**Darcy** The scorching Philippine summer clung to the air like a thick, damp blanket as I made my way to the door. I plan to follow where my children are staying, which is where the yacht was parked—a brief escape from the chaos back home. The sun blazed mercilessly, turning the marina into a shimmering mirage. Even the sea breeze carried the salty tang of sweat and sunscreen. When Eino arrived, he looked like he had just run a marathon—his shirt clung to his chest, his dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His usually sharp features were softened by exhaustion, his breath slightly uneven. “Oh, dear.” I plucked a few tissues from the box on the side table and dabbed at his glistening forehead. “Is the Philippine heat trying to roast you alive?” I teased, though my tone was laced with concern. He let out a breathless laugh, swiping the tissue from my hand to wipe his face. “The heat’s good, Auntie. Makes you appreciate the shade.” He pulled me into a quick hug, press
**Hyacinth**I gulped down another glass of cold water, willing myself to sober up. Having the Sinclairs on my yacht made me both nervous and excited. Two weeks wasn’t much time before we had to return to the US, but I was determined to make every moment count. Returning to the marina dock, I greeted Lian and Margarette with a warm smile. “Wow,” Lian gasped, her eyes widening as she pointed to the sleek black-and-platinum yacht. “Is that yours?” “Yes,” I said, pride lacing my voice. “A wedding gift from my husband.” I pulled Margarette into a gentle hug. “Oh, my little Regina,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “My mother-in-law and a few friends are already abroad,” I said, guiding Margarette by the arm as the staff assisted us onto the dock. She tilted her head up, her face softening. “The sky is so clear tonight,” she mused. “Full of stars.” I followed her gaze and nodded. “Just wait—the view only gets better from the water.” Inside, my mother-in-law, Darcy
PatriciaI spent the entire evening watching Eino closely, my bottle of water in hand. Tonight, I’d had my fill of alcohol. Observing the dynamics between Eino and Anthony, it became clear. Eino couldn’t take his eyes off Hyacinth, while Anthony seemed far more interested in his phone than anything else happening around him.It wasn't nearly as fun without Cal, Penny, or David around. The usual buzz seemed to be missing, and I found myself slipping into my comfort zone, distant from the others. Anthony noticed me in my bubble and, sensing my solitude, grabbed a bottle of water before making his way over. He sat beside me without hesitation.“So, no fun partying with Grandma Sinclair, huh?” he teased.I smiled, taking a sip of water, “I had fun. I was filming and taking some good photos.”“Did you get a good shot of my muscles?” he asked, clearly pleased with himself.I pulled out Janice’s expensive camera, which had been handed to me earlier. She was busy tossing floaties for photos,
Kelly I woke up with the same heavy feeling as always—except this time, I didn’t feel satisfied with my sleep. Maybe it was because I felt like I was floating. Not the good kind of floating, like when I’m in Cal’s arms. We loved staying on the yacht, scuba diving—though I never swam much. The vast, beautiful ocean terrified me. The first time I went underwater was as a teenager, and Cal was the one who guided me, leading me through the coral reefs and the vibrant fish that lived there. Damn, I miss Cal. I reached for my phone beside me with my left hand, checking for any missed calls or messages from him. Nothing. Just like every other day. "Miss Kelly?" My private nurse stood by the bed, offering her hand. "Do you need help in the bathroom?" I nodded, letting her assist me. Even my skincare routine was harder now—Mom had to help me with it every night. After washing up and changing, my nurse guided me out, only for us to stop when Eino emerged from his room, shirtless. "Goo
***Kelly's POV***The Batangas vacation in our private villa had been epic. Now, my casts were finally off, though I still wore supports on my right arm and leg. With my cousin's help, we'd escaped the Philippines - and my father, who would never have approved of this. I'm a grown woman with my own career, about to marry the man I love. So why does this anxiety keep clawing at my chest? I glanced at Patricia, who was pretending to read some business book while yawning for the fifth time. Hyacinth mirrored her exactly. Those two might as well be twins - best friends who shared the same short attention span for anything resembling nonfiction.My gaze traveled across our group - the Sinclair mother-daughter duo, Seth with some Russian woman I didn't recognize. Irene was absent, needed by Darcy back home. And Eino... I remembered with a pang how he'd stayed behind in the Philippines to handle GGC business. The extra security felt oppressive - two bodyguards assigned just to me. I stretc
**Hyacinth**Watching Cal endure the MRI and CT scans after his seizure shattered my heart into pieces. Kelly wept uncontrollably, her sobs echoing through the sterile hospital hallway, while Cal’s mother observed her from a distance, her expression unreadable. My chest ached with the weight of unshed tears, but I swallowed them back—I’ve always been good at holding myself together. But now, Cal’s condition is deteriorating. Short-term memory loss? He kept forgetting things—new faces, recent conversations, even the smallest details. I should confess to Cal’s parents—or Kelly’s—that this was my fault. Maybe then they’d stop blaming each other. I didn’t know