The next day, Lenie arrived early at RCG because she wanted to talk to Alexis. She was hoping he would come in early too.She was right; Alexis was already in his office. She was surprised to see some of his belongings there, almost as if he had spent the night in the office.“Alexis, good morning. Can we talk?” she asked as she entered his office.“Don't you know how to knock?” he snapped. Lenie was taken aback by his tone since she was used to entering his office without knocking.“I'm sorry. I’ll knock next time, sir. Did you sleep here? Your clothes from yesterday are still here,” Lenie asked.“What’s it to you if I slept here, Ms. Santos?” Alexis asked coldly, glaring at her.“N-Nothing. I just noticed, sir. Anyway, I’m here to talk about what happened yesterday. Is that okay?” Lenie asked hesitantly, sensing a different aura from Alexis.“What’s there to talk about? I heard everything I needed to hear. Javi is your child, and you lied to me for five years,” Alexis said, emphasiz
After a few weeks, Alexis suddenly summoned Lenie. She was surprised but excited to go to Alexis' office, as it was the first time he acknowledged her again.“Sir Alexis is calling you, Lenie,” Celeste said.“Oh, okay. Let me finish something first, and I’ll head over,” Lenie replied.When Lenie entered the office, Alexis immediately asked her to sit. She complied without hesitation because of the serious expression on his face.She didn’t want to ask why she was called, fearing that Alexis might still be angry with her.“I called you here to give you this,” Alexis said as he handed Lenie a piece of paper.Lenie’s hands trembled as she opened it. She was shocked to see a DNA test result for her and Javi.“You had us DNA tested? Why? How?” Lenie asked. She didn’t know whether to feel grateful or angry at Alexis at that moment.“That’s not important. What I want to know now is the truth. If Javi isn’t your child, then who is his mother? Why is the child with you?” Alexis asked.“It’s Al
Lenie was on her way home when she saw her phone. She was shocked to see numerous missed calls from her mother.When she entered their house, she was stunned to see her mother arguing with another woman. Her jaw dropped when she recognized who it was—Alice.“What’s this? I told you not to see Javi! Let’s wait for Lenie to decide how we’re going to handle this!” Hasmin said angrily to Alice.“Why should I even ask that woman’s permission? I’m the real mother of the child! Hurry up and give me back my son!” Alice shouted back at Hasmin.After Alice said that, Hasmin saw Lenie. Crying and asking for help, Hasmin immediately turned to her daughter. Lenie rushed to her mother’s side and faced Alice, despite the anger she felt toward her.“Alice, calm down. We can talk about this properly. Let’s not do this. Javi is resting right now. You wouldn’t want to disturb your son, would you?” Lenie said calmly, though inside, her heart was ready to explode.“A proper discussion? Lenie, you know how
It was already afternoon when Lenie tried to knock on Alexis' office, but when she peeked inside, he was in a meeting, so she didn't knock.She waited until office hours were over before finally talking to Alexis. She still wasn't sure if they were still together or not, so she was very careful in talking to him."Oh, Ms. Santos, why are you still here? If I remember correctly, I didn't assign you any tasks this afternoon. So, you shouldn't be late going home," Alexis said, they were the only two left in the RCG."Ah, I was waiting for you to finish work. I-I have something to tell you. If it's okay?" Lenie asked shyly."Sure, wait. Let's go to my office first. We'll talk there," Alexis replied, and Lenie followed him.When they entered Alexis' office, he immediately turned on the light and asked Lenie to sit on the sofa. He took a deep breath before speaking."So, what's going on? Do you have a problem? What can I help you with?" Alexis asked while seated on his swivel chair."Ah, Al
Hasmin saw her, so she immediately approached her. It was evident that her mother was anxious because of how tightly she was holding Lenie. Alice hadn’t noticed her yet, as she was busy playing with her child.“Has she been here for a while? What did she say to you?” Lenie asked.“She said she just came to visit Javi, but earlier, she mentioned she needed to talk to you. She said it’s important. Maybe she’s planning to take Javi away from us,” Hasmin replied, her voice trembling with fear.“What? Alright, Mom, please take Javi inside his room for now. I’ll talk to Alice,” Lenie said. Her mother complied, but instead of calming the situation, Alice got angry.“Oh, why are you taking my child inside? Can’t you see we’re still playing? Are your eyes failing you?” Alice said sharply.“Lenie told me to bring Javi inside because the two of you need to talk, right? Let me take my grandson. You can play with him later,” Hasmin insisted, trying to take Javi’s hand from Alice.“Excuse me? He’s
Since there weren’t too many people at RCG yet, Lenie immediately told Zyra about her fight with Alice. Zyra felt deeply sorry for her friend, knowing she was caught in a situation she didn’t want to be in.“What? You’re going to help that woman? After helping her take care of Javi, now she wants your help to get closer to him?!”“Yes. She’s the mother. I can’t refuse to do that. She might even go to the police and accuse me of kidnapping, saying what happened five years ago was a crime,” Lenie replied.“That woman’s crazy. She’s the one who should be sued for abandoning the child at her house back then. What if you hadn’t shown up? The child could’ve died,” Zyra said, visibly furious.“I don’t know anymore. The only thing that matters to me now is that I still have Javi with me. If she takes him away, I’ll just have to prepare myself for it,” Lenie said.As their colleagues began arriving, they stopped talking. Lenie found it hard to focus on her work because her mind was on Javi and
