**Chapter 93.Rodriguez woke up after a few hours. He opened his eyes and found his mother beside him. She was relieved to see him awake.“Thank God, I was scared even though the doctor told me you would be fine,” Ana Gomez said, as she moved closer. He was her only child. If only he listened to her from the beginning and had not divorced Isabella, things wouldn’t have gotten to this extent.“Where is Sheila? Where is that liar?” Rodriguez shouted as he tried to get up from bed. His mom and one of the nurses held him back.“She is not here,” Ana Gomez replied with a worried look. “If you don’t stop this Sheila talking, you will make another mistake. I told you from the beginning not to have anything to do with that daughter of the serpent…. Did you listen?”Rodriguez became calm. His face dropped as he recalled his mom’s pleading when he divorced Isabella. She begged him to go after his wife before it was too late, but he didn’t listen.“I agree I made a mistake,” he said with tears
***Chapter 94.Sheila packed all her things in a box. She had no money on her so she quickly called a few friends to send her money so that she could leave for Santa Marta with her son.She wasn’t sure which one of the men was the father of her son. Since Andrew and Paul now resided in Santa Marta, it was better she moved there and asked a DNA test. Only then will she find out the father of her child.The father of her child will surely be responsible for them.However, she prayed it wouldn’t be Paul Reyes. He was richer than Andrew but behaved like his senses were sold out at the asylum.She won’t be able to take advantage of him like she did with Rodriguez.Sheila sipped the cup of coffee she made. It gave her energy after the whole drama at the Gomez' mansion. She needed to leave Suncity before they came after her.She began to wonder if Paul would agree to meet him when she got there? Will he agree to marry or start from afresh? No, he won’t. The Reyes boys did not want to settle
“You think that was the best idea!” Manuela asked her friend. If only she had consulted her before going about with her plan, she would have been able to help. Luciano was humiliated earlier today. He had waited for this day for a long time. Things were not supposed to end up like that. “I know I may sound selfish, but you should not have refused to marry him. Come on girl, Luciano does not deserve this heartbreak.”Isabella said on the bed quietly. She tried her best to keep the tears from rolling down. After they left the church, she cried so bitterly.“Now you have made your enemies happy. If his parents hear about this?” Manuela kissed her teeth. She knew exactly what the Reyes would do. They will put a track on Luciano and make sure that he never meets with Isabella again.“I think it’s better than for him to know that the woman he loved had a child for one of his cousins or uncle”, Isabella said all of a sudden. Just the thought of it gave her goosebumps. The Reyes family would
“An engagement?” Luciano was totally confused. He turned and looked at Paul. Maybe he was the one grandmother was referring to. “For my brother?”Grandmother chuckled. She knew what her grandson was doing. “No, I’m talking about you. We have made the arrangements.”“What arrangements?” he darted back and forth. Luciano did not see his mother around, which meant she was against this idea. They can’t just wake up one morning and decide to get him married to the last person he would want to marry.After what happened at the church, he did not want to hear the word marriage, “forgive me granny, but I’m not getting married to your favorite. You have many sons, you can choose one of them.”Grandmother’s brows creased. She did not want to get angry with him after arranging such a beautiful proposal. Getting him married was the only way to get Isabella out if his head: “You are getting married to Dora and that’s final. Or find another woman than Isabella, in three days and present her to me.”
“An engagement?” Luciano was totally confused. He turned and looked at Paul. Maybe he was the one grandmother was referring to. “For my brother?”Grandmother chuckled. She knew what her grandson was doing. “No, I’m talking about you. We have made the arrangements.”“What arrangements?” he darted back and forth. Luciano did not see his mother around, which meant she was against this idea. They can’t just wake up one morning and decide to get him married to the last person he would want to marry.After what happened at the church, he did not want to hear the word marriage, “forgive me granny, but I’m not getting married to your favorite. You have many sons, you can choose one of them.”Grandmother’s brows creased. She did not want to get angry with him after arranging such a beautiful proposal. Getting him married was the only way to get Isabella out if his head: “You are getting married to Dora and that’s final. Or find another woman than Isabella, in three days and present her to me.”
Manuela entered the bar. It was a bit crowded. The people there did not pay much attention to her because they were so engrossed in each other. She thanked her stars that mama Dora was not in sight as well. She would have the meeting about herself even though she was not invited.Manuela spotted him as soon as she looked down on her right. He sat next to the window and when he saw him, he waved at her.“Good evening,” Paul stood up to welcome her. He asked for a hug and when her hands were wrapped around him, he felt an electric shock. It was a warm hug that was different and special.To him, she had a sweet scent of coconut perfume. He liked women who smelled so nice. Instead of breaking from the hug, Paul buried his face in her neck. Her hair's spray…everything about this woman smelled nice.He broke from the hug when he realized that people were beginning to stare at them. Since the town was not big, news could circulate in an hour and his parents would come to know that he was dea
Sheila had been trying his number for hours. Paul’s number was not available and as soon as he went through that evening, he rejected her call.Sheila felt like she was been slapped. After many years of not hearing from each other, she expected him to receive her call when he saw it but he didn’t.Pissed and angry, Sheila took her bag back to the boot. She was going to the Reyes mansion if it was the only way she could reach him.Luciano was never close to her, so she did not have his number to call. She and Max needed a place to stay for a night. She had no money left.“Mom, I'm hungry” Max said with tears in his eyes. Sheila rolled her eyes. For a second, she felt like tossing it in the trash can close to the house. How did he expect her to get food for him when she had been singing that they had no money?“You have to wait because I have no money to get us food. But if your father picks his call, we might as well have a place to sleep.”“But I’m hungry,” Max held his stomach. Tears
The night bar was filled up. It seemed there were visitors from neighboring towns who came to enjoy the evening. Instead of going back home, Manuela found herself entering the bar with Paul Reyes. He held her hand as they walked into the VIP section that was reserved for a few prominent people.“Luciano would have love this night,” Paul whispered into her eyes as they stood next to each other. He loved the fact they were so close to one another. It helped the conversation to make it interesting. “Unfortunately, your friend turned this day into a nightmare for my brother.”“I’m sorry about that,” Manuela apologized. She meant that she wished there was something she could do to help them both. Isabella needed time to fix things. She always does and soon, things will fall in place again.“Do not worry. We already spoke about it,” Paul Reyes said as he stared at her face. Her lips were tempting, yet he had to control himself. It was Manuela and not just some random woman. It had been long
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