Eight years ago...The next day, Samantha needed to wake up early to catch the first bus. Her little feet had to walk for 200 meters passing by the tall cypress trees before she could reach the wide iron gate.After that, she had to walk for another 200 meters going to the bus stop for the mansion was situated in private residences where only exclusive taxis were allowed to go inside. By the time she arrived at the bus stop, either she was sweating all over or gasping for air."At least, I still have 5 minutes to rest before the bus arrives!" she murmured as she sat on the bench.When she saw a black luxurious Mercedes-Benz turning right passing by the stop, she hoped the one riding in the backseat would see her situation and his conscience would kick him hard but h*ck No!That will never happen she thought as she ignored the Michaels' car that just drove by. When the bus arrived, she got up at once and waited for it to stop.As it stopped in front of her, the automatic door opened and
"Wow, Sam! Within just an hour, you attract the attention of the three most dreamboat students in our school!" Andrea teased while they were going back to their classes. They were already in their skirt and blouse uniform at that time.Sam was just listening. Her mind was with the words her gorgeous young master said. She would go home with him in his luxurious car.That's epic!"At least, I don't need to squeeze myself inside of the bus today!" she uttered inwardly.Then suddenly a strong shoulder bumped into her chest which made her fall to the ground."Ops! What the? You have two eyes, right?" Vanessa immediately freaked out.Andrea who was walking a bit faster than Samantha halted when she heard Vanessa's voice. She turned around and saw Samantha slowly getting up while pushing herself from the ground. She hurriedly held her hands and helped her get up."Tell me what happened?" she said as she glanced at Vanessa.Beside her were her bestfriends, Sylvia and Celine. They were chuckli
Samantha would like to spend a wonderful weekend in their place. During these two no-classes days, her Aunt Maria was with her. She was her father's younger sister and a street-smart woman.That Saturday, Maria wanted her niece to learn how to drive a scooter. They were in front of their simple single-story wood house."Sam, you should learn at least one or two rides. Either a two-wheeled vehicle or a four-wheeled car. So that when the time comes that emergency rises and your only option are to take the wheel, at least you know how to maneuver the controls!" Maria smiled while putting her hands on the handrails.With Maria's lengthy message, she thought she had grasped more than learning how to drive."Aunt Maria, can I ask you something?" Samantha's ten-year-old inquisitive mind and curious almond eyes squinted at her."What is it?" Maria asked back without exactly glancing at her. She was staring at the scooter instead."Why didn't you continue to go to school?"Maria halted upon hea
"Wooo!" a surprised tap on her shoulders and an abrupt deep pitch almost made Samantha fall on the pool."Ahh!" when she turned around, she saw her neighbor Jaden who went to visit his mom in the mansion grinning from ear to ear."Jaden, don't ever do that again!" she frowned at her with the same age friend at once."Why are you the one cleaning the pool?" Jaden snorted instead as he took the deep skimmer net from her."Give me that. Nobody told me to clean the pool. I just want to help my dad!" she was trying to reach the stick but Jaden raised it higher."Let me do it. You can't swim. What if you accidentally tripped and fell!" Jaden sternly uttered.With furrowed eyebrows, he scooped the fallen leaves into the water.Samantha was just watching him. She sat on one of the sun lounges and rested her chin on her palms while her elbows nestled on her lap."By the way, I brought you your favorite carabao mangoes. They're on your bed!" without looking at her, he gestured his head to the se
Years had passed and Samantha was now in high school. Albert who skipped a couple of years was graduating at the age of fourteen while Samantha was in her freshmen year.The same with Andrea and also the rest of Albert's friends, they continued their schooling in Georgetown. Vanessa who bullied Samantha in their primary years also studied in the same school. She was as arrogant as ever. Samantha on the other hand was as meek and as lowly as she was on her first day in Georgetown."Hey, Sam! Have you heard the news? There will be a modeling agency that will visit our school next week. They are going to choose some students to be part-time models for a teenage magazine. I would like to join but I am sure my parents won't allow me!" Andrea spoke in a lengthy manner."Why won't they allow you?" Samantha narrowed her eyes at the book she was reading. She flipped the page and stared at her."Girl! A daughter of a captain joining some photoshoots for a magazine? A big no! I would be exposed.
