“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
Stephen’s POVDamn this piece of shit! How many of Aries’ lackeys are there?I quickly swerved the car as I noticed that two of the occupants in a white van were pointing guns at me. I can send them all to hell right now if I fucking want to. But I shouldn’t waste a single minute dealing with them. I need to see my wife as soon as possible. That’s all that matters to me right now.I grabbed my cellphone and immediately called the head of the mafia guards accompanying me. “Clear my way and back me up! Make sure to kill all those motherfuckers!”“Yes, sir!”I hung up the call and threw my phone onto the dashboard. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I noticed my men systematically taking down the enemies ahead. As they were finally eliminated one by one, I quickly sped the car away.I glanced at the side mirror and saw my friends swiftly following me. Meanwhile, our men had successfully fallen behind. They’re blocking the enemy’s way.“Rhyz, did you already tell Amelia to foll
Third Person’s POVCURRENTLY, five-year-old Nathalia and her close friend Aries are playing tag and making bets in the mansion’s garden. The two of them were inseparable ever since the day they both started to talk and walk. They were practically together every day, and aside from being friends, Aries also served as Nathalia’s bodyguard.“Nathalia.”Nathalia paused in her running, and her smile widened upon hearing the baritone voice of her father, Don Gray Fuentes. Aries stepped back and stayed quiet, standing to the side.Her father smiled as he approached her.“My business partners were here with their children. That’s why I want you to meet them, and I hope that you can be friends with them.” He gently pinched her cheek.Nathalia’s eyes sparkled at her father’s words. She couldn’t quite understand her classmates and other children at her school. They were all distant from her, as if they were afraid of her. That’s why she had no one else to rely on but Aries.Her father gently str
WHEN THE DAY came to start their plan, he brought Ariston to a shelter along with his forged documents for his new identity. From Ariston’s escape from the shelter to the moment Don Isaac spotted him wandering on the street, Arman had it all planned out.He knew that the old man had a habit of taking in orphaned children who showed potential to add to his growing number of followers. After leaving Ariston at the shelter, he only informed Aries about it later on.Aries didn’t immediately accept the news about his sibling at first. But when their father explained to him the role his brother would play in their plan, he eventually accepted his brother’s involvement.So, when Don Isaac brought his brother back to the mansion, he knew that this was the beginning of the gradual downfall of the Fuentes family and its allies.However, Ariston decided first to undermine the Anderson Mafia and others aligned with Gray Fuentes in order to deprive him of allies and support.He had long been steal
Third Person’s POVNATHALIA was busy contemplating her thoughts on how she would be able to escape the room she was in when suddenly the door in front of her opened.She raised her gaze, and anger immediately surged in her heart as Cole appeared before her.“You traitor! How dare you!”She clenched her fist before quickly getting off the bed and lunging at him. She didn’t mind the pain in her body. She unleashed a series of slaps on his face, devoid of any hint of emotion.Until he swiftly caught both her hands and forcefully pushed her, causing her to lie down on the bed. He gave her a menacing glare.“How could you do this to us? Especially to Stephen? You grew up staying beside him all the time! You’ve been with them for how many years already. They’re your friends, and no matter how much—”“Your husband killed my father, and because of your parents, my mother has been killed in a mission as well,” he interrupted, cutting off whatever she was about to say.Cole walked slowly toward
QUIETLY, Stephen and his friends landed on the ground after their climb over the high fence. They promptly arranged their weapons and carefully walked through the dense and dark area of the expansive estate.However, they paused upon noticing the patrolling guards. There were three men, all armed. Stephen looked at Oliver. Oliver nodded, swiftly producing three shurikens before expertly hurling them at the unsuspecting guards.Their eyes were wide open the moment they fell to the ground, blood pouring from their necks.When they noticed that there were no more guards in that area, they quickly emerged from their hiding place and headed straight for a high gate. However, their surprise was evident when they saw even more guards there.As much as possible, they didn’t want to fire their guns to avoid drawing attention. But all hell broke loose the moment they noticed them. Bullets rained down on them quickly, accompanied by the blaring sound of the alarm system throughout the area.“We’
