Claire woke up to the sunlight streaming through the window. The open window greeted her, the rays of the sun pulling her from sleep. She stretched, savoring the comfort of her slumber, but then suddenly froze when she noticed something strange. Her hands Immediately clutched the blanket covering her as she realized she wasn’t wearing a single piece of clothing. “You’re awake.” She flinched at the voice beside her and quickly turned her head—only to see Zekiel. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, panic setting in. Especially as memories of last night flooded her mind. ‘N-no… this can’t be happening.’ She whispered to herself, tears welling in her eyes. Zekiel noticed and immediately grew concerned. “Hey, why are you crying?” He reached for her arms, but Claire jerked away, startling him. “No! Don’t touch me. This is wrong. What happened between us shouldn’t have happened, Zekiel.” The man fell silent at her words. He hadn’t expected her to say that after what had
“Tita-Mommy!” Zayne hugged her as soon as she arrived at their spot near the door, leaving her no choice but to hug him back. She wanted to draw strength from her child. Her gaze drifted to Zekiel, who was staring at her seriously, making her quickly look away. “I’ve been looking for you earlier, Tita-Mommy. Daddy and I went to your room, but you weren’t there because you didn’t open the door.” Her attention shifted to her son because of what he said. He was looking at her, so she smiled and ruffled his hair. “Tita wasn’t there earlier. I went out.” Zekiel frowned at that. Now he was sure—the girl was avoiding him. He didn’t understand why. He knew he would take responsibility if Claire got pregnant, but every time he thought about it, Zayne’s mother crossed his mind. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her behind. He couldn’t let go of the past. “Oh? Then stay here for dinner and sleep over, Tita! We’re going home tomorrow anyway, so we can all go together!” Claire’s s
Claire’s eyes widened as she was met with the faces of Zekiel and Zayne, both looking at her with concern. “Tita-Mommy, are you okay now?” Claire immediately sat up from where she had been lying in the living room, with Zekiel quickly assisting her. “I’m okay. What happened?” Claire spoke weakly, making the father and son exchange glances. Zayne was the one who answered, knowing his father had no intention of speaking. He had been there ever since Zekiel intervened after Claire’s call. Zayne had been curious about why the two were taking so long to return, so he followed them—only to overhear the adults’ conversation. Though he knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, he couldn’t help himself, especially since it was about Claire. “You passed out again, Tita-Mommy.” Claire frowned at Zayne’s words, then her eyes widened before she glanced at the two and quickly looked away. They already knew about Zayne’s twin—the only difference was that they thought the child was hers with someone
Claire could no longer hold back her tears because of it. She covered her mouth, not wanting the two to hear her crying. It felt like her heart was being crushed—like she wanted to hurt herself for the mistake she had made. She wished she could just disappear so she wouldn’t have to feel this pain. When her sobs wouldn’t stop, making it hard for her to breathe from holding back too much, she quickly grabbed her cellphone and ran straight to the beach. Many of Bea’s employees noticed her, but she ignored them and kept going. When she reached the shore, she finally let out all the pain she had been holding in, the tears she had been fighting back. Slowly, her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground. “Ahhh!!!” She screamed from the overwhelming pain. All she had wanted was to get closer to her child—she never intended for things to turn out this way. What happened in Zekiel’s room felt like it had torn her in two. Claire cried and cried, with no intention of leaving the be
The next day, Claire woke up early and arrived at work ahead of time. She was hoping Zayne or even Zekiel would notice her and reinstate her. She busied herself with the paperwork until Zekiel arrived with his son. She immediately smiled and stood up to greet them. “Good morning, Sir! Good morning, Zayne!” She beamed at them, but they acted as if they were deaf, walking straight past her toward the office without a word. Weakly, Claire sank back into her chair, her smile vanishing as tears rolled down her cheeks. She quickly bowed her head, understanding that they were still angry with her. She would give them more time. But the time she gave them stretched to nearly a week. Every day, they passed by her as if she were nothing but air. She couldn’t take it anymore—it was breaking her. Each time they ignored her, especially Zayne, she grew weaker, like a candle slowly burning out. Sometimes, she just wanted to disappear. She kept smiling at them, but they never even glance
CLAIRE I couldn’t believe I was staring at the handsome man in front of me. Just one look at him, and you could immediately tell he was also a businessman, just like Zekiel—especially since they were both wearing business attire. But Zekiel was more handsome, though his attitude was terrible, unlike the man I was facing now. Still, why did the last name Hunt sound so familiar to me? “Yes, it was me. Sorry I didn’t show myself to you that time—I was shy. But I kept watch over you until your friend arrived.” My eyes widened at his words. So all that time, someone was watching over me?! No wonder I felt like someone was staring at me. “You watched over me? Wait! Don’t apologize—I should be the one thanking you! But you didn’t have to do that.” He smiled at my words, and I noticed his perfectly aligned, fair lips. His smile suited him so well. “How could I leave? You looked depressed and were crying that time.” I fell silent at his words and forced another awkward smile. T
