ZOE LOVES the game, pretending. But right now, she can’t guarantee herself if she wants to act like she and Amanda were okay. Because literally, they’re not.It irritates her how Amanda moves, talks, and even smiles—it seems mendacious. Fake. If only she didn’t give respect, she might have knocked her cousin down and kicked Amanda’s ass out of the house.Amanda must be thankful that she’s trying to control her temper. Zoe may loathe her cousin, but not the little angel beside her. Amanda’s son had nothing to do with her mother’s mess.The kid is innocent. His mother is not.“So, where did you stay when you were cast out of here?” Zoe emphasized the words’ cast out.’Amanda then looked up and put down the spoon she was holding, and she smiled at her.‘Bitch.’“I was in Paris.”Zoe was fed up with her daughter first before turning to her sister. “So, you were enlightened not to end the life of your innocent child, am I right?”“Zoe!” Iris and Millie uttered in unison.She shrugged her s
THINGS HAPPEN unexpectedly, and there’s no doubt about that. But all we could do to blend in is to accept the fact that we can’t bring back what was already happened. All we have to do is move on because that’s how life goes. The world is round, so in your life, we may sometimes in the top, and we may sometimes be below. We may experience all-day happiness, and we may share all-day sorrows. We must always look on the bright side. That’s all we can do to help ourselves to move on. Accept. Move on. Life circulates. Then it will produce peace and harmony.Life is more challenging when we struggle. And Zoe realized all things within when Helios told her to trust him.Since the day that day, the guy has always come along. He always visits them after his work. Zoe felt pity for the man because he would have to drop by just to see her daughter. She knew that the man was busy all day and he seemed tired, but he was just hiding it behind his smile. Yes, Helios smiles a lot in front of her dau
AFTER DINNER, Zoe and her daughter went to her room, and Helios followed them. She then told the man to watch over her daughter as she took a shower. The man agreed, and he played with her daughter while waiting for her.“Da-da,” said the little girl, and Helios smiled.“Can you say it one more time, sweetie?” asked Helios tenderly.The little girl giggled and tried to reach Helios’s face. Helios then moves closer to her daughter. “Da-da!”Helios laughed. He took the child out of her crib and lifted it. He kissed the child on the cheek, and the child imitated what he did, which made him even happier.The scene was melting Zoe’s heart. She had just come out of the bathroom and was wearing her nightgown.“You seem to have fun?” she said.Helios turned around and faced her. At the same time, her daughter is leaning on the man’s shoulder.“I think her first word is da-da,” he said.Zoe smiled. “Yes, and it’s kind of frustrating. I was the one who carried her for nine months… took care of
DUE to the death threat that Helios has been receiving, he convinced Zoe and her family to leave California and get back to Manhattan. At first, Zoe didn’t like the idea because her aunt’s café was in Cali, but considering the danger, she then agreed, and they couldn’t believe that Helios put them in a private subdivision, and they got the chance to live in a mansion.A red Ferrari stopped in front of the mansion. The men in black ran to the front gate. They pulled out their guns and aimed at the vehicle.Zoe, who is currently in the control room of the mansion, is also worried. She walks back and forth as she looks at the monitors. She’s worrying that the person inside the expensive red car might be a suicide bomber or what. Coincidentally, Helios isn’t there yet. Helios said that he needed to attend an important meeting in Brooklyn.Her eyes widened when she recognized the person who got out of the car. “Open the gate. Do not shoot,” she said with her authoritative voice. The men ou
“MAN! What’s wrong with you? Why did you kill them? Are you insane?”The man smiled. “They deserved it. It was just a simple task, but they failed to do it. And that woman, I gave her a chance before to get closer to Helios, what did she do? She gave up! A coward! The same goes with that asshole! Useless creatures. And that Amanda, she’s really pissing me off!”“What’s really your plan? And what did Helios do to you… that you’re acting this way?”The man looked at him sharply. He stood up and recklessly cocked the gun and aimed it in front. “Why are you asking so many questions? Huh?” the man shouted.The guy raises his two hands. “Chill, I’m on your side.”The man who was holding the gun laughed and touched the head of the gun to his face. He kissed it.‘Crazy,’ the man thought as he saw how he kissed the tip of his gun.“Get out of here. I might lose my temper and kill you,” the man said, and he followed.“I’ll repeat. I’m on your side. Whatever your problem with Helios—Whatever you
THE NEXT day, her mom and aunt flew to California without telling her goodbye. They were already gone when she woke up. She hit her head. They had thought of everything. She was also not surprised to see Helios swimming in their pool.Helios said, "Good morning."“You’re early. You don’t have work?” she inquired. She doesn't want to see Helios naked as much as she can, but her eyes and body won't let her.She grabbed the towel from the top of the lounge chair and held it out to Helios. “Get up there. Let's have some breakfast."He shouldn't show his body just yet. She turned her head. She narrowed her eyes when she saw their two maids, who she thinks is about her age, peeking and laughing. When they saw her, the two of them left.Helios grinned. It seems like Trinity doesn't want other people to see his body.“Don’t worry, my body is only yours,” he joked. Even though it's true, all of him was for Zoe only."Shut up! Get up there!” Zoe said, then sped off.When Helios saw what Zoe did