Third Person’s POVNATHALIA was almost startled out of her wits upon hearing the loud alarm throughout the area. Accompanying it was a loud bang from outside.She stood up from her seat on the bed and tried to squeeze herself against a corner. She simply stared at the door until the commotion seemed to subside before it abruptly swung open.Cole appeared before her once again. He was sweating, and there were traces of blood on his clothes.“W-What are you—” she started to speak, but was taken aback as he suddenly pulled her. She was left in shock as she saw three guards outside lying on the floor, lifeless.She couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked at Cole. “What did you—”“Stephen and the others are here to get you,” he said, gasping for breath.Nathalia blinked, her eyes welling up with tears. The hope that had been slowly fading just a while ago came rushing back. But her attention was suddenly diverted from Cole as she realized he was about to separate her from her husband. Confu
STEPHEN is fuming mad when he sees his wife. She’s covered in bruises and wounds, with a bandage wrapped around her head.He had believed that Aries wouldn’t dare harm his wife. But it seems Aries’ state of mind has deteriorated beyond repair.Stephen tightened his grip on the two guns he held, and his eyes locked onto Aries.“Let go of her! If you have a grudge, it’s against me, so face me!” he shouted angrily.Aries filled the air with a loud laugh before letting out a sarcastic sigh.“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have much time to deal with you. Besides, you and your foolish friends are all going to die together in this place!”His attention shifted to Nathalia. Her hands were tied, and Stephen could feel his anger boiling within him.“Goodbye, Anderson!” Aries taunted with a laugh before dragging Nathalia away.He was about to go after them when John blocked his way.“Where are you going, shithead? Come on! Fight me!” Their guns were pointed at each other in an instant
TYLER woke up to the sound of his wife’s loud scream. He jolted out of bed and quickly searched for Sabrina with his eyes. He saw her lying on the floor, clutching her belly and wincing in pain. He rushed to her side immediately.“Wifey, what happened? What’s hurting?” he asked anxiously. However, his words caught in his throat as he noticed liquid flowing down her legs.“My water broke! I think I’m in labor, hubby!” She held onto his arm tightly. Her nails dug into his skin, but he paid them no mind.Tyler was at a loss for what to do. He had been about to grab their prepared items, but her screams continued to fill the room. He carefully lifted her into his arms and quickly headed out of the room. They had been sleeping in a room on the first floor for ease of access in case she suddenly went into labor.They were met by a startled Salome, who was still wiping her hands, probably from doing the dishes.“What happened? I heard Sabrina scream loudly,” she asked, her eyes moving down t
SABRINA couldn’t help but laugh when she noticed her husband’s sullen face. Today marks their second wedding anniversary. But it seems like it’s been hit by a stroke of bad luck. “Hey. You have nothing to worry about because we can still celebrate our anniversary tonight.” She cheered him up.Tyler let out a deep sigh before walking over to her and wrapping both of his arms around her waist.“I can’t help it. We are supposed to be celebrating already right at this moment. But suddenly, there was a problem in the company. Why does it have to happen on this day of all days?”She gently stroked his arm. “Let it be. What’s important is that we sort out the issue first. We can celebrate anytime.”He snorted before kneeling down and kissing her stomach.“Baby, just wait for Daddy, okay? Just behave there, alright? Don’t give Mommy a hard time. I love the both of you,” he said to their child.Tears welled up in Sabrina’s eyes. She never imagined that such a day would come. “We love you more
SABRINA blinked as she looked at herself in the mirror; she had no idea what was happening. It had only been a few minutes since Tyler left earlier, and she was taken aback when David suddenly appeared at the mansion’s door, accompanied by well-known stylists. Some of them she had even worked with before.“Wait. You still haven’t told me who sent you here or what kind of event I will be attending. Why don’t I know anything about it? I haven’t received any invitation,” she wondered aloud to the stylists.At first, she thought that her manager, Josefa, had accepted a project for her without consulting her. But when she called him earlier, he said there were none.“Just wait and see later, mamsh. For now, just sit back and relax,” said the makeup artist in a playful tone.She didn’t speak anymore and just let them continue with their work. When she tried calling her husband, his phone was turned off. So, for now, she will trust David. She’s known the man for a long time, so she knows he’
TYLER was engrossed in reading the report sent to him by Rodel when, suddenly, his car came to a halt. He was hesitant to send his friend back to work, but he was insistent.He closed his eyes and gently massaged his temples before setting down the tablet he was holding and getting out of the car. The sound of the strong waves greeted his ears from the nearby sea that was right in front of him. Because the sun was still scorching, he accepted the shades handed to him by his assistant and friend, David.“Your ex’s chosen location is pretty nice, huh? Going for the seaside restaurant vibe?” David chuckled humorlessly.Tyler looked at his friend with an expressionless face. While Rodel was quiet during work hours, his assistant David was the opposite—noisy and playful.“Shut up. Why haven’t you found a woman to love yet? So, you won’t be messing with my love life and bothering me,” he retorted, exasperated.David winced. “Man, I’ve seen enough of what you and Rodel went through because o
