-=Martina's Point of View=-While on the ship that would carry me to the main island, I continued to stare out at the immense ocean. I have chosen to board this ship instead of accepting Zeke's offer to fly me to my destination in Zion's chopper.Not because I'm being difficult, but rather because I enjoy the solitude and the opportunity to reflect. I'm assessing everything that happened while aboard this ship.I still can't believe what happened this morning when I saw a picture in Zion's study area that looked exactly like me, which I assumed was Esmeralda. Then I decided to go to Zion's room, where I was surprised to find Kian. Kian's transformation turned him into Zion within a few minutes, if the mystery I already uncovered wasn't enough.That's when I realized the person I love is also my husband, whom I believed I had cheated. Maybe that's why my feelings for Zion are so strong, similar to my feelings for Kian, since they are the same person."Father and son," I whispered with
-=Martina's Point of View=-I automatically turned around to look for the source of that voice, and when I saw who it was, my eyes became watery from the tears that started to flow from them.I couldn't believe I'd run into him at this moment, right when I needed someone. My feet seemed to have a mind of their own, rushing toward him, and I found myself in his open arms before I could even think.Tears poured freely from both of my eyes as I tried to draw strength from the one I knew would never abandon me or hurt me, and most importantly, would never lie to me.He kept whispering near my ear, as if trying to encourage me that everything would be alright, assuring me that everything would be fine. But could things really be fine and return to the way they used to be?I tried to think of my life now that I don't have Kian or Zion in it, and the words that popped into my mind are empty and hollow.I didn't know if I could really go back to normal after everything that happened; it wasn'
-=Martina's Point of View=-My dad said we were home, but why don't I feel like I was home even though I grew up in this place?The first reason that came to mind was the fact that even though I grew up in this place, it was also the place where I experienced being abused and used by my stepmother and my stepsisters until they sold me and forced me to marry someone I didn't know or even met before.I tried hard to think about the happy memory I had in this house, thinking about the time when my mom was still alive and we were living happily here before Fionna and her wicked daughters.I think deeply, and somehow, thinking about my mom helped me to ignore the bad experiences I had in this house, but even though it helped, I still couldn't feel that feeling of being at home."Because this isn't your home anymore, Martina," a small voice at the back of my head said, which I chose to ignore.As I stepped out of the car, I couldn't help but notice the house I'd left behind. It was amazing
-=Martina's Point of View=-"How was your sleep?" my dad asked me when we were having our dinner."It was great; I actually slept peacefully.""That's good then. Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Maybe we could go out and do whatever you want to do; you're the boss," he said, smiling.I looked at my dad with a conflicted expression on my face; actually, I did have plans for tomorrow and the following days, and subconsciously, I looked at Nancy, who was also looking back at me."Actually... that sounds fun."I was supposed to tell him about my plans to go with Nancy, but seeing the excitement on his face made me decide to postpone it. Besides, it has been so long since I enjoyed and bonded with my dad, and I really do miss him.As much as I wanted to unravel the mystery behind Esmeralda and Kian, I decided to postpone my plans for at least a couple of days and spend it with my dad, and just like that, we already planned where we were going.Dad wanted us to go out of town, and it cro
-=Martina's Point of View=-I didn't know how long I was asleep, and I didn't plan on waking up yet; however, I was woken from my sleep by a continuous knock on the door."Next would be Annie's voice," I thought to myself, but I was confused when I didn't hear Annie's voice but instead someone else's."Martina, are you awake? Your dad is waiting for you," I heard Nancy say, so I immediately opened my eyes.I awoke in the familiar surroundings of my room back in our old house, rather than the castle room I had become accustomed to. It occurred to me that I had left Zion's castle after discovering the truth."Martina?" I heard Nancy calling my name again."Yeah, I'm awake; just give me five minutes," I answered, and after that, I heard her footsteps.I took a deep breath and tried to remember everything that happened. I couldn't believe that it had only been more than twenty-four hours since I left the castle, and I couldn't ignore the sadness in my chest.I genuinely missed everyone on
-=Martina's Point of View=-While gazing at Mommy's grave, I couldn't help but reminisce about the joyful memories we shared, but it didn't take long for the pain of her loss to resurface once again.I yearned to take advantage of this time to release all of my bottled-up emotions and let my tears run freely, but the fact that Dad was behind me kept me from doing so. I didn't want him to see my tears again, knowing that it would only add to the burden of grief he was already carrying after losing Mom and having been in an accident."Sorry, Mom, if I only got to visit now. I miss you, and Dad misses you so much," I said in a gentle voice.I felt my dad putting his arm on my shoulder as if he were giving me the comfort I needed because I really do miss Mom.After that, there was quiet between us; there were moments when words were unnecessary to express our emotions, and this is one of those instances.I was talking to Mom in my head, and when I caught a glimpse of Dad, I knew he was do
-=Martina's Point of View=-The following day, Dad decided to return to work, but before leaving, he made sure to share breakfast with me first."What do you plan on doing later?" he asked."Nothing much; I was planning to just stay at home, or maybe I could just go out and buy something," I said."Okay, if you wanted to leave, you could use the car instead of commuting; it's much more convenient that way.""Okay," I said.I planned to ask Nancy to drive me just in case I decided to go out; we could also buy the things we might need once we leave tomorrow. Speaking of Nancy, she continued addressing me as her mistress, and I didn't stop her anymore, since, in a way, I kind of missed hearing that. When I heard her calling me that, it made me feel like I was still in the castle.I walked with Dad and watched him leave, and when I could no longer see his car, I decided to look for Nancy so we could talk about our plans for tomorrow.I found Nancy in the kitchen; she was busy cleaning the
-=Martina's Point of View=-"What do you mean it's not real? Are you saying that my wedding ring is a fake?" I asked in disbelief."Unfortunately, that is right, miss. It may look real, but upon closer inspection, I confirmed that this isn't made of real gold and diamonds," he said.He continued his explanation, but to be honest, the details slipped my mind as my focus wandered. However, a feeling of suspicion washed over me as I spotted them exchanging secretive glances."Could it be?" I thought to myself."Well, there you have it; you heard it from the expert; your ring was indeed fake, and just as we agreed on, you would go out with...""Actually, I wanted to have a second opinion," I suddenly said, cutting him off."Come on, don't be a sour loser," Benz said."Perhaps I am, or perhaps the test results were incorrect," I said nonchalantly."Are you telling me that I tested your ring wrong?" The employee of the shop said indignation was written on his face."Yes, but was it wrong to