LANAAt that moment, I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. Maximum's jealousy felt like both a blessing and a curse.As another A-list singer took the stage, the crowd erupted with excitement. I stood there, my emotions tangled, when someone nudged me. I turned to see a girl smiling at me. I didn’t recognize her, but her name tag suggested she was a classmate."Lana, you’re really something! First, a guy confessed his love for you by singing in the street, and now the whole crowd is buzzing again. How do you do it?" she asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity.I was at a loss for words."Lana, I think you should pick the richer guy," she said seriously.I looked at her, slightly baffled. "I have a boyfriend," I replied.She scoffed. "What does that mean? Can he love you and treat you like they can?"Frustrated, I decided to disengage from the conversation and made my way through the crowd. Finally, I managed to squeeze out and catch a glimpse of Maximum’s car parked down the str
LANAI sighed, unable to shake my worries. He reassured me, "I'll take you there. If you can't face her alone, I'll go with you."I nodded and replied, "I'll get dressed."Twenty minutes later, we were in the car, heading to the address my mom texted me. It was a newly established restaurant, and I was surprised she could book a premium-gold private room."I want to see her alone," I told Max."Go ahead," he agreed. "I'll wait for you."I leaned over, gave him a quick peck, and stepped out of the car. As I entered the private room, I was taken aback by how stunning my mom looked. Her simple outfit and jewelry made her appear incredibly sophisticated. It was clear she was doing very well."Lana, please take a seat," she said calmly, a smile on her face that spoke of a good life.I sat down across from her, a table between us."Let's have lunch first," she suggested."I already ate before I came. No need to go through all that trouble," I replied.She just smiled, not arguing. Moments l
LANAMaximum stared at me in silence, and I could feel my heart pounding. I'd never been this nervous before; my muscles were tense, and my heart felt like it was clenched tight.I swallowed hard, waiting for his response.When he didn’t reply, my panic grew. “Is the girl you’ve been searching for all these years coming back into your life? Have you found her?” I asked.He studied me for a moment and then said, “Who told you about her?”His question wasn’t important to me. I was desperate to know where I stood in his life, so I pressed on, “That doesn’t matter. Is she back?”He simply replied, “Wait.”I watched him turn and leave the balcony. I thought I could handle this, that I’d be able to move on, but my emotions spiraled out of control. I realized how much I loved him and couldn’t let go.Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.Hearing his footsteps, I quickly wiped them away. I didn’t want him to see me crying.When he returned to the balcony, there was a smile on h
LANAAt that moment, my heart was filled with joy. I smiled and embraced him tightly, holding him close.He kissed my forehead, and we held each other for ten whole minutes before we reluctantly parted.After dinner, we were in our bedroom when Maximum brought up the topic."Have you made up your mind?" he asked.I turned to him on the bed, my arm around his neck. "I will return, but I have one condition."He looked into my eyes and asked, "What is that, baby?"I replied, "I don’t want to live under the same roof as the man who abandoned my mother when she was pregnant and who just reappeared, expecting us to welcome him with open arms."I expected him to disagree, so I was surprised when he readily agreed without hesitation. "I agree."Looking at his handsome face, I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in and kissed him, and he wrapped his arm around my back, deepening the kiss.I straightened up and tugged at my shirt collar. He helped me out of it, and we tossed it aside. I returned the
LANAI smiled sweetly at him, my heart heavy with emotion."I'm going to miss you even more," I said, my voice thick with tears. We embraced tightly, and I didn’t even notice when my eyes began to redden, warm tears spilling down my cheeks.The thought of spending days without him felt unbearable; I had grown so accustomed to his presence.He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I will come for you, baby," he promised.After we left the swimming pool, we shared a quiet dinner together. Once we finished, I headed up to my room while he stepped out.Sleep eluded me. I lay in bed, eyes wide open, tossing and turning, unable to find comfort.Just then, my phone rang. Without glancing at the screen, I answered, "Hello?"To my surprise, it was my mother on the other end. "Lana, when do you say you’re coming to New York tomorrow?"I replied, my impatience bubbling over, "I’ll be on my way to New York in the morning.""Well, I already bought a flig—"I cut her off, hanging up and tossing my
LANAI was taken aback, unsure of who might show up at my door besides the driver and my mom, who already knew I was back in New York. I didn't have any friends here; Bernardo had made sure of that.Another knock echoed, and curiosity got the better of me. I opened the door, and my eyes widened in disbelief."Pedro!" I exclaimed, my voice a mix of shock and surprise.He flashed a grin and replied, "Lana, you didn’t mention you were coming back! If I hadn’t been keeping tabs on you, I wouldn’t have known."I stood there, speechless. Pedro was the most stubborn person I had ever met, and his determination was something to behold."Can I come in?" he asked, noticing I hadn’t invited him inside.I shook my head firmly. "Of course not."I closed the door slightly but stood in front of it with my arms crossed, demanding, "Why are you here?"He grinned, his expression shifting to seriousness. "To see you, of course."I had anticipated that response, so I shot back, "Now that you’ve seen me,
