“I am the real father of Kalix Arkin Brooks...”I stepped back, my shoulders slumping. I couldn’t take my eyes off the paper he was holding. Only one thing ran through my mind—the DNA test results in his hands.“Am I the father of the child—”“You’re not his father!” I snapped.“Then how do you explain this?” He held up the DNA test results, still unable to believe it. “Am I the father of your child?”I glanced at Seb and Monica, but they refused to meet my eyes. I let out a sigh. I had no choice but to run away now that Miguel knew the truth. He saw the DNA test results himself. This must have been why the couple had come to my condo.“Would it change anything if I admitted you’re his father, Miguel? Nothing. Now that you know the truth, you can leave my condo.”“Caroline, we can’t—”“The door is open, Seb. Isn’t this what you wanted? For him to know the truth? Well, now he does. So get out!” I yelled furiously. Miguel was sitting on the floor when I turned to him. “Take your friend
I just finished packing our things. I can’t wait to leave the Philippines with Kalix and Lena. It’s been two days since Miguel found out the truth. I actually had to drag him out of my condo just to make him leave.Today is their press conference, and today is also our flight back to Portugal. I don’t know what the press conference is about—I don’t read the news either. Miguel promised me he would prove that he’s not the enemy, but I don’t know if I should believe him. He’s dating my cousin, and everyone knows it. Meanwhile, Cecile still hasn’t released a statement about the scandal videos I’ve been spreading. I have no intention of deleting them either. I want them to experience the same humiliation they put me through when they exposed my past relationship with Miguel. The worst part? Back then, he was only my bodyguard.“Did we pack everything?” I asked Lena as she got into the car.“Yes, Ma’am,” she replied.I revved the engine and sped toward the airport. I glanced at Lena when I
Chaos erupted inside the hotel. We could no longer see the live stream clearly. More videos were being played on the big screen. My attention was drawn to my father when the camera focused on him. He was clutching his chest, as if he was struggling to breathe again.My heart pounded. I was anxious about what might happen to him if he wasn’t taken to the hospital immediately. Then, I noticed police officers entering the hall. They were carrying an arrest warrant. Some of them approached my father, helped him stand, and gave him water to drink.We couldn’t see what happened next because the media and reporters crowded the scene. A part of me felt satisfied that they were finally being arrested. Everyone was now aware of some of the wrongdoings they had committed. However, another part of me felt pity for them—especially for my father. He had a heart condition. I wasn’t sure if he could handle the public’s backlash.When Kalix woke up, we stopped by a fast-food restaurant to eat. While w
We didn’t continue on to Portugal. I prioritized Lena’s condition. She died upon arrival—she had lost too much blood.My eyes were swollen from crying. I had been staring at Lena’s cold body for over two hours. I blamed myself for her sudden death. I couldn’t even protect her.“Ma’am, we’ll watch over her if no one else will, so you can get dressed,” the nurse said. This was the third time she had urged me to change.I still ignored them. It was as if I had gone deaf and mute after what happened. I couldn’t open my mouth. My whole body felt weak, and I struggled to move. I glanced at my daughter. She had cried herself to sleep. She refused to believe that Lena was gone—the sister figure who had always been there whenever I wasn’t.My eyes flickered to the door when it opened. I immediately looked away when I saw Miguel enter with Don Ernesto. The nurses who had been with us quietly left.“Caroline...” Don Ernesto called out, walking toward me.His gaze dropped to Kalix. Maybe he alrea
I tore up the marriage contract right in front of them and took Kalix away from Miguel. I didn’t care if his father was here. Miguel’s jaw dropped.“This is unfair, Miguel! Why did I even sign that marriage contract? You told me I was signing that paper just so you could be sure I would follow through on our conversation. But why—”“Caroline, we have something to tell you—”“Leave. Whatever you have to say, I don’t care.” I walked toward the door and opened it. “Go away. Don’t worry—I’ll follow through on whatever we discussed. After Lena’s funeral, we’re leaving. Just leave us alone. I want to give my daughter a quiet and peaceful life.”Don Ernesto stood up, and Miguel immediately supported him. “Hijo, let’s go home first. Caroline is still mourning. Maybe you can talk after the funeral.”Miguel sighed. “Fine. But I want to talk to my son. I won’t let her take the child away from me.”“Caroline, you and my son need to talk first. Discuss my grandson. I’ll watch over him for now,” Do
I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and tried to open the door, but it was locked.“Open this damn door!” I shouted.“Are you really not going to talk to me properly? We’re talking about our son here, Caroline.”“You said we were just going to talk! Why did you kiss me?”“To shut your mouth.”I caught him looking at me again, licking his lips. My annoyance grew when I saw him smirk.“What? Why are you looking at me like that again? Do you miss my kiss?”“Open this door, or I’ll break your damn lips,” I threatened.“What if I don’t want to?” he challenged, his smirk deepening. “It’s fun watching you struggle to beg.”“And you’re struggling to understand,” I snapped. “What do you really want from me? What are we supposed to be talking about?”“Don’t leave the country.”I scoffed. “Why? Even though you know about Kalix’s condition, we’re still leaving. My mind is made up, Miguel. We’re not staying here.”“I’m coming with you.”“What?!” My eyes widened. “You’re coming? Are you crazy?