the root cause of their tension, but their constant fighting was tearing Kelly apart. And deep down, I knew Cal would never want to forget her. There had to be a psychological reason behind his lapses, right? The thought of being forgotten by Raven one day sent a cold shiver down my spine. I glanced at Cal’s mother, my lips part
***Rosie*** I somewhat enjoyed Eino’s company. He had assigned someone to be the COO of the company temporarily. Since I am currently a partner of the Ruby Empire, I am confident that my assets and my investments are safe. Dad doesn't know about this but then, it’s the Ruby Empire. A known old money rich in Europe. “Is that a new bag?” Karissa asked, one of my best friends. “Yes, someone gifted it to me.” I said and displayed it over the table. The latest 25 Kelly in a platinum gold lock. I don’t know how that man got it, but this one is indeed the latest. There's a two to five year waiting list to get these kinds of bags. Then, I realized that there’s Hyacinth who had a lot of it. Including that little peasant who was always with her. “By the way, have you heard?” Karissa said as she handed her tablet. “There’s this thing going on around New York. The Times… and even in Forbes. The Af Forselles Heiress.” I frowned when there’s Hyacinth’s photo with Raven posing as a modern bill
HyacinthI felt like my stomach was in tight knots. As the gigantic door from the church opened, the bell rang… a wedding… The dress was tight… but it was perfectly fit. I hesitated to step forward, but the wedding planner gestured for me to go on. I started walking slowly, and in the middle was my father. The bastard father that sold me off to save the company. It wasn’t me who was supposed to marry but Rosie. I heard that it was an old man that I was marrying. Rosie, my half-sister whom my father cherished so much, ran off. I was dragged by my father’s men to be in this wedding. Here, thinking that I was marrying an old guy… but to my surprise, someone I hadn’t seen in a while was standing in a white suit. I had a glimpse of my father gritting his teeth in a smile. “Don’t embarrass me, Hyacinth.” My lips pressed, and the pain of being an embarrassment to my father was still there although I should be numb from it. “Marrying your former step-brother isn’t that bad. You were close
***Rosie*** I somewhat enjoyed Eino’s company. He had assigned someone to be the COO of the company temporarily. Since I am currently a partner of the Ruby Empire, I am confident that my assets and my investments are safe. Dad doesn't know about this but then, it’s the Ruby Empire. A known old money rich in Europe. “Is that a new bag?” Karissa asked, one of my best friends. “Yes, someone gifted it to me.” I said and displayed it over the table. The latest 25 Kelly in a platinum gold lock. I don’t know how that man got it, but this one is indeed the latest. There's a two to five year waiting list to get these kinds of bags. Then, I realized that there’s Hyacinth who had a lot of it. Including that little peasant who was always with her. “By the way, have you heard?” Karissa said as she handed her tablet. “There’s this thing going on around New York. The Times… and even in Forbes. The Af Forselles Heiress.” I frowned when there’s Hyacinth’s photo with Raven posing as a modern bill
**Hyacinth**Watching Cal endure the MRI and CT scans after his seizure shattered my heart into pieces. Kelly wept uncontrollably, her sobs echoing through the sterile hospital hallway, while Cal’s mother observed her from a distance, her expression unreadable. My chest ached with the weight of unshed tears, but I swallowed them back—I’ve always been good at holding myself together. But now, Cal’s condition is deteriorating. Short-term memory loss? He kept forgetting things—new faces, recent conversations, even the smallest details. I should confess to Cal’s parents—or Kelly’s—that this was my fault. Maybe then they’d stop blaming each other. I didn’t know the root cause of their tension, but their constant fighting was tearing Kelly apart. And deep down, I knew Cal would never want to forget her. There had to be a psychological reason behind his lapses, right? The thought of being forgotten by Raven one day sent a cold shiver down my spine. I glanced at Cal’s mother, my lips part
***Kelly's POV***The Batangas vacation in our private villa had been epic. Now, my casts were finally off, though I still wore supports on my right arm and leg. With my cousin's help, we'd escaped the Philippines - and my father, who would never have approved of this. I'm a grown woman with my own career, about to marry the man I love. So why does this anxiety keep clawing at my chest? I glanced at Patricia, who was pretending to read some business book while yawning for the fifth time. Hyacinth mirrored her exactly. Those two might as well be twins - best friends who shared the same short attention span for anything resembling nonfiction.My gaze traveled across our group - the Sinclair mother-daughter duo, Seth with some Russian woman I didn't recognize. Irene was absent, needed by Darcy back home. And Eino... I remembered with a pang how he'd stayed behind in the Philippines to handle GGC business. The extra security felt oppressive - two bodyguards assigned just to me. I stretc
Kelly I woke up with the same heavy feeling as always—except this time, I didn’t feel satisfied with my sleep. Maybe it was because I felt like I was floating. Not the good kind of floating, like when I’m in Cal’s arms. We loved staying on the yacht, scuba diving—though I never swam much. The vast, beautiful ocean terrified me. The first time I went underwater was as a teenager, and Cal was the one who guided me, leading me through the coral reefs and the vibrant fish that lived there. Damn, I miss Cal. I reached for my phone beside me with my left hand, checking for any missed calls or messages from him. Nothing. Just like every other day. "Miss Kelly?" My private nurse stood by the bed, offering her hand. "Do you need help in the bathroom?" I nodded, letting her assist me. Even my skincare routine was harder now—Mom had to help me with it every night. After washing up and changing, my nurse guided me out, only for us to stop when Eino emerged from his room, shirtless. "Goo
