Nathalie’s POV I stared at the house with bitterness. “Don’t get too disappointed, Nathalie. There’s still a bunch we could pay a visit,” I smiled to let her know that her kindness reached me. “Careful,” her warm hands helped me until I sat down. I did not know pregnancy could be this hard. Samantha handed me a bottle of water and a sandwich. “Should I go with you to your check-up tomorrow?” “I know you’re busy, Sam. You don’t have to do this for me, really,” Harries nagged me to have a weekly check-up. She’s been a little overreacting since the incident with Vie, but I could understand. I had cut it to every two weeks. I could not visit her that much since I was also busy looking for Johannes. Six months... it had been that long since I last saw him. The engagement ring he proposed with itches my ring finger every now and then. My pregnancy is challenging since the baby is quite sensitive. Even minor accidents could cost him his life. Yeah, Harries told me it’s gonna be a bo
Clinton was about to enter the room when he heard the two best friends arguing. He did not mean to eavesdrop, but he could not step away as well. Harries saw him outside but did not tell him off. She just walked out in a fast manner. 'She must be really pissed,' Clinton knew how level-headed Harries was because she's a surgeon down to her core. It even surprises him how the woman could act so calm every time, but this must be her limit; this must be the end of how much Harries could tolerate."Are you alright?" Clinton placed a paper bag on the table. "It's a salad from Ysabel," now that he's appropriately seeing Nathalie, Clinton could understand where Harries's anger comes from. She had been standing as Nathalie's guardian since then and must be mad that the woman does not care about her health well enough. Nathalie had always been that way, though. She would always treat herself the least. Looking at how she had thinned from the last time Clinton saw her, she must be working hard
Samantha went back to the chairman's office after talking with a private investigator that they hired. There had been a lot of them, but none found Johannes. The chairman concluded that it was another bad news by the looks on her face. He had been receiving reports about Johannes's death, but the poor grandfather did not want to believe it just yet. The chairman wanted to hang on to the slim hope of having his grandson all well back to them. All his bubbles burst when Samantha started weeping. The couple who had just entered the office saw Samantha. The woman immediately felt her knees weak and slumped to the ground. Though the man held her, he was also shaking because of the confirmation they all wanted to deny. It had been six months since Johannes went missing. Everyone they hired gave up on looking for the man who they all believed was caught in the explosion. "No... N-No. M-My Johannes... no, Dad, my son is still alive! Hon, l-look for him. He's still alive. I know. I can feel
Morning came, and Samantha could still feel her head splitting. The alcohol in her system added to the factor. She slightly opened her eyes due to the sunlight that hit her lids. Samantha reached for her phone when it rang, "Hello?" [What the hell happened yesterday, Sam!?] Samantha moved the phone away from her ears when the one called shouted. She gazed at her screen and realized that it was Brian who had called her. There were also a lot of missed calls from last night. "What is it?" she calmly replied. Samantha could hear her cousin breathing heavily. What happened? "What is it, Brian?" she asked again, but instead of a response, Samantha heard her doorbell ring. Realizing that it was Brian outside, Sam forced herself to stand up and open the door for her cousin. "What—" "Is Nathalie here?" Brian entered the unit without even hearing Samantha. He looked around the place while the woman stared at him confusedly. Brian opened the doors one by one, but his furrowed brows tell th
Nathalie stared at the raging ocean. The sky is grey, and rain is threatening to drop any moment. The harsh wind coldly brushed against her skin. Nathalie closed her eyes and let the tears from her eyes flow with the wind. “The island is near, ma’am. It would be best if you rest inside. You’re going to catch a cold at this rate,” the young fisherman told her. He’s about Nathan’s age had he been alive. Nathalie felt a suffocating familiarity that she forced herself to smile. She reached for the shoal he was offering and put it around her neck. “You should not have attempted to sail in this kind of weather,” he added when they reached the room. The young man opened the heater and put a chair in front of it. “Sit here,” he commanded Nathalie as if he were talking to someone younger than him. Nathalie silently complied, but when she sat down, she turned to the young man and furrowed her brows, “But you are the one making a fuss to get on this island!” Nathalie argued as she remembered h
“What do you mean you did not see her!?” Samantha stood and scratched her temple. Brian and Clinton, who are staying with her in the living room, turned to Samantha when she suddenly raised her voice. Even Lothie and Ysabel, who just arrived with the food. “What’s happening?” Brian asked. Samantha glanced at him but did not respond. She sat down and brushed her face with her palm. Samantha heaved a sigh, “There’s only a few ships or boats that went there since there was a storm. She should be there somewhere. Call me when you find her,” Clinton sat beside her, “Is this about Nathalie? Why? She did not arrive there? What happened, Samantha?” the woman did not respond; she was just staring at her fidgeting hands. Clinton clenched his fist and cursed. He stood up, but Samantha stopped him from going. “There’s nothing you can do at the moment, Ton. Stay here. She’s fine, believe me. She’s going to be fine,” Samantha convinced her cousin and herself. Clinton pushed her hand, “No. How sur
When Caleb and Hailey went inside the room, Cohen followed Nathalie to the kitchen. He handed her the apron, which she did not receive as it would not fit her big belly. “Sit there. I’ll cook,” Cohen said, seeing how the woman moved awkwardly in their kitchen. The space is small for a pregnant woman like her to move around freely. The sink is also a little low, so she would need to make an effort to bend over to wash what she needs to. The ceiling is relatively low and ragged. It looks old, as the corners show a history of getting wet. The tiles are a little tattered, but the island in the middle looks pretty new. The equipment and tools all looked well-kept, as if a woman owned the kitchen. So, it was odd for Nathalie as she stared at the back of a man standing tall in front of her. “No, I insist. I told Aunt Hail that I will cook for her—” “You don’t even know what’s good or bad for her,” Cohen mocked. His friendly gaze changed. Cohen’s eyes were pitch-black as if drowning you in
