**She stayed at the office all day but there was no sign of the boss coming. It was clear that he was avoiding her. Isabella took her bag and went to rest. There was so much going on right now in her life. Luciano getting angry for so long was the last thing she needed.The DNA results were not yet. Each time she gave it a thought, her heart skipped. What if it turned out that none of the Marquis or Reyes was Juan’s father? Everything will go back to stage one and she will have to go back to Suncity.It was already bad that Sheila and Rodriguez moved to Santa Marta. She needed the fact that she had to see them constantly. Over the years, the pain she once felt melted away. Aside from taking care of her family, her second concern was to find Juan’s father..As Isabella got down from the car, she noticed a strange vehicle parked closed to parking lot. It was difficult to guess the owner.She walked closer and was able to recognized the woman. Ana Gomez! Fear gripped her as she came fac
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 92.Rodriguez threw the vase at the wall as though it was Sheila. He knew he would have gotten her if he had aimed in her direction. She was nothing but a liar who kept him in the dark for years.It was for this reason that he had no choice but to divorce Isabella. Truly, Sheila was his first love, but not the woman after his heart. He would have given a lot of time to Isabella but no, it made her unhappy.How on Earth would he face this pain? This lie? The betrayal? Sheila lied to him for more than six years. She told him that the child belonged to him. Of course, he had no doubt about it at that time. Whatever happened between her and Matthew ended a long time ago before the baby came in. With Paul? According to Sheila's narration, Paul Reyes was just a one-night stand.He began to wonder which of them was the father. She must have been seeing him even after he had accepted responsibility.“Rodriguez?” his mother shouted. She knew the amount of rain he was going through. Ama
Isabella swallowed subconsciously as she stared at the woman in front of her. It was clear that Mrs. Reyes did not like her for anything. The fact that she invited her for dinner does not mean she had accepted a Jimenez.No matter what she said, Isabella was glad that she did not let Grandma Reyes embarrass her in front of everyone. “I’m still grateful, ma. Thank you.”Mrs. Julio sighed. The Jimenez' girl was annoying her with those words. She did what she thought was best in the situation. “I did it for Juan and Luciano. They should not suffer for what they know nothing about.”Isabella nodded. Now she understood what was going on. Mrs. Julio thought she knew what had transpired between their families years ago.But the truth was that she had no idea. Before the Reyes moved back to town, her mother always spoke about them with hatred.She thought at first that it was just a little misunderstanding. But when they moved back to town, she found out that there was more to this.“I don’t
Life has never been more difficult for him than this. He ran his hands through his red hair before glaring at the woman sitting on the sofa. Rodriguez knew that he would have been a failure if he had listened to the advice Sheila gave him.She was a bad wife material. Sheila had a greedy nature and never hid it.She demanded money each day and when he complained, she gave an excuse that it was his baby's demands. Of course, he loved the child even though it didn’t look like him a bit.From the day the baby boy was born, his mother kept on telling him that a paternity test should be carried out on the child, but he never obeyed her.His mother did not like Sheila from the beginning and that’s why she arranged his marriage with Isabella, daughter of Jimenez Boaz. Of course, it did not last long because he went back to his first lover.Sheila was the bane of his existence, yet she drained and changed his life.The woman made him go bankrupt, and now he did not look better than the beggar
******At work, Isabella hoped that Luciano or Paul might show up but none of then did. He already told that he won’t be coming to work. But they will meet later in the day.As usual, work was boring with him. With him around, time moved faster. He kept her company even though he was the boss. Now, things were different. Luciano did not want to see her face nor talk to her. To make matter worse, Rodriguez was in town and she had to deal with him too.She wished things would have calm down between her and Luciano. They loved each other so much and whatever was happening, hurt them both.Her phone rang and she picked it up immediately.“Hello girl,” Manuela spoke from the other end. Her voice was down and her friend knew at once that something was wrong.“I’m fine dear. How are you doing? What happened to you?” Isabella's brows furrowed in confusion as she stood up from her chair. She walked to the window side and leaned against the wall.“Will I ever be fine if she is by my side?” Manue
**A second marriage? Isabella never stopped asking herself as they settled down. The private eatery upstairs had been booked by Luciano and a stranger. She had never seen him before. Most of the people living in Santa Marta knew each other. Even if they did not interact with each other, they knew their faces, way of dressing and the way they talked.The man seated a few tables away from them was certainly not from Santa Marta. She was seeing his face for the first time. However, she did not want it to be a headache. A lot was already going on her table.The table at which they sat was closed to a transparent window. Juan was excited about seeing the road from there. He kept peeping until he was asked to choose from the menu.“Menu?” Juan asked innocently. He was already confused before looking at the book in front of him.“Yes, love. I will help you choose, okay?” Isabella calmed him down. She kissed his fat cheeks and he smiled. Turning to Luciano, he asked “have you been here befor
Chapter 72.The next morning, Isabella resumed work. She dropped Juan at school first before going to the office. The day was going to be tough because she had to convince Luciano to introduce her to his uncle. It was going to sound strange…who knows? He may not want it.He was not in his office when she arrived. The secretary told her that he hadn’t come to work. It was unlike Luciano, but Isabella was afraid to call him while at home. He might be with his family or …what if one of them picked the call? She will be causing more problems for him.Settling on her desk, she went through the files on her table. The work there was so little that she began to worry that her absence there would be missed.Isabella spent twenty minutes on those files. She submitted them to Luciano’s desk and went back to her space. She hated the fact that none of them had come to work even though they were usually early birds.She took out her phone from her bag and swiped right. Opening her Instagram app, I
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