I dropped my gun and fell to the ground. I looked up at the armed men and then back at Dom. I checked his pulse. My eyes closed as I realized he was gone."I'm so sorry, Dom. I didn't mean to. I didn't know this was your line of work," I whispered, taking his hand. "I'm so sorry...""Miguel!"I turned when I heard Rene's voice. I quickly wiped the tears forming in my eyes and picked up my gun."Did you see who took Ma'am Caroline?" Rene asked, his eyes falling on Dom. He checked if he was still alive. "He's dead."I gripped my gun tighter. "I shot him, Rene.""Don't think about it, whether you killed someone or not. We need to save Ma'am Caroline, Miguel."I looked around. "Where are they? Why aren't you with them?"I fell to the ground when the enemy suddenly fired. Rene pulled me down and we took cover behind a large pillar. "Sir Samson ordered me to follow you after I dropped them off at the parking lot," he replied, firing back at the enemy."Why are there so many of them? We only
"Rest in peace, Rene," I whispered.I picked up my gun and chased after the enemy. Exiting the restaurant, I saw them putting Caroline into a black van. I hid behind a pillar when they started firing at me.I cursed as they started the engine. I looked around. I hid behind the parked cars and tried to shoot the other enemies."Holy shit!" I cursed loudly when I saw the enemy driving away.I ran to the parking lot, quickly got into the car, and started the engine. I sped up when I noticed the enemy's car was getting away. They started firing at me again when they saw I was following them. I ducked to avoid the bullets.My eyes fell on my phone when I saw Sir Samson calling. I quickly picked it up and answered the call."Did you get my daughter?" he asked directly."Not yet, Sir. There are too many of them. I'm following them now. I don't know where they're taking Ma'am Caroline.""Where's Rene? I've been calling him, but he's not answering!" Sir Samson shouted angrily.I sighed before
CAROLINE'S POV I slowly opened my eyes when I felt a cold hand touch my face. My vision was still blurry. "You're awake," I heard a familiar voice. My eyes widened when I saw Ken Salazar's face. "Good morning, Baby." I sat up abruptly and quickly got out of bed. I hugged myself. "Where am I? Where did you take me?" I asked anxiously. I looked at myself. I was wearing different clothes. "I brought you to my house, Caroline." He answered coldly. He tried to touch me, but I quickly stood up and got off the bed. "Don't touch me! Stay away from me!" I shouted at him. He smirked and stood up. He fixed my bed. "What's wrong, Caroline? I just took you away from your boyfriend. We both know he's a bad guy." "Do you want me to thank you for what you did? You're doing the wrong thing, Ken. Take me back to my family!" "No! I can't take you back there. Stay here, Caroline. You're mine!" His voice suddenly became louder. I stepped back. "You're mine. I won't let you go to any other man!"
I slapped Ken hard when he tried to kiss me. "I'll never be your bride!" I shouted angrily, and I was about to slap him again, but he caught my hand. "You're my bride, Caroline! Three days left, and we'll get married!" Ken said, tightening his grip on my hand. "Let me go!" I complained, trying to pull my hand away from him. "I don't love you! We can't get married! Marriage is for two people who love each other, Ken! You're not the one I love!" "That's not possible! You should only love me..." He stroked my cheek. "I won't let any other man have your heart!" "Let me go, Ken! I don't love you! You're crazy!" "No!" he yelled angrily and pushed me roughly onto the bed. My heart raced when he suddenly took off his long white white sleeve. "You're mine. I own you, Caroline." I quickly stood up as he approached me. I was about to run, but he grabbed my dress. I hugged myself when I heard the ripping sound of my dress. I fell face-first on the floor when I tripped. When I looked up, Ke
I nervously stepped out of the bathroom, seeing the phone's owner. She was taking down the dirty curtains in the room. I clutched my chest. "Are you okay?" Ken asked me. He helped me walk to the soft bed. "I was worried when I heard you were feeling unwell. Did you eat something you didn't like?" I looked at him. His eyes were full of concern. If I hadn't experienced trauma with him, I would have thought he was sincere. I removed his hand from my waist. "I-I'm fine, Ken. I'm feeling a little better." "Does anything hurt? Do you want me to call our family doctor for—" I put my two fingers on his lips to silence him. "No need. I'm fine. Don't overreact." I looked back at the old maid. My eyes widened when I saw her fumbling in her pocket where she put the phone. I just focused my attention on Ken. "I'm going to rest for a while, Ken," I said, pretending to be weak. "Are you sure you're okay? I'll call Dr. Whale to check on you." I grabbed Ken's hand as he was about to leave. He
I woke up when I heard something fall and break. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. "Have mercy on me, Ken. I'm suffering—Ah!" I peeked through a small hole when I heard the woman who helped me earlier cry out. My eyes widened when I saw Ken. The woman's hands and feet were chained. He was undressing her while she cried. I was about to stand up, but the woman suddenly looked at me. She shook her head. "Stop it, Ken. I'm so tired. Just let me go," the woman pleaded. "No, Clarissa. I won't let you go until I see Caroline," Ken said. He kissed Clarissa on the neck. She struggled, but Ken just laughed. "I'll only let you go when we're married. I'll do to her what I'm doing to you." "You're a demon! I thought you were an angel who fell from heaven. You're the devil's son!" Clarissa shouted angrily. "Just watch your words, Clarissa. You're still my wife," Ken said, which shocked me. "In the eyes of God, you're not my husband! You're a criminal! Our marriage is fake!" Clarissa stru
I quickly closed the door after we went out. The door was double-locked, so it would be hard for him to open it since we had the key. "Just leave me, Caroline. Run away. Save yourself," Clarissa said as I helped her down the stairs. "I won't leave you here. We'll get out of this together, Clarissa!" I adjusted the blanket wrapped around her body. "Just trust me," I whispered. "Ma'am Clarissa!" When we reached the bottom, we stopped walking and looked to see who was calling her. I closed my eyes when I saw Ken's men heading towards us. "Run away, Caroline. Just leave me here!" Clarissa shouted. She pushed me away from her. I pulled her instead of leaving her and letting Ken's men catch up. "I'll never leave you here!" We worked together to open the door with Clarissa. We both fell when Ken's men suddenly fired. I stood up and tried to open the locked door. I smiled when I managed to open it. I helped Clarissa stand up until we got out. Ken's men chased us. I looked at Clarissa.
