She just recalled that Sierra tried to threaten their father's life a couple of days ago but after that, she lost contact with her. She thought that he might've captured her."I can manage my affairs," He muttered in disapproval. "I ain't too old to run aw
His heart almost leaped from his chest thinking she might've heard him speaking over the phone."How long have you been there?" Oliver asked nervously.Ruella remained staring at him in silence. Her face was blank, devoid of any emotions.Her stare made him uneasy, but he approached her regardless of how he felt."What's wrong?" His voice immediately softened.Ruella was in fact, in a daze. It may seem like her eyes were focused on Oliver but her mind was elsewhere.She still couldn't believe that she was pregnant. It was like a dream. An impossible dream.At first, she thought that her Aunt Aurora was trying to cheer her up but she was wrong.She showed her the medical results taken overseas in their hospital and she was indeed two months pregnant.She recalled the scene that day.Her blood samples are taken before she undergoes the final test. There were a lot of nurses tending to her which she found a little odd.Moreover, it was very crowded so she argued with the doctor telling h
In the living room, the atmosphere became chilly.Oblivious to what Ruella talked about with her Aunt upstairs, Oliver settled down on the couch across from the three persons.He noticed that each had different expressions plastered on their faces.The woman, he assumed to be the doctor, Victor discussed with him over the phone was busy taking notes to God knows what. However, her expression was a little strange after looking at Ruella for quite some time.Aurora's husband had his sharp gaze aimed in Don Antonio's direction and the same goes for the latter as if they were planning to stab each other any moment from now.Men are protective when it comes to their territories which was quite reasonable for Don Antonio but looking at Philip, Oliver suddenly felt curious, wondering why he was looking at him with such hatred in his eyes.As he waited, Philip finally broke his silence."I didn't know that Mr. Ventura was capable of ruining a crowned princess's life. If I had known you'd fail