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
Maximus' POV:"Hello," I answered as Aries called."I've located Mrs. Salonga," he said."Follow her and don't let her out of your sight. I need to know where she's going," I instructed."Okay, sir," he replied.I ended the call and turned to face my grandmother and Miranda. Anger boiled inside me, but she was still my grandmother."Miranda, I don't want to see your face ever again. If you don't stay away, I won't hesitate to ruin your family's life. Mark my words," I warned."But babe—""And stop calling me your 'babe' because I'm not!" I snapped, my voice loud and sharp, making her flinch."Maximus," my friend Gerald Onyxer, the doctor, called out. He seemed just as shocked by the events."Stay out of this, Gerald," I said coldly.Geralde wisely nodded and excused himself."I'll leave you to it," Gerald said, and I appreciated it.I didn't want him to hear what I had to say to these two women."You don't respect me anymore, Maximus!" My grandmother was clearly enraged.
Maximus' POV:More than an hour had passed when Aries called me again."Where is she? Did she go back to the condo?" I asked."No, sir. She went to a hotel," Aries replied."Where?""At Blue Hotel, sir.""Okay, you can get back to work. I'll handle my own discharge," I instructed.After our conversation, I called Gerald and asked for his help."You know what, man? I don't understand why you're going through all this trouble for your wife. Do you love her that much?" Gerald asked, disbelief evident in his voice."She got me hooked. I don't know why, but I've never felt this way with any other woman," I confessed."You're in love, man. Anyway, good luck with winning her over. But from what I saw earlier, it seems your wife might be interested in someone else," Gerald remarked.His words made my muscles tense, my jaw clench in anger, and my fists tighten.Gerald continued, "And it looks like you already know that. Good luck, bro."I nodded and said goodbye.I needed to see m
Sarina's POV:I felt incredibly comfortable as if I were being gently rocked to sleep. I wasn't sure if it was the air conditioning, but everything felt so light and peaceful.Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to adjust. My vision was a bit blurry, and I rubbed away the dried tears. There was someone beside me, looking at me."Maximus?!" I exclaimed as I quickly sat up, feeling a bit dizzy.Before I could topple over, he pulled me close, preventing me from falling off the bed.I glanced around to confirm my surroundings. Just as I remembered before I fell asleep, I was still in the hotel."What are you doing here? How did you get in?" I asked."I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to get in," he replied casually, leaning back against the headboard with his arms crossed."What do you mean, ‘you don't see any reason'? This is my hotel room! You're not supposed to enter without my permission," I retorted."I can enter wherever I want, especially if I own it