Albert went downstairs dragging his feet towards the dining room. It was 7 in the morning and he needed to go to school for their varsity practice. Part of their yearly event was the Intrams.Aside from the coming Photoshoot that would be held in Georgetown, their school was also busy choosing some students to represent the once-in-a-lifetime The International Physics Olympiad which would be held in Ireland."Albert, good thing you woke up early!" Christopher, his business tycoon father uttered.Christopher was already having breakfast when Albert sat on his seat."Have to dad. The varsity has a practice every morning!" still groggy, he politely replied as he drank a glass of cold water."Hmm! That's good. After your class, if you still have time, come to the company. I need to teach you something!" Christopher sternly explained.Albert's father was in his late thirties. He was in his prime. His features were actually the same as his. He was a spitting image of his dad in almost everyt
Go home with me later! If I don't see you at exactly 5 pm in the parking lot, better not come home!"Albert's roar escalated in the whole court. The two teachers, the varsity players, and Samantha's classmates were even startled as their shoulders bounced up."Yes, Young Master!" she meekly obeyed.Her head was bowed down while Andrea patted her back. Tears were coming down again so she pursed her lips tight.Upon hearing Samantha's reply, he strode off the basketball court leaving everyone dumbfounded except for Albert's and Samantha's friends. They shot Albert a dagger stare."What's wrong with your friend?" Andrea, who lost interest in him since the time he forced Samantha to apologize to Vanessa, couldn't help but exclaim in anger."We apologize on his behalf!" Edward gently replied giving Samantha a shallow smile.They forgot that there were almost 40 people in the court listening to their conversations. The teachers who were still flabbergasted coughed to clear their throats."Cl
Samantha had no choice but to wear them at school. The sparks that the diamond earrings created as they touched the sunlight made her small face beam with her ponytailed hair. Her perfectly shaped neck that was wrapped by a gold chain highlighted her snow-white skin and its heart-shaped diamond pendant glittered as it hit the rays of the sun.She was hugging her two thick books like before and no one dared to care about it but that day, everyone gazed their eyes at the books for her wrist was shining bright.She was so beautiful and radiant but that didn't reach her eyes. All the while, she was looking down till she hit a broad chest and almost fell to the ground."Did you drop something that you are looking for it?"A stone-cold voice she always heard but couldn't get used to it. She almost jumped to her feet. When she lifted her head, his frowned face greeted her innocent look."Tantalizing!" he whispered when she flickered her eyes on him."I'm sorry, Young Master!" her soft angelic
In a high-end restaurant in the heart of the city, two beautiful single moms were going to talk to clear a slate. They were both calm, grace, and dignified."You will always be my sister-in-law no matter what!" Liz sincerely told Samantha while the latter still felt embarrassed that she was one of those narrow-minded people who believed something was going on between them with her ex-husband."I'm sorry. I don't know what to say!" all she could say was this.But her actions spoke a lot of meaningful words she couldn't express in sentences."It's all right. It happens to people. And we are not exempted!" Liz just shook her head as she gave Samantha a genuine smile.Samantha left a light chuckle with her phrase and just like her, she also shook her head."Yeah! We are not exempted!" she repeated."So, when will you two get back together? Tristan is at his age to have a sibling. He's already almost ten!" she channeled their talks to another topic when they were done clearing things out."
"Albert is in Ireland now? Is that true?" Candice who had overseas photoshoots for months was surprised when Grace told her about what happened three months ago.She who never liked to watch nor read the news was really ignorant when it came to those current events but when it was all about fashion, she was number one!"Yes, Miss Candice. The hospital here transferred him to Houston Medical Hospital two weeks ago!" Grace sternly uttered."But why? The hospitals here are also good!" Candice still insisted on digging for more information about him."It was Dr. Houston's command!" Grace still casually replied though deep inside she would like to yell at her saying 'Stop wasting my time! Just fly to Ireland if you want!'"Okay, thanks for the info. Bye!" Candice told her in haste before she strode towards the lift.Inside the lift, she called her manager right away."Get me a ticket going to Ireland tonight. I need to see Albert!""Okay, right away!" her manager obeyed at once..After abo
"Sam, Isabella told me to come here to help you today and tomorrow. How's Young Master?" Laila was speaking to her as she opened the door while she strode to Albert's VIP Ward.However, she also halted in the middle and her exciting orbs went open as she saw who were Albert's visitors at that time.The four including Albert's doctor glanced in her direction and smiled. Laila would like to turn around and run away for a while but her flat shoes were nailed to the floor."Laila, right?" one of the doctors asked as he sauntered toward her.She just gawked at him. She couldn't believe she had just eaten her tongue. She flickered her eyes and tried to speak, but she staggered in her voice."Yes, dictor...I mean doc...tor...!" she shut her eyes for a moment while shaking her head. Then she composed herself and spoke again."Yes, Doctor Arnolds!" Laila finally uttered...without looking at him. Her eyes glanced around instead."Beautiful name...Like the owner!" Sean commented before he went ou
