Nobody had expected Lisa to show up after three years of not hearing from her. Most people who know about her had thought she's long dead —and her uncles inclusive. Now that she's back to take the horse by its reins, she knows she has wars to fight and enemies to conquer; which are her uncles!
Lisa was determined to get justice for her parents' death, and she knew that her uncles were the ones responsible. But she also knew that it would be an uphill battle, that they would not go down without a fight. But she was ready to take them on, no matter what it took. —after her parents death, Lisa realized how much danger surrounds her and for her to be safe, she has to fish out and conquer her source of danger! She had returned home, not only to stir trouble, but also to make things right. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but she was ready to face it head-on. She had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Lisa was always able to see through her uncles and she was aware of how extremely cunning they are; they are as well the type that can go extra miles to get what they want. Her parents had always turn a blind eye to them because they had blindly trusted them. After all, the daughter of her youngest uncle, Ella, had ordered a mafia boss to kill her but luckily for Lisa and unfortunately for Ella, Andy had managed to save her from the sharp claws of death —he arrived at the scene just had the right time because he had secretly been tailing Lisa. Andy might be a skilled doctor and the top ranked health practitioner by profession but by hobby, he's also a top ranked hacker who is capable of tracking even the untraceable; he was sure to keep this part of him a secret and even to Lisa as well. His secret and profession had made it possible to save Lisa but her parents were less lucky because as at then, no one had suspected that they would be murdered; Lisa's parents death was enough to create suspicion for Andy and he swore to protect Lisa! Before their death, Lisa's parents had trusted Andy with their assets and shares that they had willed to Lisa. As at that time, Lisa wasn't interested in her parents assets and this had made them hand everything to Andy till she feels like she's ready —they did this because Andy is the most trusted among the family. During the days of Lisa's abusive marriage, he would always nag at Lisa to come back and live the life she deserves as a heir and chairperson to her parents wealths and groups instead of busily living as a slave to some daft jerk CEO. "I'm not living as a slave, Andy, I'm just fulfilling my duties as his wife..." She would always reply him, trying to make him see reasons with her. "We are officially married; the least I can do as his wife is to stand by Alex at all times." "You aren't trying to fulfil any stupid duties, Lisa, you are downgrading yourself as you are foolishly blinded by some stupid emotion. Can't you read the handwriting on the wall?" Andy's reply always came out hard as well a sign of his sincere concern for Lisa. "I see no handwriting on the wall, it's as blank as staring into an empty space." Lisa, on the other hand, always has the perfect answer for him. "Besides, this is the only way I can live peacefully and hide myself from the gnawing teeth of my uncles. You know this as well, Andy, better than anyone." Andy, seeing that Lisa is determined and wouldn't change no matter how much he say, has decided to let her be and respect her decision —in return, he make sure he always keep Lisa updated on her uncles plan and doings. Andy had hope that someday, Lisa's marriage would crash and she would see reasons to divorce Alex and finally come to her sense. He's never in support of his father as well as his other uncles concerning the way they treat Lisa as though she's an inanimate object. In return for their shortcoming, he wouldn't mind if Lisa had her revenge on them and make them pay for their sins —sincerely speaking, they deserve every punishment Lisa gives them. Don't they? . **** . Alex liked Lisa when she was his nurse as she was very good at keeping him company and comforting him as well —thanks to her, he was able to crawl out of his shell and let things continue as they were before his accident. He felt betrayed and used when his mother suddenly announced their marriage. Lisa had decided to use the opportunity to take advantage of his likeness towards her to connive with his mother. It was a really good opportunity to them since his mother, on the other hand, hated Rosy and had to replace her with Lisa. “What if everything was a plan to start with?” Alex thought out aloud, unknown fear was starting to grip him as new thoughts came to him. “What if Lisa was just a bait set to see me collapse? What if the accident itself was planned? And since I did not die as expected, they've decide to finish the work by using Lisa?” Alex felt they are many possibilities for his claim to be true! The fact that Lisa had meet the doctor to permit her look after him herself was enough proof to his claim. And since she wasn't after his wealth, she's after something bigger! "Ah..." Alex muffled out, grabbing his thudding heart that seems not to stop breathing fast anytime soon. "So, I've been living with a spy under the same roof for a couple of months now? And now she has decided to leave all of a sudden, why?" If truly Lisa isn't after his wealth and his life, why then did she come to him? There's no way their marriage was a coincidence, even if it was, she wouldn't have agreed to marry him without having a motive! The only person who can be with him for who he is is Rosy —having the riches, she would never have a hidden motives to be with