“N-no, I don’t…mhmmp!” Therese pulled Raven’s chest with all her might but he is way stronger than her. She couldn’t help the tears streaming down her face now. “Mine.” Raven growled as he kissed her deeply, passionately. She could taste alcohol in his tongue. She could smell the scents of other women who clung to him. She could see Erika’s face when she closed her eyes. And maybe it was the alcohol but she suddenly felt a pang of possessiveness in her heart. Raven swallowed her moans and she countered his heated kisses with as much passion, biting his lower lip until it bled. “Fuck.”“You’re mine too! They can’t have you…S-she can’t have you.” Therese hooked her legs around Raven’s lower back. She didn’t need to elaborate further for him to know who she’s talking about. “Always been yours, darling.”“‘Mm sorry. I’m sorry.” He kissed her like there’s no tomorrow."No matter what happens, I'm gonna be yours." There was desperation in his voice and touches.The sloppy sound of their
“Huh? Where am I?” Aly groaned, parting her heavy eyelids slowly. Her throat is as dry as sandpaper and her head is throbbing like crazy. God, opening her eyes must’ve been the worst decision she made in her life! The moment a streak of light assaulted her blurry vision, her headache only intensified. But she fought through the pain. Aly forced her body to move as she made sense of her surroundings. First thing’s first, the sheets smelled different and she’s cold. Why is she cold when the sun is shining brightly outside? Her body felt sore too, like she just ran a marathon to save her life. Every hair in her body stood as she let the comforter slide on her skin revealing…her naked form?!“Ghghh…” Someone stirred awake beside her, instantly sending her heart banging wildly in her chest. The voice is deep and husky. She’s sore.She’s naked.With a man beside her. In a completely unknown room. She was fucked. Literally. As she fit her current situation like puzzle pieces in her he
All adults do is lie. Keith grumpily watched the center stage. He felt an ache in his chest that he couldn’t quite describe as he saw his father looking in love with another woman aside from Therese. But what he couldn’t understand even more is the fact that beside her, his nanny is clapping and smiling as she focuses on the two in front. Wasn't she supposed to be jealous or something like that? He thought that she’s in love with his dad?He still hates her for giving up on him. He hates her for falling in love with his dad. He hates his dad for being with women after women and for treating Therese like she’s no different from them! Keith made an internal oath that when he grows up, he wouldn’t be like him. Actually, he hates everyone in the room, especially the people who couldn’t see behind his father’s lying eyes! He resents his grandfather for letting this whole thing happen.But most importantly, he hates himself because he’s already used to his nanny’s presence. And that for
As soon as she sensed the hunger behind Raven’s last message, Therese wasted no time and searched for the nearest empty room in the hall. She was holding her phone so tightly, she feared it might break. “Therese, right?”Shit, some staff members from the events team recognized her.“Y-yes! Can I help you?” She awkwardly smiled before hiding her phone in her pocket. She could sense its constant vibration through the fabric. Raven can’t wait anymore. And so was she.“You’re just in time. Can you please check if we still have beer mugs in the stockroom? Seems like there are more guests coming.” The other girl shrugged her shoulders as she looked down to emphasize that she’s got her hands full of boxes. Therese found the perfect opportunity. “Uh, sure! I’ll go check. It might take a while, though. If someone from the team looks for me, please tell them to go on without me.” “Sure. No worries!” Therese was delighted. She almost sprinted to the door halfway opened on her right. When she
Jayce wasn’t the type to make his presence big on any occasion. He prefers to stay away from the camera flashes and public scrutiny. Having that lowkey attitude is how he found himself alone at his best friend’s engagement party, sipping an expensive wine at the back of the crowd. The picture taking was over and the groom and the bride-to-be exited the stage. Jayce brought out his phone and typed a simple message addressed to Raven. Just wanted to let your stupid ass know, Therese didn’t accept your father’s offer. And then, he walks away. —-A week has passed since the engagement party. One week since Therese was left radio-silenced by Raven and Keith. Her chest suddenly felt tight and her eyes stinged from the stubborn tears that wouldn’t go away. She planned to talk to Keith about it and squeeze some honesty out of his system. She knows he wouldn’t lie for no reason. But the little kid wasn’t in his room this morning. Therese sniffled as she swiped right to her camera roll, r
“No.” Audible gasps filled the hall. The guests were clearly confused.“N-no?” His face turned sour, suddenly embarrassed by the whole situation. Therese, on the other hand, grinned like a fool as she felt butterflies flying around her stomach. The crowd who watched Raven get down on one knee and declare his love for her suddenly turned to one another and exchanged whispers. On the far right, the older Montefalco was seething while Raven’s father smirked slightly as he closed his eyes. But Therese couldn’t care less. If she's being honest, she feels like she’s on cloud nine!She held Raven’s hand before pulling him to his feet. “It’s not gonna be no forever, silly. I just want you to work hard for it.” She tiptoed and planted a kiss on his right cheek, making sure that the photographers caught the exact moment. She didn't know where her sudden boldness was coming from.Raven seemed to be too stunned to speak. He stood frozen on the ground, the tips of his ears turning pink. In the en
