THIRD POVBecause of what they talked about, Shiela immediately went to her mother’s office. She had now realized that only Chase could help her. As much as she didn’t want to believe that Lexi was haunting them, she couldn’t think of any other explanation for her mother’s strange behavior. That’s why she needed to talk to her mother and convince her to visit the faith healer Chase had consulted.When she arrived at her mother’s office, she was surprised to see Chase’s mother, Anna, there. She couldn’t help but wonder why the two women have been seeing each other more frequently lately. She wanted to feel happy that they were seemingly getting along—it was a huge advantage for her in winning over Chase—but she felt the opposite. She wasn’t happy, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain.“Sweetheart, do you need something?” her mother asked in surprise.Her gaze shifted between the two women. She didn’t want to assume anything improper, but she had walked in on them holding hands. She h
SHIELA'S POVI didn’t even know what had happened anymore—I just suddenly found myself inside my car, parked not too far from the TAC building. I was simply staring at the entrance and exit. I didn’t know whether I should tell Trevor what I’d found out. I had no idea how he’d react once he learned that Lexi’s death wasn’t an accident.My life was starting to become smooth again. Things were going well between Chase and me, but after what my mom confessed, I wasn’t sure if it would all come crashing down. Even from the grave, my half-sister continued to bring chaos into my life. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t just disappear from my path.My thoughts were cut short when I saw Chase come out of the building and head straight to his car. I wanted to talk to him, but he seemed to be in a rush. I tried calling him again, but he didn’t pick up.“What the h*ll, Chase?” I muttered to myself, frowning. I saw him glance at his phone when I called—but instead of answering, he just put it
THIRD POVThe whole day passed, and Shiela tried several times to call and talk to Chase, but he never answered her calls. She spent the entire day sitting in the park, still hoping the young man would call her back—but she was disappointed. She had almost no tears left to cry after that morning’s emotional breakdown. She never imagined being hurt like this, thinking fate had finally started favoring her.She couldn’t understand why all of this was happening to her. Everyone she thought she could trust had been deceiving her. The life she thought was blessed turned out to be more complicated than Lexi’s.Shiela went home in a daze and gave a bitter smile when she saw her mother and Anna eating together at the house. When Anna saw her, she immediately stood up.“It’s good you’re here. Come, eat with us,” the woman said with a smile.“Your Aunt Anna cooked your favorite dish, dear,” her mother added.She turned her back on the two women. “I’m just going to see Papa.”She didn’t let them
THIRD POV"Gino, where the hell are you now?"Gino pulled his phone away from his ear as his sister Charlene shouted at him. This was one of the reasons he often hesitated to answer her calls—he knew she was just looking for him."I'm heading home soon," he replied quietly."Wait—are you drunk again?" she asked angrily.He smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. I can go home. Bye."He didn’t wait for Charlene’s response and quickly ended the call. He returned the phone to his pocket and took another swig from the bottle he had been holding for a while. It had lost its chill, and he winced at the bitter taste.“If I had known that would be our last conversation, I would’ve made the most of it,” he said sadly, staring at the tombstone he visited nearly every day. Tears fell again as he took another sip of beer.GINO'S POV (FLASHBACK)Shiela’s bullying was a normal thing in our school. On the first day of class, I was just quietly observing while waiting for Chase. I was looking at the school gat
LEXI'S POV“Chase.”Chase and I both turned to Chelsea when she called him. We had just finished eating breakfast. Chelsea still hadn’t gone home ever since she found out about her mother. She had asked her brother to cover for her so that Uncle Carlo wouldn’t worry.Chelsea had been speaking to us again, but not the same way as before. There was now a wall between the two of us, which I completely understood. I couldn’t blame her for how she was acting towards me and Chase. What mattered now was that she still trusted us.“Can I come with you today? I just want to see Papa.”Chase and I looked at each other. I nodded, showing that I agreed with what Chelsea wanted. I trusted her enough to know that she wouldn’t tell anyone I was alive.“Are you ready to see her?” Chase asked seriously.Chelsea lowered her head, and I didn’t miss how her fists clenched. “I need to accept it, right? No matter what I do, the past won’t change. And just like you, Chase, I only want all this chaos to end.