him. Alex made up his mind at that moment. "Whatever her motives were, it's only right if I find out about them before it's too late..."The elegantly dressed lady stepped out of the red car, wearing a sunshade to disguise her identity. The car's door was gently shut behind her by her newly assigned driver, who bowed slightly to her before returning to the driver's seat.Lisa stared around for a while, her eyes sparkled in recognition. For more than three years that she has leave her parents house, busily disguising herself as a private hospital's nurse, nothing has changed in the house -it was just as she has remembered it and the familiar scent of flowers in the air was still as it was.At the entrance, leading to the main building itself, stood a man who was busily grinning from ear to ear, his facial expression was that of mixed emotions; relief, recognition and excitement as he patiently waited for Lisa to walk to him. "Oh, oh...!" He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling brightly. "Look who is finally here if not for my long lost cousin. Am I right?"Lisa rolled her eyes at his choice of words. "I wasn't lost, I was bus
"They will wish they never covet what wasn't theirs to start with. I'll make sure they pay for laying hands on me and everything they've done." Lisa vowed, still overwhelmed with anger. "-and Alex too, he'll as well pay for making me shed my precious tears."Lisa's vow wasn't of an empty one and Andy, just by looking into her eyes, he felt lost. The emotion in it wasn't that of the ones he's familiar with, it was totally different and he realized for sure, Lisa wouldn't back down until she's satisfied. Andy couldn't help but admit he love the new look in her eyes! "Fighting those three men isn't an easy journey to embark on, Lisa, they were never easy to start with." Andy started slowly. "We need a very good strategy to overthrow those cunning men when they least expected -they are not just greedy but a con artist as well.""Cunning or foxy, that doesn't matter anymore since it's the reason I'm here." Lisa's voice was assuring with traces of confidence in it. "We have to find a way t
A WEEK LATERThe air in the company was tensed and thick as those knife could cut through it. The staffs were busy with whatever they are doing and those who think they have enough time on their table were busy hushing words amongst themselves —none of them dare speak out loud.Dela Cruz groups already has new owner and it will be welcoming its owner that day, this was enough to keep everyone on their edge. The fact that they don't know when he/she will be arriving caused more tension.Different rumors were already flying around about the new owner, everyone tends to have one or two to say about the owner whenever they manage to gather —mostly, during their lunch break. One rumor that seemed to be the most popular was that the new owner was someone who had a grudge against the Dela Cruz family, and was looking to take revenge. This rumor had caused a lot of fear and unease among the staff, who were now even more wary of the unknown person who was about to become their boss."What do
For the past few months, the Dela Cruz groups have not been doing well lately because the three brothers who had forcefully been managing the company knew nothing about business but instead of employing an expert as a CEO, they blindly lead the company, squandering the little profits they managed to make from it. The Dela Cruz groups was said to ranked top in market sales in States and even in the surrounding company but it has dropped below the least and now, the company and the other branches under it has been struggling financially, went bankrupt and at the edge of collapsing.The three brothers did not bother about the state of the groups cause all they were after was spending whatever money the groups manages to provide for them. Realizing how much they are going to lose if the companies finally collapse, they decided to sell it off, of course, at a price that is way lower than the groups worth; it was as though they sell it off as a scrap.Andy managed to convince his father th
Xavier's eyes, as well as the other two brothers, widened in shock. "What...?" They blurted out in surprise, least expecting what they had just heard. They must have sell the groups but they never planned on evicting their seats in each companies."You heard me right, uncles!" She told them, looking each one of them directly in their eyeballs. "Did you guys signed the documents without reading what the content might be? Ah, that's too lame of you!"Xavier felt as though he was being hit on his gut. ‘Did this cockroach just try to fire me off my post as the executive director?’ He thought within himself, boiling with rage!"But that's too sudden, Lisa!" Xavier argued."It states; ‘with immediate effect’, did you not understand or do you want me to call the security on you?" Lisa sounded as though she was speaking with a hardened criminal, her gaze saying nothing less. "You shouldn't have signed the documents if you won't be abiding by it conditions.""We are family, remember?" Xavier u
Xavier, Fred and Niel got home later that day, with mixed reaction of anger, pain and defeat written on their face —it's obvious that the couldn't hide their emotions as it hit deeper than anyone would think. The type of humiliation they had face earlier, none of them had face it before. Xavier felt he was mostly humiliated, coupled with the fact he was the one doing the talking and his son had his back turned on him."What's wrong, dad...?" Ella, Lisa's youngest cousin, asked Fred immediately they walked in. She had wanted to ignore them and continue with the phone she was busy with but with their long faces, she couldn't help but interfere. The house belongs to Fred, being the only considerate one amongst the three greedy brothers, he bought a duplex to call his unlike the rest of the two who only squander theirs without thinking twice about it. Xavier, on the flip side, lived with son, Andy but since he's angry with his son, he decided to go with Fred and Neil being the younges