LANAI stepped out of the taxi and walked up to Pedro, folding my arms as I asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"Pedro flashed me a warm smile and replied cheekily, "I wanted to check on my future girlfriend and see how she’s doing."Realizing he wasn’t being serious, I shook my head and said, "Stop daydreaming; Maximum and I will never break up."He spread his arms and retorted nonchalantly, "You never can tell."Then he turned and walked away without looking back. I furrowed my eyebrows, watching him leave. I didn’t know what Pedro had been hinting at lately, but I was starting to feel wary.I went inside my apartment and lay down on the bed, quickly drifting off to sleep. When I woke up, I felt as if I were being watched. I sat up and turned to see Maximum sitting in the chair.I jumped up from the bed, exclaiming, "Babe!"I ran into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me, and I curled my legs around his waist, burying my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar sc
LANASeeing the handsome man before me, I understood why my mother had been so captivated by him. Even with age, his charm was undeniable.Now, I recognized where my own looks came from—both my parents were striking in their own ways.I pretended not to know him and asked, "Who are you?"The dragon tattoo on his neck didn’t seem crude; instead, it gave him a wild allure.He grinned and replied calmly, "Lionel, your father."I looked him straight in the eyes and retorted, "I’ve never met you. My mom has only ever introduced Bernardo as my father, so I don’t know you."He smiled, as if he had anticipated my resistance. Glancing at his wristwatch and then at the sky, he suggested, "Why don’t we go inside and talk? The sun will be up soon, and it’s not the best place to discuss what I need to tell you."Reluctantly, I agreed. "Alright."I opened my apartment door, and he stepped inside, taking his time to survey the space. I handed him a glass of water and said, "Please, have a seat."He
LANAHearing the guests’ chatter, my mother leaned closer to my father and I caught her asking, "Honey, are you going to introduce me too?"I could sense the excitement and anticipation in her voice."Not today, darling. Some other time. Today is all about our daughter," my dad replied.I nearly laughed at his rejection but managed to hold it back.Taking my hand, my dad led me down the staircase. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother’s sullen expression, her glare directed at me.I pretended I hadn’t noticed and continued down the stairs with my dad.A man approached us, holding a glass of wine."Cheers, Lionel! You have such a beautiful daughter," he said."Of course! She has to be beautiful; she’s my daughter," my dad replied with pride.I stood quietly beside him as he chatted briefly with the man before moving on to greet others. I sipped my drink, feeling both shy and proud as my dad showed me off."My baby, you can join them for the masquerade dance. I have something to
LANAMy mother looked at me with such intense hatred that I knew I'd struck a nerve.Even though I didn’t want to stay with my father, seeing how restless and angry she was made me reconsider.I had made my decision: I would stay.Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her emotions and, with an expressionless face, calmly said, "Get ready. Your dad has prepared a welcome home party for you."Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed for the door. That’s when I realized the root of her anger.She was furious that my father hadn’t organized a party to welcome her as he was doing for me.How petty and narrow-minded she was! I couldn’t help but burst into laughter."Mom, it seems my dad doesn’t love you the way you want to be loved," I mocked.This time, she didn’t retort. Instead, she opened the door and slammed it behind her.I felt a rush of satisfaction from having the upper hand. Years of feeling suppressed by her made fighting back feel like a release, a way to make her ex
LANAI expected her to hit me, but instead, she lowered her hand and tried to make peace. "Lana, can we move past this and build a better future? Dwelling on the past will only ruin our relationship. Can't you see that?"I grinned because I knew why she hadn't slapped me. She feared my father's reaction. She was only holding back because of him.I sneered, "Mother, why are you so afraid of the truth? You waited for my father because you knew he wouldn’t be a loser like your ex, Bernardo. You’re just greedy and selfish..."She cut me off, yelling, "Lana, that's enough!"Her eyes blazed with anger, and she was trembling with rage.I smiled, chuckling, "Are you angry? That's how you made me feel for years—angry, powerless, with nowhere to vent. I was filled with so much pain."She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. "I think you should stop, Lana. You've had your fun. Let's not make things uglier than they are."I gave her a hollow smile, ready to mock her again, but the doo
