January finally came and it meant the movie premiere for ‘Devotion of the Past’ was here. There was a raucous bustle all around Ren as she passed by dozens of all people in her simple, pleated hip cocktail dress.She scrolled through her tablet, checking the location, interview questions, and Andrea’s speech. She mumbled along as she walked, “Gotta make sure everything is perfect.” This was the actress’ return to the spotlight after all.Ren messaged her husband, asking, “Does Sebastian really have to come?”She didn’t have to wait. “Absolutely! We’re already waiting for the car. I’ll see you there,” he responded. The manager groaned. She could feel Robert’s excitement just from reading his reply. Even their stance on Andrea and Sebastian largely differed with her wanting the billionaire to be out of her friend’s life. While Robert wanted them to be the Adams couple again.The manager sighed as she arrived at the actress’ dressing room where her design team came in and out of. They’d
“Sir Sebastian Adams!”One second. All it took was one second after that name was uttered and the confidence that Andrea mustered all but withered away.“Are you alright?” Darren instinctively protected Andrea, putting his arm on her back. They all knew he’d be coming. And this kind of reception was expected, but he knew that Andrea could never prepare herself upon seeing her ex-husband in person.Shoving her vulnerabilities aside, Andrea faintly nodded and held onto him tighter. She focused her gaze back on the cameras that were undoubtedly waiting for a hint of reaction from Sebastian’s sudden appearance.“I’m fine, Darren. Let’s just go.” She won’t let them see the mixture of shock, awkwardness, and displeasure that she was feeling at the moment. Including a bit of pleasant anticipation.“Look here, please!”“Mister Adams! Right here!”“Andrea! Can you take a photo with Sebastian?”The incessant screams about her and Sebastian being captured together were beginning to become too mu
The sounds of laughter and chatter inside the reception hall dulled in Andrea’s ears. It was just like the first time they met. She was rooted to the ground.She looked away immediately after noticing Sebastian get closer. Andrea was still lightheaded but she willed herself to turn back. She spoke as if there was no one there but her, “It’s cold, I should get inside.”The actress attempted a wobbly swerve toward the balcony door.“I found your letter.” She stopped. “The one at the back of your painting.” Andrea’s back still faced him, refusing to see his pained expression.Silence. Not even the crickets from the small wooded area at the back of the theater seemed to make a sound for Andrea. But the dirt crunching under his shoe with every step that he took echoed around her.Sebastian continued, “And I knew that this event would be the only way I could get closer and be able to talk to you.”Andrea reminded him, “Lilith must be looking for you. You should-”“We’ve broken up for some t
Sebastian sighed as he stared at his blinking phone screen.“Any problem, Sir?” Robert asked from the driver’s seat.“More of a nuisance,” the billionaire replied as the call was sent to voicemail. “I need you to get me a new phone and number. Seems like too many people know about this one, time to toss it out.”But now right now. Because Sebastian was on his way to see Anastasia and Andrea. He won’t let Lilith’s obsession ruin this day for him.He quickly typed on his phone. That seemed to do the trick as the calls stopped coming.>>>“So as it turns out, everyone loves the movie and has a newfound appreciation for you. Look at this-” Ren showed her tablet screen to Andrea, scrolling through her email.“New York Times, The Washington Post, all kinds of Times and Posts. They want an interview with you. The previous brands you’ve worked with want to renegotiate. My house is already filled with different kinds of scripts. I could only imagine how many were sent to yours. Basically, ever
“You don’t have to go. You know that, right?” Ren groaned as the actress swerved to the narrow dorm garage.“I know. Becca was just so sincere during our phone call that I decided to hear what else she has to say.” Andrea parked the car and then took the key out of the ignition. She checked her disguise in the mirror.Last night after dinner, she suddenly got a call from none other than her step-sister. Becca and Laura never contacted her nor tried to after Madeline’s threats. And Andrea had decided to leave it at that for now, not really sure if she still wanted a connection to them.From that previous call, Becca had asked for her to visit her dorm, now that she had also left Laura’s nest.“I heard your conversation and it seemed like she did take some acting lessons from the sound of it. Becca almost sounded sincere, I’ll give her that. But it’s a scam, Andy. She’ll trap you into handing out money.”“As I said, all I’ll be doing is listening. If she did ask for money, I don’t know.
