Sarina's POV:I headed to Maximus' room after my conversation with Jason, and fortunately, the two witches were no longer there.Where could they have gone?"Are you done?" I asked Maximus, who sat in his wheelchair, gripping his phone tightly as if he were waiting for something—something that was clearly making him angry.Why? At whom? With me?"Where have you been?" His voice struck me strangely, carrying a tone I couldn't quite decipher."Just outside. I told you I wouldn't be going home, didn't I?" I replied. "Where's your family?""If you were just outside, why don't you know where they are?" he shot back."I didn't realize I was supposed to watch them too," I retorted."You were looking at them, weren't you? You said you were just outside, so you should've known they left a while ago." His tone was unmistakably angry."Are you upset about what happened earlier?" I asked."Let's go home, Sarina," he said as he stood up.There was something different about him now that
Sarina's POV:Maximus lifted my clothes, and in his apparent hurry, I raised my arms, allowing him to remove them.His hand then grasped my small breasts, eliciting a moan as his fingers played with my sensitive nipples."Ahh..."I felt him shift, my back pressing against the bed as he positioned himself over me.I didn't know what to do now that it was clear he was about to claim what he had paid for. He kissed me, and I could feel the intensity behind it.Why did it feel like anger? Was he upset because of how I'd spoken to his grandmother and ex-girlfriend?His lips slowly traveled from my cheek down to my neck until they reached my breasts. He then took one of my breasts into his mouth, and I arched my back, my hand tugging at his hair.The warmth of his breath and the teasing of his tongue on my nipple sent electric shocks through my body."Does it feel good, Sarina?" he asked."Yesss... love..." I moaned again, but then he suddenly stopped, making me look at him. He was
Sarina's POV:After Maximus and I had sex, he became incredibly possessive. He always wanted me around, which would have been fine, except that Ruth and Miranda often hung around our condo.Like today—it was a Sunday, and Maximus and I were lounging in the living room. His grandmother had gone out to visit a friend but, of course, left her "prized companion" behind to third-wheel with us."Babe, I'm thirsty," Miranda said in a whiny voice, making me roll my eyes. She was probably expecting me to get her water."You have feet, don't you? Walk to the kitchen and get it yourself," I retorted, glaring at her."Why should I? I'm Max's girlfriend, and you're just his nurse," she spat back arrogantly."Well, I'm Max's wife, so get off your butt and get your own water, because I sure won't," I shot back, refusing to be outdone by her theatrics.Miranda pouted, but then Maximus spoke. "Get your water, Miranda."I smirked as she stomped toward the kitchen like a spoiled child.Just as I
Sarina's POV:Three days later, I finally headed to my hometown on the island of Canes.If there was one good thing that came from marrying Maximus, it was that I could now fly home, reducing the trip to just one hour instead of an 18-hour ordeal by land—especially if the bus was in bad shape.My mother, my brother Alex Sanchez, his wife Grace Lim, and my two playful niblings met me in front of our small house."My daughter!" my mom exclaimed happily.I smiled at her and welcomed her embrace."I missed you so much. Look, even the neighbors are excited to see you," my mom said."And what did you tell them this time?" I asked, knowing how proud she was of me, especially since I had graduated from college and passed the board exam."Oh, nothing much. You know they're just happy for you," she replied.Despite their gossipy tendencies, our neighbors often helped my mom when needed.I looked around and noticed them smiling at me, so I smiled back before we all headed inside."Dad,
Sarina's POV:The next day, I woke up early, just as I always did.When I used to live here, my body was so accustomed to going to bed early and rising with the sun that it felt natural. My family was never surprised when I was already out of my room before the rooster crowed.They were already seated at the table, having breakfast, while my niblings were surely still asleep. They were young and needed the rest, after all."Good morning," I greeted them.My brother stood up quickly to get me a plate."You don't have to do that for me, Alex. You should be focusing on Grace. She might bump into something if you're not careful," I teased."Geez, it's too early for that," he replied, though he didn't seem annoyed. "Of course, I took care of her first. Besides, don't stop me from doing things like this. It's one of the few things I can do for you, Mom, and Dad."His words made me smile. It meant he was looking after our parents well."How's work going, dear?" my dad asked, pulling
Sarina's POV:"Jason!" I gasped, suddenly remembering Maximus.I quickly ended the call without checking if it had even connected."Wait a second," I said as I rushed to put my phone back in my room.Taking a deep breath, I returned to the living room."These are for you, love," Jason said, handing me a dozen deep red roses and some chocolates, which I accepted.I glanced around, noticing my family standing nearby, their eyes wide."We'll just head outside for a bit, Sarina," my mom said."Alright, Mom," I replied, watching as they all quietly left the room until only Jason and I remained."Have a seat," I said, motioning to the couch."Thanks." He smiled, looking even more handsome.His dimples—the feature I loved most about him—stood out on his smooth cheeks, making him even more irresistible."You didn't need to bring all this," I said, setting the gifts down on the coffee table."You know it makes me happy to give you these things, especially since you don't like expen
Sarina's POV:I didn't know how long I had been sitting on the edge of my bed. Even when my mom knocked on my door, I didn't respond. Eventually, she gave up, leaving me alone in my silence.Once I felt calm enough, I decided to take a shower, hoping that some rest might help me feel better by morning.I skipped dinner and went straight to bed afterward.Lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, I felt the familiar vibration of my phone.At first, I ignored it, but when it didn't stop, I reached for it, finding it near the foot of the bed where I had carelessly tossed it earlier.I took a deep breath and saw Maximus' name on the screen. I didn't really feel like talking to him, but I also didn't want him to overthink things.After a few more seconds, I finally answered the call."Hello," I greeted, my voice flat and uninterested, knowing I couldn't fake any enthusiasm at that moment."Mrs. Salonga, this is Aries."I frowned and looked at the screen again to confirm it was
Sarina's POV:"Why are you here? I thought you had left!" Ruth snapped, her tone laced with venom.I felt my anger boil beneath the surface, and while I tried to remain patient, the scene I had just walked into made it increasingly difficult to hold back."Grandma, Sarina is my wife," Maximus interjected.My eyebrows shot up at Maximus' swift defense. He had actually stood up to his grandmother!"I don't care!" Ruth spat, her eyes blazing with fury as she leered at me."Well, if I had known you and that flirtatious woman were here, I wouldn't have bothered coming back. I could have just stayed on vacation and enjoyed myself.""You dare talk back to me?" she hissed, then slapped me across the face.I didn't see it coming and had no time to react.I had forgotten that this was how the wealthy behaved—except for the Castro family, of course."Grandma!" Maximus exclaimed, jumping off his hospital bed and rushing to my side.I cupped my cheek, fighting back tears, my jaw clenched