-=Ram's Point of View=-I can't help but stare at her; she's the only thing that matters to me at this very minute.I could hear her every breath, feel the heat emanating from her body, and smell her all-too-familiar scent. I couldn't describe how I felt at that very moment when our bodies were so close together.I heard her ask, with embarrassment and unease etched on her face, "Can you stop staring at me like that?""You look so beautiful tonight," I muttered in a husky tone of voice.After hearing my compliment, she seemed even more awkward, and she tried to avoid making eye contact with me."That's just because of the makeup and the clothes," she said."With or without makeup, you're still the most beautiful woman that I have ever met," I said, finally making her smile, and because of that smile, I felt the whole room light up.I can't believe how genuine Atilla is; even simple praise could give her hope. She's so innocent and pure that I feel the need to protect her no matter wha
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Atilla..." I heard Ram's voice calling my name, but I pretended to be sleeping.Honestly, I'm finding it hard to lie to him; I'm feeling guilty every time he asks me something and I lie about it, but I don't know how to stop and tell him the truth.For about thirty minutes, I pretended to be asleep until I felt the car slow down and stop, and Ram carefully brought me up to his unit; he didn't even wake me up, so I just continued pretending.He carefully laid me on the bed, and to be honest, I was expecting something to happen between us, especially since he had taken off my clothing, but when he laid down next to me and brought me closer to him, a few minutes after I heard his steady breathing, I realized he had fallen asleep.When I finally opened my eyes, I looked over at Ram's calm face, which was already in a deep sleep. I couldn't help but let out a sigh.After so many years had passed, I had given up hope of ever seeing him again. I continued staring
-=Ram's Point of View=-"Atilla..." I suddenly muttered while driving to work.For some reason, I felt anxious all of a sudden, and I had this urge to go home right at this very moment, and I was about to turn around but decided against it."What were you thinking, Ram?" I asked myself, mocking myself for almost returning.I could already picture Atilla's reaction if I did go back; for sure, I would be hearing a mouthful from her.Thinking that I might be paranoid, I continued driving until I reached the office, where a lot of paperwork was waiting for me.I didn't waste any time and decided to work on what I needed to work on.I didn't notice the time, so I was surprised to find that three hours had passed without me noticing, and if Tricia hadn't informed me that Miranda had arrived, I wouldn't have noticed the time."Send her in," I said, and a few minutes later, Miranda was already in front of me, which made me remember her reaction when she met Atilla.What brought you here? I as
-=Ram's Point of View=- My dad kept on talking, but only a fraction of what he said registered in my mind. The only thing that is clear to me is the possibility that we might lose everything we have worked on—our company, this house, everything we own! I didn't want to blame my dad because of what happened because I know he just made a mistake, and he deeply regretted his wrong decisions which led us to lose everything if we didn't do something about it. He chose to proceed with the business he intended to establish in the United States, despite my initial objections. First, since it was still too early to enter that type of business, and second because this industry is so large, the risk is significant not just for us but also for all of the businesses we have in the Philippines and other parts of the world. Finally, we are not prepared to take on a new business venture, especially one as large as my father's investment was, because we just finished building a port in the provin
-=Ram's Point of View=-"I see; please inform him of my call," I said to the guy on the other end of the line.I exhaled a sigh of exasperation as I hung up the phone.I've lost count of the number of times I've called banks to request a loan, and I believe they are already aware of my circumstances, which is why they declined my request.Three weeks have passed since my father told me about the danger we were in, and the banks have given us only two months to pay the money we owe them, leaving us with only one month and one week to raise the necessary funds."Damn it!" I mumbled indignantly as a result of my frustration.I told myself not to blame my father, but if he had told me about it before he left for the United States, I might have been able to do something about it; now, with the limited time we have left, I feel helpless.When I heard a ruckus outside my office and then Tricia's voice, I was roused from my deep thoughts.Tricia told Miranda, "Sorry, Ms. Miranda, Sir Ram cann
-=Ram's Point of View=-I knew it was too good to be true when I heard my dad telling me that someone was willing to help us.As a businessman, I know that someone with that capability will not just lend his money unless he gets something he wants in return, but what I didn't expect is for that person to ask me to marry someone I didn't even know—he was asking for my freedom!I value my pride more than anything, so how could I possibly agree to his demands?"Please tell them that we won't need their help and we can find other solutions," I answered emotionlessly.I could see the panic on my dad's face when he heard what I said."But, Ram, think about it. We only have less than two months to come up with the money. I already reached out to some of my friends to borrow money, but they couldn't," he said while shaking his head.He appeared to be sure that the only solution we have is for me to agree to this fixed marriage and for us to accept the charity work of whoever that businessman
