Adam's blood boiled with an uncontrollable rage as he stormed into his house, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls like thunder. Everything in him was shaking. The mere thought of Ayana being in another man's house sent waves of fury coursing through his veins, igniting a firestorm of possessiveness and jealousy within him. How dare she choose another man over him? How dare she find comfort and solace in someone else's arms?“That fucking son of a bitch!” He slammed his car key and his phone on the seat, his shaky hands massaging his head in an attempt to calm his demons down. But the fire burning within him was so savage, unable to be soothed. “I almost had her, for fuck’s sake! My plan had perfectly worked. If it weren’t for that... Who even is this snoopy, ugly-fugly dog, huh?” He cursed under his breath, beads of sweat dripping through his face.With each passing moment, Adam's fury only intensified, fueling the flames of his insecurities and doubts. He couldn't shake the
“Can’t your ass settle in the office that feeds you?” Adam sneered at Daniel.“Not when you left me so worried when you sped off like a beast going for your wife.” Daniel’s eyes cruised around the house, searching for something. When he failed to see what he was looking for, he rested on Adam and asked, “So where is she?”That cut through Adam like a daggar on the flesh. His heart twisted painfully at Daniel's words, the guilt and frustration swirling within him like a tempest. He knew he had left Daniel behind without explanation, but in the heat of the moment, all he could think about was getting Ayana. Now, faced with Daniel's accusing gaze, the weight of his actions bore down on him with crushing force."She's with another man," Adam confessed through gritted teeth, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. Each syllable felt like a betrayal, an admission of his failure to secure what was his.Daniel's eyes widened in shock, his expression a mixture of disbelief and concern. "Anothe
Days had passed so quickly, and Ayana had adjusted well in Robby’s home despite her bafflement about the secrets that Robby was hiding from her. She had avoided asking anything because she knew she would end up being frustrated.That morning, they had just returned from the hospital to have Lyana’s bandage removed. The wound had healed completely, leaving a promising scar. It looked like it would fade away soon.“I will go play with my toys in the playroom, mommy,” Lyana said, bubbly. Robby had been more than kind and affectionate. He had been pampered like his own fresh blood.“Sure, honey. Be careful on the stairs, okay?” Ayana said.“I will,” she said as she stared up the stairs.As Lyana bounded off towards the playroom, Ayana couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Robby for his kindness towards her daughter. Despite her initial reservations about staying in his home, Robby had proven to be nothing but caring and attentive towards both of them.As Lyana disappeared in
As the day wore on, the tension between Ayana and Robby thickened, hanging in the air like a suffocating fog. Each passing moment seemed to deepen the divide between them, their once-friendly interactions now replaced by an uncomfortable silence that weighed heavily on both of them.Robby's pride was wounded by Ayana's refusal of his sincere offer to take care of her and Lyana. He couldn't understand why she would insist on going back to work when he was more than willing to provide for them both. His feelings of hurt and rejection festered beneath the surface, fueling his simmering resentment towards Ayana.Meanwhile, Ayana felt insulted by Robby's reaction to her desire for independence. She couldn't shake the feeling that his offer came with strings attached—a subtle expectation of gratitude and loyalty that she wasn't prepared to give. His possessiveness and insistence on controlling their lives grated against her fiercely independent nature, leaving her feeling suffocated and tra
After the disagreement, Robby left without saying goodbye, and Ayana went to prepare herself for work. From her room, she could hear Lyana’s laughter every now and then, which assured her that her daughter was doing fine. But still, it was the first time she was going to spend an entire day without her daughter, and that weighed so heavily on her. As Ayana made her way through the playroom, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the sight of Lyana in the nanny's lap. Though she knew Lyana was in good hands, the thought of leaving her daughter for an entire day weighed heavily on her heart. "Mommy!" Lyana exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy as she caught sight of Ayana. "Look, Coudia and I are playing a game!" Ayana forced a smile, her heart swelling with love for her daughter. "That's great, sweetheart," she replied, her voice tinged with sadness. "I just wanted to say goodbye before I head off to work." Lyana's smile faltered slightly at Ayana's words, a hint of disa
As the day progressed, Ayana's presence at Mrs. Julio's kiosk proved to be invaluable. With her help, they were able to navigate the busy lunchtime rush with ease, serving customers efficiently and keeping the line moving smoothly. Despite the constant stream of orders and the chaos of the lunchtime crowd, Ayana remained calm and composed, her dedication to her work unwavering.As the afternoon turned into the evening and darkness began to descend, the kiosk showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, if anything, business seemed to pick up even more as people stopped by for a quick bite to eat on their way home from work. The atmosphere was alive with the sounds of laughter and chatter as customers gathered around the kiosk to enjoy the delicious food and friendly service.Throughout it all, Ayana continued to work tirelessly alongside Mrs. Julio, her energy and enthusiasm never waning. Together, they managed to keep up with the demands of the busy evening rush, serving each customer w