PatriciaI spent the entire evening watching Eino closely, my bottle of water in hand. Tonight, I’d had my fill of alcohol. Observing the dynamics between Eino and Anthony, it became clear. Eino couldn’t take his eyes off Hyacinth, while Anthony seemed far more interested in his phone than anything else happening around him.It wasn't nearly as fun without Cal, Penny, or David around. The usual buzz seemed to be missing, and I found myself slipping into my comfort zone, distant from the others. Anthony noticed me in my bubble and, sensing my solitude, grabbed a bottle of water before making his way over. He sat beside me without hesitation.“So, no fun partying with Grandma Sinclair, huh?” he teased.I smiled, taking a sip of water, “I had fun. I was filming and taking some good photos.”“Did you get a good shot of my muscles?” he asked, clearly pleased with himself.I pulled out Janice’s expensive camera, which had been handed to me earlier. She was busy tossing floaties for photos,
**Hyacinth**I gulped down another glass of cold water, willing myself to sober up. Having the Sinclairs on my yacht made me both nervous and excited. Two weeks wasn’t much time before we had to return to the US, but I was determined to make every moment count. Returning to the marina dock, I greeted Lian and Margarette with a warm smile. “Wow,” Lian gasped, her eyes widening as she pointed to the sleek black-and-platinum yacht. “Is that yours?” “Yes,” I said, pride lacing my voice. “A wedding gift from my husband.” I pulled Margarette into a gentle hug. “Oh, my little Regina,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “My mother-in-law and a few friends are already abroad,” I said, guiding Margarette by the arm as the staff assisted us onto the dock. She tilted her head up, her face softening. “The sky is so clear tonight,” she mused. “Full of stars.” I followed her gaze and nodded. “Just wait—the view only gets better from the water.” Inside, my mother-in-law, Darcy
**Darcy** The scorching Philippine summer clung to the air like a thick, damp blanket as I made my way to the door. I plan to follow where my children are staying, which is where the yacht was parked—a brief escape from the chaos back home. The sun blazed mercilessly, turning the marina into a shimmering mirage. Even the sea breeze carried the salty tang of sweat and sunscreen. When Eino arrived, he looked like he had just run a marathon—his shirt clung to his chest, his dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His usually sharp features were softened by exhaustion, his breath slightly uneven. “Oh, dear.” I plucked a few tissues from the box on the side table and dabbed at his glistening forehead. “Is the Philippine heat trying to roast you alive?” I teased, though my tone was laced with concern. He let out a breathless laugh, swiping the tissue from my hand to wipe his face. “The heat’s good, Auntie. Makes you appreciate the shade.” He pulled me into a quick hug, press
***Raven***Anthony’s demeanor was sincere, almost too much so. I had already had my men comb through his files before he even mentioned the alleged stalking. It seemed his ex-girlfriend was indeed intent on destroying his career. Her actions were calculated, deliberate, and venomous.Anthony’s family wielded considerable power, a status they had achieved largely thanks to their influential clients—Georgina and Eevi, the formidable Af Forselles mother-daughter duo. Georgina’s trust in the firm, and her decision to pass it on to Anthony despite his scandal, spoke volumes. The scandal itself was a tangled web: Anthony’s ex-girlfriend was now engaged to his college rival, a man who had competed with him not only academically but professionally, in several high-stakes cases. Despite the rivalry, Anthony had always excelled in defending his clients, even when the odds were stacked against him.The accusations against Anthony were damning—rape, leveled by the very woman he had once loved. Y
SethI hope Attorney Anthony is genuine when it comes to Madam Hyacinth. She's so kind-hearted that she would easily trust anyone, even with half of her heart. However, this moment does help us eliminate one of our suspects. Everyone has their own secrets, but when Anthony handed me his two phones, there was a hesitation in his gesture."Seth, there are confidential matters that I store in both of my phones, but anything related to Hyacinth, you can have," he said."Of course, sir. You can watch me go through all of it," I replied.He sat beside me as I began combing through his messages and photo gallery. There were pictures of him with Hyacinth, alongside a woman with curly hair—Maggie, I believe. I couldn’t help but wonder why there were so many photos of Hyacinth in his gallery… not just her, but Patricia and a few others as well. It didn’t seem harmful at first glance, but it could either be part of his scheme or perhaps some sort of extreme fixation on Hyacinth.I didn’t find muc