Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Eight: Blame
Samantha's POV Mom and Dad went home today, but I'm still at school while Diego is at work. "We’ll be having an activity right now," Mr. Hilton said. He's our new professor, though he started teaching last week. "We have an outdoor activity. The boys will play basketball while the girls will play volleyball. This is part of our subject. Now, you can all change into comfortable clothes," he added. We all stood up. "I’ll wait for you on the field while the boys will be administered by Mr. Fritz," he finished. "They always do this once a year," Anna said, grabbing her clothes from her locker. "Better than sitting there listening to his boring lectures," Jane muttered, making us all laugh. "You’re just mad because he’s the only one who gave you a low grade," Anna teased her. Jane rolled her eyes and pulled her clothes from her locker. I went inside the fitting room tChapter One Hundred Seventy-Nine: Perfect Wife Samantha's POV "Are you ready?" Diego asked, his arms wrapped around my waist while I put on the earrings he bought for me. "Mom and Dad called. They said they're at the restaurant now," he added. I bit my lower lip, unable to stop smiling every time he called my parents 'Mom' and 'Dad.' "I am," I turned to face him and kissed him lightly on the lips. We're having dinner with my parents tonight, and I’m looking forward to it. I smiled at Diego as we walked out of the house, and he opened the car door for me. I slipped inside, feeling grateful for him. "I thought Mom and Dad were busy with the company?" I asked as he glanced over at me. "They missed you, so they made time," he said, chuckling. I smiled, touched by their effort. I missed them, too, and worried about how much they worked. I often thought about their health. "I missed them too," I said as he took my ha
Chapter One Hundred Eighty: Trouble Samantha's POV "Are we going out today?" I asked Diego while he was facing his laptop. He stopped what he was doing and held his nape, leaning back in his swivel chair. He tapped his lap, signaling me to sit there. I did as he wanted. It’s the weekend, and I was expecting him to ask me out, but he seemed busy with his laptop. He became even busier that night. He fixed my hair and smiled at me. He looked tired. Even last night, he had been awake, facing his laptop. "I can't. I need to go to the office right now," he uttered, looking into my eyes. I bit my bottom lip and slowly nodded my head, trying to cheer myself up, attempting to understand him. "It's okay, I understand. I know you're busy," I told him, and he kissed me on my lips. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you after this," he said, and I smiled. I stood up and kissed him on his lips before leaving his office. I let ou
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-One: Wasn't Afraid Diego's POV “Damn, how did that happen?” I closed my fist while looking at Harold. “I think they were already observing me,” he said while Jana was placing a bandage on his eyebrows. “I’m afraid they might come back and hurt him again.” Jana stood up. Harold called me earlier and told me what happened to him. I was shocked to find out that they mauled him. He was on his way to the office when someone stopped him while he was trying to drive. He hesitated to get out of his car, but they forced him. I already had a hint about who did this to him. My gaze went to Jana; she looked worried about Harold. “I’m fine. Don’t look at me like that,” Harold told her as he held her hand. I could see that she was scared, but she didn’t want us to know it. “Mr. Presley, someone is calling,” one of my employees said. I took the phone from him while they looked at me, confused. “I’m
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Two: I'll Take You Home Samantha's POV The music echoed in my ears while my friends were busy dancing. I chuckled and drank another tequila while they chatted with each other. We were at the hotel, where Jane had invited us for a drink. There was a mini bar on the other side of the hotel, and a few people were drinking there as well. I stood up and felt a little dizzy. “I really like it here. We have to come back again,” Windy said as she walked toward me, clearly enjoying the night. This hotel was different from the others. Though it was just a few minutes' drive away, the view was definitely mesmerizing. “She’s right. Besides, you’re also the owner here. I think we could be here anytime,” Anna said, taking a sip of her beer. “The three of you are always welcome here. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the manager after this and tell them to let you guys in whenever you want,” Jane said, raising her glass, whic
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-three: Dizzy Samantha's POV He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bar. I heard my friends calling my name, but my gaze was locked on his face. He was serious, and I could feel the grip he had on my hand was tight. He let me into his car without saying a word. I held my hand and massaged it, biting my bottom lip, unable to utter a word. It was my fault; I had promised him not to drink and to come home before five. “Diego,” I tried to speak, but he didn’t respond. He just kept driving, his forehead knotted in frustration. What should I do? I let out a heavy sigh. He continued driving while I looked away, feeling a mixture of regret and dizziness. I took out my phone and started reading his messages. “Where are you?” “Come now, baby, I cooked lunch for us.” “Are you still with your friends?” “Fine, I’ll let you stay for another hour; just take care, okay?” “I love
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Four: Childhood Friend Samantha's POV I was busy arranging the flowers in the vase while Diego cooked breakfast. I chuckled to myself as I recalled the events of the previous night. “Are you done? Let’s eat!” he called out. Just as I was about to respond, the doorbell rang, catching me off guard. We weren’t expecting any visitors today. I walked toward the door, confused, and opened it. My forehead knitted in confusion as I took in the sight before me. “Hi, I heard that Diego Zayn Presley owns this house?” she said, a genuine smile gracing her lips. I couldn’t help but assess her. She had a perfect figure, was beautiful, and dressed sophisticatedly. “Yes, he’s here—” I started, but my words trailed off as I turned to see Diego smiling behind me. She suddenly entered and hugged him. I froze, my mouth half-open as I tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy. My heart skipped a beat when I