I clung to Miguel's waist. It felt like electricity coursed through my body when he held my hand. I peeked at Ken. I swallowed when I saw his men surrounding us. "We're cornered," Alexander whispered. "You'll give them to me, or I'll kill you right here on my territory," Ken threatened. I felt Miguel's tight grip on my hand. "Let's see who dies first," Miguel challenged. My eyes widened when I heard a loud explosion at Ken's mansion. Everyone turned to see the burning house. "What the—Ah!" Ken shouted when he looked back because Miguel shot his left leg. His men immediately helped him. Clarissa wanted to go to him, but Alexander quickly stopped her. They all fired at Ken's other men. I covered my two ears and closed my eyes. I almost fell when Miguel pulled me away. I heard his sharp curses when they suddenly fired at us. We took cover behind a large hardwood tree. So did Alexander and Clarissa. "Do you know how to use a gun?" Miguel asked me. I widened my eyes when he handed
"Caroline?" Mommy said as she knocked on the door.Miguel grinned as he stopped kissing me. "Why are you hiding?" he whispered, laughing.I pushed him away. "Shut up!" I couldn't hide the irritation I was feeling—or the fear that we might get caught."Tita Roxy, Caroline isn't here," Miguel said, pretending to have just woken up."Miguel? You're there? Sorry for the disturbance, hijo," Mommy said in disbelief. She was probably surprised because she came home early."Can we continue whatever we started?" he teased, wrapping his arms around my waist.My gaze dropped to his erection, which was still standing stiff. "You're still hard!" I muttered, removing his hands from my waist.When I opened the door, I glanced around outside, making sure Mommy wouldn’t see me leaving Miguel's room.I saw her entering my room. I quickened my pace toward the front door and walked out. I counted to five before re-entering the condo."Good morning, Mom," I greeted as I saw her tidying herself up."Good m
I felt his lips touch mine, and suddenly, all the anger I had been feeling started to fade.He held the back of my neck, but he stopped kissing me when he noticed I wasn’t moving. I just stared at him—like I was watching a movie, completely dazed. I only snapped back to reality when he suddenly picked me up and set me on the table, his lips never leaving mine.A soft moan escaped my lips as his kisses trailed down to my chest, his hands caressing my breasts. I wanted to stop him—to resist what he was planning to do—but with every touch of his lips on my skin, my strength slipped away.His hands trembled slightly as he touched my breasts, and I couldn’t help but moan with every firm squeeze he gave.When he kissed my lips again, something inside me snapped. I found myself chasing the movement of his lips, unable to stop. He kissed me like a man starved, desperate, and hungry. My mind was in a haze—I could barely move my lips properly, especially when I felt his hand slip inside my bra.
I was jolted awake by a knock outside. I glanced at the wall clock—it was just past six in the morning. Kalix and Mommy were still sound asleep beside me. I kissed Kalix’s forehead before carefully getting up, making sure not to disturb their sleep."Belen? Norma?" I called as I walked toward the kitchen. I instinctively held my stomach when the rich aroma of food filled the air. "You two are up early, even on a weekend—Miguel?"I stopped in my tracks when I saw him standing in the kitchen, wearing an apron and a hairnet."What are you doing here?" I asked, my arms crossing over my chest."Isn't there a good morning kiss for me?" He raised an eyebrow.I rolled my eyes. "Your face deserves a good morning kiss—if I dip your lips in that marinated chicken you're cooking!" I teased."You're not even joking," he said, shaking his head. "Here I am, cooking your favorite dish, and you're still acting mad.""I didn’t ask you to cook for me or for us. I have two helpers here in the condo. You’
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
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
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 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
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
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