With what he just said, my heart skipped a beat. However, Ives and Durand were confused. So I continued what he was about to say."He is speaking the truth. Durand, Ives, he's my stepbrother."Incredulous, Ives shook his head. " Despite the fact that he is your stepbrother, he still has no right to treat you badly."Zack's jaw clenched in rage. He was as if ready to murder the two."Please, Ives! Durand? Please leave now!" I wanted to cry as I begged them to leave.I don't want any of them to get hurt, so I avoid adding fuel to the fire as much as possible.To keep up the resort's good name, Zack must not cause any harm to the visitors staying here. I wouldn't have the guts to confront Ryle, the resort's manager, if something bad happens or anything is ruined because of me! I just can't take the thought of staining Lamont Beach Resort's image."Ryn?" Durand was worried about me being in danger while I was with my arrogant stepbrother.Although I had only just met them, I already cons
“I CALLED your attention to be here today because I want you all to know that your aunt Fidelia and I will be getting married this coming first Sunday of May before we ever go back to our hometown in Koronadal,” uncle Alanson announced when we were all gathered in the veranda of the resthouse."After you'll get married, both auntie Fidelia and sis Irryn will be living with us in our home at Koronadal, dad?" Rhian asked in joy and excitement.We had settled into the center of a large rattan sofa. My brother Ryle and I sat facing our parents, who were joined by Rhian sitting between us."Of course, dear. Both of them would be living with us."“And that means sis Irryn will also attend the same school as mine?” she continued asking and turned to look at me smiling.I smiled back happily.I am so thankful that she treats me like a real sister, as well as Ryle does. Only one does not."Yes. You, your sis Irryn and your brother Zackarius will go to school together every morning.""Great! I'
After breaking my heart, Zack walked out. He went out of the veranda and walked to the shore."Zack! Rocio Zackarius!"On the other side, I could not feel anything other than absolute pain. The whole idea of him brutally stating in front of his family that he would never like it if I became his sister was so distressing to me that I had to stop thinking about it.This anguish was so intense that I thought I could burst! As a consequence of this, the next thing I did was chase after him.“Irryn, where are you going? Irryn!” Mom called me, but I continued running after my ruthless stepbrother.“Ryn!” Ryle also called me.Nobody was able to stop me! I was so determined to talk and confront Zack!“Wait, Zack! Wait!”I didn’t care anymore if my tears were rolling down my cheeks and if he could see them!And there, he continued walking not even turning his back to look at me like he was pretending to be deaf.I increased my speed in walking so that I could reach him, and the moment I did, I
I didn’t say anything yet, but Rhian suddenly sensed what was on my mind.“Just not sure if he's here now. Sometimes, he’s late because he wakes up late in the morning, or sometimes, he’s just being lazy. But most of the time, he’s really here at this hour to manage this business.”We reached the second floor and then we have finally seen Zack.So, he’s really here!He was sitting on a black sofa while sweating maybe because he had just finished working out. I have noticed the two brunette girls at his side flirtatiously chitchatting with him."There he is! Big bro!" Rhian called his attention, so he looked at us coming to him.Even the two girls turned gazes at us.I followed Rhian when she walked near her brother. I could already feel my stepbrother’s dark eyes directed straightly in my direction."Rhian, there you are! How are you, baby?" smilingly approached by the girl who was wearing a gray sports bra with a pair of the same color cycling shorts. She even kissed my sister like t
With each blow Zack threw, he appeared more and more intent and furious. He seemed really enraged, and he viciously desired to take out his frustrations on his punching bag."What’s wrong?" asked the man who was coaching me when he noticed I stopped punching.I immediately went back to my senses and shook my head. "Ah, nothing.""Come on. Punch more." he encouraged me to give another.I tried to remove Zack from my mind to focus more on what I was currently doing.I am even ignoring his sharp, intense eyes directly pointed at me though they make my heart go crazy as usual."You don’t look familiar. You've never been here since before?" asked the coach.To distract my attention from Zack's dark aura, I gave more of my attention to the man who was coaching me for the right punches."Uhm, yes. Exactly. It was actually my first time to be here.”I couldn't help but stare at him. He looked handsome, muscled, and nice. I guess his age ranges from twenty-eight to twenty-nine. I'm not just so
When he carried me with his bare, chiseled arms, his expression was completely devoid of emotion."Zack…" I was shocked and couldn't almost believe it.I hesitated and considered refusing to let him carry me, but his body language insisted, and since I didn't feel like making another embarrassing scene, I gave in.His customary gloomy demeanor returns, as does the serious mystery written all over his face.The crowd fell silent as the owner of this gym carried me in his arms. I'm so embarrassed and feel like I've done nothing useful in this gym since I stepped foot here…He carried me to his office, which was the last thing I expected. Specifically, inside of it. When he put me on a couch meant for one, he let go and freed me, and then he went through the drawer of his table to find something there."Zack, sorry. It's never my intention to cause a scene in your gym. I'm really sorry."He didn't say anything more and kept his serious expression on. Back here beside me, he came, already
