ArisSandoval’s P.O.V.I excused myself to Drey who was at the lobby waiting for the receptionist. I went outside of the hotel but still, I could see her from here. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw how her forehead creased a little bit, while impatiently ticking her fingers over the counter.“Cancel all my appointments for one month, Francine. There’s an urgent thing that I have to deal with,” I instructed my secretary
Aris Sandoval’s P.O.V.That was when I opened my eyes and was surprised with what I saw—Drey was now in front of me while drying her long hair with a clean cloth. A quizzical expression was evident on her entire attractive face as the two of us were almost an inch apart.“Fuck!” I groaned all of a sudden, automatically pulling my body away from her. I must admit that I wasn’t able to control my sudden outburst as if I saw a ghost.How could I be so numb without even realizing that she already went out of the bathroom?“Hey, do you really have to curse? But what’s happening to you? You’re sweating, Aris. Oh my God, are you sick?” She asked as she even went closer to me. Drey, placing her palm on my neck and forehead, only added to the strange sensation that I was feeling at the moment.I swallowed real hard trying to remove the lump on my throat. She was wearing her clothes but still, she was in her drizzly look. I didn’t understand myself anymore, that I harshly shoved her hand away fo
Aris Sandoval’s P.O.V.“Breakfast in bed, Aris. Wake up!” Drey’s energetic voice suddenly woke me up as if I had only been asleep for an hour. I just peeked through a small opening of my eyes to somewhat gaze towards her direction.She placed the stainless food tray on her bed and I knew that she already took a bath although she was still wearing her yesterday’s blouse and pants. Now, I could see her on her wet look again—a kind of spell that could make me forget everything.I didn’t want to get up from the bed as I wanted to sleep more. That would also make me stop thinking about her. I was about to close my eyes again when she quickly dragged the comforter away from my body. “Hey, I said it’s time to get up!” She shrieked.It was too late for me to pull it back because she already threw it on the floor and at the same time, she already saw what I was hiding under. I was wide-eyed at first but I ended up lifting my head to display my brimful confidence.Being with so many girls befor
ArisSandoval’s P.O.V.Drey glanced at me but I swiftly looked outside the window to avoid having eye contact with her. I then swallowed the sudden lump on my throat before I tilted my head, as I was still unable to construct a better continuation.Did I really say the last eight words? Am I that totally comfortable with Drey’s presence to think that I could have another road trip with her?
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.“Don’t wink, it has no effect on me!” I narrowed my eyes while stabbing him with some deadly glares.I didn’t like the feeling every time he smiled, every time I saw his striking dimples, and most especially, whenever he winked at me like that. I just loathed the feeling without even knowing the reason why. It was as if my heart would like to interfere too, by throbbing out so fast.
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.“I love you, Paul, and I promise that you’re the only man I would ever love until my life permits me to.”I was half awakened by abrupt pats on my shoulder. “Drey? Drey? You’re dreaming.” When I was still not opening my eyes, I heard him spoke again worriedly as he even hand-combed my hair ardently. “Hey, are you okay?”
Juno the Mermaid’s P.O.V.“Mother, please… don’t push it!”Those were the last words I angrily told her before I decided to get out from the graceful palace underneath the sea, despite her crazy screams that I should go back and listen to her.&ldqu
Juno the Mermaid’s P.O.V.I heaved a deep sigh out of confusion. How could I think of anything right now when my mind had always been preoccupied with one person?A lot of mermaids wanted to be the next queen. They even searched for the Black Kelp at the deepest core of the sea because it was the only thing that could give them a golden tail. But Queen Lenore had finalized her decision and even announced to everyone that the crown and the throne must be given to me.
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V. “My parents want to throw a night party even though it’s not really necessary.” Aris lightly scratched his head. I must admit that he looked so cute when his smile showed a hue of slight shyness—way too far from his conceitedness. “Hmm, don’t you like it?” I probed while fixing some of the loose bangs on his forehead. “Sort of. I was not a child anymore, but my mom insisted as if I would only turn twenty-one. You know I could not say ‘no’ to her, right?” “Yeah, I know. You loved her so much that you even named your resort after her favorite drink!” “Well, my next business would surely be named after you! I promise,” Aris teased me. “Hmm, surprise me! I’ve already told you that I’m hard to please.” I winked at him. “Soon, I will. But you know what? The most exciting part is that… they want to meet you and I think this is the best opportunity for you to meet them. I have already met your parents, so I guess it’s time for us to be legal on both sides. What do
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V. All my frowns and skepticism had suddenly faded away when I saw Aris delightfully wave at me. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and I felt so giddy. It was my decision not to see him for three days, and yet it felt like it had been three years already! Now, nothing could stop us—not even how my stupid mind could think of not seeing him again. My heart leaped up for joy, and my spirit had brightened as if I was not thinking of mystifying things a while ago. Those were all hushed, and all there was to know about… was how the current moment sparked. No more worrying about the past and no anxiety about the future. Given these, I could say that time was indeed luxurious. My heart would not stop from jumping ecstatically in the presence of him, and if I would not hold my chest now, it could come out anytime soon. The feeling was as if every fiber within me was vibrating with too much anticipation. Oh my God, those dimples are just too sexy to handle! His