I felt like a statue for a few minutes. My mouth hung open, and my knees trembled. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or hallucinating. The memory of being told that she was gone—that it had been two years—was still fresh in my mind.I only snapped back to reality when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I reached for it and checked the caller ID. My forehead creased when I saw Miguel’s name. How did I get his number? I don’t remember asking for it."Has my gift arrived?" he asked the moment I answered."G-Gift?""Yes. A gift. Has Aunt Roxanne arrived?"My breath hitched. "What do you mean?""I'm on my way to your condo.""Miguel—"I flinched as arms suddenly wrapped around me."M-Mommy?"Her embrace tightened. My heart clenched when I heard her sob. I couldn’t stop myself from hugging her back. If this was just a dream, I never wanted to wake up.I led her inside the condo, barely able to leave her side, afraid she would disappear if I looked away. I kept my eyes on her, studying ever
It was almost nighttime, yet they were still here at my condo. Mommy and I had talked a lot. She told me how Miguel had saved her before. At first, she thought Miguel was working for her brother, so she ran away in fear of being beaten.Miguel was in Kalix's room, playing with him. I didn’t want to allow it, but Mommy herself insisted that I should let father and son bond."Why did you keep the truth from him?" Mommy suddenly asked while I was cooking Kalix’s favorite pasta.I let out a deep breath. "I got scared. He used to get into trouble because of me. I thought that as long as I was with him, I was safe—but he was always the one in danger. It became even more complicated when I found out he was dating Glenda’s daughter.""He’s not dating her. He’s using her," Mommy corrected.I stopped what I was doing and turned to her. "What do you mean?""When I regained consciousness and slowly recovered, he told me he wouldn’t stop until he found you. But he never told me about your past rel
The sadness I felt when Kalix and I’s DNA test results matched was overwhelming. All my resentment toward the child suddenly disappeared. I became even more determined to win Caroline's heart again. I want to win her back. I will make everything right now that I know we have a child together. It's worth all my suffering. Maybe that's why I'm so crazy about her because we still have a connection to each other. And that connection is our child.I watched Caroline playing with our child. I can't help but laugh every time I remember how I proposed to her. I was so jealous that I couldn't help but propose, even in that situation. I wanted to prove to the world that she was mine. I didn’t care if I was obsessed with her."Slowly, you might get pregnant," I said as she got into the car.She's six months pregnant now. I made sure she would get pregnant right after our wedding. I never expected that we would have triplets. I'm excited to meet our triplets."If you hadn't made me visit you ever
She's happy with someone else now. I can't destroy her family. I just saw her happy with someone else, and suddenly, I got scared. All my courage to take her back has retreated. I feel like if I take her back now, I'll only destroy the family she built."I'm going back to the Philippines. Keep an eye on her. I'll be happy knowing she's in good shape," I told Seb bitterly before turning my back on him.Years passed, and I still couldn't forget her, no matter how many women I dated. I still asked my staff about her life every day. I'm madly in love with her.I helped her family regain popularity and increase their sales. I invested in their company as planned. I found out that her mother owned Brooks Industries. It was written in the last will of Aunt Roxanne's late father, but they had changed the name of the company.I was busy reading reports when Seb suddenly walked into my office. He was panting when he handed me his cellphone."She's back!" he said.My brow furrowed immediately. "
Ever since I saw that secret room in their CR, I've been visiting Cecile almost every day. I've also been more careful about pretending to be interested in her so she doesn't realize I have other plans."Seb, I need your help," I said directly when he answered my call. "Tomorrow night, come with me to Cecile's house. I want to check out the contents of that secret room. Caroline might be there. It’s up to you how you put their people to sleep."I was determined to see and enter that room. I had a feeling Caroline was there. Maybe they had hidden her inside.When night came, I went straight to Cecile’s house. I had dinner there. While she was busy eating, I secretly slipped a sleeping pill into her juice."How's the food?" she asked, placing her cellphone on the table. She drank her juice."Delicious," I replied sparingly and held her hand. I caressed it and bit my lower lip."Don’t you have anything to do tomorrow?" she asked, drinking the juice again. I smiled when she finished it."