The next day, since it was Lenie's day off, she woke up late. She was awakened by the noise coming from outside.Still groggy, her eyes widened when she saw that Alice was once again at their house.“I said, I don't want to go with you!” Javi shouted.“Son, we will play there! There are lots of toys! You want toys, right?” Alice replied.“I wanna go with Mama! Not with you!” Javi shouted again.Alice turned to look at Lenie then, with an expression that seemed pitiful, as her son refused to go with her.“Baby, that's not nice. Didn’t I tell you to be polite when talking to people?” Lenie said.“Mama, I told her I don’t want to go!” Javi replied.“Go where?” Lenie asked, then turned to Alice to inquire about what her child was talking about.“Where exactly are you planning to take Javi? And why didn’t you tell me yesterday that you’d be going out?” Lenie asked Alice.“To the mall, perhaps. Why? Do I need to inform you about everything?” Alice replied sarcastically.Lenie closed her eye
After shopping, they ate at an expensive restaurant. Lenie knew that no matter how many paychecks she earned at RCG, she wouldn’t be able to treat Javi there. “Are we really eating here? This place is so expensive. I might not even be able to swallow what I order,” Lenie said. Alice, however, was thrilled because, at last, she had something to show off to Lenie. Even though she didn’t know much about the likes and dislikes of the child, she could at least afford to treat him anywhere. “Don’t worry about it. This is just a rare occasion. I’m just making it up to my child,” Alice replied. Lenie just nodded. While observing the restaurant, her phone suddenly rang. Alexis was calling. “Aren’t you going to answer that? It might be important,” Alice said, noticing that Lenie wasn’t answering her phone. “Okay. Hold on. I’ll just step outside,” Lenie replied, then left the restaurant to answer Alexis’s call. When she answered, she noticed Alexis sounded annoyed. He had been calling her
AFTER A YEAR. . . As soon as Lenie stepped into their house, Alexis greeted her with a passionate kiss. They didn't care if they bumped into walls or doors as they kissed intensely. Lenie, however, found the courage to stop the kiss when Alexis started removing her blouse. "Oh, why did you stop? Is there a problem?" Alexis asked, seemingly disappointed. "I-I just want to take a bath first before... you know," Lenie said, her face turning red with shyness. Alexis smiled and teased her. "Is that all? I love your scent even when you're not yet bathed." Lenie covered her mouth in shock, and Alexis continued to tease her. "Come on, please?" he whispered, caressing her body. Lenie pushed Alexis away. "Alexis, I'll take a bath first." Alexis looked disappointed, but Lenie smiled and whispered, "Promise, when I get back, you'll enjoy it." Alexis's eyes lit up, and he waited eagerly for Lenie to return from her bath. When she came out, Alexis immediately swept her off her feet
At the wedding reception alone, Lenie was already hearing all sorts of comments from the guests. Some wanted them to have a child immediately, while others thought they should wait. She didn’t know what to do. She was already feeling pressured, even though she had just become a Ramirez."Oh, please don't pressure my wife," Alexis interjected. "Besides, we already have a child—Javi, right? It’s better if we focus on him first. After all, he’s still young.""Huh? But isn’t he your child with Alice? The one who got imprisoned? You know, it would still be better if you and Lenie had a child together. It just feels different," one of the wedding guests commented.They quickly decided to have Javi moved away so he wouldn’t hear anything further. Both Lenie and Alexis closed their eyes in frustration, and Beverly noticed it."Yaya Sol, please take Javi inside. Check if he needs to rest. I’m sure he’s tired," Alexis instructed."Alright, Sir. I’ll put him to sleep," Yaya Sol responded.After
After a few weeks, the two finally decided to say goodbye to Alice. Even though they didn’t know how she would react, they still wanted to try, especially since they were leaving the country with Javi after the wedding."Are you sure about this? You know what kind of attitude that woman has. I don’t know why she still hasn’t forgiven you," Alexis said."Alexis, until she forgives me, I won’t stop. I don’t even know why I’m still hoping we can fix things, even if it seems impossible," Lenie replied."Oh, wow. I really admire you. That’s why I’m marrying you—you’re so brave. I just hope she finally forgives you, and of course, forgives herself too. She’s the one responsible for everything, after all," Alexis said before kissing his fiancée on the forehead."Ugh, you’re spouting nonsense again. Fine, I know you’re head over heels for me. Let’s go now and visit her in prison," Lenie said.They brought Javi along so Alice could see her son. Honestly, every time Lenie saw her former friend