I did nothing but stare at my child for hours. I couldn’t take my eyes off him because it was my last chance. Zayne and I spent the whole day together after that, and Zekiel allowed it—probably because he knew it was my last day. It was almost time to go home, and we were just sitting at my table playing online games. I didn’t even finish my work; Hero could handle it tomorrow since he’d be back anyway. “Tita-Mommy, we’re about to take you home!” He was grinning widely at me, but I could only manage a sad smile in return. “I’d love to, but your dad would never allow it. So I’ll have to go ahead without you.” I saw his face fall at my words. “But I want you to stay, Tita-Mommy! Why are you taking all your things?! I don’t want you to leave!” He started crying again, so I immediately knelt to his level. Seeing him cry hurt me twice as much. “Zayne, stop crying. Listen to me. I won’t be coming back tomorrow—I got a text saying your Tito Hero is returning. But that doesn’t
I’m now walking down the street. I’ve already thrown away the things I was carrying—they were just props anyway. I decided to walk to clear my mind. I texted Quinn that I’d be home tomorrow and that we’d return to Paris the next day. Knowing she’d question me, I turned off my phone. The sun had set by the time I reached a park, so I sat down to gaze at the sky. The stars were bright, and the moon was a half-crescent. What does it feel like to have no worries? No problems? I wish I could be like that. I wish my children and I were whole. I couldn’t stop crying. I’d been crying earlier, and now, tears still fell. I still couldn’t accept what was happening. Amid my sobbing, I suddenly sensed other people nearby. My eyes snapped open—I wasn’t mistaken. Six men in leather jackets surrounded me. How did I even sense them? My instincts had sharpened inexplicably. “Who are you?!” I asked nervously, standing up. Their menacing looks screamed danger. “Who we are doesn’t matter. Wh
They were already on their way home because after that encounter, they didn’t stay much longer, especially since the weather was getting hotter. They only had lunch at a restaurant, and now the twins were asleep in the back of the car. While on the road, Camille suddenly crossed Claire’s mind. “Zekiel, where is Camille, by the way?” Zekiel glanced at her briefly, his brow furrowing because she had brought it up so suddenly. “That girl? According to Hero, she’s in jail.” “Jail? Why? Is she locked up permanently?” Zekiel’s frown deepened at her question. “What do you mean ‘why’? Of course, she deserves to be there! She almost got you all in danger because of her, and I won’t let that slide.” Zekiel’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, while Claire fell silent, lost in thought. ’In danger…’ she whispered in her mind before her eyes suddenly widened. “Do you think Camille was the one who did that to Zoey?!” Zekiel looked at her briefly. “Impossible, my life. She had jus
“Z-Zekiel, fine. I’ll introduce you to Mama, and we’ll visit her grave. But I have one question,” Claire said nervously. She didn’t want to reject him—it would hurt him, even though she did want what he was offering. It just wasn’t the right time. “Go on,” Zekiel replied quickly, making Claire sigh. “The kids, Zekiel. We can’t just forget what happened to Zoey. What are we going to do about it?” Zekiel fell silent, then immediately felt anger rise within him. In the brief moment of happiness with his family, he had forgotten about the person who had tried to kill his child. “I’ll find him,” Zekiel said firmly. “I’ll go with you, Zekiel.” He turned to her, his expression softening. “No. I won’t let you put yourself in danger, Claire—especially not while you’re pregnant.” “Who said anything about fighting? I’ll just help you plan and search.” Zekiel was taken aback—how did she know they were going to fight? “How did you know we’d be fighting?” “Huh? O-Oh—“ Claire flinc
“Daddy, I’m so happy that we are complete now,” Zoey said with a smile as Zekiel adjusted the blanket for her, while Claire did the same on the other end. “Me too. We’ll never be separated again, okay?” “Your daddy is right. We won’t let anything tear us apart,” Claire said sweetly, making Zekiel glance at her and smile, which she returned. “Goodnight, Mommy and Daddy!” Zayne suddenly said, already lying down and yawning, making them laugh before they settled in as well. “Goodnight, twins,” Claire turned off the lampshade beside her and hugged Zayne, who snuggled into her. Her eyes met Zekiel’s from the other side of the bed, their children nestled between them. ‘I love you,’ Zekiel whispered into the air, and the woman understood, replying softly. ‘I love you too.’ --- THE NEXT MORNING, Claire woke up early and saw that her family was still fast asleep. She quietly walked to the veranda and opened it to breathe in the fresh air. She closed her eyes, savoring the p
Everyone had dinner together after arriving at Zekiel’s house. The noise around them never stopped, especially because of the kids—Bea and Dylan’s child was there. “What’s your baby’s name again, Bea?” Quinn asked with a smile, holding the baby’s tiny hands. “His name is Fritz.” “What a beautiful name, baby boy! And you’re so cute!” Quinn cooed happily. “Do you want one like him?” Bea teased, grinning as Quinn nodded while playing with the baby. “Then tell your boyfriend that,” Bea added, making Quinn widen her eyes in shock as she stared at her friend. “How did you two even happen?! I was only gone for a few months, and now you and Kuya are together?!” Claire pretended to scold her friend, making Bea burst into laughter at her reaction. “W-wait! I had nothing to do with that—“ ”Oh, Claire! Quinn here loves me so much—she’s absolutely obsessed with me,” Quinn’s eyes nearly popped out when Timothy suddenly appeared. “You’re so shameless! You twisted the whole story!”