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Five: Stealing Someone Else Fiancé Samantha's POV “I'll drop you at your school,” he told me while I was busy placing my things in my bag. I shook my head. “My friends are coming. Don't bother,” I told him. I heard him sigh. After what happened yesterday, I felt like I was no match for those people he was with before, especially now that they had come back. He walked toward me and held my hand. I tried to smile; I didn't want to show him that I was affected by the way his childhood friend talked to him. “Are you avoiding me?” he asked. I shook my head and smiled at him. “Why would I? It's just that we're going after class,” I told him. He was about to speak when I heard someone's doorbell. “I should go now,” I told him and grabbed my things. I didn't look at him. I bit my bottom lip while walking downstairs. How could he be happy talking to Vanessa? Is it because she's his childhood f
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Six: Watch Me Samantha's POV After class, we went to a restaurant because Jane was hungry. “Did you see Tiffany’s brand-new bag?” Anna asked. My forehead knotted. What’s with her bag? “That’s a limited edition bag. It’s worth a million,” she said. My jaw dropped. I was surprised because I thought her company’s business was bankrupt. She’s just studying here because her tuition was already paid before their company’s breakdown. “How could she buy that bag?” Jane asked. I told them what happened to their company because that’s what she told me before we ended our friendship. Their eyes were on me. I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea how she managed to buy that bag,” I told them. To be honest, I only met her parents once. They are nice, unlike Tiffany. “Maybe Isabel gave it to her as a gift?” Windy suggested uncertainly. Maybe she was right, but how could she convince Isabel to buy t
Epilogue Diego's POV I smiled while staring at my wife. She's really gorgeous. It's funny how I ended up with her—this silly girl who brought color to my life. The girl who is always irritating me, messing with me. I love her so much. I love her more than myself. I'm willing to give everything for her. I knew from the very beginning that she was just playing, the way she teased me, stared at me, and forced me to do things. How she tried to seduce me was just part of the contract. I remember how she forced me to marry her at the park. I thought she was just having fun that day, but I was wrong. She's the only woman who has ever done all those things to me. As the days passed, I started to fall for her silliness. I acted like I didn’t care, but the truth was, I was slowly falling for her. That day when we went abroad for our honeymoon, I enjoyed her company. She was so sweet and cheerful, full of energy in a way not many people are. I couldn't help but smile as she forced m
Finale Samantha's POV The sound of gunfire echoed through the old buildings. Everyone became alert. I started to feel nervous. "Get all the guns that we have!" Mr. Wedge shouted to his allies. Leo began distributing the guns to the others. "Watch her," Mr. Wedge said, glancing at me. Tiffany grabbed the gun that Mr. Wedge handed to her. She pointed it at me while the war outside the building raged on. "Please, just let me go," I pleaded with Tiffany, but she didn’t listen. "Shut up! This is all because of you!" she snapped, pointing the gun directly at me. I shook my head in denial. "Remove the leash from her hands and feet, Windy," Tiffany ordered. Windy immediately did as she was told. "Get that knife and point it at her neck!" she added, and Windy obeyed. I looked at Windy, and I could see she was just being forced to do it. "No, please, Windy. I'm begging you," I said, crying. "You want to beg? Then kneel!" Tiffany screamed at me. "Get the guns! The police are here!" I h
Chapter Two Hundred Four: Kidnapped Samantha's POV I breathe heavily, panic tightening around me. Something covers my head, making it hard to see or breathe. Fear grips me as I realize my hands and feet are tied to a chair. "Help!" I scream, struggling to move. A voice, familiar but chilling, responds. "She's awake." It's Leo. I know it's him. "Where am I? Let me go, Leo!" I shout, my voice cracking from fear. "Remove her blindfold," a monotone voice commands. My heart skips a beat. It’s Mr. Wedge. They pull off whatever was covering my head, and though my vision is blurry, I see Leo holding a gun, talking to Tiffany. I blink, trying to make sense of the situation. “The princess is awake,” Tiffany says as she walks toward me, gripping my chin. I glare at her, trying to mask my terror. I’m not just scared for myself but for the baby growing inside me. "Why am I here?" I ask, trying to stay calm. She laughs coldly, mocking me, and my gaze shifts to Mr. Wedge, who’s watc
Chapter Two Hundred Three: Stay Alert Samantha's POV We’re at Diego’s office, and I’m surprised to see my brother, Louis, here, along with his wife, Leilani, and their daughter, Anya. Mrs. Bianca is also here, and everyone is drinking and eating. Diego is sitting beside me, holding my hand. We’re celebrating my pregnancy, and I have no idea what made Diego invite everyone over so suddenly. “Congratulations to both of you,” Mrs. Bianca says, raising her glass. Ray and Elisha are also here, joining in the celebration. “Thank you,” I smile, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Anya is happily playing with the new toy Diego bought her. “Congratulations, sis, and to you too, Diego,” Louis says, giving me a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you,” Leilani adds, embracing me warmly, and then congratulates Diego as well. “Congrats, Sam,” Elisha says, hugging me before giggling. “Congratulations, Sam,” Ray joins in, and as he hugs me, I can’t help but sniff him, then glare at him playfully.