LANAI was surprised when he brought a glass of water to my lips. As I took a sip, he flashed a smile and said, "As my only child, it's understandable that we know each other well."After taking several gulps, I was satisfied. He took the empty glass and fed me. When I was full, he asked, "Where is your mother?"Before I could answer, the door opened and my mother walked in. I looked at her intently, and Lionel, noticing my gaze, turned to see her.A big smile appeared on his face as he called out, "Darling."My mother replied, "Yes, my honey."I lay back on the bed and said loudly enough for them both to hear, "I want to sleep."I shut my eyes, and soon drifted off. When I woke, my father was gone, leaving only my mother.She looked at me with an annoyed expression. "Lana, stop pretending and get discharged already. I'm fed up with spending days here."I was shocked. I thought I'd only been in the hospital for a day. Her mention of days shook me."How many days have I been here?" I a
LANAHe sneered, "You are the reason I am like this."I gave him a confused look, wondering what he meant by saying I was the reason he was wounded, rather than explaining that he had tried to kiss me.I vehemently resisted, my hands outstretched as I tried to push him off. He held my hands firmly."Stop trying to resist," he said. "You are the reason Maximum's men hunted me down and almost killed me. I'm going to fuck you anyway. I'm about to die, and I wonder how he would react if he knew I gave his woman the best sex before I died."Hearing this, my heart thumped wildly. I swallowed the lump in my throat; those close to death fear nothing."Please, there's no reason for you to throw your life away," I pleaded. "If you let me take you to the hospital right now, you will survive."He looked at me as if I were an idiot and then sarcastically ridiculed, "Going to the hospital? You mean taking myself into the mortuary?"My eyes widened; I didn’t understand him at all.He reached for my
LANASeeing the handsome man before me, I understood why my mother had been so captivated by him. Even with age, his charm was undeniable.Now, I recognized where my own looks came from—both my parents were striking in their own ways.I pretended not to know him and asked, "Who are you?"The dragon tattoo on his neck didn’t seem crude; instead, it gave him a wild allure.He grinned and replied calmly, "Lionel, your father."I looked him straight in the eyes and retorted, "I’ve never met you. My mom has only ever introduced Bernardo as my father, so I don’t know you."He smiled, as if he had anticipated my resistance. Glancing at his wristwatch and then at the sky, he suggested, "Why don’t we go inside and talk? The sun will be up soon, and it’s not the best place to discuss what I need to tell you."Reluctantly, I agreed. "Alright."I opened my apartment door, and he stepped inside, taking his time to survey the space. I handed him a glass of water and said, "Please, have a seat."He
LANAI stepped out of the taxi and walked up to Pedro, folding my arms as I asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"Pedro flashed me a warm smile and replied cheekily, "I wanted to check on my future girlfriend and see how she’s doing."Realizing he wasn’t being serious, I shook my head and said, "Stop daydreaming; Maximum and I will never break up."He spread his arms and retorted nonchalantly, "You never can tell."Then he turned and walked away without looking back. I furrowed my eyebrows, watching him leave. I didn’t know what Pedro had been hinting at lately, but I was starting to feel wary.I went inside my apartment and lay down on the bed, quickly drifting off to sleep. When I woke up, I felt as if I were being watched. I sat up and turned to see Maximum sitting in the chair.I jumped up from the bed, exclaiming, "Babe!"I ran into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me, and I curled my legs around his waist, burying my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar sc
LANAI was taken aback, unsure of who might show up at my door besides the driver and my mom, who already knew I was back in New York. I didn't have any friends here; Bernardo had made sure of that.Another knock echoed, and curiosity got the better of me. I opened the door, and my eyes widened in disbelief."Pedro!" I exclaimed, my voice a mix of shock and surprise.He flashed a grin and replied, "Lana, you didn’t mention you were coming back! If I hadn’t been keeping tabs on you, I wouldn’t have known."I stood there, speechless. Pedro was the most stubborn person I had ever met, and his determination was something to behold."Can I come in?" he asked, noticing I hadn’t invited him inside.I shook my head firmly. "Of course not."I closed the door slightly but stood in front of it with my arms crossed, demanding, "Why are you here?"He grinned, his expression shifting to seriousness. "To see you, of course."I had anticipated that response, so I shot back, "Now that you’ve seen me,
LANAI smiled sweetly at him, my heart heavy with emotion."I'm going to miss you even more," I said, my voice thick with tears. We embraced tightly, and I didn’t even notice when my eyes began to redden, warm tears spilling down my cheeks.The thought of spending days without him felt unbearable; I had grown so accustomed to his presence.He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I will come for you, baby," he promised.After we left the swimming pool, we shared a quiet dinner together. Once we finished, I headed up to my room while he stepped out.Sleep eluded me. I lay in bed, eyes wide open, tossing and turning, unable to find comfort.Just then, my phone rang. Without glancing at the screen, I answered, "Hello?"To my surprise, it was my mother on the other end. "Lana, when do you say you’re coming to New York tomorrow?"I replied, my impatience bubbling over, "I’ll be on my way to New York in the morning.""Well, I already bought a flig—"I cut her off, hanging up and tossing my