“D-don’t tell me, we’re going to ride…that.” Raven’s face almost contorted in discontent as the city bus stopped right in front of them. “Yup.” Their timing was terrible. It was currently a busy hour, so people flooded the public waiting shed, patient for their turn. Therese was used to this. But the hesitant man beside her was clearly not. She chuckled at his reaction. “Come on!” “Wait, wait!” When they were inside, commuters filled every space in the bus. It was a rare occasion that the transportation was this full, causing Therese and Raven to stand all throughout the ride. But she was having fun! On the other hand, Raven was irritated and worries to no end. “No way, this is ridiculous! What if we suddenly tripped and–” “You won’t fall.” “It’s dangerous! You used to do this everyday?” He was sweating so badly now. “Oh my god, relax! You’ll be fine. Just grab the handle over there and stand firm.” She pointed towards the metal bar above his head and Raven did as he
Therese’s breath was caught between her lungs. If Raven wasn’t holding her petite figure securely, she had long fallen to the cold tiles for sure. Blood rushed to her ears and she could hear the fast beating of her own heart.Did she hear him right? "R-raven, I…” "Her words were cut short when he dove straight to the crook of her neck and assaulted her sensitive spot with tender and possessive kisses at once. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation rather than entertain her confusion. “You don’t have to say it back right now.” He said it so gently, so tenderly.But his actions were the complete opposite of tender. He tightened his hold on her body, groaning as he rutted mindlessly on her center. The action sent electric pleasure up her spine that made Therese moan loud. Raven’s tongue traveled from the column of her neck to her ear right ear, nibbling it after. The hot saliva that grazed her skin was almost too much. He swallowed the delicious sounds she was making in a d
It was chaos the moment they sent their feet off the plane. “Aren’t those the Desmonds?” They didn’t get to give them the raisin bread they bought on the way.“What are they doing here?!” Therese’s fruit basket lay untouched.“So they’re here to bring down our town with them in the dirt, huh?!”Keith’s chocolate cake that he personally picked for the people is now melted.“Mayor, what’s the meaning of this?” "We just saw the news! Mayor, what do you take us for?!"Instead of being greeted by warm welcome, Leonor didn’t expect that daggers and glares would be thrown their way straight at Nelle’s office door. “Listen to me. I have good reasons why I brought them here, alright? Let’s talk this out in a proper meeting.” Nelle pinched the skin between her brows. She was tired from the flight and this kind of greeting wasn’t helping at all. “Tsss.” Raven looked around his surroundings. If it weren't for the atmosphere that her mother's subordinates set on their family image, he would
“Are you sure this is okay?” “Mmmm. It’s fine. They’re all asleep.” Raven swallowed whatever protests Therese was about to say with hungry kisses. He cupped her cheeks and pressed their bodies together in the cramped space of the aircraft lavatory. It was hot, narrow, and thrilling. It was getting harder to draw a breath hearing her moans and feeling her chest pressed against his skin. The moment the plane steadied its flight on air, Raven secretly held her thighs on their seats before motioning towards the lavatory so they could sneak from his parents and kid. He pushed the small lock sidewards, making sure that no one would catch them in an awkward situation.He gave her butt cheeks a few squeezes, never cutting their tongues' circling motion against each other. Therese wasted no time and hiked her left leg up to snake it around Raven's torso. His knees pressed against her mound. He knew where to seek her pleasure."Ah!" A certain lewd sound came out from her when he carried her
“I’m so glad that you’ve been living in a comfortable house like this.” If it was a different person that said those words, Raven would have felt irritated. But hearing his mother’s voice devoid of any sarcasm or mockery made all of his emotions mix together in a whirlpool of joy and guilt. If he was being honest, he had already forgotten how sweet her voice was until he heard it again now. "It's not a big deal, mom." That must be the wrong response."It is for me! I needed to know that my son was doing well in my absence." He swallowed hard. How could she look at him with the same loving eyes? How could she not resent him?Her mother was oblivious of his longing gaze. Raven watched her side profile silently as her face lit up the moment she drank in his house's interior luxury. Her mother was a lot older now. there were crow feet in the corner of her eyes everytime she smiles that weren't there before."Have you learned how to cook?" She asked with a teasing grin when they reache