-=Ram's Point of View=-I could feel the fresh air on my face while we were driving. We decided to just open the windows so we could breathe in the clean, fresh air instead of using AC.I felt so relieved as we headed to Batangas. Tricia was right—I badly needed a break from all the stress I was experiencing because of the problem we were facing.I felt a gentle hand caressing my hand, and a smile formed on my lips when I looked in her direction.Seeing her serene expression is such a sight to behold; she was looking out the window and enjoying the view.Aside from taking my mind off work, I can also spend more time with Atilla since we decided to take a vacation for three days.It took us more than two hours before we arrived at our destination; it was exactly eleven o'clock am when we got to the hotel where we will be staying, and since we were already hungry, we decided to have an early lunch. Good thing there is also a restaurant in the hotel where we checked in.After having our
-=Ram's Point of View=- I just left Agnes with some instructions and told her to call me when dad wakes up. I finally decided to agree to the terms that the person willing to help us gave me, and that was for me to agree to marry whoever he wanted me to marry. Now that I've finally decided, I just need to know how I can tell him my answer. I couldn't rely on my dad since he was still unconscious, and I wanted to do this now or else I might change my mind. The only way for me to find out his contact information is for me to check on my dad's belongings; maybe there is a number I can find, so I decided to go to dad's house to look for any clues. When I arrived, I immediately went to my dad's room and started looking for anything I could use; maybe he wrote a number somewhere. I immediately searched his room for any clue but didn't find any, so I decided to check the phone in his room as well as the one in the study room but didn't find any new numbers. Are you looking for somethin
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Lord, I pray that he finds the peace he needs, and I hope he forgives me for everything," I whispered in prayer. It hurts me to lose him, but I have to let him go.How do you let go of someone who has been a big part of your life, someone who has been there for you in times of need? I can't help but cry because of the pain I feel.I just hope he finds the peace he deserves."Come on, Atilla," I heard my best friend Nicole call me. I can see that she's affected by what I'm going through, but we need to let him go.Nicole and I walked together towards the room. My feet felt heavy as we walked because, even though I've decided, it still hurts me to lose him.I took a deep breath before I opened the door to the room, and a wide smile appeared on my lips as I saw that he was awake. When he saw me, he returned the smile."Atilla..." Ram said as he kept his gaze on me. I could see the love in his eyes.Honestly, it felt like I died when he lost consciousness in my
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The family decided to take Anthony home and hire two private nurses to take care of him 24/7.Everyone is still in shock over what happened, the accident, and the possibility that Anthony may not wake up.Ang was the most affected by the events, so I couldn't leave him, especially with what he's going through. I made a decision, even though it hurts me, but Ang needs me more, and it hurts me to let Ram go.Just thinking about Ram has already made my eyes water with emotion. It feels like my heart is going to explode from the pain I feel at the thought of losing Ram, the man I love the most.It has been two days since we took Anthony out of the hospital, and I haven't received any news from Ram yet. I know I need to tell him my decision, but I don't think I can meet him in person. So, even though it's not right, I decided to call him and let him know.Hello, Atilla, how are you?" I heard him say it on the other end. He answered my call immediately, which mean
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Hours passed as Anthony remained in the operation room; no one spoke amongst us; our thoughts were focused on the patient whom the doctors were attempting to save.Perhaps the procedure lasted more than six hours before the doctor emerged, exhausted by what had happened."How's my husband?" Miranda asked the doctor as she approached him."The operation was successful, but he's not yet safe; the next forty-eight hours will be critical; he must wake up within that time or else he may end up in a coma," the doctor said. I could see the sadness on the faces of the patient's family, especially Miranda's, who appeared really concerned.Anthony was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) following the procedure for thorough monitoring. Ang and I decided to keep an eye on him because their mom appeared to be overburdened. Despite her protests, Ang's stepfather refused to let her continue watching over her son."Everything will be okay, Ang, and you need to be strong