"D*MN my big bro! Zackarius is such a rude af!" Rhian cursed at her brother the next morning we got to be inside the L-Fitness Gym.We are currently on stationary bicycles."Rhian, why do you curse your brother?" I sensitively but concerned, asked her.“For almost a year, Behnam was one of the gym's coaches, but my ruthless brother Zack fired him today, treating him like trash.”I was shocked. What? Why? Why would Zack fire coach Behnam?I couldn't say another word. He was such a heartless and cold person!When Rhian got tired, we got out of the gym and walked around to get back on our way home.While walking on the street, we suddenly bumped into someone I knew.He is also wearing sporty attire which makes me think he is jogging, like us.He didn't seem to notice me because he was busy chatting on his phone."Durand?" I was hesitant but still managed to call his attention.When he first laid eyes on me, he gasped in surprise, but then he smiled widely and exclaimed, "Irryn!"I smiled
"What now, my young lady? Would you also scold me for not treating your playtoy so rightfully?"I shook my head softly at Zack. "No. Please blame me. In conclusion, I should have informed Durand that you are the manager here. He shouldn't have come here in the first place. This is entirely my fault."He merely widened his grin. "Yet here you are, playing the damsel in distress once more. I'm extremely amazed. It's no surprise that everyone you meet falls victim to your charm."Those words cut like a knife. "Zack!""Leave now, Irryn. I don't want to see you here anymore. I don't want you flirting with the clients or the coaches here. It's f*cking disgusting. It's awful to watch you entice those men with your innocent alluring beauty."I walked out of the gym.As a result of what he said to me, my heart is breaking all over again. Wow, so this is how he sees me, down and out. What, I look like a flirt to him? I want to break down and cry because I am so upset and frustrated. He definite
Now, both Zack and I have realized that trust is one of the most important core parts of a harmonic relationship. At least as of this time, we knew where we were lacking, and we are starting to correct our flaws from the past... "I'm sorry too, Zack, if I lost the trust in you the moment you left and I was hurt." "I understand. Always have been, Ryn." He nodded. "At least you had a reason, and it was valid. But mine? My jealousy let me suppress my whole mind, which led me to hurt you, and I was truly regretful of what I did. Little by little, I'll work hard to gain your full trust in me as how you trusted me when we used to be happy together during our school days, Ryn. I'll gain it back. I will wait for the day that you will trust me completely once more. I am never going to be leaving you or hurt you again. I'll work hard to earn back your trust." I nodded. "I love you so much, I won't deny you that thing, Zack. Everybody deserves another chance, and you deserve it. We don't need
Zack nodded gently and spoke, "It's okay. Answer it, Ryn." He reassured me it was okay. I answered the caller. "Dencel..." I said while glancing at Zack. He just stared and listened intently. "Hello, Ryn?" The caller spoke from the other line, too. I turned the loudspeaker on for Zack to hear whatever the conversation will be. "Why did you call?" I could feel my knees as weak as jelly as I was looking at my husband’s eyes. "Uhm, I just thought of your specialty coffee. Can you make one for me once I visit your cafe-resto maybe within this week?" he asked in his friendliest voice. Oh that! My promise to him. I suddenly frowned. "Uhm. Okay, Dens-" "Great!" He sighed with delight and in excitement. "So, when do you think is the best day to visit your cafe-resto? Tomorrow, maybe? Will you be there?" "I guess not, Dens. I will not be in Latte and Meal tomorrow." "Oh? Why? Where are you now?" I was about to answer when Zack suddenly held out his hand in front of me, an indicatio
I nodded, sincerely willing to grant him complete forgiveness.Things from the past wouldn't matter anymore because my love for him is just as powerful as it forgives no matter what mistake he’d made."I love you, Ryn. Back then and always will. I really do love you."I burst into tears, feeling loved and cherished and delighted."Do you love me, too?" He asked me full of hope."I love you so much, despite the fact that you've been a bad love to me in the past." In the midst of our sobbing, I made a light-hearted joke. "As much as time has passed, my feelings for you have not lessened in the least. This affection I have for you has not faded despite all the suffering we've been through together."We were in the middle of happiness when my phone suddenly rang in the pocket of my shorts. I picked it up and saw mom calling."It’s Mom," I said as I dearly glanced at Zack.He nodded, giving me a go signal to answer the call."Mom?""Irryn, where are you now? Zack is waiting for you! For th