“So, what do you want to eat?” Ayana asked with fury and agitation. Of all the people in the world, she could have never envisioned herself serving Adam. And she hated his guts at that very moment. She hated that instead of rushing home to meet her child whom she had not seen the entire day, she was there, staring at that disgusting man who seemed like he had all planned out to ruin her day.“You!” He spoke, his cold gaze cutting through between them to find her scornful eyes. There was a trace of a slight smugness as he gazed at her as if he were enjoying tormenting her. Then again, it was crystal clear from day one of their encounter that he would make nothing easy for her.“I am not on the menu, and neither do I have time for your stupid games. Be sensible and save our time, please. We are not like you, who have nothing meaningful in your life to do.” Ayana retorted with fury.He smiled—that smile that leaves questions hanging in the air—but before Ayana could even start decipherin
Minutes had passed since Mrs. Julio had left, and Ayana, full of fraudsters, had walked to the encounter, hoping that Adam would finish his coffee fast. But that was not the case. It was like the guy was learning to drink coffee for the first time or something. Or he had some wicked plans.Ayana grew impatient and walked to him, anger radiating from one ear to the other. It was past ten already, for goodness sake, and the distance to Robby’s home was almost an hour. “I am so much behind time. Can you finish that in the car? I will take it with me and bring it back with me in the morning,” she said.Adam's expression and actions, particularly his lingering gaze and a faint hint of amusement, suggested a deliberate intention to provoke Ayana and test her patience. He seemed to be enjoying the power dynamic at play, relishing in the discomfort he was causing her.His unfazed demeanor and calm reaction to Ayana's growing impatience indicated that he was fully aware of the effect he was ha
“Hey! “ Lian spoke with her signature smile, of course. “Why don’t we first stop by calling it a sin? Let us just say that it was casual sex done for the wrong reasons and at the wrong place. But all in all, we were adults, and we both proved a point that day. Of course, it hurts, just a little, because you did not offer exactly what I wanted. But if anything, Adam, I want you to know that I wouldn’t waste a chance with you even now if I had it. I am not ashamed to be on the list of, you know, all of those you have been with.” She then looked at me. “I am sorry to say this too, but at least I got to taste the famous Adam Stone De’Leon!” She smiles, and I think I am beginning to love her smile now. Eyes roll! “You are lucky, Ayana. You both are lucky to have each other. And this is where I wanted to be—to have you look at me the way you are looking at her, with so much love and adoration. Your eyes speak submission every minute they brush her. Even a fool can tell you love her so much.
“What, son?” His father asks.“The merger that you seek with the De’Marios will happen.” Excuse me, what? I snap at him, and I was just to give him a piece of my mind, but a gentle squeaaze of my hand sealed my lips, opting to trust him, hoping that he knows that these bunch of heartless fools do not deserve to benefit even just one bit from me. “But not on the grounds of my marriage to Ayana!”Fantastic! Bingo! God, I so love this man!Eyes flickered on each other for a long moment of screaming silence, until my father had to break the lull. Desperate old man! “What are you talking about, son? You know you are really growing desperate by the day here. And now, we have damages to pay to the Adrianos for what Grace did. Things are weighing down on us, Adam! So, what do you suggest? Anything that will help at all. We will abide!”So, Adriano, are you asking for compensation for the damage that Grace’s actions caused? Well, they seem to be the experts in not letting any opportunity slide
After a long, unnerving moment, the door opens again and freezes on our spot as our house is swamped with people.Yeah!People!And I am not talking about two or three people here, no! This weird woman is the weirdest of all because, how did she pull all these?And yeah, before I forget, I am not talking about just any other people. Not some ordinary people. Naah!We are talking of the De’Leons, Adam’s father and mother; the De’Marios, my parents; and this skinny witch who used to be my sister. And these other people, whom I presume are Lina’s parents,.Forget everyone. Lina and her parents have a score to settle with Adam, and so do the De'Leons, who have the right to be in their son’s house. But these black souls, these people that God gave me as a family? How dare they have the guts to set their feet here, huh? The nerve! The temerity! I mean, after all they have done to me? And this little brat of a witch, after insulting Adam like he was the greatest sinner the world has ever had