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V. Melody is a ten-year-old kid who has gotten so close to me. She was only a six-year-old stray kid when her path led her to the orphanage. She had no parents, no food, and no shelter. But now, she is a consistent honor student and is already in Grade 4. It was another proof that your past could never define your future. “I just missed you,” she answered. I wasn’t seeing her right now, but I knew that Melody was pouting her lips. “Is it really me, or is it Nickos that you truly missed?” Now, it was my time to tease her. I knew for a fact that her face was getting rosy at the mention of my brother. She had a crush on Nickos. And every time my brother and I would visit the orphanage to give gifts, Melody would always hide from him after giving him a love letter—well, handed by another kid since Melody had no courage to face Nickos. Sadly, my brother didn’t feel the same way. It wasn’t because he didn’t like Melody at all, but because Melody was taller and Nicko
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.Seriously? I didn’t know how to react. I was just crying a while ago, but I was all-out smiling now. Nickos was not easy to read after all, and it made me think differently about him.Nickos wasn’t who I knew he was.My brother was just full of secrets. I might have only underestimated him, but he was unbelievably the clever one.Still smiling, I returned his diary inside his cabinet with a promise that I would not read the other confessions written there nor touch it again. I would not dare to flip a single page anymore if I would still want to retain Nickos’ trust in me.How I wished I didn’t leave suspicious marks at all. For that, I double-checked if the way I folded the banner was still the same as how it was before I spread it on the floor. But there was no way I would be totally sure.Now I know the reason why Charie called Mom a few days ago. Mom even told her not to tell me the truth and expect the reward as soon as possible. It was related to this large
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.// July 19, 2016For the first time in history, Drey uploaded a live video on her Famebook account. She was with that Aris Sandoval in El Nido, Palawan.As far as I could remember, he was the same towering guy who stalked us in the airport three weeks ago, asking unstoppably about the mermaid painting that was hand-painted by my sister.The other people might not observe this, but from the video, I could see how Drey’s eyes were sparkling, and those made her look even more vibrant. Of all the people, I knew her and how she had always been around.It was the first time I saw her blissful eyes once more after her breakup with that nonsense, stupid and user Ivan. Today, I was able to notice the glow on her cheeks again, and my sister was so pretty, even though she had just woken up.The moment I saw how she responded to Aris and how she dragged me away back from the airport three weeks ago, there was something odd about it, but that only made me feel excitement towa
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.Stepping closer to Nickos, I almost knelt to level my height on him while gently messing with his jet-black hair. Fortunately, he wasn’t suspecting me of anything after seeing me in front of the bedroom door of our parents.Nickos was an intelligent kid, but when it came to his physique, I must admit that he was kind of smaller compared to other eleven-year-old kids. He was shy and would not easily join a peer of his classmates—absolutely an introvert.I wanted to believe that he was just a late bloomer, but Mom told me that Nickos was born with too many complications while living his first few months in an incubator. He was so tiny, and Nickos nearly died when he was just a toddler. For almost all his life, he was confined in a hospital room.My brother used to be a survivor way back then, and I hoped that he would get taller during or after his puberty stage. Who knows? There was always this phrase about ‘when puberty hits you hard,’ and it could apply to Nicko
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V.I found myself smiling on my bed like an idiot after my recollection. This smile holds lots of meaning and virtue because I had never been this happier. I did not want to compare, but Ivan did not lend time to play even once with my brother.For that, I loved Aris even more. I knew he was much better than the Aris I first encountered.He was much more than a plain Casanova. You could blame him, judge him, or even screw him for a thousandth time because of his damn massive ego and how highly he always thought about himself, but there was a hidden gem in his heart. At any rate, I was such a blessed woman to be able to bring that one out.Yes, he was one hell of a womanizer—but indeed—a womanizer with a heart. A heart with the purest intentions for me, now and for the next days to come. Truthfully, I thanked God because He used me as a medium to make Aris realize the real meaning of true love.Aris was a Casanova—the hilarious Casanova I learned to love despite what
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V. Several days had passed in an instant. Hours went by in a blur. Tomorrow would be Aris’ birthday and I still did not know what to do. It was as if I had no options to consider. I was too bemused. It felt like hammering my head over and over again—trying to think of what else could be my perfect gift for him, aside from the sphere-shaped black-pendant necklace I had already given him. It was given to me by Uncle Jim when he saw me crying on the day I left Aris in his El Nido villa. Uncle Jim said that it was his lucky charm throughout, and the said necklace would also bring me… true love. “Take this necklace and don’t lose it, Drey. No matter what, this will take you to the right path following true love,” Uncle Jim handed me a black-pendant necklace while I was seated in the front seat of our family car. I was crying, but I found the design awesome. Securing the necklace on my palms, I was controlling my tears from falling, but those were still freely stream
Drey Laxamana’s P.O.V. Had Dad lost the deal on purpose? I was not looking at my reflection in the mirror, but I was sure as hell that my face had been enveloped by a quizzical look. I did not doubt Aris’s skills, let alone his overconfidence and massive ego, but no one had ever defeated my father when it comes to playing golf. No one! Like Aris who was an all-time champion in car racing—well, minus the recent time—Dad was an all-time champion too. There was even a huge storage room here in our mansion that only contained all his trophies in golf. He literally conquered the golf world, I must say. No one could defeat him, and I would never even have any second thoughts that someone was already born to steal his legendary history. Then, I furrowed my forehead. But if the answer to my question was yes, then why? And what would be his reason for letting Aris beat the hell out of him when the latter was just a stranger he only met today? Me—being into the picture—wasn’t enough reason