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?” Lucian
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 2.The drive would have been a long one if not for the speed at which she drove.Her friend kept screaming in the car, but she did not listen to her pleas that they should slow down.Isabella drove to their favorite spot, which was up the hills. She got out of the car and walked to the edge, ready to throw herself down. Maybe death will ease the pain she was feeling.Everything she ever believed was a lie. Her husband…no, the scumbag was a liar, not only did he cheat on her, he was going to be a father.When did he plan to tell her all this? The lies kept on piling up, and he did not bother, either did he care about her feelings. She loved him for four years and thought he did too. But he never did. She was just an tool to satisfy their greed. When she left the room, Isabella expected Rodriguez to come after her but didn't. He valued Sheila more.This was why her heart was breaking, and her world was falling apart right now. All she wanted was to die and forget about everyth
Isabella looked through the glass. The view was beautiful. She could easily see the town from here. The greenish nature, the livestock, houses and ranches.Here, she was standing in the room with Luciano Reyes. He called her name and confessed his love for her like it was not a big deal.“Me?” she asked, not sure if he was being honest. Of course, Isabella knew he liked her, but she did not know it was this serious.“Yes, Bella” Luciano said. His lips did not curl into a smile as usual. His face was blank, and it seemed the question stole his facial expression. She had never seen him this seriously. “I know what you are about to say. Our families are still at war. We don’t really know each other, and you don’t want to move on with another man after what Juan’s father did to you, which I totally understand. If it’s time, I will wait no matter long it takes, but don’t shut your door on me.”Isabella was speechless. She did not utter a word because so much was going on her mind as he spo
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 2.The drive would have been a long one if not for the speed at which she drove.Her friend kept screaming in the car, but she did not listen to her pleas that they should slow down.Isabella drove to their favorite spot, which was up the hills. She got out of the car and walked to the edge, ready to throw herself down. Maybe death will ease the pain she was feeling.Everything she ever believed was a lie. Her husband…no, the scumbag was a liar, not only did he cheat on her, he was going to be a father.When did he plan to tell her all this? The lies kept on piling up, and he did not bother, either did he care about her feelings. She loved him for four years and thought he did too. But he never did. She was just an tool to satisfy their greed. When she left the room, Isabella expected Rodriguez to come after her but didn't. He valued Sheila more.This was why her heart was breaking, and her world was falling apart right now. All she wanted was to die and forget about everyth
*“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
Clearing his throat, Paul Reyes hoped that the lovebirds would hear him. He did not wish to interrupt them, but everyone was waiting. He wished he had taken a picture of them. They looked like a happy family "hello.”Quickly, they broke from the hug. With Juan still in his arms, he turned around to see his cousin. “You are here?”Before he came out, Paul had not arrived. He closed from work late and rushed home to dress up for dinner. Since their houses were closed, he followed the back gate instead. “Yes. I am sorry to interrupt, but they are waiting for you inside.”Luciano nodded. He turned to Isabella, “welcome dear. Shall we?”“Yes, we shall” Isabella managed to say. She rubbed her hand on the back of her neck, squeezing it a little.A thing she would do anything she was ashamed of. Paul caught them hugging like lovers. They were all her bosses at work, and she felt it disappearing from the surface of the earth.They walked right into the giant doors which were already opened. Is
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