**Vivien** The day went by quickly, and now Xander and I were heading to Bulacan. I had already said goodbye to Mom and my brother, and I even texted Dad, but he didn't reply at all. “Ready?”Xander asked as I came out of my room. He had been here for a while, too excited as if I were going to run away from him. I wanted to relax a bit; my work schedule for the past weeks had been hectic. I was piled up with tasks, but they said it would be more relaxed when I returned. Since the day we had a misunderstanding, Xander had become more clingy. He sent me quite a few texts each day, and he seemed to update me on everything he was doing. He was a bit excessive with the updates, but I just let him be; that’s what he wanted.“Yeah, let’s go?” He came closer to take my bag and then gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead. I smiled; he had gotten used to that routine. I walked out of the unit first, with Xander following me. We headed to the elevator together. While we waited for it to ope
After eating, I didn't dare glance at Xander. I also didn’t speak and just focused on my food. I felt so awkward because I could feel his teasing gaze on me. I was the one who did a bit of teasing, but it quickly backfired on me—karma worked fast. But that wasn’t really what I intended to happen earlier. Aling Pilar's son escorted me to my room, on Xander's orders. He said Xander was at the house under construction, checking to make sure everything was in order since it’s almost finished. We’re staying here in their hut; it's large, and Xander usually stays here. It has four rooms, and the master’s room is in the other room. When I entered the room, I was amazed as I looked around. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary hut, but once you’re inside, the ambiance is different—a mix of provincial and city vibes. The room I was brought to even had a small air conditioner and its own bathroom. The bed is double-sized, and the surroundings are very pleasant. I set my bag down by
**Vivien** The next morning, I woke up with pain in the middle of my thighs. Xander really kept his word about making the most of the night. It was already dawn when he finally got tired and gave up. After going for five rounds, how could you not be exhausted? I looked at the other side of the bed, and Xander wasn’t there. I listened for any sound coming from the bathroom, but there was none. That guy! After wearing me out and leaving my body aching, he’s not even here beside me? What was that—sex and run? Tsk, he should’ve waited for me to wake up first. What a way to start the morning. I winced as I got out of bed, hobbling over to my bag to get some clothes, and then headed straight to the bathroom. Good thing the bathroom has a heater, so I took a warm shower to ease the soreness in my body. I must’ve soaked in there for about an hour before deciding to get dressed and step out of the bathroom. As I came out, I was stunned and my eyes widened in surprise when I saw Xander
**Vivien** Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to look at Penelope, who now had a visible expression of pity and sadness. She took my hand and held it tightly. “I'm here, okay? No matter what happens, I'm here for you. I won't leave you, Girl.” I glanced again at the stairs they had gone up. I hoped I was wrong, I hoped Dad wasn't deceiving us. Slowly, I pulled my hand away from Penelope, then, trembling, I picked up the envelope I had dropped on the table. Confused, I looked at Penelope again. “H-how did you know that Dad and Loraine would be here?” She sighed. “I had someone follow Loraine, so I know her movements. From the first time I saw that woman, I had a bad feeling. That's why I told you I'd find out more about her. And I wasn't wrong. Inside that envelope is everything, Girl—the truth and the lies they've been hiding from you for so long.”My hands trembled even more as I looked at the envelope. “That's also why I didn't reach out to you for a month. I wanted to b
I chose a simple pair of denim shorts, paired with a black shirt and black slide flip-flops. I also wore a white cap to somewhat cover my still swollen eyes. I dressed simply to avoid drawing attention. I grabbed my car keys, phone, and wallet before heading out of the room. Penelope was right, Chad's coffee shop was close to my condo. We both got out of the car, and I gave a slight smile—just seeing the outside, it already looked great. I wondered how much better it would be inside. “Let's go.” Penelope smiled as she walked up to me, linking her arm with mine before pulling me inside. The interior and ambiance of the shop were indeed beautiful. As soon as you walk in, the aroma of coffee greets you. Coffee lovers like Penelope and me would surely love this place, and I bet their coffee is great. Penelope wouldn’t have brought me here otherwise, even though Chad owned the shop. There were only a few people inside. Penelope led me to the front to sit there. She was confident si
Vivien I stayed silent until we reached my unit. I walked weakly to the bedroom, wanting to lie down first. My headache had worsened, and I needed to rest before going to our house to confront Dad. I felt like I had exhausted all my energy talking to Loraine. I was near the bedroom door when Penelope called out to me. “Girl, wait.” I weakly looked at her. “Why, girl? I want to rest first. For sure Dad isn't home yet, so let's leave here in the afternoon. Is that okay?” I said softly. My headache was really bad. Penelope looked concerned and came closer to me. “I was actually going to ask if you were okay. You look pale, probably because of what happened earlier. Uh, while you're resting, I'll cook us lunch. I'll wake you up when I'm done. I'm making sinigang na buto-buto so you can have some broth; you need that to regain your strength. Go ahead and get inside, don’t think about anything else for now.” I nodded. I suddenly craved the sourness of Penelope's sinigang. “Alright,
