It was a Sunday morning in Santa Marta. The vibrant outfits of the believers mirrored the energy of the bright sun. Unlike last Sunday, the church was filled to capacity as almost everyone made their way there.Isabella could bet that the Reyes were the reason for this. After the mass, hundreds of people surrounded them. She saw how mothers desperately introduced their daughters to Luciano Reyes.His beauty commands the eye, there is no doubt about it. Also, he came from the richest and noble family in the area.One would not blame them…she also, was secretly admiring him.“I don’t know what is so special about the Reyes' kid. He is not handsome enough” Mrs. Jimenez said in a distasteful tone. Her eyes balled the hatred she had for the family standing a few meters away from her. Everyone was hovering around them…sooner or later, they would find out the true nature of the snakes in that family.“He is handsome and I-I don’t see anything wrong with it” Isabella glanced at Luciano one mo
*“Huh?” Paul Reyes took a step back. He did not want to tell grandmother the truth. A Jimenez blood? She will turn the church upside down with her rage.“Yes, I asked a question”, grandmother looked at the little boy. His face was familiar. She wondered where she had seen the boy.“My name is Juan” the boy answered instead. He was not afraid of the old woman like the others.The old woman smiled. Now she recalled. He reminded her of Luciano when he was a little boy. “Come here Juan.”Juan walked to where she was.“You are so handsome Juan. When you grow up, your looks are going to break a lot of heart”. She kissed his forehead. They all laughed.Luciano took a deep breath. It was obvious that Grandmother did not know whose child it was. It would be better if they kept it this way. She liked the boy… Juan. His name was Juan.But why would mama Dora lie to him about Isabella’s status? She said the lady was married, but Juan said he had no idea.From the proposal, it was clear that ther
**His voice kept ringing in her head as she sat on the chair in her room. Usually, on a Sunday afternoon, Isabella works from home. All documents from the office will be taken care of before Monday.Today seemed different. She could barely look at the papers in front of her. Luciano’s image had clouded her mind and she could not think of anything except the invitation.Why did he want to go out on a date with his enemy’s daughter? Or where were they trying to set her up?Isabella wondered as she bit her lower lips. Maybe the Reyes failed to tell their son that the Jimenezes were enemies…or was he ignoring that fact?Picking up the pen on her desk, her gaze shifted to the door. Manuela stood there with a smile. She was dressed in a blue gown with white dots.“Manuela?” Isabella was surprised to see her. They spoke over the phone after the mass and she told her about the invitation.Her friend did not tell her she was going to come over.“I had to come, Bella” Manuela entered the room.
The conversation between the boys was cut short by Isabella. As soon as she arrived, Luciano changed the topic. He wanted to assure Juan that his secret was safe. “What time do you want me to bring mommy home?”“Not too early…not late either,” the little boy answered.“As you wish your highness.”Juan chuckled as his legs touched the ground again. He said goodbye to Luciano with the hope that he would see him soon.Isabella watched as her little boy ran into the house with Manuela behind him. She was going to miss him for some hours.Apart from work, she takes her boy everywhere.“Do not worry, I will take you home early” Luciano said, as if he read her thoughts. He walked to the right side of the car and opened the door for her. She looked extremely beautiful this evening. There was no doubt about it.Isabella sat in the car. She would have said no to him opening the door of the car, but something stopped her.Juan called her a queen a few minutes ago, and now she was getting the pri
Isabella glanced at the man in front of her. What was she going to tell him? Juan went behind her and asked a Reyes to marry her. She wished he had been close by, she would have scolded him.“It is obvious that you don’t want to marry me” Luciano said, as he sipped from the cup in his hand. He placed it back on the table and relaxed on the chair. His gaze shifted to the beautiful woman again. Her mesmerized eyes were like two holes drawing him closer to his death. He knew that hell would break loose when the elders found out about their date. “I’m not your type… I understand and…”“No, not that” Isabella stuttered. It wasn’t because he was not her type. Any woman would love to date a handsome man like him. Plus, he came from a noble family and, so far, he was acting like a gentleman. “Honestly, that’s not my reason.”“Because of the family feud?” he asked and when she was about to answer, he continued “Families have been at war before you were born. Do you know why?”“No, I have no id
When they got to the crime scene, two bodies were covered with polythene bags. The killer was nowhere to be found. The police questioned Isabella and Luciano to see if they saw or heard anything, but they didn’t.“We will contact you again if anything comes up”, the police man told them.On the other hand stood Mr. And Mrs. Julio. They went looking for Luciano only to find him unhurt with a woman by his side. From their outfit, anyone could guess that they went on a date.“Really?” Mr. Julio asked with a smile. He thought his son had changed from being a playboy. They only arrived in this town three days ago, and he had got himself a woman already.Don Julio looked at the woman standing beside his son. He had seen her at the church this morning. She was indeed beautiful with unique features. Her beauty could startled any man. He did not blame his son for choosing her.“I can explain, dad” Luciano said, in a low tone. He did not want Isabella to hear their conversation. “We were…”Don J
At Jimenez' mansion.“Is he coming to pick me up this morning?” Juan asked again. He was excited about Luciano taking him to school. “Can I call him daddy?”Isabella took his shirt from the wardrobe. He wanted to call a man he had just met, his father, and that was too soon for her. She had to see if the man was worthy of her son.“Please mommy” he pleaded with his cute eyes looking up. With his hands clapped in front of his chest, he blinked thrice to get his mom’s sympathy.Isabella heaved a sigh. Now she was regretting everything. Ever since she told Juan that Luciano had accepted his offer, he hadn't stopped asking questions.“You can call him daddy…but that’s if it is okay with uncle Luciano” she told him.“It’s daddy Luciano, mommy” just reminded her in a polite tone. She looked at him before shaking her head. The boy was a die-hard fan of Luciano. He loved the man dearly. No wonder he chose him.“Fine, your da..ddy” Isabella rolled her eyes. She dressed him up quickly. It would
Chapter 20.He had to send the other workers away so that he could meet his new secretary who go to be the woman he loved. This morning when they met, he had no idea that she was working at his company. If he knew, he would have brought her to work instead.“I see fate machinery getting to work here,” Paul Reyes clapped his hands. He sat on one of the empty sofas in the room. “Good morning, Isabella.”“Good morning, Mr. Reyes” she replied, tightening her grip on the file in her hands.“Should I excuse you two?” Paul asked with his eyes darting back and forth. From what he saw, none of them expected to see each other. This was going to be a beautiful romance story.“No, there is no need for that” Luciano answered. “Come and sit, Miss secretary” he teased.Isabella nodded, as she walked to the seat he offered her. She sat down and avoided his hot gaze. They were not just intimidating but alluring.“Good morning sir,” she spoke for the first time with her eyes on the floor.“Sir?” Luciano
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