“You got my information from my parents? How? When? Why?” I ask.She steadies herself. “It wasn’t intentional. It just so happened that you both were the reason why some dark secret that was kept in the dark for years was leaked out. Our families, the Adrianos, the De’Leons, and the De’Marios had to meet because that was a breach of contract!” She speaks.I get everything about the dark secret and the urgency for the two families to meet, and I can also understand that tabgle. But breach of contract? What was all about that?“Breach…” I throw Adam a glare to ask for clarity, but he seems clueless and lost like I am, so I decide to ease both our curiosities. “Breach of contract? What contract?”“Yes,” she says, throwing Adam a glance, and she speaks, looking at him as if the words were only meant for him. Wasn’t I the one who asked the damn question here? “Our families, the De’Leon’s and the Adriano’s, after settling for compensation and agreeing to bury all that had happened, signed a
“Hey! I am harmless, you know!” The lady, Lina, speaks, and she even has the bravery to smile at me while my hand freely retreats from the mission of shaking her hand.She had no choice but to drop hers in letdown.She is harmless.The woman that supposedly Adam raped years ago is smiling right in my face, and I should not be worried. She is harmless. Harmless, huh?What is this?Why did she come here?“I know who you are,” I murmur, hoping that we don’t have a problem here, but how stupid of me to think, no, to actually hope for that? Why would he come here if there wasn’t fire in the mountain? “Wha…what are you doing here?” I ask.As Adam composes himself and approaches, his trembling hand clasping my waist reveals the struggle within him. It's not merely a physical tremor, but a manifestation of the turmoil in his soul. I sense the weight of his past bearing down on him, an unwelcome guest crashing into the delicate balance he's been striving to maintain.In his touch, I feel the e
The chirping of the early morning birds calls me out of my peaceful sleep. I peel my eyes, and they almost impair with a striking, sharp pain as they collide with the savage rays of the morning sun. I shut them for a minute, but when I don’t feel those strong arms around me, I peel them open in a flash, turning around. Empty space! That explains why the widow's curtains are open, permeating the savage sunrays. He woke up before me. That has never been him. I always wake up enveloped in his arms every single day of the six months that we have been together. What changed? Is it because of that question from last night? This marriage issue? After he asked me that, and after I failed to come up with a straight answer, I just laid my head on his chest and snuggled into his warm embrace. He understood the memo, which meant I was not ready for that kind of conversation. And he respected it, just like he has always done. He pulled me closer and tighter, and we drifted off to sleep. Did I
“Goodnight, mommy,” Angel says after I tuck her to bed, or rather, we tuck her to bed. Me and Adam. She turns to him and says disrespectfully, "Goodnight, Uncle Adam. You two are the best." Some“Alright. Goodnight princess. Have sweet dreams, and your mommy and I love you so very much,” Adam says, kissing her on the forehead before standing up as the sweet little girl closes her eyes.My sweet little angel. My gift is straight from heaven. What can I give God to thank him for bringing her into my life? She is my pride! My joy.“Shall we?” Adam asks, holding my hand, and I don’t waste time. I follow him behind, leaving Lyana’s room as we stroll across to his master's room. Or just simply, our room. This has become our room, just as his house has become my house. We are better off being called a family. A married couple. Because this is what all this depicts. I forgot about my house a long time ago. All that is left is for me to pick up my belongings and settle here for good. Yes, here
Ayana's anger flared, fueled by the woman's bitter accusations. "What I meant was," she retorted, her voice trembling with fury, "I did not know that Robert had a wife. And no, I have never entertained this fool ever since he came back from nowhere, and I never will. For me, he is nothing but some fresh vomit that I can never take back, no matter what."Her words cut through the tension like a knife, carrying a raw honesty that left no room for doubt. Ayana's resolve was unwavering as she stood her ground, refusing to let the woman's scornful words diminish her self-worth."And as you said," Ayana continued, her voice rising with conviction, "I am with my man. A man worth being called a man, and not some trash!"With each word, Ayana reclaimed her power, asserting her worth and dignity in the face of adversity. She refused to be defined by the actions of others, standing tall in her truth and righteousness.Robert's once confident demeanor faltered as Ayana's words pierced through his
All eyes turned towards the unexpected newcomer, a tired and heavily pregnant woman standing before them. Ayana's heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight—the woman's weary expression, the telltale swell of her abdomen—indicating she was carrying a child.As confusion clouded Ayana's mind, she searched for answers in the woman's gaze. There was a sense of familiarity—a haunting resemblance to Robert—that sent a chill down Ayana's spine. Could this woman be Robert's wife?What puzzled her was why Robert had suddenly reappeared after six years, pursuing her and their daughter, especially if he had a wife—a pregnant wife, no less.The revelation left Ayana grappling with a myriad of emotions—bewilderment, frustration, and a gnawing sense of unease. She couldn't comprehend why Robert would resurface after all this time, stirring up chaos and turmoil in their lives.The realization hit Ayana like a ton of bricks, her mind reeling at the implications. If this woman was indeed Robert's