She glanced at her watch for the seventh time after ending the call with her husband, who assured her he would be at the party venue.It had been hours, and Isabella Jimenez was growing weary. The guests were getting impatient, and their expressions weighed heavily on her, sinking her mood. Mr. Rodriguez, her husband who she thought would never disappoint her on their anniversary, did not show up for the party he planned.To make it worse, it was also her birthday as well. They got married on her birthday, three years ago."Will he make an appearance?" inquired a tall woman dressed in white, her gown reaching just above the knee. With Isabella opting for a red outfit at the party, white became the chosen color for the guests."I don't know anymore, Manuela" Isabella answered, rubbing the back of her neck. She did not want to tear up in public. Everyone will understand that her perfect man wasn't as perfect as they all thought.Three years ago, Mr. Rodriguez, the city's most eligible
Chapter 3.He picked his drink to leave, but it mistakenly dropped on the floor and the content slapshed on her thighs."I am sorry," he quickly apologized. He took out a white handkerchief from his pocket and asked "are you hurt ma?""No, I am not," Isabella checked herself quickly. The broken glasses did not touch her. It was just a drink."Thank goodness," he shouted, handing her the handkerchief. "Here, you should clean yourself since I won't be able to do it."Isabella smiled for the first time. She took it and wiped the little drink on her thighs. It was not bad, so she sat back and thanked him."I'm very sorry. I was nervous," he said, moving a bit close so that she could hear him. "Can I sit next to you?""Sure," Isabella replied. Why would she refuse him? He seemed like a gentleman. Maybe he might ease her wrestling mind."How are you?" he asked."Fine, I guess," she replied, avoiding his hot gaze. His green eyes stared at her behind the mask. She wondered what was going on i
The door flung all of a sudden, and she jumped back out of fear. A cold shiver racked through her body as he stared at her confused.Isabella wished the ground would swallow her. If only she had been a magician, she would have disappeared from the office.She was caught standing at his desk like a thief or a spy.He closed the door and walked to the center of the room, asking “Do you need something?”“Something?” She chuckled, looking away. The only question that kept racking through her brain was: who would want a thief as a girlfriend?Probably not Luciano Reyes. A stealing Jimenez won’t do any good to him or the company.Maybe she was thinking too hard. She did not steal from him nor had any intention.“What are you looking for?' he asked calmly. His eyes narrowed, aiming to confuse her.“I-I was…” Isabella attempted to talk, but her voice betrayed at the wrong time. She closed the drawer and raised her hands.“You were going through my things”. Luciano took steps forward. When she
Chapter 2.The drive would have been a long one if not for the speed at which she drove.Her friend kept screaming in the car, but she did not listen to her pleas that they should slow down.Isabella drove to their favorite spot, which was up the hills. She got out of the car and walked to the edge, ready to throw herself down. Maybe death will ease the pain she was feeling.Everything she ever believed was a lie. Her husband…no, the scumbag was a liar, not only did he cheat on her, he was going to be a father.When did he plan to tell her all this? The lies kept on piling up, and he did not bother, either did he care about her feelings. She loved him for four years and thought he did too. But he never did. She was just an tool to satisfy their greed. When she left the room, Isabella expected Rodriguez to come after her but didn't. He valued Sheila more.This was why her heart was breaking, and her world was falling apart right now. All she wanted was to die and forget about everyth
Chapter 78.Everyone was surprised to see Dora. She was an uninvited guest and the last person Isabella hoped to meet at the party. She had plans for the evening and Dora's presence might disturb it.Luciano was not pleased to see Dora. He quickly handed Juan over to his mom and turned to her “What are you doing here?”Alberto saw that none of them were happy to seeing Dora. He knew he had made a mistake by bringing her here. “We came together.”“Together?” Luciano looked confused. What could he be doing with Dora? Were they seeing each other? No, his uncle would rather go for a mature woman. His mom told him that when they were young, his uncle went out with only women who were older than he. Dora did not fit in that category. She was just a little older than Rosa.“Yes, we came together,” Alberto answered with his eyes darting from one person to another. He was confused and wished one of them would give him a hint. Maybe they were not on good terms with Dora. Her parents were friend
