“What happened, Claire?” Timothy asked worriedly when he noticed the young woman fidgeting with her hands. He knew she only did that when she was anxious or guilty. Because of Timothy’s reaction, the others turned to look at them as well. “I’ll tell you later,” Claire nodded, waiting for their orders to be served first. “We must go to Paris tonight. Zekiel will find out everything if we don’t!” Everyone was shocked, especially Bea. “What?!” Bea said in disbelief, making Claire sigh and turn to her friend. “I’m so sorry, Bea. I’m planning to live in Paris for good.” “What? N-No,” Bea shook her head before taking a bite of her food. “B-Bea—” “Stop, Claire. I don’t want to talk about it,” Bea said calmly, making Dylan glance at her. They all knew Bea was pregnant, so they didn’t want to stress her out. Claire stayed silent. Claire wanted to cry—Bea’s disapproval of her decision hurt, but there was nothing she could do. They had to leave tonight. --- “WHAT?!” Zek
“WHAT do you mean, Hero?” Zekiel’s gaze snapped up to meet Hero’s. The man visibly swallowed under the weight of that predatory stare – it felt like Hero wanted to tear him apart with his eyes alone. “V-Venice isn’t in the country anymore, Kiel.” Hero didn’t even blink as two heavy objects from Zekiel’s desk went flying past his head – hurled at him with violent force. “What do you mean she’s not in the country?! Are you fucking with me?!” Zekiel’s roar made the walls tremble, his eyes burning with barely contained fury. “I’m telling you the truth. Venice is gone,” Hero maintained his calm despite the storm before him. “Impossible! She can’t just disappear on me!” The frustration in Zekiel’s voice cracked as he collapsed into his chair, fingers tearing through his own hair. “They left last—“ “Why didn’t you stop her?!” Zekiel’s interruption came like a gunshot. “How the hell would I know?! Do I look like I control Venice’s mind?! Do you think I have some tracking
CLAIRE “HELLO, Louise?” “Claire? Did you call? Did something happen?” I let out a sigh after Louise asked me that. I didn’t know if what I was about to do was right, but I had no choice but to go through with it. “Louise, can I ask you for a favor?” I closed my eyes as I said it, waiting for her response. “A favor? Of course, anything for you! What is it?” she asked. “Well, here’s the thing, Louise. I really need your help. Zekiel is coming to Paris, and he can’t find out my true identity. So I’m asking you to help me pretend to be your secretary—like you brought me here for work. That’s the reason I’m in Paris.” After I said that, there was silence on the other end of the line. I even checked my phone screen to see if the call had dropped. “Louise? Hello, are you still there?” “Ah, yes! Of course, Claire! Why not? I’d be happy to help you! I’ll come over right now.” Louise abruptly hung up before I could even thank her. Honestly, I was already feeling guilty becau
“Quinn, I thought I could handle it. I thought I could watch over Zayne from afar, but I was wrong. With each passing day, my conscience is eating me alive. I gave that child false hope that we’d see each other again, but the truth is, we won’t. Bea… Bea still hasn’t reached out to me, even now.” Suddenly, Quinn hugged me, and I froze in surprise. “I’m sorry, Claire. I didn’t consider how you were feeling. I was too consumed by my own emotions for Timothy. Forgive me for leaving you alone.” I hugged her back and cried. “E-Every day that passes, I’m losing hope, Quinn. And now, this seems like the only way to fix everything.” She pulled away from our embrace and looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath before answering her question. “I’m ready, Quinn. I’m ready to tell Zekiel the truth. I don’t care if he gets angry at me—I just want to make things right. I’ve been hiding from the past for too long. I can’t do this anymore.” She hugged me again af
I couldn’t move from where I stood because of Zekiel’s presence in front of me. Yes, I had prepared myself to see him—but not this soon, and not in this situation. Why were they here already?! I glanced at Hero, who was also wide-eyed upon seeing me. I shut my eyes briefly, overwhelmed. My heart was pounding so hard I didn’t know what to say or do. It was as if I had been glued in place—even my tongue refused to work. “Mr. Gray, long time no see. Who would’ve thought we’d run into each other here in Paris? What a small world.” I heard Louise’s voice beside me. I wanted to stop her from speaking—her tone was dripping with teasing, and I feared what Zekiel might do to her—but I couldn’t move! “I’m not happy to see you, Hunt. You stole someone precious from me.” My eyes widened at Zekiel’s words. I saw the two of them locked in a tense stare, electricity crackling between them from the intensity of their gazes. “As I remember, I didn’t steal her, Mr. Gray. You fired her.” I
The two were shocked by Claire’s sudden fainting spell, but thankfully, Zekiel acted quickly and caught the young woman. “Call some help, Hero! Bring them to our room!” Zekiel immediately instructed, swiftly carrying the woman back to their room. Zekiel and Hero had just arrived from the Philippines when Zekiel discovered Claire’s whereabouts in Paris—and the fact that she had become Louise’s secretary. Enraged, the young man nearly destroyed his office in a fit of fury, leaving it looking like a storm had passed through. Hero didn’t Intervene, having expected such a reaction. He wasn’t even surprised when Zekiel ordered him to book a flight to Paris. Hero hadn’t had the chance to call Claire to warn her, as he had been too busy handling their documents and ensuring their safety, so she remained unaware. Now, Claire was inside Zekiel’s room, laid gently on the bed like a sleeping princess. Zekiel was worried about her, yet he couldn’t help but stare. Sitting beside her, he b
It felt like Zekiel’s world stopped when he heard what the doctor said. Even Hero’s eyes widened in disbelief at the doctor’s words. “Pregnant?!” he asked in shock, to which the doctor nodded. “Yes, and regaining her memory may cause her stress, which could lead to losing the baby. So please help keep her in a good mood every day.” Zekiel’s hands turned cold at the doctor’s words, and his heart raced uncontrollably. “H-How many months or weeks is she pregnant?” Hero glanced at Zekiel when he asked this, especially since he could clearly see the shock on his face. “Five weeks, which means one month and one week.” Zekiel couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. He was right—his suspicion was correct. He was the father of her child. Hero grew worried seeing Zekiel cry, especially since he knew how much Zekiel loved Claire. How much more must he be feeling now that she was pregnant? “I’ll take my leave now,” Hero nodded at the doctor and immediately approached Zekiel. “Ki
“Let me be the one to talk to Zayne, sir, please?” Zekiel glanced at Claire when she spoke. The young man was about to leave to follow Zayne. “But Venice, I don’t want you to get hurt—“ “Sir, I can handle myself. Besides, would I really let my own child come to harm?” Zekiel fell silent at her words, then slowly nodded, making Claire smile faintly. She knew Zayne was angry because of how she had deceived him a month ago, so she wanted to be the one to fix the mess she had made. She stood up, and Zekiel steadied her, making her feel slightly awkward. She wasn’t used to his attentiveness, but she let it pass for now. She stepped out of the room, and Zekiel pointed to Zayne’s door. She immediately headed there. When she opened it, she saw the window was shut, making the room dim, but she could still see Zayne curled under a blanket. She took a deep breath and knocked. “Zayne?” she called, but there was no response. “I’m coming in,” she announced before entering and clos
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