**Vivien**Loraine suddenly stood up and hugged Daddy, and he hugged her back. I felt a sharp pain in my chest—it hurt. I forced a bitter smile. I could clearly see the concern in Dad’s eyes for Loraine, while I, who had been gone from this house for more than two months, never received a text from him. He never even checked on me, never worried about me.Loraine pulled away slightly from the hug and looked up at him with teary eyes. Tsk, what an actress. If she can fool Daddy with her drama, she can’t fool me or anyone else here. I could feel her faking it and trying to gain sympathy.“D-Dad, Ate Vivien slapped me. I was so shocked earlier when she suddenly sat in front of me and then slapped me. I wasn’t doing anything, Dad,” she said, crying. I let out a dry laugh, not believing a word she said, and just rolled my eyes as Dad gave me a serious look.“Is that true, Vivien Dawn? Your sister came to me earlier, crying and out of breath, saying you slapped her because you found out eve
“What?! Are you that desperate now, Ate Vivien? You're going to block Dad's happiness? You're going to use the annulment? What a childish act! You're still forcing yourselves even though Dad's no longer happy with you. So selfish!” My anger flared up again. “Coming from you, Loraine? We’re the desperate ones, huh? Those words are really coming from you? It’s like we’re the ones who are the second family and the mistress here. You’ve got some nerve. You’re just showing your true agenda.” I turned to Vanessa, whose face was now unreadable. “You think you’re going to get everything? You think you’ll succeed? Dream on! You’ll never be legal, you’ll never experience the life of a queen, and you won’t get to use my dad’s money!” I shouted.“And how do you know that?! Are you the one in charge of Dad's money? Are you the one handling it? Don’t act like you know everything! I have a right too because I’m Dad's daughter!” Loraine shouted back, her victim act now gone, replaced by a fierce,
Vivien’s POVIt’s been three days, and I’m still here at the hospital recovering. I never imagined something like what Loraine did would happen in my life. It felt like one of those dramatic scenes you only see on TV—but this time, it happened to me.Because of what she did, our family became the talk of the town. We trended on all social media platforms—even on the news. Xander and the others got dragged into it too, but thankfully it was handled quickly. My boss even gave me a one-month leave because of what happened.Loraine is confined in the same hospital. She’s stable now but still needs to rest, or her side wound might open up again. That’s where Xander shot her.Apparently, Loraine had locked up Vanessa and Dad in their home, which is why they didn’t know what was happening. They were shocked when they found out. Grandma was furious at Vanessa because of the trouble her daughter caused. We later found out that Loraine does, in fact, have mental health issues. That’s why Vane
She let out a demonic laugh before turning to look at me.“You really are such an idiot, you know that? Did you really think I’d let you leave here alive? Didn’t it ever occur to you that the reason I made you come with Alex was so I could finally kill you? To get rid of the obstacle standing in my way!?”She shouted in anger, her eyes wild and blazing.“Loraine, this wasn’t our deal! You said you’d return Alexis to Dawn and I would go with you! What is this?!” Xander shouted back, equally furious.Loraine turned sharply toward him.“Shut up, Alex! I’m not stupid. I need to make sure nothing stands in the way of our love! Vivien has to disappear from this world!”I instinctively stepped back as she angrily pointed the gun at me.“All my life, Vivien, all I’ve ever wanted was to be loved. But why?! Why is it that everyone I want to love me always chooses you?! Dad? I had to ruin your image to him, I had to pretend just to get his attention!...“..Then Alex? No matter what I did, he st
An abandoned warehouse near the train tracks in Alabang was the location Loraine sent the address. She said we would all meet there at three in the morning.Xander's relatives didn't agree to do nothing. Luckily, one of Xander's cousins was there and hacked the CCTV so we could talk in a private room. The others stayed in the large living room so Loraine wouldn’t suspect anything. Some of Xander’s uncles secretly coordinated with the police. They still had the police go straight to the mansion, but others were positioned at every corner, dressed in civilian clothes so they wouldn’t be noticed.Xander and I decided that only the two of us would go. We wore invisible micro Bluetooth earpieces given by Xander’s cousin so they could hear our conversation, and also GPS trackers so we could be located if anything wrong happened. We still had backup, but Loraine’s people wouldn’t notice them. We wouldn’t go into a battle unarmed. We knew Loraine — that woman is cunning.Earlier, Xander’s co