**Chapter 39.It was morning. She would have gone downstairs to prepare breakfast for everyone, just like every morning, but she did not. Rather, she laid in bed like a lazy cow.Mrs. Julio did not blink her eyes all through the night. Last night was the first time she lied to her husband. They have been married for thirty-nine years and seven months.It was a love marriage. They have always loved each other right from childhood till this day. Keeping secrets from each other was not allowed in their relationship. Don Julio tells her everything and vice versa.Recently, she kept so many things away from him because of Luciano. Mrs. Julio was caught between her husband and son. Incidents such as Luciano helping the Jimenez at the market, becoming Juan's father and loving Isabella.She hid them from her husband. Why?Mrs. Julio knew what her son went through when he could not contact his mysterious lady from the wedding party in Suncity. He barely recovered from it. Not only that, Lucia
“It seems Dora appears everywhere you go these days,” Manuela said angrily. She knew that the act was well planned by that witch and her mother. “Are you sure she is not following you?”Isabella did not have an idea. She wondered what they would benefit from hurting her. “I have never offended them. Why are they doing this to me?”“Because they are jealous of you, Bella” Manuela told her. She was forgetting the important part of this. Her best friend caught the heart of the best bachelor…a billionaire for that matter. “You know why. It is for the obvious reasons. You have Luciano, baby girl.”Isabella laughed. She could not hide the fact that the statement excited her. If anyone told her that she was going to date a Reyes, she would definitely kick him or her. It was shocking that the only man who was able to love her purely was a Reyes.“Forget about Dora and mother. Juan told me that he covered up for us,” Isabella told him his godmother. She knew it was wrong for her son to get inv
The room they entered was bigger than she had imagined. His picture was hung above the bed. It looked normal and new…more like a recent portrait of him. The king-sized bed was neatly dressed with white sheets and a blue duvet.Isabella took a good look around. There was nothing in the room to give her a clue that he was the same man. “How many times have you been there?”Luciano dipped both hands into the pockets of his trousers. He sighed and walked slowly. “I think it is up to seven times. I went there a few weeks before we moved back to Santa Marta.”“You like it there? I mean in Suncity”, she looked at the books on the desk. There were business books which were no use to her right now.“Not really”. Luciano’s face dropped. He walked to the windows and leaned his head on the glass. Memories began to find their way into his mind. He wished he could go back in time and correct his mistakes. The woman from that night may never forgive him. He left her early in the morning like she was
Chapter 75.“Mother, you tricked my son” Isabella reminded her mom when she got downstairs. By now, Juan had already finished two slices of pizza. His grandmother poured juice into a glass and gave it to him.“I didn’t, your son fell for my pizza,” Mrs. Jimenez told her. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed him. “You will always be my favorite.”'Not after you find out he is a Marquez', Isabella muttered to herself. She was already dressed. Manulita had a few calls to make upstairs. As for Juan, he gave her the double work. She had to change his outfit.“Juan, come here,” Isabella called and when he came, she whispered “your daddy is waiting. Can we go and change your clothes?”“Yeah,” Juan jumped. However, he did not drop the piece of pizza in his hand. He bit it and rushed to where his grandma was and handed it over to her. He ran back to his mom and they went upstairs.Quickly, she changed his clothes and they headed out.The driver was asked to stay behind. Isabella did no
Chapter 64.She still wore her night dress. Her eyes barely opened as she asked the question. Her face looked more like it had received several slaps while asleep. “Who is Juan's father? She asked again.Isabella froze. Her lips parted, but no word came out. For a second, she thought her heart would come out through her mouth. It was beating faster than a drum. She felt her pulse quicken. If it dared to stop, it would be the end of her.Over the years, she managed to hide the truth from Mrs. Jimenez and everyone in Santa Marta. It was going to be hell for her and Juan if the truth came out. How will she face her mom? Will the poor woman be able to bear the news? What if she gets another heart attack after knowing the truth?“Eh… We were talking about Rodriguez, aunt” Manuela lied. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her palms were also sweaty. She shivered at the thought of Mrs. Jimenez found out the truth. The old woman may never forgive her daughter for it.“Rodriguez?” Mrs Ji
After dinner, Isabella took Juan to his room. It was a small room filled with the wallpaper of captain man. He also drew his dreamed family. He always wanted a dad to be presented in his life, and she knew the boy was right. He deserves a father.“Mom, where you scared today?” Juan asked as they sat on the bed beside each other. His mom looked at him with tears in her eyes. She had no idea what to say to him.“I-I was scared at some point. But your mom is strong. Do you know that?” Isabella said, fighting the tears.“Well… I got scared too, mom” he told her. “Grandma said it’s okay. Everyone gets scared at some point in life, and it doesn’t matter. We are all fine now.”Isabella was speechless. She didn’t know when the hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Her boy has grown so big with a good sense as well. She knew exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to make her feel better just the way his godmother, Manuela, would do.Juan saw the tears rolling down his mom’s cheeks. He wondere