"That's ridiculous!" Xavier exclaimed, clearly offended by the accusation. "Andy would never do anything to hurt any of us, especially not his own father! He might be just as surprised as we are by Lisa's actions. Andy might not even know what's going on with her."Xavier might be angry with his son but he couldn't help but defend him; no parents would stand their child being ridiculously judged!Neil and Fred exchanged a look, still not sure what to believe. On the one hand, it seemed unlikely that Andy would be involved in something like this. But on the other hand, it was hard to explain Lisa's behavior any other way."You might not know this but Neil and I pleaded with Andy to help talked things out with Lisa but he turned us down instantly, Xavier!" Fred blurted out. "He stood there, watching Lisa's security officers dragged us out like criminals. Andy called those officers on us!"Xavier sighed in defeat as he recalled the scenario at the board room with Andy presence but he did
The meeting was supposed to have hold two hours earlier but due to the little scenario that happened, Lisa had the meeting adjourned and let the fuss die down for a while. Lisa walked into the conference room, taking her seat at the head of the table. As the new chairwoman and owner of Dela Cruz groups, she was determined to lead the company back to the top of the market. The board members sat around the table, waiting for her to begin."Good afternoon, everyone." Lisa began, her voice calm but firm. "I want to thank you all for being here today to discuss how we can restore Dela Cruz groups from collapsing finally and bring it back to the top where it belongs."She looked around the room, meeting each person's eyes. The reaction on their faces were just the same as she heard expected, she nodded slowly then started at a slide presentation."As you all know..." She continued, maintaining the same fame tone. "We need to rebuild our reputation, and I have come up with a plan of action.
disgrace.Then who could it?He had wanted to suspect Seth but shut the thoughts out, he wouldn't have this and still watch his supposed wife's public humiliation without standing up for her.His fuzzy thought was interrupted by his phone — it was ringing. David wanted to avoid the call but seeing it's Laura, he reluctantly picked it up."Have seen the news already..." He muttered immediately not giving the latter the chance to say something. "You didn't do this, did you?""Are you crazy?" Laura countered from the other end. "Why would I jeopardize my reputation just to drag you down? We are in thus mess together, remember?"David wasn't convinced. "You must have nothing to lose to have this uploaded online." He said gruffly. "This might have been your place from the start.""Who cares whose plan it is?" Laura spouted, her voice in despair still. "What's more important is how to deal with what's on hand. And there's also a rumor that Sarah will sue you for defamation.""What...?" Davi
Sarah took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Seth. "I’m sorry for keeping the kids from you." She said, her voice low and steady. "I was scared, and I didn’t want you to know. So, I couldn't bring myself to letting you know."Seth’s expression was unreadable, as he processed her words. "Why?" He finally asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Why would you do that?""I..." Sarah trailed off, not knowing what else to say. "I'm sorry, Seth." She could only offer an apology."I’m sorry too." Seth said, his voice matching her somber tone. "I should have been more understanding, more patient with you." He reached for her hand, his fingers gently entwining with hers. "We both made mistakes. But I don’t want to keep making them."Sarah looked down at their joined hands, a small smile playing on her lips. "What do we do now?" She asked, her voice soft. "Where do we go from here? Home?"The word “home” hung between them, a suggestion and a question wrapped into one. Seth’s eyes met hers, his face e
The word “home” hung heavily in the air, punctuated by the sharp intake of breath from Sarah. She looked at Seth, her expression a mix of anger and confusion. Her voice came out low and measured, laced with a hint of defiance."I don’t have a home with you anymore." She wrapped her arms protectively around the baby in her embrace. "And you are not leaving with my children."Seth’s eyes narrowed, a slight twitch in his jaw betraying the depth of his anger. "And who said your decision and opinion matters here?" He said with a scoff, despite his anger. "I make the decision, Sarah, and you abide to it.""No...! I'm going nowhere with you!" Sarah’s words rang out with a ferocity. It was a line drawn in the sand, a declaration of her independence.Seth’s laughter was quick, almost cutting her off, but it was a brittle sound that concealed a seething rage. "You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not." He stepped forward, towering over her.Lucian watched as Sarah took a step backward,
