"Are you really going to live with Lucas, Dana?" Esther asked.
Danie who was currently drinking, almost choked at Esther's question. She made it sound like more than just working for her brother.
"No, I'm going to work for him." She answered, still coughing.
Danie was at the Del Fierro's residence once again because she had a talk with Rev. Marcus and Mirriam a while ago. She sought for their advice whether to agree with Lucas or not. In the end, Lucas' parents just assured her that their son was a man of his word. If he said that he would not harm her, then he wouldn't for sure. But they're also honest to her about what they think of Lucas suddenly reaching out to her. That their son was up to something and they couldn't assure her that she wouldn't get hurt in the end.
"Dana, are you sure you can handle Lucas alone?" Elijah asked with concern.
"He promised not to hurt her," Esther reminded her older brother. In her heart, she was secr
Danielle didn't even get a nap on Sunday night. Her nerves were restless with the thought of being alone with Lucas from dawn onward. She was doubting her decision with every passing minute and had the urge to back off before it becomes too late.When she was finally getting sleepy, the alarm clock that she set at 3:30 in the morning, interrupted the momentum. After tossing and turning all night, Danie got up and walked towards the bath like a zombie.Fifteen minutes later, Tabitha came to check if she was already awake."Lucas is a little on the dot kind of person so it's best if you're ready before the clock strikes four." She said while helping Danie bring her suitcase down. "I didn't wake Jio and your Uncle. They'll be sad to see you go."Tabitha started getting emotional. "We're so used to having you here.""Auntie," she hugged her while fighting her tears. "I'm still coming back.""I know... But I will miss you.""I'
"Account Executive?" Danie couldn't believe her ears. Didn't he agree that he would give her a position that her walking disability wouldn't hinder? "Mr. Del Fierro, I thought we talked about this-""It's our only vacant position right now, Dana. Accept it and you will have your chance. Reject it but I will not allow you to go back in town." He was sitting on his chair with his feet on the table, all arrogant but never failing to display power and elegance at the same time.So, this is Lucas Del Fierro in his workplace. When he entered his office several minutes ago, Danielle was even more impressed with how the man carried himself. He looked every inch a dignified CEO exuding an intimidating and domineering aura. His presence in the room turned the atmosphere cold but also respectable.
Danie's first week at work rolled about smoothly. In fact, she hadn't seen Lucas since her first day. That was good. Although she was beginning to wonder what his plan really was. And because there's a saying that goes like 'the calm before the storm', Danie was uneasy.She felt like something bad's going to happen."How's it going so far, Dana?" Asked Albert. He had just arrived from a client meeting."All good. I've set you another meeting tomorrow. And I made a follow up to that lady you told me, she said she's reconsidering. She might come to the open house next week.""Well done, Dana!" Albert patted her head like praising a little girl for a job well done."Thanks!"Unbeknownst to her, a pair of envious eyes was looking at them. It belongs to another AE, Stephanie who was a long time admirer of the thirty-one year old bachelor, Albert.Stephanie was cursing Dana in her heart. She had already done everything but Albert wasn't as
Danie found herself crying when Lucas left.The pain she was feeling in her heart was greater than the pain of her superficial injury.Was it still possible to make Lucas forgive her?"Why does it matter to you, Danielle? Whether Lucas forgive you or not, it will not change anything,"she thought.Danie stood up to make sure that the main door was locked. The unit belongs to Lucas. It was understandable that there's another key with him. However, she wished that he wouldn't come randomly just to insult her.She was about to go back to her room when she noticed a bag on the table. She walked towards it to have a look.T
Having the AC back was a relief for Danie. She could bear the other inconveniences but not the hot temperature.It was nine in the morning when the person came to fix the AC unit. It didn't take long since there was not a problem to begin with. But what amazed Danie was that the fifty year old plus man was on video call with Lucas the entire time that he was doing the repair."Sir Lucas is the Rev. Marcus' son," the man said with a kind smile. There was an obvious respect in his voice towards Lucas and his father. Which made her believe that he was of the same faith but from different church. "And it's just the two of us here. This is for our protection," he explained before starting the job.Because she already had a phone, she didn't need to go down to buy the old man some snack. She just ordered online.Danielle had a nice weekend. She called Tabitha but it was Jio whom she talked to for a long time because they did an online tutorial in Math. Mirriam
Lucas had been pacing back and forth inside his office. He was growing impatient each passing second of waiting that the moment Dana appeared in front of him, he didn't give the poor girl the chance to explain.He viciously grabbed her arm and asked her through gritted teeth. "We're you really testing my patience, Dana?""They took the card from me," was all she said, wincing in pain but defiant. "I'm sorry if I caused you trouble again.""You were hugging and flirting with your colleague. Do you think that's proper? Did I bring you here so you can seduce men?" He tightened his grip on his arm as the earlier scene flashed in his mind. "What a slut!"He wanted to rip off that man's body with his bare hands. How could he? Really?