Lenie was completely surprised when she realized that Mang Dante had taken her to a beautiful outdoor restaurant.She was even more shocked to see all the people closest to her gathered there. Thoughts started forming in her mind about why they were there, but she didn’t want to assume anything."Ma'am, I’m sorry. I was just following orders," Mang Dante said as he parked the car."Oh, that’s okay. I should be the one apologizing for thinking badly of you earlier. I had no idea they were planning to surprise me," Lenie replied.After parking, Lenie gathered her things and stepped out of the car.As she slowly walked inside, her eyes widened even more at how breathtaking the place was. She looked around and spotted Zyra and Lance. Beverly was also there, carrying Javi. Surprisingly, even some employees from RCG attended, despite not being very close to her.She was also shocked to see Gaustav, Zyra’s beloved. Her friend had always said that he rarely attended gatherings.Even Daphne wa
AFTER 1 YEAR. . .Alice was already in prison, and Lenie was happily living in the Ramirez mansion. She had returned to RCG as an employee of Alexis, with strict instructions that she should not be given any high position in the company, even though she already knew how everything worked.Her relationship with Alexis had also improved, and they promised each other that no matter what challenges came their way, they would face them together.While they were having lunch, Beverly suddenly spoke up."Lenie, when will you be having your baby? I would love for my grandson, Javi, to have a sibling."Lenie almost spit out the juice she was drinking upon hearing that. Alexis, sitting beside her, chuckled.Although embarrassed, Lenie responded, as she still felt nervous whenever she talked to Beverly."Ah, Auntie… that's not in our plans yet. Besides, your son hasn’t even proposed to me yet," she said, laughing to herself.This time, it was Alexis who choked on his drink, laughing at Lenie’s r
The next day, Lenie, Alexis, and Javi went to the hospital where Alice was staying. At first, they hesitated about whether Lenie should enter the room. "Are you sure you can face Alice? She might say something hurtful to you," Alexis asked worriedly before they entered Alice's room. Lenie simply smiled before replying, "Of course. I don't care what she says anymore. I have you both with me, so what else could be a problem?" Hearing that, Alexis also smiled. "You really are something. Alright, let's go!" Alexis said. They all entered the room together. Alice smiled upon seeing Javi, but her expression changed the moment she saw Lenie. "Everything was fine until I saw her. Why is she even here? Alexis, I was okay with just you and our son visiting me!" Alice complained. "Alice, relax. There's nothing we can do about it. Javi asked her to come. You know no one can say no to your son," Alexis replied. "Then you should have stopped him. I really thought I'd feel better after seeing
Lenie had already returned to the mansion. Edith and the other household staff of Alexis’ family immediately welcomed her.At first, Lenie felt shy since it had been a long time since she last visited the mansion. Edith just smiled at her."Where are Mommy Beverly and Javi, Edith?" Alexis asked the elderly woman."Oh, they’re in the playroom, Alexis. They don’t even know that you're coming," Edith replied."Ah, okay. We’ll go see them. Thanks," Alexis said.They headed to the playroom and knocked on the door."Come in," Beverly said.As soon as they opened the door, Beverly was shocked to see Lenie. Embarrassment was visible on her face.She immediately approached them while holding Javi’s hand. Javi, excited, also ran toward them."Alexis, son. Why didn’t you tell me that you and Lenie were coming home from the hospital? I would have at least prepared some food for us," Beverly said."Ah, sorry, Mommy. I wasn’t able to do that because I got busy earlier," Alexis replied."Daddy! Mama
As soon as Lenie arrived outside Alice's room, she felt a deep sadness upon seeing the number of police officers stationed there. She couldn't help but feel pity for her former friend, Lenie was now seated in a wheelchair."Do there really have to be this many police officers guarding her? Can’t you at least reduce the number? She probably won’t be able to escape anymore," Lenie asked, almost pleading with Alexis."I'm sorry, Lenie. That decision is up to the police, and I can’t convince them otherwise. They’re just being cautious in case Alice still has accomplices. She committed too many crimes," Alexis replied, his voice tinged with regret that he couldn’t grant Lenie’s request.Lenie simply nodded. She understood that Alexis had a point, but from what she remembered, Alice no longer had any family, which would make it difficult for her to escape even if she wanted to.When they entered Alice’s room, Alexis stepped in first, causing Alice to smile at him. However, her expression qu
While in the hospital, Zyra and Alexis took care of Lenie after their work at RCG.Lenie was happy and no longer complained about the attention Alexis was giving her. She had accepted that she and Alexis truly loved each other and that it would never change.One day, while Alexis was watching over her, Lenie suddenly became concerned about the person who had wronged her."Alexis, how is Alice? Who's taking care of her now? Did you assign her a personal nurse?" Lenie asked. Alexis just smiled, amused by Lenie's kindness toward Alice."Oh, no. There are nurses checking on her every now and then, so I think she doesn't need one. Sometimes, I visit her to check on her myself. After all, she can’t walk anymore, right?" Alexis replied."Alexis, she should have someone with her. We know she has no family left, don’t we? She needs company now more than ever because of what happened to her," Lenie said, genuinely worried about Alice.Alexis just smiled, seeing how kind Lenie was to Alice despi