“We’ve seen that the Devotion of the Past was a huge success both domestically and internationally,” the executive of the Data Analysis Department reported as Sebastian attentively listened.She added, “Right now, the talent management is trying to reach out to Miss Andrea Ad-,” she clears her throat. “Miss Andrea Fray. We’re trying to get her back to Elysian to bring in more high-end backers for the company. And she is, pardon me for saying, a hot commodity right now. We need to strike while the iron is hot.”Sebastian leaned back in his chair, the people around the conference table waited with bated breath at what his comments would be regarding his ex-wife.He sighed, “She’s not going to come back, Valerie.” Which dampened their spirits. “I hope that wasn’t your only plan.”“Uh, of course, Sir, it’s not.” Valerie switched her presentation to the next option, muttering under her breath how bringing the famous actress back in would be tremendously beneficial as she flipped through co
When Andrea opened the door, she didn’t expect Sebastian to be wearing such simple clothes, let alone see him get out of a middle-class car.“Is he trying to impress us or the opposite?” She thought to herself.Sebastian jogged up to the porch and breathed out as he got closer. His droopy eyes quickly informed her that the man was beyond exhausted. “Hey, thanks for having me,” he greeted her. Then from his coat pocket, he took out the same present he always gave her whenever he came over. A purple peony.“I told you already. You don’t have to bring me this,” Andrea told him while still bashfully taking the stalk from him. She’ll be sleeping well tonight.“It’s fine. I also brought a gift for Mr. Fray. Though I’m not sure if he’ll like it.” Sebastian scratched the back of his neck.Andrea let out an awkward chuckle. Knowing her Dad, she was sure that Eugene would bring out the silliest part of him being protective. “Well, we never know. Why don’t you come inside? Ana’s just preparing f
After dessert, Sebastian spent a few minutes listening to his daughter’s exploits of the day while the hosts tidied the dining room. He loved listening to her talk since he wasn’t able to be with her most of the time, what with his work and their housing conditions.The father enjoyed the stories up until the toddler said, “And Darren came and we ride the twicycle!”Sebastian’s smile faltered a little as Anastasia waited for his reaction. Having no skills to identify social cues yet, she doubled in on the story. “Darren gave me twicycle and, and he show me to use it!”“Is that so?” Deep inside, he was cursing at himself. “Of course! A tricycle! Why haven’t I thought of that!” Sebastian was the one who helped Anastasia assemble the LEGO superhero. But once they were done, the little girl refused to take it apart and had it displayed in her room.Now, Andrea had barred him from bringing any more toys for their daughter since he and Edmond had already filled her room with too many of tho
“This, so far, is what I’ve decided to put in my book. If you’re reading this right now, then that means that I finally chose to let the world know my story. You may or may not have heard of me. I’ve been introduced to many names. Cobbett, Scout, Adams, and Fray. But I don’t want to let any of those affiliations define who I am. What I choose to do after everything that happened to me is what I believe determines me.” “Andy! Darren just texted. He and his wife are almost here. We can't miss your second Oscar nomination together!” Sebastian called out from outside the study. It was funny how in the end, Darren became much closer to Sebastian that it made Andrea jealous rather than the other way around. “Coming!” Andrea answered as she contentedly sealed the paper and placed it on top of a hardbound, azure book. She looked at it for a few seconds, getting lost in every letter. “Momma! Auntie Wen said to come quick!” A small boy with curly hair and brown eyes with golden flecks grapple
They couldn’t fully put everything behind them as Lilith was still nowhere to be found, but Sebastian and Andrea knew that it was time to move on. Maybe it was true what other people said about her. Maybe Lilith had found a reason that made her leave her life.After more than a year of coming to terms with their tragic past, Sebastian once again popped the question. He had flown everyone to the private island in the Maldives that he had rented before.“You bought it?” Andrea almost screamed when she learned that Sebastian didn’t rent the island for their honeymoon. Instead, he made it seem like he just leased it.“Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything because you were so judgemental of rich people. I didn’t want your first impression of me as your husband to be that of someone who buys things excessively,” Sebastian fibbed.He had already talked to everyone about his proposal except of course with Andrea. Eugene immediately agreed while Madeline gave him a stern warning and advice.So t
Weeks turned to months and no sign of the wanted criminal had emerged. Despite all their efforts, she was too slick in evading and hiding from authorities.But finally, the Adams, Frays, and their loved ones had slowly started to build a semblance of a normal life.After her warrant was sent out, Sebastian had also released his statement regarding the matter. He explained to the public how and why this all went down. They decided to keep it vague, not wanting to share every small detail. But enough for the people to understand what happened.And in this duration, the same people who hurled hateful comments at the actress now give her support. As they began to understand that the information they’d been fed was lies, they turned against the source of these. Lilith Quinn.And now, Andrea Fray had the opportunity to tell her story in her own words.Sat on a powder blue couch and facing a whole group of lights and cameras from all angles, the actress recounted the stories that she chose t