Danielle, the Billionaire Heiress, just got promoted to being an assistant to Lucas Del Fierro with no proper job description.Lucas was like a rich brat who wanted his every request to come to pass no matter how unreasonable it would be.'Why are you doing this, Danielle?'she asked herself while making a coffee for Lucas.She'd been asking herself the same question lately. She could go on with her life even if Lucas would not forgive her. But here she was, wasting her time on him when she could put it to other use.Say for example, find out what had already happened back home while she was gone. Did her Uncle tell everyone that she's already dead? Did her grandfather try to look for her?Then it hit Danie, why did her Uncle stop searching for her? He didn't get her body as proof that she was dead. Didn't he think that she might be alive?Danie didn't believe that Justus Williams would be that careless unless –"I
"We're about to enter the town," Lucas slowed down and pulled over on the side of the road. He looked at Dana in the passenger seat who seemed to be spacing out again. "Look, if you continue to act like that, just go back to the city."If only it wasn't their church anniversary the next day, he wouldn't come home with Dana today.He could've gone himself but he didn't want to leave Dana alone in the city with her current condition.Lucas knew something was wrong and he could feel that he's getting closer to accomplishing his goal. Very soon, Dana would be revealing her true self and there's no stopping it. He needed to be there beside her to make sure she would not try to fake it again.But she should act normal if he didn't want everyone at home to think that he's maltreating their precious Dana. Or else, they would not let her come back to the city with him. And he couldn't afford that. He could feel that the truth was about to set itself free.
Finale"Danielle, what is wrong with you?" Myrtle was complaining again for the nth time. "Do you ever plan to be in a relationship with Lucas?"It had been a year and everyone's waiting impatiently for Danie to bring her status with Lucas to the next level. Especially Myrtle, who claimed her nine year relationship with Dr. Levi was going nowhere until Lucas got married first."Come on, you and Levi can always go ahead first," she rolled her eyes.Truth was, she was taking her sweet time with the courtship stage. Lucas was the best suitor ever. Not that she had past experience to compare to, but Lucas was simply incomparable.He was
LXVDanielle felt like her whole world was crushed into pieces when she saw that Lucas' body was already covered with white blanket.She couldn't breathe. Her heart was bleeding. She could feel the pain as if her heart was being torn literally and her blood was gushing out like a fountain.Why? Why did everything have to end that way?Was she a bad person? Why was it so hard for God to give her just this simple happiness she found in Lucas?"Lucas!" She cried. She wanted to hug his body, but she didn't want to accept that he was already gone.They were just minutes awa
LXIVShe didn't mean to fall asleep. But when Danielle opened her eyes again, it was already the next day.She was still at the Del Fierros. She used the same room as the one she used three years ago. Maybe she felt so at home or maybe it was the fact that she traveled hours to get there again or it could also be because she had been restless the last few days that she easily drifted off to sleep.When Danielle got up from her bed, she saw her bag carefully placed inside the room. She didn't remember bringing it when she and Tabitha went there hastily yesterday. Perhaps Tabitha brought it last night.She stood up and found something to wear before heading to the shower. While taking a bath, she couldn't help but be nervous.Was Lucas back home?He should be.Although nervous, she was also excited to see him. She prayed to God that everything's going to be fine when they face each other again.
