What really happened to Sarina? See you in the next chapter!!
The entire airport security team continued the search for Sarina. Mariano's men were also quietly investigating, and a week had already passed—a week of not knowing what had happened to my wife. But I refused to lose hope; I wanted to see her again and feel her love. But what could I do? Everything felt lifeless without her."Maximus! Get yourself ready! Is that the face you will show your wife when we find her?" Mariano asked angrily. I was in one of his mansion's rooms because he wanted me to stay with him while I was still in Las Vegas, looking for Sarina."I am always ready, Mar…" I responded listlessly as I sat on the bed."Get up and let's go.""Where?" I asked."You'll know when we get there." I didn't ask further because, in the past few days, we always ended up at the police station. I got up as he wanted, then went to the bathroom and showered.It was quick because I disliked my usual routine. I followed Mariano downstairs, and he stood up from the couch when he saw me and st
MaximusIt's all pointless! All our efforts have been in vain because we haven't found Sarina. I have no idea where she is or who took her. The man whose fingerprint was found on the bottle of sleeping pills that Mariano's group retrieved knew nothing. But one thing is certain, it was used on my wife.I nearly beat the man to death when I found out why Mariano had taken him. I might have done it if it weren't for my brother and his two men holding me back. I felt like a candle burning out when they finally restrained me until I fell to my knees and let my tears flow down my cheeks. I didn't care about the looks they gave me or what they might think of me. All I could think about was where Sarina was and if she was okay. I couldn't bear the thought that someone was hurting her or that she was suffering from pain or anything that may cause her pain.Weeks passed, and I still hadn't returned to the Philippines. I didn't want my wife to suddenly appear, only to find me gone. I wanted to be
"Are you throwing me out of your house?" I asked, causing his brows to furrow."You know that's not what I mean," he quickly replied."If not, then let me stay here," I replied shamelessly."You have business to attend to, Max. People rely on you and your company. You can't just abandon them," he said."I have no obligation to them, but I have a lot with my wife.""I'm not telling you to stop the search. You can do so without compromising the company your parents worked hard for," he said, not taking his eyes off me. I knew he felt sorry for me but didn't want to show it."I'm already doing it, Mariano. You don't need to worry about that." I knew how hard my parents worked for our company, so I let Aries take care of everything while I was away. I am not some irresponsible person who was selfish enough not to know the gravity of my actions, even though I miss my wife so much and feel like dying slowly."It's different when you're there. I promise not to stop searching for Sarina unless
Maximus"What kind of work is this?" I asked harshly before throwing out the architecture team's recommended designs. They all looked terrified before they had their heads down, unable to look me in my eyes. I don't care about their feelings and couldn't stop myself from getting angry either."Sir, they've been working nonstop for two weeks on those designs," Aries interjected, drawing my ire. Of my employees, he was the only one who was strong enough to say something or to talk back to me."And what are you implying? That it's my fault their designs are useless?" I snapped at him, and he quickly shook his head."Why don't we stop first and take a break?" he suggested, making me look at him, trying to understand what he wanted to accomplish by saying that. I took a deep breath and nodded before he turned to the architecture team. He was the only one I couldn't scold too harshly, but sometimes I couldn't help myself. Thankfully, he always understood. "You go ahead and take a break." The
MaximusMariano just looked at me and didn't answer. Even the police officer said nothing and just handed over an envelope. What's inside? Why is my brother being so secretive now? Was I thinking right? Does it have to do with my wife?"That's a copy of all the results," said the police officer."Can you continue your investigation until you find out what happened?" Mariano insisted."Can you answer me? Who is she? Who is the woman you're talking about?" My anxiety turned into fear and worry. What if they are really talking about Sarina? It just dawned on me that Mariano wouldn't need me here if this were related to his group's transaction. It's clear this involves me, so I can't help but be annoyed at him for staying silent."Shut up, Maximus. I am trying to negotiate here," my brother replied before turning back to the police officer, whose face was full of confusion. Maybe he was wondering why I was acting like this. "Please, officer. Don't stop the investigation unless you find the
MaximusThree months after reading those files, I returned to the Philippines, and the police investigation still hasn't yielded any results, even after a year and a half. I should have lost all my hopes, but the loneliness made me not to. I didn't want to feel empty forever, and I thought that would always be how I felt if I didn't hold on to the hope that my wife would return.It's been two years since I last saw my wife, and the pain is still fresh. My older brother and friends call me frequently, probably to cheer me up, but it doesn't help. Six months ago, Mariano visited me, and we spent an entire day together. He talked to me seriously and said it was unlikely that Sarina would be found. I was furious because I knew he had a point.Then, the hope I had been holding onto to stay strong had completely vanished. My brother stayed with me, and I saw the worry on my grandmother's face. I even saw her cry out of fear for my condition because I had attempted to take my own life. I coul