HELIOS’S bodyguard opened the passenger seat; Zoe then entered. Helios handed over her daughter and turned to the driver's seat. They look like a happy and complete family; the difference is that they still have many unsolved puzzles and problems. But they always believe that those things have an end.“Why did you say that we’ll eat at your restaurant? What’s your plan?” Zoe asked.Helios turned to her and grinned. “It’s bait. I’m sure your sister already tips the information to her boss.”“What? What if they will blow up your restaurant? You still have your employees there. How about the innocent people eating there?” shocked, flustered Zoe's face. Yes, she understands Helios’s plan, but what if innocent people will get hurt because of it?"V Reseau was closed since yesterday," Helios answered, and she was expecting that."You really have plans. Care to share it?" she asked.Helios started the car engine and turned the steering wheel to the right. "I don't want you to be involved—yes
ZOE WATCHES how Helios puts their daughter to sleep. All the emotions she had seen in the man's eyes were genuine. She knew that Helios really loved her and their daughter. Despite all the challenges they've been through, Helios shows her how he truly feels. She can't question his feelings for her anymore. If he asks her for marriage, she won’t hesitate to say yes.She smiled when the man successfully laid their daughter on her new bed. They’re in Helios’s room, which happens to be the master’s bedroom. There’s a room built for their child, but she’s still breastfeeding Hela, so she can’t let her child alone inside the room.Helios turned to her and went closer.“You may take a shower if you want to,” he said.She let out a soft chuckle. “How about you?”Helios smirked. “Is that an invite?”Her eyes widened when she realized what he meant. “Crazy,” she uttered and stood up. “Do I have dresses here? Undies… brassiere?”Helios pointed to the walk-in closet next to the bathroom.“Thanks,
ZOE’S POVStanding in the hallway, in front of the open door… is Helios. He was holding our daughter’s hand.Is my third eye open as well? I did the sign of a cross and closed my eyes. Lord, God, I may badly want to see him, but this shocked me. I opened my eyes, and he was still there.I also heard the seemingly suppressed laughter of those with me inside.He smiled at me, which made my heart thumps so fast that I could even overhear it. Astonishment registered on my face. Confused…What is this?"Mommy, daddy!" Hela shouted.I looked down at the bouquet of roses that he was holding. It has assorted colors.What’s going on? I turned my gaze to my parents to find an answer. But they just nodded.I backed away when Helios started to walk inward. Our daughter was still next to him, smiling. Helios’s face remains calm as he slowly walks toward me.He stopped a few inches away from me."Baby," his soft voice almost feels so unreal.I shook my head. My vision started to blur again. My hear
ZOE’S POVWhen we got inside the hospital, and inside Helios’s room, I fell on the floor, crying incessantly. They were all inside Helios’s room. Helios is already covered with a white blanket. The apparatuses are also gone.I no longer knew who had pulled me up and led me near him.He gave up!He didn't fight for me... for us.God never answered my prayers.Why?Why do I have to feel this agony?Why do I have to experience this epic romance? I thought things like this would just be in a movie.I immediately hugged his corpse.Corpse?No. I didn’t know what to feel as I hugged his body. Why didn’t he fight for me… for us? Why did he let this happen? Did he not miss us? He promised me. He’s a fighter, but why?“Why?! I screamed. “Why did you leave us? Why did you let go?! You promised that you were going to marry me. You’re being unfair! You’re leaving me alone again while I deliver our child. I want… I also wanted to you—"“Zoe, calm down. Breathe, sweetie. Slowly… Something might hap
ZOE’S POVSIX MONTHS.Six months had passed swiftly, but Helios was still not waking up. There’s still no progress. And I almost wanted to give up, but I knew he was trying to fight. He’s trying to come back for me… for us. And every single thought of losing him almost tears me apart.How many medications have been injected into him? I lost count.I pray every day, especially when I’m on his side, holding his hand, pressing it, and talking to him. I know there’s still hope. And I believe a miracle could exist.Our daughter turned one about a month ago. We celebrated it inside his room, trying to lighten the atmosphere that day, but even if we tried hard, we all knew we couldn’t. We can’t be happy, seeing Helios lying on this hospital bed, apparatuses plunged into some parts of his body and sleeping so sound that it gives a false alarm—that he will let go at any moment.Damn it! May God forgives me. Many people out there wanted to take themselves for useless things. Why should it be hi