“Y-You’re right, okay okay! Thank you, Louise! I wouldn’t know what to do if everything you said actually happens.” “Don’t forget, I’m always here, Claire. I’m your friend, and I’m ready to stand by you. Alright, bye now, Claire—my meeting starts in five minutes.” “Okay, Louise, thank you. Take care there!” After that call, she went straight to Zoey’s room and saw that the twins were already asleep, while Zekiel was waiting for her. “Why did you take so long?” the young man greeted her. “Louise called to check up on me.” Zekiel frowned at her words. “Louise? I blocked that guy—how was he still able to call you?” Claire’s ears perked up at what Zekiel said, remembering Louise mentioning he couldn’t reach her. “You! You’re the reason Louise couldn’t contact me right away!” Claire whispered sharply, almost shouting, making Zekiel freeze. “M-Me? What did I do?” he stammered, seeing the pain in her eyes. “Louise told me he couldn’t reach me, so he couldn’t tell me sooner
“WHY did you tell him?!” Claire said with wide eyes, whispering to her friends. “S-Sorry, Claire. We had no choice at that time,” Quinn replied. “Besides, it was your brother who came up with that plan, not me!” Claire could only sigh at Bea’s words, unable to look at Zekiel. “Wait, your brother? But isn’t that Timothy? He didn’t say anything back then.” Bea glanced at her friend, realizing that even she didn’t know the full truth about Claire’s past. “Why don’t you ask Timothy? I’m sure he knows something since he’s acquainted with Claire’s brother, Clark.” Quinn shot her boyfriend a sharp look. “A-Ahh, well… it’s a long story,” Timothy awkwardly laughed at his girlfriend. “Hey, my life,” Zekiel called out, causing Claire and her friends to freeze. “I think we should head out now. Let’s go, guys,” Bea said, pulling them away. “Wait, you all still have a lot of explaining to do!” Hero called after them, leaving the two standing by the door. Zekiel approached Claire
“Wait, Bea, I have a question,” Zekiel said, making everyone turn to him—even Claire waited for what he was about to say. “What is it?” “Did you have anything to do with why Mom and Dad showed up at my meeting with the board members back when Camille and I almost got married?” Suddenly, Claire remembered that incident—the very reason she had to go to Gray’s Company in the first place, because of the arranged marriage between Zekiel and Camille. “Ah, about that… Quinn was the one who made that decision, Claire, not me!” Claire frowned at the sudden shift in Bea’s expression, especially since she was looking at her when it was Zekiel who had asked the question, not her. “Why am I being dragged into this?” she asked, glancing between the two friends. “What do you mean you? It was Bea!” Claire only got more confused by what was happening—until the men approached them and Timothy spoke up. “They both said you were the owner of Cs Boutique.” (Flashback) “This is a huge mes
CLAIRE I couldn’t move from where I stood because of what I heard. Suddenly, the words of Kuya Clark and Timothy flashed through my mind. “How did that person get in here?! Don’t you have security?!” Zekiel’s voice rose, and I didn’t stop him because even I was furious about their negligence. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Gray, but this is a hospital. Anyone can enter, and we didn’t expect something like this to happen.” The doctor was right—we shouldn’t blame anyone because, first of all, no one wanted this. Who would’ve thought our daughter would be in danger? “Z-Zekiel, that’s enough. The doctor’s right. All we need to do now is find out who did this,” I said, tightening my grip on his hand, which made him sigh. He stared at me for a long moment before forcing a smile. This was one of the changes in him that I liked—he’d become humbler for me, unlike before when he was so prideful and quick to yell. “Okay, fine. Give me the footage, Doc. We’ll handle it.” The doctor nodd
“Wow! Zekiel said you’d all go out once Zoey recovers,” Bea suddenly said, saving them all and allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. “Is that so? I hope our daughter wakes up soon,” Claire said sadly, looking at Zekiel. “M-Mommy…” They were startled by the weak voice, but it was loud enough for them to hear. When they turned toward the source, they saw Zoey was awake. “Zoey!” Claire immediately approached the child and asked how she was feeling. “Z-Zoey! You’re awake! How do you feel? How are you, sweetheart?” Claire asked rapidly. “I-I’m okay, Mommy… I’m thirsty…” “She wants water! Call the doctor, hurry!” Claire said frantically. Zekiel moved quickly and handed Claire the water. “Hey, calm down, okay? You’re panicking too much,” the man said to the woman, holding her hand that was clutching the glass of water. Claire finally snapped back to reality and seemed to relax. “Our daughter is fine, take it easy,” Zekiel added with a smile, making her unable to re