Chapter 54.“Who are you calling?” Paul Reyes asked all of a sudden. He wanted to leave the girl he found on the streets, but conscience would not let him do it. If Isabella finds out that he left her friend outside while there was a killer roaming town.Dora almost died from a heart attack. Her heart was beating loudly when she found who it was. She thought he had already gone into the house “I don’t think it is your business anymore, Mr. Reyes.”He was surprised. Paul wondered if her ego was a sign of stupidity or foolishness. He would have helped her for the first time, but she had a sharp tongue. “Young woman, you are trespassing. Do you understand the implications of this or should I call the police?”Dora sighed. She had to deal with this human being before she could continue with her call. She put her phone back in the pocket of her jeans and asked “I thought you said that was your property?” she pointed at the penthouse.“Yes, this one…” Paul moved his hands around and said “t
**Chapter 56.It was morning. The sun peeked into the through the window. The birds' chirping woke her from her slumber. Isabella could barely open her eyes. When she finally did, last night, memories began to flow in.A naughty smile appeared on her face and she bit her lips. It won’t be bad to say last night was the best night in her life. She never planned it but everything went well.Luciano was indeed the Mr. Right, she had been waiting for all these years. Juan’s choice was not a bad one. The boy chose the best man for her.Isabella rolled to the other side so that she could lie in his arms, but he was not there. Was this a dream? Quickly, she sat up and searched the bed as if he was hiding under the pillows. Her heart skipped when she did not find the bathroom.Her skin went pale. It was as if she had heard the death of a loved one. Did he play a fast one on her as well? Like the way Juan's father did?“No…you can’t do this to me” Isabella said with tears in her eyes. She was
***Chapter 57.Dora woke up early in the morning. She would have left the Reyes’ property, but Paul locked her from outside. It was already six in the morning. No sight of him.She took a bath and wore the same clothes she had on yesterday. After waiting for thirty more minutes, the main entrance was opened.Quickly, she stormed out of the room to check if Isabella's car was still there. Dora wanted her to know that she was aware of her relationship with Luciano. Now, she was under her mercy.The car was still parked there, which meant no one left the house.“Oh Deus,” Dora panicked when she remembered that she left her scooter on the road last night. Even though she was with the Keys, someone could easily steal it away.“You could not greet your helper?” Paul followed her to the streets. He wondered if she had any conscience. From little, he had seen, she was an ingrate…maybe a spoiled brat.She got to where she parked it. It was gone. Dora searched around to be sure she was mistak
Chapter 58.At the Reyes' mansion.For the first time in years, the table was empty. Grandma could not ignore the empty seat as the housekeeper served breakfast. After the argument with Luciano, everyone went to their room and never came out.“What about Julio? Have you seen him this morning?” she drank her tea quickly, hoping someone would join her for breakfast.Luciano was very angry last night. He did not want to look at her face after that argument.Grandma felt terrible at first. They all thought she was a bad person for separating the lovers, but they would thank her later for saving lives that would have been lost.“He did not come back home last night” the house help answered, placing another jug on the table.Grandma’s jaw dropped. Did Julio spend the night outside? He had never done that since he got married. Even before marriage, he spent all his time with his wife.“Are you sure?” the old woman asked. She refused to panic after the news. “Go and check if you are not. Also
Chapter 59.The sex was a quick one. Luciano was running late for work, but she enjoyed every bit of it. Isabella took a bath and wore his long white sleeved shirt. It was a gown on her body.“Mi Amor,” Luciano went behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. She was standing in front of the mirror in the room. When she saw his reflection, she smiled hard. He was activating every hormone in her body.“Amor,” she replied, as she tilted her head to the side and planted a kiss on her neck. “What do you say about not going to work today? You can stay at home and take care of my mother.”“Are you worried about my mother? A Jimenez? Or you just don’t want your family to think you are obeying their commands,” Isabella said, looking at an expression in a mirror. His eyes were the same. He was not annoyed by her questions.“No, I can give an excuse. But isn’t it better you stay with your mom?” he asked.“Okay, you are right” she finally gave up. He was as persuasive as her five-year-old
What is she doing here?” Luciano asked between gritted teeth. He was going to lose his mind if nobody answered him.“Who? This girl?” Paul was surprised at his reaction. He stood up from his seat and said “I helped her last night. She was stranded on the streets. Isabella, you know her right?”“Stranded, my foot” Luciano said, angrily. He walked to where Dora was and asked “who sent you here?”Dora lost her voice instantly. She just stared at him with a fork in her hand. She was about to eat the piece of cheese when they came downstairs together.Her eyes shifted to Isabella, who wore a big long white sleeved shirt. It was obvious that it belonged to Luciano. Jealousy clouded Dora as she saw Isabella standing behind Luciano. They were already dating even though their families were enemies.“You see? She can’t even explain to herself why her mom sent her to continue with the investigation,” Luciano concluded. It wasn’t as if he hated Dora, but after what her mom did, he was beginning t
“What is she doing here?” Luciano asked between gritted teeth. He was going to lose his mind if nobody answers him.“Who? This girl?” Paul was surprised at his reaction. He stood up from his seat and said “I helped her last night. She was stranded on the streets. Isabella, you know her right?”“Stranded, my foot” Luciano said, angrily. He walked to where Dora was and asked “who sent you here?”Dora lost her voice instantly. She just stared at him with a fork in her hand. She was about to eat the piece of cheese when they came downstairs together.Her eyes shifted to Isabella who wore a big white long sleeved shirt. It was obvious that it belonged to Luciano. Jealousy clouded Dora as she saw Isabella standing behind Luciano. They were already dating even though their families were enemies.“You see? She can’t even explain herself which her mom sent her to continue with the investigation,” Luciano concluded. It wasn’t as if he hated Dora but after what her mom did, he was beginning to d
Chapter 62.The Reyes' mansion.Mr. Julio dialed his son’s number again to be sure it went through. It connected but no one answered.This was unlike Luciano. He never missed his calls no matter how busy he was. After what happened yesterday, the boys left the house before him. They did not come back home.Mr. Julio slept at his brother’s place, don Roberto. There was no sign that the boys slept there. When grandmother called him this morning to check if Luciano was with him, he had to check Paul's room to be sure.None of them left a message.At first, he was hard on Luciano, but later, they spoke about it as men. It was important for him to acknowledge the fact that a Jimenez couldn’t be trusted.Isabella may be different, but she might be influenced by her father as soon as he comes back. That's why it was important to break up.“Did it connect?” grandmother asked, with a sphygmomanometer tied to her arm. Beside her, sat Rosa.“Yes, but they did not pick” don Julio replied, with hi
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