Miguel's POVI am holding her hands as we walk towards Mama's grave. It's been five years since she passed away, but it all still seems like yesterday. Since she disappeared, I've been visiting her almost every day."Why didn't you tell me that Aunt Mary had been dead for a long time?" Caroline asked after arranging the flowers. Kalix lay down on the grass."You never asked," I replied modestly.Caroline sighed and sat down next to me. "Can you tell me what happened?"I stared at her for a moment. She took my hand and played with it."It’s a long story, Caroline. But to make it short—before she died, she kept looking for you because she wanted to give you your grandfather's last will. Mama thought Aunt Roxanne had been dead for a long time. She left the will before her own brother kidnapped her. When I woke up, Mama was gone. So I promised her I would find you, no matter what happened. But I found your mother first."I could barely move my body when I woke up. I looked around. There w
I glanced inside his room impatiently when I realized he had no plans of letting me in after we escorted Kalix to Don Ernesto’s room.“Aren’t you going to let me in?”He looked pained as he opened the door wider. I frowned, slightly offended that it seemed to hurt him to let me in. I entered the room and sat on the bed. My brows furrowed when I caught him staring at me.“Why does it seem like you’re forcing yourself to let me in here?” I couldn’t hide my disappointment.I crossed my arms and walked toward him. He frowned even more as I approached. Even under the dim lights, the way he looked at me revealed how much he was holding something back—something he clearly desired. He swallowed and parted his lips to speak, but nothing came out.“Miguel?” I tried again.I saw how his eyes reluctantly tore away from me. I smirked and stepped closer. I could tell he wanted to back away, but when he saw my smile, he knew I’d tease him if he did. His lips twitched, and he let me near him.I smile
"I'll take Kalix to the office. We'll have breakfast there too," Miguel said after adjusting his necktie.I peeked at Kalix behind him. He was already dressed."Kalix, stay here. Your dad won’t be able to work properly if you go with him.""Mommy, I want to go with Dad," Kalix said, rolling his eyes."No. You can’t go with him," I repeated and placed the milk on the table. "Drink your milk.""Drink your milk first, Kalix, so we can go," Miguel said after finishing his coffee."Yes, Dad," Kalix replied. He sat down in front of me, but his gaze remained fixed on Miguel."Miguel, Kalix might distract you—""He never bothers me, Caroline. He wants to come too," he said coldly.I forced a smile and looked at our son."Don’t be naughty there. I’ll see you later so we can have lunch together.""Kalix and I are eating out. Don’t bother coming to see us, Caroline. And don’t wait for us tonight either—we're going home late because Dad wants to spend time with Kalix. Why don’t you just invite
I took a deep breath after packing up my things. It was past six in the evening, but Miguel still hadn’t called me. The other employees had already gone home. I picked up my cellphone and dialed his number, but it just kept ringing. I ended up texting him that I would take a taxi home to the condo. I couldn’t be late because our son was waiting for me. Kalix wouldn’t eat dinner without me, or without both of us there.I was about to enter the elevator when my cellphone vibrated. I immediately answered when I saw Norma’s name.“Mommy, where are you?” Kalix asked right away.“I’m on my way home, Kal,” I replied as I pressed the ground floor button.“Hurry up, Mom. I’m hungry,” Kalix said.“Yes, Kalix. If you can’t wait any longer, go ahead and eat first. You might get a stomach ache again. I’m ending the call now. I love you,” I said.I looked outside and noticed there were still a lot of people. I wondered why the other employees hadn’t left yet.“Good evening, Ma’am Caroline,” greeted
I buried my face in Miguel's chest after reading Daddy's letter to me. He kept asking for my forgiveness. It felt like a thorn was removed from my heart when I read the words, "I love you," in his letter. He said he only wanted to give me a good future, but he went about it the wrong way. He never considered how I would feel. He regretted giving Cecile more attention. Still, I couldn’t entirely blame him, because neither of us knew the truth—that Cecile was an illegitimate child. My tears fell even more when I felt Miguel's tight embrace as he gently caressed my back."At last, he saw you before he died, Caroline," Miguel whispered and kissed my hair. "Maybe you were the only one he was waiting for. Now, he can rest peacefully. He won’t have to suffer anymore. He died knowing you forgave him.""It's hard to accept. I never thought that would be the last time I’d see him and talk to him. If I had known he would be taken from me so soon, I would’ve visited him every day..."Miguel sighe
Miguel held my hand as we waited for Cecile, Glenda, and Daddy to arrive. We were at the jail, visiting them. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been here—I’d been busy helping Mommy at the company, and we were always traveling outside the Philippines. Miguel was also a different kind of person when it came to dates—he and Kalix were always taking us to other countries. He wouldn’t even let Kalix out of his sight. Sometimes I wondered if he was courting me or our daughter.“They’re on their way here, Ma’am,” said the female police officer who assisted us.“Are you okay?” Miguel asked, gently kissing my hand.I smiled and nodded. “You shouldn’t have come with me. You canceled all your meetings just for this.”“Don’t worry about it, Baby. That meeting wasn’t important.”“Still, Miguel. You don’t have to be with me all the time. You have your own life too. Some people might think I’ve cast a spell on you or something,” I joked.“I don’t care what people say, Caroline. You’re the