“Auntie, come on. Nathalia is still studying. Let her finish her education first,” Liam countered.Mom shook her head. “That’s okay! They’re already married, and she’s of the right age. She could take a semester off if need be.” She even gave me a pointed look.I couldn’t believe we were just sitting there staring at her. I silently wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.I let out a sigh of relief when we didn’t continue discussing that topic as we finished our meal. After paying our respects to Mr. Villafuente and the other staff, we left the restaurant. Cole was quick to greet me outside.I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. It might be a while before I see them again.I forced a smile when I faced them. “When will we meet again?”Mom gently caressed my cheek. Her eyes were teary, but I knew she was holding back from letting her tears fall completely.“When everything is alright, sweetie.”I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”“When the right time
Nathalia’s POVNearly thirty minutes have passed since I arrived back at the mansion. But until now, I still couldn’t believe what I discovered.“Ouch! Slow down! Let me do it.”Mads was trying to wrestle the ice pack from Damon’s hand. He was applying it to the bruise on his face.I couldn’t help but wince. I felt bad for what happened to Mads. Her smooth face was marred now. If only I had known it was her behind that mask, I would have bravely intervened before she got punched.“No. Just stay still. Don’t move,” Damon said authoritatively before continuing his task. His face was filled with concern.I suddenly recalled what happened earlier, during the first time he witnessed what happened to Mads. Even though the enemy was already down due to the way I repeatedly struck him with a rock, he didn’t stop kicking and punching until his face was unrecognizable.It was the very first time I saw Damon rage like a fire. Even I felt a pang of fear from him. If Mads hadn’t stopped him, that
The cold breeze brushed against my skin. I shivered a little as I had no jacket on, but I didn’t mind.I took a deep breath before gently tracing Mom’s engraved name on the tombstone and then Dad’s. I shifted my gaze to both of their graves.“Mom, Dad. I’m really confused. I don’t know why, but I feel like Stephen is connected to my past. If by any chance he was part of the group that attacked us before, I hope he wasn’t. Because if that were the case, I don’t know what I would do.”It was Saturday, and I decided to visit my late parents. I had a lot of questions for them, too. They knew about my past, which I still couldn’t remember.But no matter how many times I asked them, I knew I wouldn’t get any answers. So, I secretly prayed that maybe I would meet someone—just one person who was part of that past—to tell me more about what happened back then. Someone who could shed light on the events.I forced a smile. “But don’t worry about me. I’m in good hands. I have kind people taking c
Third Person’s POVACE AND SHANTEL both cursed under their breath as they arrived at the mansion, only to be greeted by scattered corpses outside its premises.“What the hell just happened here?” Shantel exclaimed, her disbelief evident.“It looks like someone beat us to it and had the same intentions,” Ace remarked, signaling the team to secure the entire mansion.“Carefully inspect the surroundings, including the bodies. There might be some who escaped or are still alive.”His team nodded before swiftly dispersing. Meanwhile, Shantel instructed her own team members to explore the dense area at the back of the mansion. It was a challenging task, as there might still be lurking enemies around.Once everyone had taken their positions, Ace and Shantel cautiously entered the mansion. They gripped their firearms and remained vigilant as they scanned their surroundings.Even inside the mansion, there were scattered corpses. Both of them winced, unable to ignore the stench that filled the a
Third Person’s POVNATHALIA still couldn’t believe what she saw in the photo. So, she picked up the fallen photo album once again, and with trembling hands, she looked at the pictures inside one by one.She felt as though her breath was being taken away when she saw that she was included in all the photos. Even though she couldn’t remember the children she was with there, she was certain that Stephen and his friends were among them.She bit her lower lip as she noticed that the young Mads, Damon, Harold, and Albert were also with them in the pictures. She had visited their house a few times and seen some of their childhood photos. Thus, she couldn’t be mistaken.“What the hell? What’s their connection to a past I can’t remember?” she quietly questioned in her mind.She blinked and tried to hold back the tears from escaping her eyes. She quickly closed the photo album and held it tightly.She needs to hide this one until Stephen comes back. That way, he won’t have a chance to avoid her
Nathalia was momentarily lost, but quickly recovered and raised her gaze. She began firing at the snipers repeatedly until they fell from the tree. Harold and Albert quickly approached to make sure the sniper was no longer a threat.Her hands began to tremble, causing her to release the grip on the gun. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she slowly crawled towards Belen.“No! No! Open your eyes, Belen!” She tapped the old woman’s cheek desperately, hoping she would wake up. She rested the old woman’s head on her thigh, finally allowing herself to sob.This is not happening!Belen gradually opened her eyes and tightly held Nathalia’s hand. Her lips moved, so Nathalia leaned in closer.“Remember who you truly are. Remember the people who are important to you. I’m happy to see you again before I completely leave this world.”She managed a weak smile before closing her eyes, and her hand slipped away.Nathalia’s chest tightened, and it felt like she couldn’t breathe. She felt like she l
Nathalia’s POVI know that the time will come when Aries and I will see each other again. But I didn’t expect our paths to cross again in this manner.My attention shifted to Cole as he suddenly got out of the car and quickly walked towards my position. He opened the door and firmly grabbed my arm before dragging me out of the car.My mouth gaped open, unable to believe it, as I looked up at him. This is not the Cole that I used to know.The Cole I know is sweet, caring, and gentle. He likes to crack jokes, even if they’re corny, and sing, even if his voice isn’t in tune.“C-Cole, what’s happening?” I was interrupted as Aries suddenly interjected.“Oh, come on! Big brother! You don’t have to be so harsh on her,” he said before he sighed and his expression turned somber as he glanced at me.My eyes widened at what I heard. Surprised, I shifted my gaze between the two of them. “Big brother? What did he mean?”Cole’s gaze was coldly fixed on me. It wasn’t like before, when his eyes seeme
“Tep-Tep? Seriously! Give that to me!” I scowled as I chased the guy who took the bouquet of flowers I had picked.“No way! Why would I give it to you? These are from our garden anyway, so it’s mine!” He picked up his pace even more. “And stop calling me Tep-Tep! I’m not a kid anymore!” He went straight into the mansion.“You’re something else, Stephen! You enjoy teasing Thalia just because she’s younger than you.” A young woman carrying a bunch of red roses approached me.“Here. Just take these. Don’t mind Stephen. You’re sensitive too; that’s why he loves teasing you all the time.” She handed me the flowers she was holding.My eyes seemed to light up because of this. “Thank you, Shantel!”She smiled at me and playfully pinched my nose. But our attention was interrupted by a sudden call.“Shan!”We both turned to the newcomer.“Why did you give the flowers to Thalia? I picked all those for you!” he complained.Shantel rolled her eyes at him. “I just can’t understand why you insist on