Earlier...When Albert saw the group of policemen about one kilometer away waiting for them, he did his best to draw Madeline's attention to something else while removing the cloth that was wrapped around his wrists."Why are you doing all of these? What happened to you?""What happened to me? It was you who made me this way. If you didn't cancel our wedding before, we're supposed to be husband and wife now, and maybe, we're supposed to have children now!" she yelled as her glare was burning his eyes."But you feel disgusted by me. Since that monster kidnapped me, you never talked to me again. You avoided me like I was a plague!" she kept on releasing everything that's been keeping her bottled up for too long."Then you suddenly fell in love with a servant? How dare you, Albert?" her fantasy was making her blind but Albert never really listened to her prattles."What's your plan on me now?" he asked as he sneered.Finally, he loosed the cloth. He sideglanced at Rona whose eyes were shu
"Grace, could you get me the reviewed documents from Houston Group? The one I approved yesterday!" Albert called Grace on his intercom but to his surprise, she didn't answer."Grace, the contract from Houston!" he repeated but still it was dead air."Maybe she went to the restroom!" he whispered as he walked out of his office to get the documents himself.But to his shock, he saw Grace lying unconsciously on the cold marbled floor. He was about to call 911 when somebody just hit him on his head. He irked in pain but he didn't lose his consciousness. As he turned around while holding his head that was hit, he squinted his eyes when he saw a sneering Katie appearance but he knew that was Madeline."You?" he exclaimed but even before he could push the alarm button, he received another hit that was stronger than the first. This time, he had lost his consciousness.Simon carried him back inside his office while Madeline followed. However, an employee who happened to pass by saw a glimpse of
She released an evil laugh while staring at the headline that bannered their glorious names:'Madeline Swan, Wanted! Lance Swan Captures!'She laughed at the authorities who always failed to arrest her.She laughed at Houston's men who were waiting for her arrival.Above all, she laughed at Albert and the Michaels for not sensing her closeness in their visibility."St*pid powerful people!" she aggravatingly snorted.She was holding a red wine while sitting on their usual white Italian leather couch.Where?In an originally breathtaking place that became a haunted house.Indeed, Lance helped her escape and fooled the authorities that she was going to Ireland. Her father prepared her hideout once again. But this time, no one would even think she went back to the city of opportunities, to that penthouse where two wanted criminals were killed more than two years ago. The one was killed by her."Miss Swan, they all thought you're in Ireland now!" Simon grinned.He was pouring Madeline a gla
"Even if you will kill me, I would never tell you where my daughter is. She deserves to do those things after everything that happened to her!" Lance Swan shouted at length in a wild, impassioned way."Congratulations, President Lance! You've just admitted you know where your daughter is!" Jake spoke in a contemptuous manner rather.The police station where Vanessa and Jake were assigned immediately arrested Lance Swan when Vanessa called that day.When the doctor in Maui nodded that it was Lance who ordered them to make Cheska's condition worst, she instructed her team to arrest him right away."I'm gonna be behind bars anyway. But I'm not going to tell you where my daughter is!" Lance firmly told him.Jake slowly leaned on the chair glaring at him while his fingers were rhythmically tapping the table. Just one more he thought. He might give this middle-aged man a knuckle sandwich.They were both startled when Vanessa opened the door and announced."Good news! The eel is in Ireland!"
At dinner, Albert brought Candice to a western diner. Her favorite. When the waiter arrived, he ordered almost all of her favorite food such as beefy casserole, cheesy turkey broccoli pasta, and biscuit topped chicken pot pie. He also ordered some dessert and a glass of red wine."Thanks for accepting my invitation, Albert. Even if our relationship is just a sham, at least you're still gentleman enough not to decline!" Candice shyly told him while she tucked some strands of her hair behind her earlobe.But Albert was way too busy glancing around while his hands were clasped on the table. As much as possible he didn't want to see Candice anymore since the latter started showing some interest in him."Ahm! I always love beefy casserole. Here, try some!"She stuffed a cube of meat in his mouth and because it was sudden he wasn't able to shun it. He reluctantly chewed the food while frowning at her."It's delicious, right? Oh, there's a sauce left at the corner of your lips!" She even took
In Maui Medical Hospital...Chester was staring at her weak pale face while his hand was gently brushing her hair. She was still unconscious but the doctor said, her condition was getting better.He gritted his teeth everytime he remembered what the doctor told them. He had been violated not just once. Based from the findings of a single pubic hair they saw on her thigh when the swat team saw her in the big empty house, the owner was Simon Flord."I'm gonna kill you, bastard!" he muttered while staring at her.He had been looking for Cheska since she suddenly left more than two years ago. He tried to call her but her phone was disconnected. He thought she intentionally cut ties with him so after months of trying, he finally gave up.When he heard a soft moan, he sat straight as he moved closer."Cheska!" he gently called her name.His blurry eyes were glued on her pallid face. He touched his cheek while his other hand clasped her hand with an IV dr