Chapter 3

THIRD POV

“Mateo, please wait for me!”

“Mateo!”

“Huh?” He abruptly turned around upon hearing his name being called.

Suddenly, he remembered that he was in a bar with his friends. He scanned the room, trying to regain his senses, which were tingling slightly.

“We’ve been calling you for a while, but you seemed lost!”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

He took a deep breath, nodded, and ran his hand through his hair. He was confused about what was happening. Earlier, he had also heard his ex-wife's voice. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he knew he had been dreaming about her for several nights. He couldn’t tell if it was just a vision or a memory.

Even now, he regretted the mistakes he had made in the past. One single mistake had cost him his wife.

If he were to ask for forgiveness from his wife, it would only be to atone for his sins.

“Ana, I’m sorry,” he whispered.

DON MARTIN was greeted by many business executives upon his arrival at the Royale. After many years, he was back in Royale.

“Martin, it’s been a while!”

When he spotted his two guests, he nodded at them and approached their table. Taking a seat in front of them, he was soon handed a glass of wine by one of his men.

Levy Villalobos, the mayor of San Alfonso, and Caridad Villalobos, the First Lady.

“It’s been a long time. And I realize it’s too late. But congratulations on becoming the new leader of San Alfonso,” Martin said with a smile.

“Thank you very much for your help,” Caridad replied.

Martin raised an eyebrow and studied the couple for a moment. “Of course,” he said. “We both share a desire to develop our town, don't we? We both want what’s best for our community.” He chuckled suddenly, surprising them.

The couple exchanged glances and then joined in the laughter.

“My late father left me all the properties of Monticello to grow and develop. He wanted to provide a bright future for our constituents. He also asked me to support you in the development of our town. It was his final request. We should work together,” Martin said, smiling at the couple.

They grew serious for a moment, considering his words. But after a few moments, they smiled again.

Despite being the mayor of San Alfonso, they couldn’t match the wealth and power of the Monticello family.

“Cheers to the future of our town!” Martin raised his wineglass.

The couple smiled and raised their glasses, toasting with him.

“Mateo Villalobos made a deal with me,” Martin said. “Why didn’t he follow in your footsteps?”

“He wanted to pursue his own business,” Levy replied.

Martin nodded, grinning at them before looking around and motioning for his men to leave them alone. They immediately complied.

“By the way, your former daughter-in-law passed away five years ago, didn’t she? What was her name again?” he changed the topic of conversation.

The couple’s eyes widened at Martin’s words. They were surprised and didn't expect him to bring up such a sensitive topic. They looked at each other before turning their attention back to Don Martin, who awaited their response.

“Um, Don Martin, that’s a personal question—”

“Caridad,”

“What?”

“Enough.”

Martin secretly smiled at the couple’s reaction.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to ask about that. But wouldn’t that have an impact on our town?” he inquired.

“That case was closed a long time ago,” Levy replied. “My daughter-in-law died by suicide. I still don’t understand why she did it. They loved each other deeply, and their marriage was a happy one. I was shocked by the incident.”

Martin’s face turned serious upon hearing this. He clenched his fist discreetly.

“Master.”

He turned to his staff member when called. The staff member approached him and whispered, “Miss Ana is missing.”

“What?” he exclaimed in shock, immediately standing up upon learning that Ana was missing.

“Martin?” Levy called out to him.

He took a deep breath and looked at the couple without showing any emotion.

“We’ll talk again another time, Don Levy. I have somewhere important to be,” he said, pivoting around and leaving Royale with his men.

“Alexis, do you know where she is?” he asked his driver, who was busy monitoring the tracking device attached to Ana.

“She’s at the villa, master.”

He was shocked by this information. Damn! Ana, what are you planning? Are you trying to hurt yourself? He wondered silently.

“Let’s go straight there.” he ordered his driver.

ANA’s POV

“We’re here, Ma’am.”

Before stepping out of the car, I smiled at the driver and handed him his payment. “Thank you!” I said.

As I got out of the taxi, a smile formed on my lips as I looked around. Oh, this place hasn't changed. This is where Mateo and I shared so many beautiful memories.

I ran towards the tree and glanced at Mateo's house. I smiled again.

“His house hasn’t changed,” I said with a smile. But my smile faded when I heard a car engine.

I looked around until I spotted a familiar car. I smiled again. That’s Mateo's car. I know it because I chose it.

When the car stopped in front of our house, I hid behind a tree. Then, I saw Mateo step out of the driver's seat.

I took a deep breath and was about to call out to him, but I froze when I saw a woman emerge from the house.

My forehead creased.

Chloe?

What is she doing in our house? Why are they together?

“You’re drunk again, sweetheart!”

Sweetheart? Why did Chloe call Mateo that?

Suddenly, my eyes widened, and I gasped as I watched what happened next. I covered my mouth in shock.

They kissed!

What is happening? Why did they kiss?

My knees gave way, and I leaned against the tree, tears streaming down my face.

Was Martin right? Is it true that they're married?

I shook my head, trying to convince myself that it wasn’t true. Please, Ana, wake up! This is just a dream. What I saw isn't real.

I hugged myself as thunder rumbled overhead. It seemed like the rain wanted to match the pain and emotions I was feeling.

“M-Mateo!” I sobbed, his name escaping my lips.

“What does this mean? Are you really married to someone else? To Chloe? Why? Why did you do this? I'm your wife!” I cried.

Why did he do this? Didn’t he search for me?

I endured years of pain, hoping that there would be something to hold on to after all of this. But… What did I see?

When I peered through the window to get another look, my heart shattered even more. Chloe was carrying a child, and they were laughing, like a happy family.

I cried even harder. The pain in my heart was unbearable. So many thoughts raced through my mind.

I don’t know how long I stood there. Eventually, I gathered myself and walked away from my hiding spot.

Mateo, don’t you love me anymore? Do you believe I’m really dead? Do you have feelings for Chloe? These questions echoed in my mind as I walked down the road.

“Mateo, I’m still alive, and I’m coming back for you! But why didn’t you wait for me?”

With weak knees, I couldn’t stop myself from collapsing onto the pavement, screaming at the top of my lungs as the thunder roared in the background. It felt like the rain and thunder were empathizing with the pain and emotions I was experiencing.

You promised me, in front of the altar, that you would love me forever! That I was the only woman you would ever love, the only one for you! You promised we would be together forever. So why didn't you wait for me to come back?

“Why?!” I cried out, my voice breaking. The rain poured heavily, drenching me. After a while, a flash of lightning illuminated the area, causing me to look in that direction.

“M-Martin?” I said, recognizing him as he stepped out of his car. Despite the pouring rain, he approached me and hugged me tightly.

“Shhh! I’m here,” he whispered, holding me even tighter.

I continued to cry into his chest. “He cheated on me, Martin! He deceived me!”

He gently stroked my back, trying to comfort me.

“Take me home, Martin.” I pleaded.

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

He pulled away slightly, without saying a word, and lifted me up. Carrying me in his arms, he walked back to his car and placed me in the back seat.

“Everything will be okay,” he whispered as he brought me back into his embrace, hugging me tightly. I felt him press a kiss to my forehead.

You won’t leave me, will you, Martin?