AFTER AN HOUR had passed, some of the family members slowly began returning, all with the same answer—Alexis wasn't there. Even the maid hadn’t seen my son.Weakly, I sat down as my hands trembled and tears began to fall from my eyes. My baby… where are you?Almost everyone was back except for Alec and Xander. A few moments later, we all stood up at once when we saw Xander running toward us. My eyes widened when I saw what he was holding! My knees almost gave out as I rushed to meet them.Without thinking, I took Alexis’ iPad from Xander’s hand. When I looked at it, I gasped—it was shattered and had traces of blood on it! That was when the tears I had been holding back finally burst free.“Oh God! Where is my son?!” I couldn’t stop myself from breaking down. Xander pulled me into a hug as I sobbed uncontrollably. My gut was right—Alexis was missing!“Alec, where did you find Alexis' iPad?” Kuya asked seriously.“Alex found it in our backyard, near the back gate,” Alec answered firm
Xander took care of my food, while Grandma handled Alexis’ meal. She said she’s the one assigned to him tonight. Before eating, I glanced over at Mommy, and she gave me an understanding smile and nodded. Kuya (big brother) did the same.I ate quietly because I was already really hungry. It was getting late after all, so I was definitely feeling it.After the meal, Grandma gave a speech for her business partners. She even called Mommy and Kuya up on stage to introduce them to everyone. I was shocked by an unexpected announcement from Kuya.He said that once Xander and I are married, Herrera Furniture and Manufacturing Corp. would be merged with the Montenegro Empire. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, just staring at Kuya earlier.He just smiled and nodded at me. I knew I had a part in the company, but I never tried to take it from him because I always wanted him to run it. Helping him was enough for me. But it seems like there was nothing I could do now, as he and Grandma had alre
Grandma immediately welcomed us when she saw Xander and me. Xander quickly took her hand to show respect, while I gave a slight bow and also did the traditional gesture. She then looked me over from head to toe. “You are so beautiful, dear. The dress I chose suits you well.” I smiled shyly. “Thank you, Grandma. You look beautiful too in your dress.” The old woman smiled modestly. I meant what I said—even in her age, her beauty was still very much evident. “Thank you, dear. Let’s go to our table.” “La, why did you only compliment my fiancée? I’m your grandson, and you didn’t even glance at me. All your attention is on her,” Xander said in a fake sulking tone. Grandma looked at him from head to toe, then scoffed. Xander was left speechless, and I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “You still look the same. Nothing’s changed. Your son’s more handsome than you.”Grandma said in a teasing, almost grumpy tone. Looks like she was messing with her grandson. Anyway, where’s my b
THE NEXT DAY I didn’t go to the company because my brother didn’t allow me, even though our engagement party started at six in the evening. He said I should just relax and rest for the day.I had no choice but to be absent, even from the agency. Annie is coming later anyway because I invited her.When I woke up earlier, everyone was already busy. Manang Fe was sorting through the outfits Mom had sent over, while I didn’t catch Alexis—turns out her grandma had picked her up since they were the ones assisting the team at the mansion and with the catering. The grandma and grandson were really enjoying their role.As for Xander, he quickly stopped by the Montenegro Empire because he had an important meeting he had to attend. Lucky him—he was allowed to go to the company, while I wasn’t.So basically, I was the only one doing nothing. I sighed and sat on the single sofa. I felt more idle than a bride on her wedding day—they wouldn’t even let me help out or go to the office.What am I su
While everyone was busy and Xander was talking to Alexis, I noticed Alec quietly standing off to the side, sipping wine. He’d been there all along, but he hadn’t approached me or even congratulated his cousin. When he noticed me walking toward him, he straightened up.He gave me a cold look.“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you joining the fun?” I asked gently, even though his intense stare made me uncomfortable.“I’m okay here.” He replied seriously, taking another sip from his wine glass.“Come on, join us. You being here like that makes it seem like you didn’t even want to come.” I nudged him a little. He clicked his tongue in irritation before setting his wine glass down and reaching into his coat.I just watched as he pulled out a long red box and handed it to me.“Here.”I looked at the box curiously, then at him, but his expression turned sour.“Tsk. Just accept it,” He snapped gruffly. I still hadn’t taken it.“For what? What’s this for?” I asked, confused. He grab
“My Dawn... My Baby... Will you marry me?”I covered my mouth, and the tears I had been holding back finally began to fall as I stared at the man kneeling in front of me.Is this really happening? Is he proposing to me? This isn’t a dream, right? My heart was pounding like crazy. The intensity of the way he was looking at me only made it beat faster. “Baby, we’ve been through so much—maybe it’s time for us to finally be happy and build our family. I’m not a perfect man, but I promise to love you and Alexis more than my own life. We'll make up for the time that was stolen from us. I hope your answer is a sweet ‘yes.’ I love you, Dawn. Please marry me…”His eyes pleaded with mine. I just stared at him, tears still falling. He’s right—it is time for us to be happy. It seems like Loraine is doing okay now, and they’ve accepted everything. This is a new beginning for us.Slowly, I nodded while still crying. His face lit up, but he didn’t stand yet. “Say it, please... Baby, say the m