THIRD POV"I didn’t expect that we’d meet here."Gino turned toward the woman who suddenly spoke. He wasn’t surprised to see who it was—he could never forget the voice of the woman he hurt because of his deep love for Lexi."Savina," he murmured softly.Savina stepped closer to the grave and gently placed the flowers she had brought for her friend. A bitter smile crossed her face—after all these years, the first man she had ever loved was standing there, at her best friend’s final resting place."May I ask why you're here?" she couldn't help but ask.Gino let out a sigh. "Lexi was my friend too."Savina took a deep breath and turned to face Gino, who was staring off into the distance. She couldn’t miss the empty beer bottles beside him. His appearance had also changed drastically—so different from how he looked on his social media accounts.“It’s been eight years, right? Don’t you think it’s about time you finally tell me the real reason you broke up with me back then?” she said, gath
THIRD POVChase’s office was thick with tension. His father and his sister Chelsea were there. Spread out on his table were the pieces of evidence he had gathered to strengthen the case he filed against his stepmother and her lover, Minda. His father examined them one by one, while he and Chelsea waited in silence for his reaction.“Papa, I’m sorry that this is how you had to find out everything,” he finally broke the silence.Chelsea stepped closer to him and held his hand tightly. He was immensely grateful to his sister; despite the pain of everything happening, she still chose to stand by what was right. Now, all he hoped was that their father would do the same.Carlo slowly set the papers down and let out a deep sigh. “I never thought my wife would go this far,” he said, clearly dismayed.The siblings exchanged glances. Their father was calm. He didn’t even look surprised—almost as if he already knew all of it.“Papa,” Chelsea called softly.“I’ve known for a long time that your m
THIRD POVShiela gave a bitter smile upon hearing the voice of the man who had hurt her repeatedly. The sweet, affectionate tone he used with her just days ago was now gone. It was all an act—to get information about her mother.“Relax. There’s no need to get mad, Chase. They’re safe for now,” she said emotionlessly.“Don’t you dare hurt them,” Chase said, panic in his voice.She smiled again and sighed deeply. “You’ve got some nerve to say that to me now. You lied to me and gave me false hope. All those lies—for what? To get information?”“And why would I get information from you? Do you even know what really happened with the fire in my condo back then?” Chase shot back.Shiela froze, still burning with rage. She took a deep breath as the man she had called earlier finally arrived. He was panting, clearly having run a long way to reach the location. She gave him a faint smile and turned her attention back to the person on the phone.“I’m sure you won’t report this to the police. Eve
LEXI’S POVI couldn’t stop smiling as I stared at Chase’s things here in the room where he had proposed to me. It had been six months since that day—six months since our baby was born. Now and then, I sneak away just to come back here and revisit the past, back when we were still in high school.I still can’t believe he managed to keep almost everything—from the letters I gave him, to the photos we had taken in that old studio, even the receipts from the convenience store where we used to get ice cream all the time. Most of the writing on the receipts had faded, almost unreadable now.“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”“Goodness, you startled me!”Chase laughed at my reaction when he suddenly spoke. I glared at him, but he quickly stepped closer and kissed me on the forehead.“You’re so cute when you’re startled, Baby,” he said.“How’d you know I was here?” I asked, steering the conversation.“I heard that you always sneak in here whenever Baby Trem is napping,” he replied serious
LEXI'S POVFLASHBACK (9 years ago)"Hey, Lexi, you're going with us on the field trip, right? I'm so excited!"I looked at Savina, who was already sitting beside me. It was our lunch break, and we decided to hang out inside the classroom instead of going outside. We had just finished eating, and Savina was worried that we might run into Shiela if we stepped out—my sister tended to bully me whenever the opportunity presented itself."Yeah. I have already told Papa. Since Shiela's going, I have to go too," I replied seriously."So, if Shiela decides not to go, you're not going either? Gosh, you're like your witch sister's shadow," she said, pouting.I gave her a light smack on the arm. "Keep your voice down. Someone might hear you."Savina rolled her eyes at me. "I don’t get you sometimes. You let your sister treat you like that. You’re being way too much of a pushover," she said, clearly disappointed.I gave her a small smile. We’d had this conversation so many times, but I never got t
LEXI’S POVI couldn’t hold back my tears as I took in the entire room. It was filled with stolen pictures of me, from as far back as high school, all the way through my working years. There were so many that they nearly covered the entire space. Tiny lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room. The floor was blanketed in petals from different kinds of flowers.And when my gaze landed on the man kneeling in the center of the room, I instinctively covered my mouth. He was crying too, holding a small red box. The moment the light hit what was inside, it sparkled."Hi, Baby," he said with a smile, despite his tears still falling."Grey..." was all I managed to say."Didn’t I tell you I would make things right once the chaos was over? And this is the right time to do it. Lexi, please... marry me again."I was about to answer when a sudden sharp pain hit my lower back. I instinctively clutched my belly."Baby, are you coming out now?" I whispered, gently rubbing my ver