“A mayor in that small town, really?” He stared at her. He drank her long, brown locks and small dimples that appear just below the corner of her rosy lips every time she smiles. Nelle's cheeks were no longer hollow and the crow feet that rested on the sides of her eyes that weren't there before added to her aged beauty. She was as beautiful as the years they spent together. “Yup. I know I don’t look like the type so don't start with me."Leonor laughed. He laughed! He didn't know he still had it in him to laugh. Grasping his teacup gently while hiding his shaky hands was no easy task. He couldn't believe that his conversation with Nelle would be this easy, light-hearted, after all these years. "No. I just...you surprised me. That's all." And I am proud of you, he added in his head. He was afraid to blink for he fears that if he does so, she would disappear again. In his dreams, he often sees her wearing a look of contempt and hatred strong enough to torment him even in his wak
"Dad, is it true?""I don't know who leaked that fake news. It wasn't true."But people wouldn't believe them, of course.Raven gripped his phone tightly, a sense of little relief washed over his flaring anger the moment heard his father's reassuring voice."I'll meet with the team today. We've got this under control. You and Therese must lay low for now. Got it?""Right. I'll talk to you soon." He ended the call.Pressing his lips in a thin line, Raven headed towards the curtain-clad window where the sounds camera flashes and various media devices were heard. The moment that fake news broke, hundreds of media personnel immediately swarmed outside his house, hoping to land a statement from him. Their breakfast was long forgotten."Why don't I go out and talk to them?" Therese peeped at the smallest crack with a worried look on her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her face paled in anxiety. Raven closed the window entirely as he embraced her from behind. "That will not be a good i
1 MONTH LATER“Did you know about mom?” Leonor stared at Raven with an unnerving look he saw in his father's eyes for the first time. If he squinted a little, he could tell that he was sweating profusely under the collar of his suit. The older Desmond clenched his jaw. "Are you here to deliver some bad news?" This time, it was Raven's turn to gawk. His eyebrows were pinched as he opened his mouth to ask his father what he meant, only to close it again when he realized he must have the wrong idea. "Did you read in one of your brother's letters that something bad happened to your mom?" "No, dad. Listen--" "I reached out to her, you know." Leonor stood up and walked towards the window of his office. He hid his hands in his pockets while staring at the magnificent view of skyscrapers in midday. "When I sensed that things were going bad, I snuck out a letter addressed to them only for it to be sent back to me." His father's honesty caught his attention. Whatever explanation Raven was
“W-what? What do you mean I…I lost the baby?” Therese knew what the doctor meant. She was just not ready to accept the truth. Her lips quivered when silence met her question. She felt Raven snake his arms around her tighter. “The fetus was not strong enough to endure the stress that you’ve been subjected to. If you’re planning to get pregnant again in the future, I suggest that you take it easy.” The doctor said before excusing himself and giving the couple their much needed privacy. Therese bowed her head and let her tears fall. The pain in her abdominal area might have disappeared now but a different kind of ache sparked in her chest. She was a failure. She couldn’t protect her child. “It’s not your fault, baby. I’m here.” Raven pulled her head to his chest, letting his clothes get soaked by her tears. She clutched the end of his shirt as she sobbed the content of her hearts out in the open. "I...I didn't even think of a name yet and now, they're g-gone." Her own saliva choked
PAST"A letter from the other kid, madam." Leonor's wife rolled her eyes in annoyance. If her memory isn't deceiving her, she was sure that this was probably the tenth letter that Warren kid has given to the house, addressed to his brother. Over her dead body, she will allow Raven to see it. "These pests are getting on her nerves! Is it not enough that we've shouldered that stupid woman's medical expenses already?! Now, they're clinging onto us for more riches!" She rambled before stepping forward and pulling the envelope from the butler. She didn't bother opening it anymore. Lifting it in the air for one final judging gaze, Alliah was about to tear the paper apart when Leonor's voice echoed around the big room. "What are you doing, Alliah?" Her eyes widened in panic. A cold sweat ran down her spine as she forced a genuine smile before turning around and facing her husband. "Leonor! I didn't see you there." She hid the envelope behind her dress. He stomped angrily across the roo
The moment those words left her mouth, Warren wasted no time and sent her his address. First step of the mission, done! “Be careful on your way, if anything bad happens, you know what button to press.” Raven kissed her forehead and held her in a loving embrace to soothe her bubbling anxiety. Behind them, Leonor spoke the reassurance she badly needed. “We’ve got your back. You have nothing to be scared about.” He handed the recorder to be hidden in her clothes. Therese smiled as she looked around the space, seeing a few police officers setting up their laptops and radio frequency devices. Inhale. Exhale. She got this. They will take down that monster no matter what.“I’m ready.” —-----"I can't reach her. Do you think she will be fine?"Aly bit the corner of her nails in anxiety. She heard about the plan from Jayce. In fact, the two of them offered some help but Raven and his father told them to stay put for now. "Trust in them, baby. Therese is a strong girl. You, out of all peo