SABRINA remained in a daze, trying to comprehend Tyler’s words. Ever since their child disappeared, he has reverted to treating her coldly.But she understood him. What she couldn’t accept was the accusation he made against her a few weeks ago, right after they returned to the mansion from the hospital. He claimed that she deliberately and willingly allowed what happened because she wasn’t ready to have a child.She felt as if her husband had stomped on her heart, shattering it into pieces with the sharpness of his words. He didn’t even consider that it was also her child that they lost. She carried that child within her, even if it was for a short time. Above all else, she too experienced the pain of losing their baby. However, she couldn’t properly grieve because of Tyler’s cold treatment of her.After a few minutes, she finally recovered from her shock. She never imagined that her husband’s actions would lead to such a decision.With a sudden idea forming in her mind, she gently sq
TYLER raised the beer bottle he was holding before letting out a loud cheer. In the past few weeks, the bar had become like his second home, as he spent more time there than in his mansion.“Cheers!” he said before taking a big gulp from the bottle.“Ty, you’re drunk. We’ll take you home,” his assistant David intervened.“Yeah, that’s right. And Sabrina might be looking for you. It's already late, huh? I’m sure your wife is getting worried,” his secretary, Rodel, said as he tidied up the scattered empty beer bottles from the floor and gathered them on the table.Tyler shook his head and shrugged off David’s hand, who was trying to stop him, before looking at Rodel.“You should go home. Your wife needs you, especially since she just gave birth. You’re supposed to be enjoying your leave. I’m sorry for bothering you,” he insisted, shooing Rodel away.“You didn’t really bother me. Besides, Mayen’s older sibling is at home right now, so she has some company. But my wife would scold me if I
SABRINA posed gracefully, looking serious as she gazed at the camera. Today will be her final photo shoot before she completely leaves the modeling world. She didn’t want to create any major issues, so she aimed to quietly bid farewell to the world she had grown accustomed to.It had been a week since she and Tyler visited the obstetrician for a check-up. The doctor mentioned that her pregnancy was delicate, but they prescribed her vitamins and medication to support the baby’s development.“That’s it. Now, lay down slightly on the couch with your legs crossed and look in front of the camera with your parted lips. Give us your fierce look,” the photographer instructed.She immediately followed the photographer’s instructions. She carefully made her way and laid her body down slightly on the couch. She was wearing high heels. Despite not wanting to, she didn’t have any other choice. Besides, it was the last one anyway.From the corner of her eyes, she saw the manager attentively watchin
TYLER let out a frustrated curse when his assistant, David, showed him the pictures on his cellphone. He never thought that a picture of him and Tanya lurking at the bar a month ago would actually leak out.He stood up abruptly and slammed his hand on the table. “Find out who took those photos. Make sure they don’t spread any further,” he demanded, his jaw clenching as he looked at his assistant. “You already know what to do.”David nodded, “Yes, sir.” He excused himself before quickly leaving Tyler’s office.Tyler swiftly organized his things. Even though he hadn’t received a call from Sabrina about her photo shoot, he was determined to go to her immediately. He wouldn’t allow her to see those pictures. He didn’t want anything to upset her during this crucial time for both of them and their unborn child.Tyler practically flew his car to the restaurant where he left Sabrina earlier. When he arrived, he hurriedly went inside and looked for his wife.“Tyler!”He looked back to where th
SABRINA reached for Tyler’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her husband was frowning, and she didn’t want to leave him while he was still upset, especially since they had just recently reconciled.“Do you still really need to go to work? I can talk to your manager, even the other companies you’re contracted with. For sure, they’ll understand once they find out that you’re pregnant,” he said with a mixture of irritation and concern in his voice.She released a deep sigh. “I can still handle it, you know. Besides, I plan to finish my other pending commitments while my baby bump isn’t too noticeable yet. Once I’m done with everything, I’ll finally take a break. I’ll also talk to Jose about that later,” she assured him.At that moment, he turned to look at her. “Fine. But please be careful, okay?” He held her hand tightly, as if not wanting to let her go.“I will,” she replied. She leaned in and planted a tender kiss on his lips before finally saying goodbye and getting out of the car.