“Mommy!” Zayne wanted to chase after the woman, but he stopped himself when his son looked at him. “Just let her go,” Zekiel said, surprising everyone, especially when he turned and went back into his office. “Daddy, is that it?!” Zayne shouted at him while the others silently listened. “You’re just gonna let Mommy leave?! I thought you loved her?!” Zekiel closed his eyes at his son’s words and rubbed his temples in frustration. “Of course I love her. I love her so much,” he answered. “Then that’s it! Let’s go after her!” Zekiel couldn’t hold back his shout, his mind racing. “Didn’t you hear?! She has a child, Zayne! We’re not her family—that’s why she’s leaving!” The boy froze at his father’s words, tears welling in his eyes. “What child—“ Bea was about to speak when Hero stopped her, shaking his head. “That’s their problem, not ours, Bea,” she could only nod and watch the scene unfold. Zayne suddenly ran out, heading straight to his room and locking himself inside.
CLAIRE I’ve been alone watching over my daughter Zoey. It’s been two days since she was hospitalized, and for two days, I’ve been praying for a compatible heart for her. Every night, I go to the church here, crying and begging for a miracle—for someone to save my child. Quinn isn’t here because I sent him to fetch Mom from Paris. I wanted him to break the news to them personally—I didn’t want them to be shocked. “Zoey? Please get better. I can’t lose you,” I said tearfully, holding her hand. I keep talking to her because I know she can hear me. All I want is for her to recover because if anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself. My phone suddenly rang, startling me, so I answered immediately. “Hello, Claire? Where are you? I’m coming to pick you up.” I froze when I heard my brother Clark’s voice—I had told him I’d be returning to the palace. “Kuya, I’m so sorry. I can’t go back yet. Something happened to Zoey—she’s in the hospital.” “What?! Which hospital? I’
“I was with you, Venice—Claire, or whoever you are! You had every chance to tell me the truth, but you didn’t!” I clenched my eyes shut at his words, bracing myself for every painful thing he would say because this really was my fault. “I trusted you, Venice…” My gaze snapped to him when he said that, and I saw him slowly calming down while I was still crying uncontrollably. “I trusted you and gave you all my love, my trust, and everything! I defended you against everyone, so why?! Why did it have to be like this?!” “D-Do you think I wanted this?” I whispered weakly, just loud enough for him to hear. “Yes, you did, Venice! Isn’t it obvious?! You made a fool out of me!” “Do you really think I wanted this?!” I couldn’t hold back my emotions anymore and finally snapped back. He froze, staring at me. “Yes, I gave you our son Zayne, and yes, I hid Zoey from you—but do you think I wanted that?! Do you think I wanted to be separated from my child?! Do you think I wanted both of m
I looked at my brother, and we locked eyes. Our eyes were the same color—just like Papa’s. They were a deep gray, even more beautiful in the light. But after a moment, I was shocked when Kuya Clark suddenly started crying. “Kuya, what happened?!” I asked worriedly, but he just shook his head at me. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen your eyes, Claire. I couldn’t help but cry because I can really feel it now—you’re finally coming back to us.” I couldn’t respond to what he said. I didn’t even know if I would still return to the palace. But then again, my world here was already in chaos, and I was sure Zekiel would want nothing more to do with me. Kuya walked over and sat on Zoey’s bed, facing me, then took my hands. I found myself staring into his eyes again. “I’ve waited so long for this moment, Claire. I’ve wanted to reach out to you ever since Mama died—to comfort you, to stop your tears—but fear held me back. You didn’t remember me, and worse, I was afraid you’d run away fro
The couple Anderson couldn’t believe their eyes as they stared at their friend Claire. “That’s true, I’m the princess of Spain. I was still young when we left Papa because Mama took me away. I also lost my memory, so I didn’t know about them my whole life. But when I disappeared, I remembered my past—who I really am—and it was with the help of Kuya Timothy.” “Kuya Timothy?” Bea asked in surprise. “He was our childhood friend,” Claire nodded in response. “S-So, your aunt… your mother is the Queen?” Bea stammered, to which Claire nodded again. “Oh my God! I’ve been living with royalty all this time! I knew there was something special about your eyes—turns out you’re a princess, Claire!” Claire and Clark laughed at Bea’s reaction, as she still couldn’t get over the shock. “Wait, if you’re a princess, then you and Kiel can actually be together,” Dylan said, causing Claire to freeze, her smile fading. Meanwhile, Bea’s eyes widened as she remembered the real reason they were the
(Scene before Clark and Claire meet at the hospital) Clark walked briskly as he entered the hospital Claire had mentioned. But he suddenly stopped when he encountered someone he knew all too well. “Zekiel,” he frowned, especially upon seeing the man in tears. His mind quickly processed what must have happened—if Zekiel was coming from inside, he must have just seen his child and learned the truth. Without hesitation, Clark rushed toward him, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him square in the face, shocking Zekiel. “What the hll?!” Zekiel exclaimed as he fell to the floor, his lip bleeding. “What’s the matter with you?! Why the hell did you just hit me?!” Zekiel shouted angrily, wiping his tears. “You deserve it,” Clark said flatly, further enraging Zekiel, who stood up and faced him. “You looking for a fight?! Who the hell are you to punch me like that?!” Zekiel snapped, but Clark remained unfazed, his gaze steady and cold. “I want to teach you a lesson. Do you t