Luciano arrived just in time for Paul's funeral, his heart heavy with grief but filled with determination to honor his cousin, his brother, in the best way he could.The sun was hidden behind clouds, casting a grey light over the crowd gathered at the cemetery. The entire town had come to pay their respects. Friends and family, dressed in black, stood together, whispering condolences and recalling fond memories of Paul.Even friends from abroad had flown in, further testament to how much Paul had meant to so many people.Luciano looked around at the faces of the people, some who had known Paul since childhood, others who had only crossed paths with him later in life.They all shared the same somber expression, united by the loss of a man they admired and loved. The air was thick with sorrow, but there was also a quiet reverence, a collective determination to honor Paul in the way he deserved.The ceremony was simple but heartfelt. A local priest led a brief prayer, offering words of co
The air was thick with tension as Luciano drove away from the villa, leaving the preparations for Paul’s funeral behind.The road ahead blurred in his vision, but his mind was clear. Today was the day of Paul’s funeral, a painful farewell to the cousin who had been like a brother to him.But there was one more matter that needed to be settled before he could say goodbye properly. He was heading to the prison yard, where Rodriguez was awaiting execution. The day of reckoning had arrived.Luciano gripped the steering wheel tighter as he approached the prison gates. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows across the barren landscape.He could feel the weight of what was about to happen, but there was a sense of grim satisfaction in knowing that justice would finally be served.Rodriguez’s death would never bring Paul back, but it would close a chapter that had been filled with betrayal and pain.As the guards escorted him through the sterile halls of the prison, Luciano k
*****The afternoon sun poured softly through the windows as Manuela, Isabella, and Luciano sat around the dining table, their faces marked by a quiet sadness.The house felt different since Paul’s passing, quieter, as if even the walls were mourning his absence.The weight of his death still hung heavy in the air, but today they needed to focus on something else—Paul’s upcoming funeral.“We have to make it special,” Manuela said, her voice barely above a whisper. She had been crying on and off for days, her heart still breaking at the thought of losing Paul so suddenly. “He deserves the best, after everything.”Luciano sat silently for a moment, staring down at his hands. It was still hard for him to think about Paul without feeling a sharp pain in his chest. His cousin had been more than family; he had been a brother, a friend, and a source of strength. “He does,” Luciano finally agreed, his voice thick with emotion. “I want his funeral to reflect how much he meant to all of us. He w
**Two weeks had passed since the accident, and Juan was finally ready to leave the hospital. The doctors had been impressed by his recovery, considering how serious the injuries had been.Now, the hospital room was filled with a sense of relief and anticipation. Isabella and Luciano sat by Juan’s bedside, the weight of everything that had happened slowly lifting, replaced by the joy of seeing their son healthy again.Juan, now more energetic, sat up in bed, swinging his legs back and forth as he played with a toy car Luciano had brought him the day before.His eyes darted between his parents, excitement bubbling beneath the surface. He was finally going home, and for the first time in his young life, he fully understood that Luciano was his father.The bond between them had grown stronger in the days since the truth came out. Juan, who had always been attached to Luciano, now clung to him even more.“Are we leaving soon?” Juan asked, his voice full of hope.Isabella smiled, gently str
Luciano sat in the dimly lit living room, his mind spinning as he tried to process the news.The revelation that Rodriguez had conspired to kill him, along with Dora, his so-called lover, was beyond anything he could have imagined.Manuela and Isabella sat nearby, equally shaken, as the weight of everything they had just learned hung heavily in the air.The silence between them was thick, filled with disbelief and the echo of unanswered questions.They had never once suspected Rodriguez or Dora of being capable of such malice. Rodriguez, yes—he was a volatile man, full of jealousy and bitterness—but Dora? Sweet, quiet Dora, who had always seemed so devoted to Luciano? It didn’t make sense.“I still can’t believe it,” Manuela whispered, her voice barely audible. “I never liked Rodriguez, but I didn’t think he would go this far.”Luciano’s face was tense, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He had been sitting in the same spot for hours, staring off into space, trying to make sense of eve
****The tense silence in the hospital waiting room was shattered when Rodriguez stormed in, his face twisted in anger.Dora trailed behind him, a smug look on her face as she watched the tension rise. He had just heard about the accident, and without bothering to gather all the facts, he immediately set his sights on Isabella."This is all your fault!" Rodriguez bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "How could you be so careless, Isabella? You were supposed to take care of him, and now look what’s happened to my son!"Isabella's heart pounded in her chest as the words hit her. She had been struggling with guilt and worry ever since the accident, but hearing Rodriguez hurl those accusations at her in front of everyone felt like a slap in the face.Luciano, who had been sitting beside her, clenched his fists but said nothing. He knew better than to escalate the situation with Rodriguez, but his silent fury was evident.Isabella stood up, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger