“I thought that house was the only building on this island.”
Liz was surprised when she saw a bustling settlement at the end of the road. There was a luxury hotel, bars, and restaurants. Other luxury villas were also scattered about. The island was larger than Liz had imagined, and she had only seen one side of it earlier that day.
At night, the island was more alive. The people who had been lounging by the water or in the shade earlier were now gathering under the lights, laughing and chatting.
“Val rented out some plots of land, and it was a beneficial decision. She earns a decent amount of rent, and most of her businesses are doing well. Especially in summer like this,” Asher explained.
“This island belongs to Val?” Liz was surprised again.
“Yes, but she doesn’t really care about it anymore. Val spends most of her time in the city. Anne-Marie doesn’t come here often either, usually only durin
Asher still remembered. He was angry. He was extremely angry at that moment, but his anger quickly subsided upon witnessing Liz's tears. For a moment, he didn't care as much about the laptop, which normally couldn't even get scratched.It wasn’t just that he was unsure of what to do, but he was also confused because Liz didn’t look like other women he had seen when they cried.“You’re crying, but you don’t seem like you want pity. You look like someone being blown by a storm, but trying with all your might to stay standing, clinging on with just one finger if you have to.”Fragile, but not broken. Buffeted, but not destroyed. Liz endured. She made a mistake, accepted the consequences, but didn’t crumble. She rose again afterward, defeating despair and pride.“And it’s the same every time. Whenever I see you cry, I don’t see you as weak. You’re strong, and I find that amazing,” Asher s
"Are you sure?" Matteo inquired once more, as Ed's plan seemed quite ambitious."Yes. It won’t be quick to execute, but it’ll be headed in the right direction. I also need to prepare the right people."Matteo nodded. "I’ll help. Gemstones are the safest bet. Diamonds are the easiest, and their business moves fast. No one will be suspicious if a large amount of money flows through there."Ed simply nodded. He would defer to Matteo in this regard. "Thank you," Ed said.Matteo didn’t have to help him, but he was willing. Ed hadn’t even asked for this much involvement—he’d only sought advice initially, not Matteo’s full participation."It’s no trouble. I know more because I’m older. And consider this... let’s say it’s a form of apology. After all, it was my son-in-law who panicked and caused this mess."Matteo grumbled while glancing over at Eren and Anne-Marie, who were out
"‘You all…’”Ed stared at something on the floor with a disgusted expression, followed by a startled scream and a stream of heavy, coarse curses.“Asher? What the… Oh…” Matteo, who finally caught up, saw what made Ed curse.Asher and Liz were lying on the floor of the speedboat, covered only by towels, and frantically searching for their clothes. They had just woken up after hearing Ed’s curses.Fortunately, their clothes weren't far away, so Ed and Matteo quickly turned around and sat back down. There was no way they could watch that ‘show’ any longer.“Liz?” Ruby, of course, recognized the voice that came next, full of complaints and curses.“Wait… WAIT!” Liz, in a panic, stopped Ruby from coming up, still busy pulling on a blouse that was half-soaked. It wasn’t dripping anymore, but it was still wet. It was her only option.&ld
“He’ll ask you for details when you return, won’t he?” Asher whispered, referring to Ruby, of course.“Yeah. She’s that type, but she’s not bold enough to push yet.” Liz smiled faintly.She knew Ruby would become a very chatty little sister someday. Even earlier, her eyes were darting eagerly between Liz and Asher, wanting to ask many things but holding herself back.Ruby was still in the cautious stage since their relationship was still fresh, but one day she wouldn’t hesitate anymore.Liz used to think that would be terrifying, but now she couldn’t wait for that moment to come. She wanted to see Ruby without hesitation, to be able to talk and ask open questions.“Get up and ask Anne-Marie for new clothes. It may be summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch a cold.” Ivy had already climbed onto the speedboat and pointed at Liz’s wet clothes. She was still teasing, her laughter audible, even though the boat’s engine had roared to life and they
“Whoa!” Ruby exclaimed when she saw the white ruffled gown Lori was wearing.The gown had a wide tulle skirt, layered and filled with embroidery. The gown was, of course, pure white, just as Lori had envisioned for her wedding theme.“So, what do you think? Does it look good?” Lori inquired, gazing at her reflection in the mirror while slowly turning around. She could only move cautiously because the dress was heavy—she would definitely need help just to move in it.“Yeah… it’s alright...” Mayte, sitting next to Ruby, wanted to agree and give a positive opinion but couldn’t. She also found it hard to be completely honest, especially since this was the seventh boutique they had visited today.Ruby felt more or less the same. She wanted to say that this was the perfect dress Lori had chosen, so the ordeal of choosing a wedding dress would be over and they could go home. Her back was aching terribl
"Ruby... Corina?"Ruby wanted to respond to the call, or at least open her eyes to see where Ed was. But she couldn’t do anything. Ruby felt her eyelids were too heavy and her mouth too difficult to open.All she could manage was a groan and a faint complaint from her lips. Slowly, she could feel the warm touch of Ed's hand on her cheek, soft as always. At least she was safe.Ruby finally calmed down and began to wonder what had caused her to be lying down with Ed by her side.She forced herself to open her eyes as she remembered, even while trying to sit up.“Relax, Ruby. Don’t panic… It’s all over,” Ed whispered again in her ear, holding Ruby’s shoulder to stop her from moving.“Elena…” Ruby could finally speak, though her voice was weak, forming the word.“They’re fine and healthy. There’s no rush. Just make sure your body is strong enough before meetin
From their disheveled appearance, it was clear that Liz and Asher had either just rushed out of a room or possibly run over here. One thing was certain: as soon as they heard the news about Ruby, they had hurried over."Where? Ruby... You're pale. Why... It shouldn't be happening now."Just like Lori, Liz was out of breath as she approached Ruby, panicking. The news had shocked everyone. Liz had already planned to stay in Puerto Vallarta next week to be there for Ruby when she gave birth.Of course, Liz no longer lived at Ed’s house. She had managed to buy her own apartment.“I’m fine, and they’re fine too. But the nurse hasn’t brought them here yet. Calm down… breathe.”Ruby was already able to speak clearly and now had to calm Liz down. She was the one lying down, barely conscious, yet had to reassure everyone else."Are you really okay? No problems? Any complications?" Liz touched Ruby’s bo
"Mommy, I want to try! You be Elena, and I'll be Elisa."AJ reached out his hand, asking for the milk bottle from Ruby. He wanted to try feeding the babies—and he chose Elisa.Usually, Tita was around to help Ruby, but today Tita was busy, so Ruby had been on her own since earlier."You can, but please be careful, okay? Don’t let her choke, and don’t squeeze." Ruby guided AJ's hand to hold the bottle filled with pre-warmed breast milk, helping him apply just the right pressure so it wouldn't press too hard against Elisa's lips."Wow! Look, Mommy! She's drinking!" AJ exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling with joy. This was the first time he was directly involved—doing something for his little sister. AJ usually watched, but at first he was afraid to hold the babies. He would look in awe but wouldn’t dare touch them.“See? It’s not a big deal, right? You don’t have to be scared anymore.”&l
“Such chaos,” Liz lamented as she watched the crowd of rowdy children, who had become the main guests at her wedding.“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to get this wild either.” Ruby sat beside her, watching AJ hand out chocolate-covered strawberries to the other kids.He wasn’t alone—Claud, Val's second child, was helping him. They eventually grew close, even though their conversations were sometimes limited because Claud was more fluent in Italian than English. Still, they got along well enough.“How did it all start?” Ed frowned.“I don’t know.” Ruby was also unsure.“Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed when AJ asked.” Liz deeply regretted it.Somehow, AJ had convinced Liz to provide a chocolate fountain for her wedding, and it had become the source of chaos. The younger children were enjoying it, but soon chocolate stains appeared on the white tablecloths, as wel
"Do I have to? I already checked that document yesterday. Can’t you do it instead?" When Ed saw another email from Otiz, he complained.It was a financial report. Since Matteo had spread his investments in every direction—across more or less thirty companies—the financial reports Otiz received came from all directions, across different types of businesses. Ed hadn't anticipated this.Being an investor wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. He still had to work.“You’re the one who has to check it. I’m just the middleman,” Otiz firmly refused.He could refuse because the request was made over the phone. Perhaps if they were face-to-face, Otiz would be more compliant. He was no longer blindly following Ed's orders, carefully sorting out what should and should not be done. He was only responsible for delivering financial reports, not reviewing them.Ed grumbled. He was quite used to reviewing company pa
"‘What do you want to show me?’ As she approached Ed, Ruby inquired.She left AJ's side; he was busy reading a story to his two younger siblings. Elena and Elisa sat quietly, either really listening or getting sleepy. It was already time for their afternoon nap."Read this," Ed shifted, making room for Ruby to sit beside him, and handed her a phone displaying an article in Spanish. Less than two hours had passed since the publication of this hot news story.Ruby didn’t pay attention to that, though, because she was immediately stunned by the headline.‘DEA ARRESTS MAJOR MEXICAN CARTEL AND EXPOSES BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS NETWORK’"What... you...?" Ruby turned pale and panicked, of course."Read it to the end," Ed said, pointing to the rest of the text that she had not yet seen.Ruby read quickly and frowned. There was no mention of Ed or Rosas anywhere. Only Reyes. Marco Reyes. He was the story's
Two black vans speed down a deserted road. It was already nighttime, and they were the only ones there. The end of the road was in sight—a black iron gate.“Ram it!”A shout rang out, and the vans didn’t slow down. The passengers inside, all dressed in black, held on tight as a deafening crash echoed.The gate fell, bent, but opened. The two vans barged through and stopped right in front of the brightly lit house.“Get in and kill everyone!”Another shout, and the people inside the vans scrambled out, storming into the beachside house. Some were carrying firearms; others were wielding clubs.However, as they entered, everyone froze. No one came to greet them. The house was supposed to be full of guards, which was why they had come in numbers—ready for a confrontation.In reality, what greeted them was silence. Not a single person appeared, even though the house was brightly lit.“
"AJ, don't make Abuela tired!" Ruby reprimanded AJ for running away with something, while Mia pursued him.But it was impossible to make AJ stop, especially since his younger siblings were laughing joyfully at his antics. Elisa and Elena had just learned to walk, and they happily followed him around.AJ couldn't stop when he had such an audience. Mia seemed to be scolding him, but everyone knew Mia could never really be upset at AJ.Ruby had to step in, followed by Ed to watch over Elisa and Elena. Although falling on the sand wouldn't hurt, the beach had sharp rocks that could scrape them."Mommy! They should chase me! Don't pick them up!" AJ didn’t want his little sisters to be carried away and stop the fun."Alright," Ruby said, intending to supervise them closely."How about we take a vacation?" Ed abruptly proposed the idea, having just finished reading a message on his phone."Hm?" Ruby was surprised. There had been no suc
"Here."Ed gave Otiz a handkerchief to wipe away his tears. If it had been just a few, he would have let Otiz cry—and wiped the tears with the sleeve of his jacket.The problem was that Otiz couldn’t stop crying. He had already been emotional when Ed stood beside him at the altar, and it got worse when he saw Lori walking down the aisle, escorted by flowers. It was all too beautiful and dazzling for his eyes.“Sorry,” Otiz stammered, wiping the remaining tears from his face.“What are you apologizing for? At a wedding, shedding tears is not considered inappropriate. You're just too happy. No one will blame you.” Ed gently patted Otiz’s shoulder and then turned his gaze forward.Of course, Lori was the focus of the event. Her choice of dress was perfect, blending seamlessly with the entire garden decor. Flowers, ribbons, music, and all the other elements were carefully and precisely chosen—now showcasi
Ed tapped his finger on the glass in his hand. His eyes were fixed on a single point—Marco Reyes.The man was speaking with Otiz. Nothing important. Marco was just making small talk, and Otiz was doing the same—being polite, answering Marco's questions about his law firm's progress. Ed actually needed to speak to both of them, but he chose to start with Marco first.Ed just needed to gesture with his chin, and Otiz understood immediately. He excused himself, making up a reason, and left Marco alone."I need to talk to you," Ed said as he approached."Oh? What is it?" Marco immediately followed Ed, moving to the quiet side yard. The other guests filled the living room."I want you to handle the shipment to Ecuador and Brazil next week."Marco looked as if he had choked. This was incredibly surprising. Ed had never let him touch the South American market before. Ed had always handled it himself. Marco had only been managing North A
"Mommy, I want to try! You be Elena, and I'll be Elisa."AJ reached out his hand, asking for the milk bottle from Ruby. He wanted to try feeding the babies—and he chose Elisa.Usually, Tita was around to help Ruby, but today Tita was busy, so Ruby had been on her own since earlier."You can, but please be careful, okay? Don’t let her choke, and don’t squeeze." Ruby guided AJ's hand to hold the bottle filled with pre-warmed breast milk, helping him apply just the right pressure so it wouldn't press too hard against Elisa's lips."Wow! Look, Mommy! She's drinking!" AJ exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling with joy. This was the first time he was directly involved—doing something for his little sister. AJ usually watched, but at first he was afraid to hold the babies. He would look in awe but wouldn’t dare touch them.“See? It’s not a big deal, right? You don’t have to be scared anymore.”&l
From their disheveled appearance, it was clear that Liz and Asher had either just rushed out of a room or possibly run over here. One thing was certain: as soon as they heard the news about Ruby, they had hurried over."Where? Ruby... You're pale. Why... It shouldn't be happening now."Just like Lori, Liz was out of breath as she approached Ruby, panicking. The news had shocked everyone. Liz had already planned to stay in Puerto Vallarta next week to be there for Ruby when she gave birth.Of course, Liz no longer lived at Ed’s house. She had managed to buy her own apartment.“I’m fine, and they’re fine too. But the nurse hasn’t brought them here yet. Calm down… breathe.”Ruby was already able to speak clearly and now had to calm Liz down. She was the one lying down, barely conscious, yet had to reassure everyone else."Are you really okay? No problems? Any complications?" Liz touched Ruby’s bo