"D-Dana?" Jio couldn't believe his eyes when he saw who their visitor was. For half a minute, he was just staring at Danie with wide eyes."May I come in, Jio?" She asked, smiling at the boy who visibly grew several inches taller since the last time she saw him."Dana, are you really here?""Who's that, Jio?" Tabitha's voice echoed from the kitchen."Mom!" Jio called. "It's Dana!" He excitedly ran to his mother and forgot to let Danie in who just helped herself in.For one whole year in the past, she lived in that house."What?" She heard Tabitha asked Jio."Yes! Mom, Dana is here. Come and see, quick!""Auntie," Danielle called Tabitha who seemed to not believe Jio so she was not coming out to see her.In less than two seconds, Tabitha came out from the kitchen. She held her hands over her mouth as tears began falling from her eyes."It's really you, Dana!""I'm sorry to visit only
It had been a week.Danielle hadn't returned to her usual self since coming back from the island. Even if she would deliberately busy herself with loads of work, her mind would drift back to the short-lived happiness she had with Lucas.Why was life so unfair? Just when she thought she would finally get a taste of true happiness, reality would come slapping her in the face.Did Lucas really love her? Why didn't he come to explain to her?'You left, Danielle,' her mind reminded her.Hadn't she left, would Lucas come to her that time to tell her it was her he chooses?But no matter what, the truth didn't change. He didn't try to explain because he chose Olivia.When James learned what happened, her Uncle couldn't help but roll his eyes at her."I already asked Lucas about that woman. He made it clear to me that they were not in a relationship. Oh please, Danielle, why did you leave him again
TMS LXI"What is the meaning of this, Lucas?" Hurt and devastation flashed in Olivia's eyes."Olivia?" Lucas looked confused. And Danielle interpreted that in a negative way.He looked like a boyfriend who was caught cheating with another girl.She felt like the happiness she was feeling just a few minutes ago was replaced by pain. So Lucas and Olivia were together? Her reaction made sense, right? Besides, why would Olivia be there if Lucas didn't bring her with him?"How could you do this to me?" Olivia continued. Tears were streaming down her lovely face. "Did you bring me here for this? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"
The next thing Danielle knew, it was just her and Lucas standing by the seashore. She found herself staring at her feet which she had already freed from her shoes, enjoying the stroke of shallow waves. “So, this is the kind of life that you grew up with,” Lucas said after a short while of silence. His both hands were inside his pant’s pocket and his gaze was to the vast ocean before them. “If you meant luxury, then, yes. I was born with a golden spoon. Really, I’ve always gotten every material thing I wanted,” she answered, casting him a glance. Before they parted three years ago, they started having calm conversations like this. The most beautiful part was when Lucas said that he already forgave her. She could still remember how they sealed their friendship by shaking their left hands instead of their right hands that were both injured. She remembered the times when she badly wanted to stay with him but had no choice but to leave.
The following day, Danielle got busy sending off the VIPs. She hadn't seen Lucas yet and she wondered in her heart if he forgot that he promised to see her again. Although, she was also somehow thankful for the delay in confrontation."Are you leaving as well?" Danielle frowned at James and Myrna who looked like they're included in the first batch of guests to leave the island."I left loads of work in the office. It's probably piling up now," James answered."Aunt Myrna, why is Uncle so workaholic? And he won't even allow you to stay and relax here for a few days," she complained, hoping Myrna would back her up and then James would decide to stay."You know your Uncle. Work is his life. Let him be. Besides, I
The first time Lucas saw Dana, she was lying helplessly on a hospital bed. Tubes were connected to her body and her lower extremities were wrapped heavily in gauze. But he didn't feel an ounce of pity for her. All he wanted to do that time was to kill her with his bare hands.He hated her so much. He saw her as a curse. Yet because of his family, he still helped to keep her secret safe despite her unwillingness to tell him the truth about the accident.Lucas thought that he would never forgive her. But when he spent time with her, his heart opened up for forgiveness. And not only that, he feared losing Dana. That when her past caught up with her because of his wrong decision to bring her to the city, he willingly laid everything he had got just to keep her safe.In the end, his efforts were in vain as Dana decided to protect him instead. As a man who failed, it was a blow to his ego that in reality, what he had was not enough to make Dana trust him and sta