LEXI'S POVThe months passed quickly. We won the cases we filed against Aunt Minda and Aunt Anna, and they were both sentenced to life imprisonment. As for Shiela, she has completely lost her sanity and is now confined to a mental institution to recover. A lot has changed since the chaos ended.I’m once again managing my father's company. Papa is now resting at home, having fully passed on the business to me. Chelsea returned to the U.S. with Grandma Mirasol to finish her studies there. Chase and I are temporarily staying at the Sandoval mansion while our own house is under construction. Their home is much closer to our workplaces, so we decided it would be more convenient to stay there for now.Chase is now running TAC, as Papa Carlo has retired. He just travels back and forth between the U.S. and the Philippines now, enjoying his free time.My belly is huge now—in fact, I'm due any moment. Chase no longer allows me to go to the office, so my secretary comes to the house to bring doc
LEXI'S POVI looked away the moment I saw Shiela standing near us. Her hands were still in handcuffs, and two police officers were keeping close watch over her. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was about to be taken to a psychiatrist for evaluation.“Shiela, my child,” Papa said through tears as he approached my sister.“Child? Do you still consider me your child? You didn’t even tell me you had recovered. You made me believe you hadn’t yet,” Shiela said, crying.I felt Chase hold my hand. I looked at him, and he gave me a small, reassuring smile. I knew he was just trying to give me strength at that moment.“I did that for everyone’s sake, Shiela.”“For everyone’s sake or for your precious daughter Lexi’s sake? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s always been your favorite.”“That’s not true. You are both my children. In fact, I gave you more attention before because I didn’t want you to feel like you had to compete with your sister,” Papa explained gently.“Why does it feel like I owe you
LEXI’S POV"Gino!"We turned to look at Gino's sister as she arrived at the hospital. Chase had chosen to call her to inform her of what had happened. He believed their parents were abroad."Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a scratch," Gino said, trying to calm his sister."Still! Tell me, which of my men shot you?" Charlene asked frantically."Enough, Charlene. I’m not the victim here. It’s Lexi."Charlene slowly turned to look at me. She couldn’t meet my eyes and kept fiddling with her fingers."Sorry. Shiela told me she would hand you over to Gino. I thought I was making the right decision," she said softly."No worries, Charlene. I know you were just thinking of your brother. But everything’s fine now," I said seriously.I really had no intention of dragging Gino’s sister into this any further. Yes, Shiela used one of her men, but everything was already too messy to involve Charlene. Besides, Chase had already told me that even before Shiela called him, Gino had already informed hi
THIRD POVLexi was about to reach for Gino’s hand to go with him when they both froze—Shiela’s cell phone suddenly rang. They simultaneously turned to look at the young woman as she fished the phone out of her bag. Lexi was suddenly filled with anxiety for a reason she couldn't quite explain.“Yes, Charlene?” Shiela answered the call.“You fool! Where are you right now? Have you got Lexi yet?” Charlene asked nervously.“Why? What’s wrong?” Shiela asked, confused.“My god, Shiela! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have let you use my people. I might get dragged into your family’s mess,” Charlene snapped.“Wait, wait—what are you talking about?”“Don’t you know yet? Your mother is already in police custody. She’s being charged with murder.”Shiela turned pale at the news. Her heartbeat quickened with fear, and her hands began to sweat.“A-are you sure about that?”"Shiela, it’s on national TV. The whole country knows what your mother did, and Chase’s mother is involved, too.
THIRD POVShiela gave a bitter smile upon hearing the voice of the man who had hurt her repeatedly. The sweet, affectionate tone he used with her just days ago was now gone. It was all an act—to get information about her mother.“Relax. There’s no need to get mad, Chase. They’re safe for now,” she said emotionlessly.“Don’t you dare hurt them,” Chase said, panic in his voice.She smiled again and sighed deeply. “You’ve got some nerve to say that to me now. You lied to me and gave me false hope. All those lies—for what? To get information?”“And why would I get information from you? Do you even know what really happened with the fire in my condo back then?” Chase shot back.Shiela froze, still burning with rage. She took a deep breath as the man she had called earlier finally arrived. He was panting, clearly having run a long way to reach the location. She gave him a faint smile and turned her attention back to the person on the phone.“I’m sure you won’t report this to the police. Eve
THIRD POVChase’s office was thick with tension. His father and his sister Chelsea were there. Spread out on his table were the pieces of evidence he had gathered to strengthen the case he filed against his stepmother and her lover, Minda. His father examined them one by one, while he and Chelsea waited in silence for his reaction.“Papa, I’m sorry that this is how you had to find out everything,” he finally broke the silence.Chelsea stepped closer to him and held his hand tightly. He was immensely grateful to his sister; despite the pain of everything happening, she still chose to stand by what was right. Now, all he hoped was that their father would do the same.Carlo slowly set the papers down and let out a deep sigh. “I never thought my wife would go this far,” he said, clearly dismayed.The siblings exchanged glances. Their father was calm. He didn’t even look surprised—almost as if he already knew all of it.“Papa,” Chelsea called softly.“I’ve known for a long time that your m