“He’s a good man, Harris,” Sebastian told Andrea who was cuddling against his chest. The two sat in her yard, enjoying the light sea breeze that passed by.“I know, that’s why he became my friend, “ she replied. “Look at you, getting all warmed up with Darren.” He didn’t know but Andrea was ecstatic that her partner and her closest male friend would be on good terms.“I’m not,” Sebastian tried to deny. “It’s only because he told me about you going to Clayton by yourself and the other stuff he did for you.”“That’s why I wish he could find his own happiness.” Andrea looked up at the sky and coincidentally, found a shooting star. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and made the exact wish.“Why didn’t you wish for yourself or for me?” Sebastian questioned her with a sulky expression.“Are you kidding? I’ve already found my happiness.” Andrea gestured at where they were and who they were with.In front of them was Anastasia. The toddler was so engrossed with the film that was playing
“You are not your fear, Andrea. You are not your trauma,” Andrea said her usual chant as she got out of her car and faced the menacing high, concrete walls of Fort Havenshaw.“I can do this, I chose to do this,” she whispered with eyes shut. The dread had finally caught up to her. Andrea’s bravado had waned the nearer she was to that person.When she told the hesitant Darren that she could do it, Andrea thought that she could. But now, she’s convinced that it was just false toughness.Andrea couldn’t feel the tip of her fingertips as her whole body had turned rigid. As opposed to the bright, sunny day that graced them, an unknown source of penetrating cold had entered her body. It didn’t plan to leave anytime soon.A part of her said, “It’s not too late to turn back. You still haven’t gotten inside the prison.”Andrea’s eyes went back and forth, from the fort entrance to her car handle. A drop of sweat had begun to roll down the side of her face. “Shit!” She exclaimed as Andrea reache
“You heard what Monique said. We can only secure Lilith’s conviction if we get a confession. I know it’s a shot in the dark. But if there’s a possibility of Alvis having a recording of Lilith, then it’s worth it,” Andrea firmly said.It made Darren sigh heavily. He scratched his nape, daunted by Andrea’s strategy. He asked, “And you’re not having any second thoughts about this?”She nodded her head sharply. “I’m a hundred percent sure. Sebastian could only hold off Lilith’s scheme on the wedding for so long.”“What does he think about this?”He noticed her flinch when he asked the question. “He doesn’t know,” Darren answered for himself.Andrea grimaced at the fact and said, “I’ll tell him once it’s done. That way, we could save ourselves the trouble.” She only confided with Darren about her plan because he was the most understanding of all her friends.“I’ll go with you,” Darren insisted. These past days of hanging out with just the two of them brought him back to the past. Back when
“The evidence you gave us is very good. But a confession from Quinn would solidify this case so that the jury doesn’t find reasonable doubt to convict her,” the counselors and detective working on Lilith’s case told Andrea’s group.“We can arrest her now on these grounds, but we’re very sure that she would clam up and call the best lawyers their money could buy. And we all know how that will turn out.”They became familiar with the process. Lilith’s lawyers would talk directly with the court that she was not being lawfully held despite the mounting evidence against her. She wouldn’t even spend a night in jail because of who she was. A millionaire heiress so of course, the judge would favor her. Then she’d get out and wreak havoc into their lives as if nothing happened.Their hearts sank after hearing that all their efforts could do was a small dent in Lilith's case.“There’s a possibility that we can win this case,” the lead prosecutor, Monique Perrin, informed them. “But her admittin
When Sebastian heard Andrea yell out, he was ready to attack the person and run amok in her house. But when she turned to see who it was, Andrea was already squeezing the guy with a bear hug. “Oh, it’s you! Gosh, I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t!” She blurted out, her chest still heaving at high speed. “I’m sorry, Andy. I was rushing because I thought I was late. They told me to be here hours ago, that’s why I just barged in like that. Sorry,” Darren replied, giving her a light, comforting pat on the back. Sebastian’s posture stiffened as the Simon couple eyed the three of them cautiously. Robert was about to get up from the couch to be beside his boss, in case worse came to worst. But Ren quickly pulled her down. “You disrupt this drama, I will go on a rampage,” she warned him. Still oblivious to the brittle atmosphere that was created by Darren’s sudden arrival, Andrea continued to face her friend while holding both his hands. She began to bombard him with apolog
“So I’m guessing you two are on good terms now, huh?” Ren mused after seeing Andrea and Sebastian share another glance that could only be described as coy. The billionaire was visiting the Fray house and at the moment was spending his after-work time with his daughter.“Put it on top. There. Not the owange one! It has to be bwue!“ Anastasia pointed and ordered Sebastian and Robert where to place the blocks as they assembled a building that replicated her father’s company.Andrea giggled at her daughter’s bossiness. Who else but her father would she get that kind of attitude from?She scoffed at her best friend, “Of course, we should be for Ana’s sake.” It had been days since they got back together again. Though the two chose to keep their relationship hidden for a while, at least until they’ve sorted out the Lilith issue.Ren rolled her eyes and sighed, “Oh please, Andy. Even a blind person would easily know that you two are on more than good terms. If you know what I’m saying.” She w