“WHAT a cute family?!” shouted Bill and laughed. “Do you think things will be easy just like that? I’m not a fool, Helios. If I die, I will drag you down. And I’m going to take this building down. Now, let’s play, finding the bombs,” he said and grinned.“Helios...”Helios kissed Zoe on her forehead, “Everything’s going to be fine. Let’s get you out,” he said. “Don’t let them escape. Take all of them out of this building!”They were about to leave when Amanda screamed. Her sister’s attention was on Beige. Helios turned to them.“Sir, the bomb in him is activated,” one of the assassins said.“I told you. I’m not a fool, Helios!” shouted Bill, who the two men were holding.Her eyes widened as she trembled because of fear. The timer is only one minute and twenty seconds. Her eyes were enveloped by tears again, as she was afraid of what she was seeing. But Helios led her out. Her chest was heavy as she left the place.“Helios, where’s Sam and Cindy,” she asked between her sobs.“Grant to
BILL came out from an old room and laughed as he pointed a gun at Helios.“Hello, Helios,” he said demonically.The man stopped a few meters from where Helios was. “So, Helios… let’s start some convo, shall we? How are you, my brother?” asked Bill as the muzzle of the gun still aimed at Helios.On the other hand, Helios remained calm that even if he wanted to blow Bill’s head off, he couldn’t because his loved ones were inside.“I’m not your brother,” he replied emphatically.The man laughed. He put down his gun, and his men pointed theirs at Helios.Zoe wiggles and tries to speak even though Helios can’t understand them. Helios glanced at her, and pity registered in the young man’s eyes. And his heart pounded fast when he saw his daughter lying on a wooden table, sleeping as Bea patted her.“Do you like what you see, Helios?” asked Bill.Helios turned to Bill. “No. Let’s end this. Let them go, and you can have me. I’m the only one you need, right?” he said and gritted his teeth.Bill
“I’m begging, Bill. Please, let us go. And please, let me hold my daughter,” Zoe pleaded.Her heart was almost broken because of the constant crying of her daughter, who Bea was holding. They give her milk in the bottle, but her daughter is still dependent on her—she’s breastfeeding the child.How cruel will they be?“B-Bea, please, let me hold my daughter! Let me go!” Her voice was cracked, trying to hold back her tears. “Let me go… let me go,” she said, almost whispering.Bill just laughed while he could see her suffering. What a demon!“That’s right. Feel my wrath, Zoe—Helios’s kryptonite that can serve to be the source of his death,” he said and devilishly laughed along with her daughter’s loud cries.“L-Let me hold my daughter…” she said weakly. She felt dory for her daughter, who won’t stop crying.She doesn’t know where they are. They were immediately blindfolded when they saw the driver on their way to Batangas. When those demons removed their blindfolds, they saw tall trees.
HELIOS went out early to visit Grant’s twin brother, but those guards outside Gunner’s room were already dead when they arrived. They didn’t see any gunshots because all his men were drugged to death, and Gunner was missing.“Damn that, Bill!” Grant murmured as he punched the wall.Ali approached him and touched his left shoulder. “Calm down, Grant. Don’t let your rage eat you.”“How the shits I can calm down? He took Gun—he took my brother!”Helios then let Ali calm his cousin. He massages his temple. Bill is getting on his nerves.“He already found out that we knew his plan and Gunner’s betrayal! And I’m sure he’ll kill Gun! That psychopath will think that Gunner talked about his plans to us. Fuck!”"We need to go back," said Helios."Where to?" asked Calyx.“At home,” Helios replied and twitched the doorknob, and went out of the room. He pulled out his cell phone and called someone to remove the corpses inside the room before the police could see them.When he hung up, his phone ra
THE NEXT day, Helios and his friends leave early. Cindy and Sam decided then that they would stay for a while.“You didn’t come down last night, huh, Zoe? What did you do inside the room?” asked Cindy, carrying her daughter. After bathing her daughter and dressing her, Cindy immediately took the little girl.“Yeah. You left us with those jerks downstairs,” Sam complained while busy tying her shoelaces.Zoe was delighted that Sam could get along and erased the awkwardness.Zoe just shook her head and returned things to her daughter’s bag. “We just talked,” she replied.“Really? Just talking… no touching?” asked Cindy.She rolled her eyes and shook her head.“Ah, that’s why there are hickeys on the top of your left chest and neck?” asked Sam and grinned.“Oh. My. Gosh! Is that hickeys?” uttered Cindy and laughed along with Sam.At that time, she wants to be swallowed by the ground. When she finished, she acted as if she was not affected by the teasing from her friends.“We will be going
IT WAS ten o’clock in the evening when Helios got home. Zoe’s friend is still in the house, and both decided to do a sleepover. Hela Selene was already asleep upstairs. She’s with their maid named Bea.Helios went home not alone. He’s with this guy named Ali, together with Grant and Calyx. She smiled when she saw the reaction of her friend, Cindy. Cindy spits the water she’s drinking when she sees Calyx.They were busy watching when the men arrived. Cindy is at the edge where she back faces the main door—she didn’t expect the arrival of Calyx.Helios approached her and kissed her on the forehead. “Where’s Hela?” he asked.She was about to answer when Cindy and Sam started to tease her. They’ve repeatedly been saying the words, ‘long table’. At the same time, Helios's companions began to whistle.She shook her head and smiled. Then she looked at Helios again. “She’s already asleep. What took you so long?”Helios sat down beside her, and he put his arm around her. He leaned the back of