The piercing sound of that familiar voice reverberated through the room, casting a chill over Sarah and sending a jolt of electricity through her veins. Slowly, she turned to face the source of that voice, her heart pounding against her ribs like a wild drumbeat.There he stood, Seth, his presence filling the room with an intensity. A mix of emotions played across his features — anger, sorrow, regret — but there was no mistaking the steel in his eyes as he locked his gaze onto Sarah.He stepped forward, the air practically crackling with tension between them. "Where have you been hiding?" He countered, stopping a few feet away from her. "Why didn't you let me find you?"Sarah had no words left in her to tell him, what was she to say? She could only stare at him, her eyes on him as if she was trying to communicate with her eyes instead. "I..."Seth was impatient, but he was able to hold him from grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room. "Say something, Sarah..." Despite the mi
A YEAR LATER*The plane descended gracefully through the clouds, its wings slicing through the air with an accuracy. As it neared the airport, the control tower flashed its lights in a welcoming signal.The plane glided over the runway, its wheels slowly touching down on the tarmac. The landing was smooth and effortless, as if the plane were being cradled by the runway itself. The passengers let out a collective sigh of relief as the plane came to a gentle stop. Through the windows, they could see the airport terminal, bustling with activity and life.A woman stepped down from the plane, a twin carrier strapped around her torso carrying two five months old babies. Despite her weariness, her eyes shone with happiness and anticipation as she scanned the lively airport. The babies were wide eyed and mesmerized by their new surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds.The babies chuckled softly, as if they were delighted by the scene. The woman smiled tenderly at them, her he
Laura’s jaw dropped open, shock coursing through her veins. "You’re willing to sell your soul to the President for some money or prestige?" She exclaimed, her voice laced with disgust. "I don’t care what I ruined for you, David. You can’t keep doing this to people. You can’t keep hurting people just to get what you want."David’s eyes flashed with rage. “I do what I have to, Laura. And you better don't try to lecture me when we've been in these since its beginning." He muttered, scowling at."But I never meant things to go this far, you're taking in more than you can contain, David." She uttered repulsively. "Just stop here...!"David wasn't ready to listen. "Look here, Laura, I'm tired of you being around me, your presence sucks." He uttered, scowling at her. "Whatever shit that's between us, let's end it here.""You're sick, David, if you think you can just call our fling off whenever you want?" Laura snickered. "I'm sorry, but you can't. I started this — and I should end it too.""
A deafening silence had stifled the air in the presidential office as Seth's eyes were fixed on the documents in front of him, his brow furrowed in concentration.He had been poring over these files for hours, trying to make sense of the mixed up web of information before him. The clock on the wall ticked softly, signaling another minute had passed by, but Seth barely registered the sound.On the other side of the office was Lila, going through the iPad with her in silence — and just like Seth, her attention was fixated on the screen.Suddenly, Lila's outburst cut through the silence of the office like a knife through butter. "What...?" She sprung to her feet, her chair sliding backward with the momentum.Seth's head snapped up, startled by the sudden noise. "What is it now, Lila?" He solicited, his brows creased roughly. "You can see I'm putting in all my concentration here."Lila bowed her head slightly in apology. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. President..." She uttered as she mo
Seth sat behind his desk, his hands clenched into tight fists. He had summoned David to his study and now, the two men faced each other, the air thick with tension."So, Mr. Citizen..." Seth began, his voice tight with emotion. "It seems that there is a problem. A problem that you may know something about."David's face remained impassive, but a slight tremor betrayed his nervousness. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. President. How can I help you?"Seth's eyes narrowed as he threw few pictures before David, his sharp gaze on him. "Can you explain this?" He asked, leaving no room for friendliness.Davis's brows creased as he stared at pictures, unable to comprehend what Seth was driving at. It was a picture of footprints Lila had taken when she went to Sarah's old house.David slowly diverted his gaze from the pictures to Seth. "Why are you showing me these?" He muttered in questioning, his brows still creased. "What am I supposed to do with these footprints?"Seth's expres
Lila's concern deepened, and she searched Tristan's face for signs of distress. "Tristan, sweetheart," she said, taking his small hands in hers, "is something wrong? Did you fall? Are you hurt?"Tristan looked up at her, his blue eyes piercingly earnest. "No, I'm not hurt, or maybe I am." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just...I don't understand. Why did Aunt Sarah leave us?"Lila swallowed hard as she felt her caught in her throat, her heart aching for the boy's loss. "Oh, Tristan...""Did she hates us now?" He muttered, the look in his eyes gloomy. "I'm sure she left because she thought we don't want her."Lila's eyes softened as she pulled Tristan closer, enveloping him in a warm hug. She could feel his small body trembling against hers, and she stroked his hair gently, trying to offer some comfort."I know you miss Aunt Sarah, Trist. It's hard when people we love have to go away. But I promise you, it's not because she doesn't love you." Lila countered, her voice caj