(Irryn's POV) I quickly got out of the house and traveled to General Santos. Yes, I was heading toward Zack. I already knew the answer to my questions. No. Anger is not enough and should not be an excuse to let the loved one go, and in my case, yes, I am angry with him. I was angry, but still, I could not afford to lose him. I will never be able to lose him again! I was crying while driving, and there was no one else in mind but him. I want to see him. I love to see and hug him again. I miss him a lot! "Brother Ryle!" It took me an hour of drive, and I finally arrived in General Santos. I went straight to Lamont Resort, and right at the entrance, I saw Ryle with his wife and their baby. They turned to me, and they were surprised, especially my sister-in-law. "Ryn? Ryn!" He first gave the baby he was holding in his arm to his wife, and then he approached me. We hugged each other—a siblinghood hug. "Ryn, how are you?" he asked excitedly. "I've missed you!" "Me too, brother. I'
"What can I do? Irryn couldn't accept me anymore. She couldn't seem to forgive me any longer. No matter how sorry I am and no matter what I do to beg and plead for her forgiveness, it looks like she could no longer forgive me." "Just a piece of advice. Bro, naturally, part of love is hurting, right? I believe you also believe in that. That happens most of the time for most relationships, but don't get me wrong because I'm not using that as an excuse to hurt the person you love intentionally. What I intended to make you understand is that when you hurt the woman who means the world to you, leaving her behind will never be a solution. Leaving will not simply solve anything. Yes, you might have hurt her, but leaving her again after many years you left her because you committed another mistake? Bro, grow up! Leaving her for the second time will not make her forgive you!" I was struck big time by what Vandyke said. D*mn him for hitting the point and for lecturing me about things I should
"What? Your problem is Dencel and probably not me!" Vandyke defended himself. Gradually, I get to be close to Irryn again and I was able to make her heart beat for me as it did when we were younger. I know and I am positive that I have regained her love for me which she denied on the first days of our encounter after seven long years of being away from each other. I made everything to make her smile, laugh, and genuinely be happy again. At least, I had to cope with her the times and the years she was yearning in loneliness when I needed to live on my own. I saw love in her eyes once more, especially when we married and we get to live under the same roof. Now, I couldn’t help but hate myself for what I did to her. I let my aggressive emotions take me—my jealousy and insecurities, and my over-possessiveness towards her. Those things made me lose her once more, and there’s no guarantee that she can still forgive me for all the things that I’ve done. No matter how much I try to please
I stayed in Davao to end my contract as a lowkey contract Engineer with the company I worked for. I had just finished the contract when aunt Fidelia called me, crying that she told me about daddy's real health condition, so I was sent home completely in no time. I found out that dad actually had a heart illness, and he needed an operation right away, according to our physician. But the stubbornness of Alanson Lamont did not want to undergo the operation. He said he didn't want to because he was old, but I knew the truth that he was just afraid of the operation and its process and the possible outcome. “What if it would fail? What if it wouldn’t turn out to be successful? What if I still get sick? There's no use for operation!" Dad's words were always his litany as excuses not to go through a heart operation which was required for him to undergo to prolong his life. "Dad! You won't get anywhere better if that's how you constantly think if that's how you always act immaturely and if t
"Dad ..." When we finally ran into one another once more after so long, I almost couldn't believe it. "Zack son!" Daddy was emotional when he grabbed me with a hug. "Dad!" I couldn't contain my tears when I hugged him, too. "Dad, I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry too, son. I'm sorry." When the emotional reconnection was through, I brought him to my rented house. "How did you know I'm living here in Davao, dad?" "I had investigators on hand. Even throughout your first year in Davao, I kept an eye on you. I apologize if I did something like that behind your back but I simply worry a lot. Despite the distance between us, as your father, I felt it was my responsibility to check in on your well-being and make sure you were holding strong." I was surprised. "You had me watched and followed all this time?" He nodded gently. "As I said, I had to make sure you were living fine. When you graduated, I wanted to go to you. When you first got a job as an Engineer, I really wanted to go but I wasn't co
I just came back to my senses that hurting Irryn was not actually an enjoyable thing especially when I tried to assault her in the restroom. That day Anya caught me kissing another woman and I blamed Irryn for it. The truth was, I was not really hurt by the thought that Anya dumped me, I guessed it was my ego that has been hurt. I was also planning to admit to Anya the truth then, that I really don't like her and she is more deserving of others who will really love her wholeheartedly because I can't do that to her for I am always aware that I love someone else… From that moment, I finally let Irryn enter my heart completely, I know in myself that I have also admitted the long-held fact that I really like her. That I love her, romantically. I couldn’t accept her being a sister to me because I wanted more than that. I don't want to be her brother because I want more than sibling attachment to her. No matter how much we deny ourselves, hiding our feelings even when we finally get along