“You watched it?!” The child asked with wide eyes, scratching his neck in embarrassment. “I have no choice, Daddy,” Zekiel sighed deeply at his son’s words, though he couldn’t hide the fact that he was impressed. “Forget it. By the way, you’re so intelligent, Zayne!” Zayne smiled at his father’s praise. “I never thought you’d be capable of something like this at such a young age.” “The internet helps me a lot, Daddy,” the child replied with a grin. But then, he noticed his father suddenly grow serious, staring at the gadgets he had made. “Why, Daddy? Are you mad?” Zekiel blinked at his son’s question and quickly shook his head. “No, never. It’s just that… okay, I need you to listen to me. This is important.” Zekiel knelt in front of the child, making Zayne curious as he waited for his father’s next words. “You are the next heir of Gray’s company, Zayne. And I need to tell you about the darkest side of our business. Every business has its own dark side, Zayne, and you hav
“Where could Mommy be?” Zayne wondered aloud as he opened his cellphone to check her location. The screen showed that the woman he adored was at the hospital, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly remembered his sister and felt a sharp pain in his chest. “Zoey,” he muttered nervously, unsure why but instinctively feeling that his sister needed him. Without hesitation, he called her using their usual app—Skype. A few seconds later, someone answered, and a woman with the same eye color as his appeared on the screen. He froze for a moment, a realization dawning on him, but he didn’t recognize her. “Wait… I know that voice. Is that you, Mommy?!” Zayne was utterly shocked. Behind the woman, he saw Bea appear, which startled him even more. “Aunt Bea!” Bea, equally surprised, quickly stepped away from the camera. “That’s Zoey’s phone! How did you end up there, Mommy?” Zayne asked in confusion, but Claire remained silent, tears welling in her eyes. “D-Don’t tell me… you’re my
“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
“Are you even listening to me, Claire?!” “Yes, Kuya! Geez! I’m just thinking—if what you’re saying is true, then I believe it’s time for me to act.” Timothy frowned at Claire’s words. “Act? I didn’t tell you so you could take action, Claire! What’s wrong with you?” The young woman turned to look at him. “If I don’t act, then what? Should I just let my family suffer? Kuya, they’re after me, so I should be the one to end this.” Timothy stared at his friend in disbelief, seeing the seriousness in her expression. He hadn’t expected that along with the return of her memories, her stubbornness would come back too. “I won’t allow that. I’ll tell your brother about this.” Claire’s eyes widened at his words. “N-No! I was just kidding! I won’t do it, Kuya!” “You can’t fool me.” Timothy turned away, but Claire quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. “Kuya, come on! Kuya Clark told me Mom died because of those people!” Timothy froze and turned back to her. He saw tears streaming do
Kaithy glanced at her child’s words and saw a handsome man who looked exactly like the twin. “Mom, Auntie, this is Kuya Zekiel. The father of our children and my boyfriend.” Zekiel was shocked by Claire’s words, especially when she reached out her hand to him. Without thinking, he took it and let her pull him closer. Meanwhile, Nanay Lucing broke her embrace with her grandchild and turned her gaze to Zekiel. “So you’re Zekiel,” she said seriously, making Zekiel smile. Even though he was surprised by the sudden introduction, his heart swelled with happiness. “Hello, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of your daughter. But whatever happened in the past, let’s forget it—what matters now is the present,” Zekiel said with a smile. However, none of them knew someone was listening from the doorway. “Forget the past? In your dreams, Gray,” the person muttered through gritted teeth, slowly closing the door. Zekiel glanced at the now-closed door, and if looks could kill, it would
”WHERE is your brother?” Claire looked at Bea because of her question, which also made the others glance at her. “Ah, he already left. He’s going back home.” “To Paris?” Zekiel suddenly cut in, making Claire look at him. “Y-Yes,” Their brows furrowed at Claire’s response, and she immediately went to Zoey to attend to her. Bea, Dylan, and Hero exchanged looks at the girl’s action and just shrugged. They didn’t want any more commotion. “WHERE is my grandchild?!” Claire jolted awake upon hearing a loud voice and saw Nanay Lucing along with Quinn, Kaithy, and Timothy. “Nanay Lucing!” She quickly stood up and hugged her. “Zoey’s fine now. She’s had surgery, and the doctor said she’ll recover fully.” “Thank goodness! We were so worried!” Timothy’s mother said before approaching Zoey to check on her more closely. “Why didn’t you tell us, Claire? We would’ve understood. Why did you keep it a secret?” Claire fell silent at that, and Timothy stepped closer. “You have a
I was pulled away from hugging Kuya (older brother) because of that, and I looked at him. He had a smile on his lips and wiped the tears on my cheeks. “If Mama were here, she would say the same thing—let them be, Claire.” Because of what Kuya said, I turned to the doctor and nodded. “Go ahead, Doc. And please… save our child.” After I said that, I felt Zekiel hold my hand. He smiled at me, then looked at the doctor. “Operate on our child,” Zekiel said before turning back to me and squeezing my hand. So this is what it feels like to have someone beside you in times of sorrow… It feels so comforting. “The operation was successful.” I immediately hugged Zekiel and Zayne when the doctor delivered the news as he stepped out of the operating room. “M-Mommy… D-Daddy, my twin is safe now!” Zayne said happily, making me smile as I could no longer hold back my tears. I was overjoyed that Zoey’s operation had a successful outcome. I glanced at Zekiel when he held my hand, smi