Marianne gazed at Jayson, stunned into silence by his confession. She had never truly believed he had real feelings for her. In the past, he’d shown her kindness and affection, but she had always convinced herself it was for show, a way to maintain appearances in public. Now, hearing him say it out loud, she was caught off guard. Could she ever return his feelings? Jayson had always been there for her through thick and thin, enduring so much just to ensure her well-being. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing deep down that she was being selfish. If Alexander hadn’t come back into her life, maybe, just maybe, she could have fallen for Jayson. After all, he was a genuinely good man. "I..." "You can’t love me, can you?" Jayson interrupted, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Why is it always Alexander?" he asked, the frustration in his tone unmistakable. "Have you ever given your heart a real chance? It doesn’t have to be me—just anyone else?" This time, Marianne wanted to respond, b
As Alexander noticed her staring at him with something like hurt in her eyes, he knew he needed to say something—anything."It seems like you know me," he started, his voice a bit hoarse. "I guess I’m Alexander," he added, taking a quick look around to absorb his surroundings. Then it hit him—he was in a hospital. But why? What was he doing here?At that moment, the door to the room swung open, and Jake walked in. The instant he saw Alexander sitting up, his eyes widened in shock. He rushed over, grabbing hold of Alexander and inspecting him closely, not even noticing Marianne in the room."Damn it, man, you almost scared me to death!" Jake exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Do you have any idea how long you’ve been out? You’ve been out cold for almost a month! Marianne and I have been worried sick." He smiled, but Alexander didn’t return it, simply staring at him with a puzzled expression. Slowly, Jake’s smile faded as confusion set in. He glanced over at Marianne, who simply shook he
Marianne had closed the restaurant for the day and was at home watching a documentary when Jayson walked in. She wasn't as lost in thought as she used to be when Alexander was still unconscious, and Jayson was grateful for that. He smiled, holding the small gift bag he brought with him as he approached her."How are you feeling?" Jayson asked gently. Marianne responded with a soft smile and a nod. He proceeded to inquire about Alexander’s condition, and she informed him that he had regained consciousness. Jayson was genuinely pleased by the news, happy that this meant he might have more of her attention, even if only for a short while.He handed her the gift bag, which contained chocolates, and began glancing around the room as if searching for something specific. Marianne noticed and couldn’t help but smile."He's in the bedroom. I think he’s already asleep," she said with a knowing look. Jayson smiled back, gave a small nod, and gently brushed her hair."I’ll see you tomorrow then.
“You’re not a baby that I’ll always have to put to bed after you’re drunk,” Marianne scolded Alexander—her childhood sweetheart, but he only smiled at her.“I’m your baby, aren’t I, Anne?” Alexander said with a playful smile. Despite his drunken state, she found him irresistibly charming, and his words made her heart race. Although he often said things like this when he was drunk, she couldn’t quite get used to it. Maybe he wasn’t aware of the effect he had on her. How would he react if he knew he was the guy she had always had her eyes on?“No, you're not! Now, let's move to your room” Marianne stood up and went to help him. With his arm draped over her shoulder, she led him to his room. They had just gotten back from a party with their friends, and she had decided to take him home because he was drunk. Jake, his friend hadn't agreed to do it, so she volunteered.As they got to his room, she pushed him onto the bed, momentarily forgetting he was holding onto her, causing her to fall
Marianne took a deep breath as she sat beside her sister. Today was undeniably the happiest day of her life, as it was her dream to walk down the aisle with the man she loved. But at the same time, she was sad, unsure if the same was true for Alexander, her groom.She was about to marry Alexander, who hadn’t spoken to her for a week since the incident. He had been avoiding her completely, ignoring her messages and refusing to give her a chance to address the issue.“You didn’t tell me how it’s possible that you’re marrying Alex. Did something happen?” Winter asked, confusion on her face. Marianne sighed softly and bit her lip.Marianne had intended to keep everything to herself, planning to tell Winter only when the time felt right, as she didn’t want to add more worries to herself. Despite Winter’s understanding nature, she was always curious about why her sister was suddenly marrying Alexander.Winter couldn’t understand why her sister was wasting her time secretly loving Alexander
5 YEARS LATER.Five years had passed since Marianne left Silverton on their wedding night. That night, after their misunderstanding, Alexander had thought it was mere words when she said she would do her best to hide from his sight, but it took him a while to realize she meant those words.Only now could he grasp the gravity of the hurtful things he had said to her. He wouldn’t blame his immaturity for his decisions back then.In the years that followed, he had employed his influence as the head of San Diego’s most prosperous conglomerate and used his extensive network to search for her. Yet, it was as if she had vanished from the earth, leaving no trace of her whereabouts.A year after her disappearance, he relocated from Silverton to San Diego, seeking distance from his old life in hopes of continuing his search.What he couldn’t deny was that her disappearance had shattered him entirely. Winter, Marianne’s younger sister, continued to harbor resentment towards him, blaming him for
A WEEK LATER.As Sienna prepared little Emilio for school, Jayson sat nearby, watching them in silence. He was waiting, as usual, to drop them off before heading to work.Once Sienna had finished dressing Emilio and helping him with his backpack, she turned to Jayson, her face lit with a smile. "All set," she said.Emilio approached Jayson, who gladly lifted him up as he always did and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.“You’re looking great today. I bet the girls at school are already swooning,” Jayson joked, causing Emilio to smile and flash his perfect white teeth. Sienna shot a disapproving glare at Jayson in response.“Could you stop with that? He’s still a kid and doesn’t need to hear things like that,” Sienna reprimanded. Jayson just laughed.“Alright, alright. Can we head out now?” he asked. Sienna rolled her eyes playfully and nodded. They left the house as usual, heading straight for Hearst Elementary School this time. Once they arrived, Sienna gently stroked Emilio’s hair
Sienna turned slowly to face her son after he spoke. She examined him intently for a moment, then took a deep breath and knelt in front of him."You should avoid people like that, especially this man who said you look like him. He’s likely a bad person" she advised, and little Emilio nodded in agreement."Don’t worry, Mom. I told him I’d be even more handsome than he is, so I don’t really look like him," Emilio replied. Sienna lifted him up and they got into the taxi, which took them to their destination.During the drive, her mind wandered back to her son's comment about the man who claimed Emilio looked like him. She tried not to overthink it, reminding herself that many people can look alike.As they stepped out of the taxi, a young man in his twenties approached them with a smile. Emilio beamed and gave him a cheerful hug. The man ruffled Emilio’s hair playfully before turning to Sienna."Welcome, ma'am," he greeted Sienna, who responded with a smile."You can head home now. Your