Natalia's POV"How dare you?" Antonia exclaimed, her face red with anger.It took me great resolve to control the laughter threatening to erupt from my belly."Girl, relax. I was just giving a general warning. Why are you getting all worked up?" I asked scornfully. I'm sure you can replace any artifacts you break. You know, maybe we should give it a...""That's enough!" A voice rang out, commanding attention.Everyone's gaze shifted to the source of the voice. There, we saw Ligia and Luis walk in. The man seemed to have an air of pride looming over him. It was clear he wanted to show off."What's going on here? My fiancee told me you ladies have grown past throwing shades at each other, but it seems she made a mistake," Luis complained, his hands clasped in Rose's."I'm sorry, Mr. Lopez. Natalia insulted me, and I couldn't take it," Antonia whined like a child, stomping her feet on the ground.I felt Luis's lewd gaze on me. It was disgusting, but I had to endure and use it to my advan
Joyce's POV"Thank you very much for taking good care of Rafael. I'm truly grateful," I said, expressing my appreciation to the woman standing before me.She seemed pleased as she smiled sweetly. "You're welcome, Joyce. He's been a good boy since day one. Though he's a little naughty, like any kid his age, he's a bright child. The day he answered the teacher's question, I instantly knew he was quite brilliant and must have gotten it from his parent's good genes."I blushed hard as Adrian's face popped into my head."I guess so," I muttered, avoiding her gaze."Are you okay, mommy?" Rafael asked his innocent gaze on me."Of course, darling. I'm okay," I replied with a soft voice."But your face is all red," He retorted with a cute frown."Oh, is it? It must be the weather," I said. Let's go home.""Byee, Madame Pat," Rafael's babyish voice echoed through the room."Hahaha... Bye, Rafael," Madame Pat chuckled heartily, shifting her gaze to me. "Goodnight, Joyce.""Goodnight, Madame Pat.
Adrian's POV"Wow! Did you make some changes to this house?" my mom asked the moment we stepped out of the car.I nodded in reply. "Yes, I renovated it to suit my taste."A frown rested between her brows as her eyes scanned the entire surroundings. "I hope my room is still the same?""Yes, Mom. It's just as you left it—full of items you have yet to touch," I replied with a hint of sarcasm. Sebastian ensured the maid cleaned it up anytime she came to do her job.""Oh, is that so?" Her eyes lit up as she hastened her steps into the house.As usual, Sebastian was at the door waiting to welcome me.His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at my mother. "Madame Luisa, it's so lovely to see you again.""It's nice to see you again, Sebastian," my mother smirked. I can see you've gotten robust within the few years I was away.""Well, Master has been treating me well," Sebastian replied with sincerity dripping from his words."Hmm... He's quite a gentleman, isn't he?" my mother uttered mischi
Natalia's POVAfter Carmen and Ruiz left, Antonia never, for a second, stopped running her mouth. Even the others were getting tired of her boring, repetitive talk. Ligia kept busy on her phone while Sergio continued with his meal. All this time, Luis's gaze was lustfully fixed on me.It made me wonder whether Ligia was unaware of the kind of man she was engaged to or if she knew and was simply pretending to be blind to it. His persistent stare made my skin crawl; I needed to excuse myself.I stood up slowly from my seat, my eyes on Ligia. "Ligia, I need to use the restroom. Where is it?"She raised her head and pointed to her right. "The restroom is down the hall, second door on your left.""Thank you," I said in a low voice as I caught Luis's mischievous smirk. I felt he was up to something, but I dismissed it.I followed the directions and found the restroom designated for females. I pushed the door open and walked in.The restroom was spotless and had an automatic hand dryer, scen
Gabriel's POVI couldn't stop smiling gleefully as I watched Natalia go about her morning activities, humming a song known to her alone. She had arrived home last night, and had thankfully gone to bed without causing any scene.It could only mean she hadn't noticed the glitch in the system after Ivan had found a way to manipulate the cameras she installed in my office. Now,she wouldn't even notice when I leave the office,or stay out for too long.A light tap on my shoulder cut short my musings."Gabby, are you okay?" Natalia's voice rang in the silence.I nodded in reply. "Yes.""Are you sure? I know that look very well. Is there something I need to know? Are you hiding something from me my love?" she probed further."There's nothing, Natalia. I'm just thinking about how good today is going to be," I replied, trying to mask my excitement. “ Birds are chirping excitedly, the sun is shinning brightly and the wind is humming a beautiful tune.”She looked at me with deep skepticism. "Don
Elizabeth's POVThe previous incidents from the blind date kept replaying in my mind as I stood in the middle of the garden, enjoying the cool breeze, which soothed and comforted my aching heart.Javier had ensured he got rid of everything that might remind me of the pains, but it was inevitable. I didn't want to forget. I wanted to feel the pain, so it served as a reminder and fueled my resolve for revenge."Madame, breakfast is ready," came a female voice behind me, and I turned to respond."Wait a little bit, Jimena. Javier is on his way," I said. I want to have breakfast with him.""Okay, madame," Jimena replied with a bow.I gazed piercingly at her as she walked away. Though skeptical about getting a maid, I didn't know what I needed to do to ensure my well-being. Now, I was weighing the possibility of her being one of my pawns and allies, just like Javier.The doorbell ringing snapped me out of my thoughts, and moments later, Javier walked in."Elizabeth, how are you?" He asked
Joyce's POVThe day of the celebratory party crept up surprisingly fast. It took me almost an hour to select a suitable dress for the occasion. Even Rafael kept staring at me like I was a stranger.It was my first gathering in two years, so I needed to look my best. After much consideration, I finally settled for a navy blue tailored A-line dress with a fitted bodice and flared skirt that hit just above the knees. It had cap sleeves for added coverage.I slipped on my heels and grabbed a designer bag I had kept in my possession for a long time. I had purchased it with my money, so it felt comfortable to use.Standing in front of the mirror, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness."Yay, mommy, you look pweddy," Rafael complimented in his tiny voice, pointing at me with his chubby fingers.I turned to look at him. "I do?""Yeth, mommy," he replied, jumping up and giggling excitedly.I carried him up, kissing him lightly on his cheek."Thank you, darling," I whispere
Joyce's POV"Thank you, sir," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. I could tell my face was red because of the heat washing up from my neck. I couldn't believe I was blushing at a harmless compliment."You should get back to your table," Adrian said, pulling me from my trance. Embarrassment washed over me as I realized I’d been standing there staring at him for far too long.I walked back to my seat, cross-checking, proofreading, reviewing—anything I could do to keep myself busy until 12 p.m. I glanced occasionally at him, only to find his face buried deep in the documents on his table.'Rafael's father,' I said inwardly. It was such an irony—the same man Rafael was pestering me about. I felt the urge to walk to him and slap him in the face for forgetting me and leaving me alone with our child, but it wasn't going to make any sense.If I'd really wanted him to know, I should have mentioned it the first day I stepped into his office for the job interview.A knock on the door sn