Days slowly went by and, finally, Luciano's birthday kicked in. The Reyes family prepared for his birthday party. They usually organized a party in the garden at this time of the year to celebrate him.To them, Luciano became the pride of the Reyes. His achievements were great and remarkable. He added to the family's wealth and good name. This made them the most powerful family in the country.That morning, Luciano sat in his room, which was filled up with gifts from friends and family. Some who were not closed by sent theirs as well.He was grateful that they all remembered his day and had shown such love.However, it was not their gift that interested him. Juan’s gift came but Isabella? There was nothing from her. He did not want to think beyond his knowledge. The day was still young, and she could see make up for it.“This is from Rita,” Paul laughed, as he read out the names of those who sent their gifts. It was surprising to find out that his cousin’s previous women did not forge
Chapter 74.Isabella wished she could go down to Luciano’s house and wish him a happy birthday, but it was impossible. His family did not want her near, so she stayed back at home.“Is that his gift?” Manuela asked, pointing at a box on the table. She had her bath and was trying to get ready for Luciano's party. He sent her an invitation through his woman.Isabella nodded. She brought an expensive silver watch for him. It only reminded her of the Rolex watch Juan’s father left behind at the hotel that night. One good thing was that she kept it with her. If they met again, the watch was the only means of identification, since she had no idea what his face looked like.“What do you think, Manulita?” Isabella asked. She sat on the chair in front of the mirror. The party was to start at five in the evening. It was just twenty minutes past three now. They had to prepare early and be on their way because of the distance. “How am I going to face Alberto today? After so many years, we finally
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 76.Mrs. Julio was in bed all day. She could not go out due to the doctor's suggestion that she stay in bed. For the time since she gave birth to Luciano, she did not organize his birthday party. It was a celebration she enjoyed yearly.By now, she would have decorated the garden and shared a lot of snacks with family and friends. Also, she was always the first to wish him a happy birthday.Today was different. Luciano came down to see her, and she got the opportunity to wish him. Also, he fed her breakfast and lunch before leaving.Mrs. Julio saw life in a different phase. How things changed quickly really baffled her. She came to realize that some day would come, she won’t even be by his side. She would never be able to celebrate his birthday again.The door of the room opened. Don Julio walked in with another tray of food. Ever since he heard that she was pregnant, he showed a lot of care. Poor man, he still blamed himself for everything he had put her through within those
**“She sent her regards,” Dora answered. “I have this for Luciano, but grandmother said there was another part going on in town so he left.”Mrs. Julio was going to say 'sorry about that. But you can drop it with granny downstairs' but her husband interrupted her “Alberto will be going there. You can join him.”“No, I can’t take any …” Don Alberto started, but he was interrupted by Don Julio. Luciano explained the situation to him, and it would be unsafe to take a stranger to his secret venue.“It's just a party. Let her go, she is still young,” don Julio said. “We couldn’t go because we are old,” he wrapped his arm around his wife. “Take her with you. Go bowling and don’t keep the children waiting.”Don Alberto nodded. He couldn’t argue with his brother-in-law. Don Julio was a smart man and might have found that they were hiding something from him. He turned to Dora and asked “shall we?”**Manuela’s touch was magical. It calmed her nerves. Isabella took a deep breath and held her g
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
“I am crazy about her, it’s the truth…but your mom provoked me with what she did,” Luciano reminded her of that she had forgotten who started it.“Do you think so? My mom might have crossed the line, but we can’t hide the fact you don’t care about us,” Dora said with tears forming in her eyes. She did not want to act like a victim, but it was the only way to get Luciano on her side. “Do you know what day it is tomorrow?”Luciano had no idea. They used to be close when they were children. He left the town and wanted not to be in touch with her. However, he did not expect that his actions which were not deliberate would hurt her “the day after my birthday.”Dora did not seem disappointed. She stood up from her seat and she said “It’s my dad’s remembrance day tomorrow, Luciano. I know you don’t care at all.”**Chapter 79.Isabella was left with Alberto. She had many questions to ask the man standing in front of her, yet she was speechless.“You have a lovely son,” Don Alberto said as he
**Chapter 80.Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. The fact that he acted confused at first then accepted that he recalled all that night showed that Alberto was actually Juan’s father. The thought of this drove her more crazy.Isabella’s heart broke into pieces as she stared at the loser in front of her. He left her that night like a prostitute. He would have at least dropped a message or say something before leaving. She would have been able to communicate with him after she discovered that she was carrying his child.His careless and heartless decision almost ruined her entire life. If she had taken the wrong steps, it would end in disaster, not just for her but for Juan as well.“Is everything okay?” Luciano asked when he came to where they stood. He put a hand around her waist and drew her into his chest. “Sweetheart, has something bad happened? Did my uncle provoke you?”Don Alberto wanted to say no, he was not the one at fault, but he kept quiet, allowing the couple t
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