"What did you say?" I asked again, thinking I misheard him."You heard me right, Max," he replied, sighing."And? What about Sarina? Did you find her? Is she in his house? Did he take her?" It seemed my questions would never run out, so he had to answer. He should have given me an answer that I wanted to hear."Nothing, Max." From the very beginning, Mariano had been helping me find my wife. Our prime suspect was Roskov, so he never stopped tracking his activities. And now my brother tells me he's gone? That he's dead, and there's no more information we can get to find out where or how my wife is? I was just thinking about her earlier and how miserable my life is, and then this?"No, how can you say that?" I asked angrily. I couldn't accept his reply. There has to be something that might lead us to my wife. We never found her body, so he had to be alive somewhere. That bastard Roskov was only hiding her."We can't do anything about it, Max," he said. What, am I just supposed to accept
Maximus"Find me a competent secretary, Aries!" I shouted at my assistant. The previous ones had resigned one by one, and any replacements never lasted long. They couldn't handle my temperament despite my assistant's efforts to keep them. The two secretaries with me in Las Vegas had also left, as they often bore the brunt of my anger. I didn't intend to, but I always couldn't help shouting and yelling whenever I felt frustrated.It's been a year since the Las Vegas police confirmed Sarina's death. For several months, I locked myself in my own world again, refusing to talk to anyone. Until one day, I suddenly woke up and started working. But that was it; I just continued doing what I used to do. Sometimes, I tried to find happiness with other women but felt nothing. I couldn't find solace in them, and even if Midori had frequently visited me, I still couldn't let myself take her. There's a part of me that stops me from getting closer to her."The HR has already started posting the hirin
SarinaMaximus had always been incredibly supportive. There were days when he would follow me to the university, and I felt like a teenager again. I couldn’t help but smile as the woman stared at him, only to find out I was his wife. He would kiss me deeply in front of all the students before inviting me into the car.But honestly, it hasn’t been easy. Every morning, I had to wake up early just to keep up with our exercise routine. Dr. Miraez told me it would help if I lost some weight, as I had been feeling insecure. But Maximus reassured me that no matter what form, size, or shape I was in, I would always be the only woman he’d love and desire.Still, it's hard not to feel insecure as a woman, especially when your husband is still as handsome and fit as ever. Maximus is health-conscious, so his body remains well-maintained.Years passed, and my routine became second nature despite my lessons getting harder. My kids seemed to understand my situation. Lisa said they behaved so well whe
MaximusJust as Sarina wished, she pursued studying medicine. She started a bit late and had to catch up with her classmates, making her early days extremely busy. The kids were excited when we told them. Chase, who understood the most, was incredibly happy for his mother.Sarina worried about our children, but Lisa assured her they would take care of everything in her absence. As the boss of my own company, I could look after our kids whenever necessary.“Relax, my love. Everything will be fine, so just focus on your studies, okay?” She nodded and smiled at me before kissing my lips sweetly.I accompanied her to her therapy sessions with Dr. Miraez. During that time, I felt useless, as I hadn’t realized that Sarina, too, could break down like anyone else. I was a fool to think that the superwoman in my life had no weaknesses, despite knowing the horrors she had endured at the hands of those cruel people.One day, she came to my office to apologize to Lavinia. Her face flushed with emb
Sarina "Where are you taking me, Maximus?" I asked as he continued driving. It was a Saturday morning, and we were supposed to spend time with our kids at home. But out of the blue, he invited me to go out, saying he had somewhere he wanted to go—with me, of course. It had been a month since we reconciled and came to an understanding. I was enrolled in the university and trying to catch up with the lesson I missed because I started a little late. Today, I skipped my school-related tasks because it was supposed to be our family day. But now, here I was, being whisked away to some unknown destination by my husband. "You're still as impatient as ever, my wife. And why do you only call me Maximus? Are you mad?" "No, it's just that you're being so secretive. Why won't you tell me where we're going?" He took a deep breath before replying. "Just relax, my wife. I have something to show you, and I want your opinion on it." I let him be and stopped questioning him. He was driving, a
SarinaTwo days had passed, and Maximus and I still hadn't spoken, although he kept trying. I was still hurt and didn’t want to cry in front of him anymore.I felt guilty and a bit embarrassed for slapping his secretary, who turned out to be Aries' girlfriend. I wanted to speak to her and personally apologize. From Maximus' expression when he revealed who Lavinia really was, I knew nothing had happened between them. Still, it hurt that he kicked me out, giving the shallow excuse that he was just surprised or shocked.It was Saturday, so Maximus was home, but he was in his mini office talking to Aries. Earlier, they had been playing with the kids, and he excused himself to speak with his assistant for a moment.I waited for their conversation to end, watching for him to come out. "I want to tell you something," I said. He nodded quickly and moved closer to touch me, but I stepped away and walked into his office.Maximus followed me and sat down at his desk while I remained standing in f
Sarina“My wife,” Maximus said as soon as he saw me walking up the porch. He looked in a hurry, probably about to leave, so I just gave him a nod. I kept walking into the house, with him following closely behind.“Mommy!!!” Chastity screamed the moment she saw me. The other children turned around and rushed toward me while I noticed my husband watching quietly.“Did you behave while I was gone?” I asked them with a smile.“Yes!!!” they all replied in unison, and I couldn't help but shower them with kisses in delight.“Why did Daddy come home first? Nanny said you went to his office.”“Well, Mommy had somewhere else to go, so Daddy came home first. I needed to make sure you weren’t getting into any trouble.”“Behave, babies,” chimed in my seventh child, Chanton. His words were still slightly slurred, but it was understandable. I picked him up and walked toward the living room, holding Chastity’s hand, with the others trailing behind, except for the youngest, who was in Rowena’s arms, sm
SarinaI can’t believe it. He yelled at me and threw me out of his office. It hurts so much; I don’t know where to go or who to turn to. Why did this happen? Has he really changed? When did this all start, and why am I only feeling it now? I had been too busy taking care of our children to the point that I forgot about myself, and this?I couldn’t stop my tears from falling. I kept wiping my cheeks as I passed that woman in the hallway. I didn’t want to take the elevator and risk anyone seeing me like this.When I decided to visit his office, all the scenarios I imagined disappeared instantly. I thought his office could once again become our little love haven, just like it used to be. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the scene I walked into was a nightmare, and what happened after that felt like hell.I couldn’t shake the image of that woman from my mind—beautiful, sexy. And I’m sure she’s smart, too. Maximus never liked someone who couldn’t keep up with him and how he worked. He wants
MaximusI didn’t like what happened, and I felt upset with Sarina for what she thought. I could never cheat on her—she alone is more than enough for me. So why does she feel that way? When did she lose her trust in me? Is that why she came here without warning and didn’t bring the kids? Was it just to do what she did earlier?She always brought the kids whenever she visited me in my office. Even when it was just Chase, she hated going out alone—not out of fear, but because she didn’t want to leave our children behind.I took a deep breath and sank into my chair. I leaned back before closing my eyes. My head still throbbed from the hangover, and what just happened only made it worse.I heard the door to my office open, likely Lavinia. "Sir," she called, prompting me to open my eyes and watch her pick up the things scattered on the floor.“I’m sorry, Lavinia.”“It’s okay, Sir.” She placed the laptop on my table along with Sarina's lunchbox."It looks like Ma'am Sarina wanted to spend tim
Maximus"Aw, shit!" I groaned as I woke up, slowly blinking my eyes open. I glanced around and remembered that I wasn't at home. I looked at my wristwatch and saw that it was already half past six.I sat up and pulled the blanket off my body, only to be shocked when I realized I wasn’t wearing any clothes. My eyes darted around the room, searching for my clothes, and I noticed a rack with some neatly hung clothes on it.Nobody else was in the room, so I stood up and headed to the bathroom to shower. Judging by the room's look, I must be in a hotel. There was a bar downstairs where I had stayed last night, lost in thoughts about my wife.“Shit! Sarina!” I shouted, but I could only shake my head as I recalled what happened yesterday. I turned on the shower and began washing myself, but the thoughts of my wife wouldn’t leave my mind.I couldn’t understand her anymore. I noticed she’s always quiet, and whenever I ask her what’s wrong, she smiles and says it’s nothing. But I’m not a mind re
Sarina"Let’s talk," Maximus said firmly as I stepped out of the bathroom.“I’m not in the mood to talk,” I said before turning my back on him; he grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him.“I want to know what’s going on, Sarina.” That’s what he called me now, Sarina. I stared at him, and he met my gaze, waiting for an answer.“Nothing is going on, Maximus.”“Then what was that downstairs? Why did you suddenly get so angry?”“Chanden chased Chansen, and he fell. What do you want me to do about it?”“Is that how you correct the kids when they make mistakes? And besides, they’re just kids. It’s normal for them to play and get hurt sometimes.”“You know what? No matter how much I try to explain, you'll never understand me.” I tried to walk away again, but he wouldn’t let me.“Talk to me, Sarina. Tell me what’s really going on. I don’t believe this is just about correcting the kids.”“I told you, nothing’s wrong!” I blurted out. Maximus stared at me intently as if trying to read my s