Chapter Two Hundred Two: Happiness Samantha's POV We were busy with our work at the library. Anna and Jane sat with me, but all I could focus on was eating. It seemed like that’s all my body wanted these days. "Sam, no offense, but you've been eating the same thing every day. We’ve noticed," Anna commented, making me pause mid-bite and glance at the food in my hand. She was right, but I couldn’t help it. "And you're not even gaining weight. That's the strange part," Jane added. "Do you think it's a problem? I just can’t stop," I said, leaning back in my chair. Technically, eating wasn’t allowed in the library, but I couldn’t resist. "I thought you hated those foods? Remember when we tried to get you to eat strawberries? You wouldn’t even touch them," Anna said. I remembered that. But people change. "Girl, stand up for a second," Jane said suddenly. I stood, confused. "Face the wall." I bit my bottom lip, feeling their eyes on me. "Damn," Jane muttered. I sat back
Chapter Two Hundred One: Pregnant Diego's POV Damn it! That old man is really pushing my buttons. Luckily, I got there on time, or else he would have hurt Samantha. I know he already has an idea of what we are up to. Even though he tried to hide it, I could see how furious he was. Samantha still hasn’t spoken to me since then. I regret shouting at her. I got carried away by my emotions. I hated the way Mr. Wedge looked at her, especially when his gaze shifted down to her belly. He seems to know something. Yes, Samantha is pregnant. That's why I don’t want to stress her out. I’ve been planning to tell her about what’s going on, but I hesitate when I see her acting differently. I know she’s pregnant, and I know she’s confused too. "But Mom and Dad never mentioned that to me! Damn that Wedge," Louis said. We’re in my office right now. He flew in as soon as he found out what was happening. He and his family are staying at Mr. and Mrs. Henderson’s house for the time being. H
Chapter Two Hundred: Won't Let Anyone Hurt You Samatha's POV He was about to slap him when I shouted. It made them both look at me. Jane tried to hold my hand, but I continued walking towards them. "And who do you think you are to shout at me like that?" he yelled at me. I glared at him. He was wearing a decent suit, but he couldn't even act in a decent way. "Sam," Anna said as she held my hand. But my gaze was fixed on Windy. She had bruises on her hand. "I don't care who you are!" I snapped at him. He let go of Windy, who shook her head at me. He chuckled sarcastically while looking at me. "I think I already know you," he said, walking closer. I took a step back. "Call him," I heard Jane tell Anna. She was now frantically searching for her phone in her bag. "How could you hurt someone like her?" I asked him. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Windy, who immediately lowered her head. "That's none of your business, Mrs. Presley," he said, which shocked me. "How
Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Nine: Stop Samantha's POV I looked at the calendar, my forehead knotted, while Diego was busy on his laptop. We were actually in his office right now with Elisha, Ray, Harold, and Jana. “That’s not what actually happened,” Jana said, glaring at Harold. They had been arguing for a while. “Then tell me,” Harold said. I held my head as I started to feel a bit dizzy. “Are you alright?” Diego asked, standing up and carefully guiding me to sit on the couch. “I'm just dizzy, but I’m fine,” I smiled at him, noticing the others looking at me. “What’s the matter?” I asked them. They quickly returned to what they were doing. “Just sit there,” Diego said as he went to the table to get me a glass of water. He handed it to me, and I drank it. “Feeling better now?” he asked. I nodded my head. They went back to their discussion. I still didn’t know why he asked me to be here. I had t
Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Eight: Sad Thoughts Samantha's POV Windy is definitely being duped by Tiffany. I can't believe it. “We have to talk,” I said, holding her hand and making her look at me. She stopped walking. “What's the matter?” I asked her. She suddenly removed my hand and looked at me. “There's nothing to talk about,” she said with expressionless eyes. I sighed and furrowed my brow. “No, we have to talk, Windy. What happened to you? You weren't like this before. Is it because Tiffany is the one paying for your tuition? Is that why you are avoiding us? Did she threaten you?” I asked. She just looked at me. “I don't have to explain myself to you, Samantha. We're over,” she uttered. I shook my head, biting my lower lip to stop myself from crying. She’s my friend; we have so many memories together. “No, we're not. We promised to stay with each other. We promised that, Windy. How could you say such thing