-=Atilla's Point of View=-It was as if I were frozen in place while looking at the pain etched on Ang's face. I never knew he would find out this way.Yes, I have already made my decision, and I will follow my heart. Even though it's hard for me, I have to be true to Ang. I hate to hurt Ang because he is very kind to me, but I don't think I can deceive him and myself anymore, although not in this way."Atilla, what does this mean?" He asked in a trembling voice. I could see the bitterness in his eyes when he found out that I was being unfaithful. It breaks my heart to see Ang like this.Ram quickly stepped in to protect me from Ang, but I immediately pushed him away because I knew that Ang wouldn't hurt me. He's such a kind person."Ang... I just want to say..." but I was interrupted by the sudden sound of his cell phone ringing. Ang didn't want to answer it, but it kept ringing, so he had no choice."Anthony... I don't have time right now... Who is this?" He asked, sounding surprise
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The following day, I woke up with a smile on my face after learning the good news about Henry's condition.My chest felt lighter now that I knew he was improving. I went immediately to the kitchen, where my breakfast was already cooked, but dining alone was extremely depressing, so I only ate a small amount. It didn't, however, dampen my spirits, especially since I knew Henry was on the mend.I didn't need to go to the office early that day because I had meetings in the afternoon, so I decided to call Samantha to let her know of my plan. However, being a workaholic, I couldn't resist opening my laptop and checking my emails. I received various documents that didn't need urgent attention, so after making sure there were no important emails, I turned off my MacBook.I turned on the TV in my room, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch, so I turned it off after a while.I took some time to think before deciding to take a bath. I filled the bathtub with
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Until now, I am still shocked about what I learned about Miranda and Ang. I mean, who would have thought that Miranda's husband is actually Ang's brother, Anthony? I haven't met the guy yet, even though Ang and I have been in a relationship for over a year. I felt Ang's love for his brother even though he never said it.If I'm not mistaken, Miranda has been married three or maybe four times since marrying Anthony. I'm not sure about the details because I don't like to gossip, but it's inevitable to hear about these things from other friends.Miranda's last marriage was with a wealthy Filipino businessman who died suddenly. His wealth went to Miranda, leading to rumors of foul play in his death. Miranda was blamed, but it was never proven.Ang remained quiet during our drive, and his expression was the same when he saw Miranda. I didn't want to ask questions and add fuel to his already raging fury.I still can't believe that Miranda is a gold digger. She's al
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Even though a lot was going through my mind, I had to go back to work because I promised Ellaine that I wouldn't neglect Henry's businesses, and that's what I intended to do.It had been three days since we returned to Manila, and I had not seen Ram for three days. I missed him so much. During those three days.Ang had not left my side and continued to take care of me. I feel that I don't deserve Ang because he is such a good person, and he deserves someone who loves him wholeheartedly."Are you sure you want to go to work? Your brother will understand if you need to rest for a few more days," Ang tried to convince me, and I could see the concern on his face as he looked at me.I was already dressed for work when I entered the office. I informed my temporary secretary that I was now in charge of Henry's businesses. I couldn't afford to be absent because I was sure that there were piles of papers that needed my attention and signature.He couldn't do anything
-=Atilla's Point of View=-I was greatly surprised when I saw Ang getting off one of the boats I saw earlier not far away. Actually, I just woke up to get some water when I noticed the five boats approaching the island. I thought they might be coming for us after realizing Ram and I were missing, but I didn't expect to see Ang with them, considering I knew he was still in the US."Oh my God, Atilla!" Ang exclaimed, hugging me tightly as he reached me. His embrace felt nice, but I didn't feel any special connection from it. However, I admit I missed him a lot because we haven't seen each other for so long due to recent events.Honestly, I didn't know what to say at that moment because I was still in shock that we were finally found on this island. I let myself be embraced by Ang, feeling like I could always count on him no matter the situation, but I was surprised when he released me after a while."You must be Ram," I was surprised to hear Ang say that, and when I turned around, I saw
-=Ram''s Point of View=-"Please don't do this, Ram," she begged me with pleading eyes when I didn't let her move away from me, because I wanted to hear from her once and for all that she still loved me.I tried to stand my ground, but eventually I gave in."Well, I guess I don't have any choice but to wait. I waited for almost two years, and it will not kill me to wait for a few more days, weeks, or even months, what's important is now," I said seriously, and when I noticed that she wasn't comfortable, I smiled at her.We went back to the beach to share a meal together. I had followed her earlier, when I noticed that she had been in the forest for quite some time, and to my surprise, I saw her swimming in the lagoon without wearing anything. That was when I decided to join her, and the inevitable happened between us.To be honest, when we made love for the first time ever since we arrived on this island, I didn't know how to treat her, especially since I knew she would feel guilty af