Clinton stared at the empty room in the mansion. Johannes’s parents are staying there for a while. They are still hesitating to hold a funeral as they don’t even have Johannes’s body to mourn. “Clinton,” Johannes’s father called him. Clinton glanced at him; he had been a father figure for him since his father died when he was a teenager. Joaquin Alejandro the timid and shy child of the powerful chairman. He refused to accept any inheritance from his father and started his own business for arts and culture. Their mother supported him, which is one of the factors why he had succeeded in the field. Joaquin wanted to live a simple life, but his sons were geniuses in the field of business. Johannes even got the approval of their strict father. “I could still not believe that he’s gone,” Joaquin sat on his son’s bed. He does not even remember the last time he visited this mansion. He and Beatrice had been busy going around places since their retirement, and Johannes and Brian were both bu
“Where are we going, Dad?” Julian asked his father while still yawning. He had just woken up from his afternoon nap when his father picked him up from his grandparent’s mansion. Julian Nathaniel Alejandro, Johannes felt proud while staring at his son’s ocean-blue eyes. “We’re going to the cemetery,” “Is Mom there?” Johannes looked at him with sad eyes and smiled, “Yes, Julian. We’re going to see Mom there,” Johannes fixed his son’s seatbelt and started the car’s engine. It had been seven years since Nathalie birthed Julian. He’s a big boy now who hates it when Johannes kisses him on the cheek. He used to giggle when his father did it, but now that he turned seven, he would glare at Johannes whenever he did that, especially when they were in a public place. Julian looked like Johannes, but his eyes took after Nathalie. Those deep blues of ocean that always enchanted Johannes. He could not help but stare at them whenever he had the chance. “Are we going to visit Abuelo too?” the
“Uncle Ken,” Yohan sat beside him. Johannes was still staring at the door where the woman had left. The harsh sound of the rain was worrying him. ‘Nathalie hates the rain,’ he thought to himself. He furrowed his brows and realized that the fact that the woman hated the rain popped up out of his head out of nowhere. Was it a memory? Did he remember that from the past? “Uncle Ken?” Yohan called him again since Johannes did not respond the first time. Johannes then looked at him and messed up his hair. “Come here, bud,” Yohan sat on Johannes’s lap and lowered his face. Yohan rubbed his hands against each other and then looked at Johannes with teary eyes. “Did Mama make a mistake to Uncle Ken?” he asked, crying now. “Yohan is the bad boy because I lied,” “What?” Johannes asked, furrowing his brows now since he could not understand him all too well. Yohan jumped from his seat and took something from his pocket. “Yohan was mad when he learned that you were getting married. I thought
One week had passed since Nathalie and Johannes had a check-up. Nathalie is fine now, but the latter seemed different. Johannes stared at her sleeping figure. He had been doing this for almost a week now. After what he witnessed last time, Johannes always found himself inside her bedroom. Staying beside her while Nathalie cries in her sleep. Johannes could not understand what it was that pulled him to the woman he had lost memories of. Should he open himself for her, or should he cut every string connected to her? Johannes could not decide. "Nathalie... Nathalie Taylor," he muttered *** The chairman handed over the folder to General Smith. He’s a companion he had when he was just starting out, thus, confirming the trust between them. “We had been trying to figure out these cases before... I can’t believe such a young woman could do all these evil things,” “She’s crazy, Smith,” “Are you sure you want to hand it over to us?” General Smith asked the chairman. Miraflores Alej
"You're here again," Yael tried to get up but gave up when she felt an exhausting pain inside her stomach. It was so painful that her eyes teared up. Johannes panicked and ran to her. Worrying, he told Yael, "This is why I always come here. I told you you don't have to get up when I come here. How could you be so stubborn!?" He shouted to the poor woman. Yarl stared at his enraged face and then averted her gaze, "I told you you don't have to come here... you... you found your home, Johannes," "Ken. You gave me that name. Use that," "Johannes—" "Are you really trying to make me mad? Johannes here, Johannes that! I fucking cannot remember anything related to that name, so damn it, just treat me as that penniless Ken before!" Johannes frustratedly told her. Yael had realized her mistake. She stared into his eyes and tried to read his confused emotion. Yael had met Johannes when he was still in the hospital. She assisted Johannes back then, and he had felt indebted to her kindness.
Nathalie’s POV I was about to get inside the mansion when I saw a familiar figure, but I doubt it was him. It would be impossible to see him out of his cave. “Nathalie Taylor!” I turned around and saw Harries waving at me. It had been so long since we last saw each other. She even nagged me because I was behaving unlike myself these past few months. “Harries!” I hugged her, and she kissed me on the cheek. Harries still treats me like a child, really. I motioned her to sit on the chair and asked a waiter to serve us food. “How was your trip?” “Terrible,” I furrowed my brows; this woman loves traveling like how she loves medicine. To hear her condemn her last trio like this, something must have had occurred. She rolled her eyes when a man greeted her with a kiss. Now I get it. Harries must have felt upset with her husband, Loki. He’s a businessman like Johannes though he majored in the medicine industry, the reason why he eventually met my best friend through the same acquaintanc
Cohen’s POV I could swear I never intended to attend this fucking party. There were a lot of familiar faces though I am sure that they didn’t know who I was. Sebastian is doing his thing of introducing me to everyone he knows, which is practically everyone at this event. “Sebastian,” “Hmm? Wait. Mr. Alfredo! Hey! Long time no see. How is it going with the firm?” he chatted with yet another man in a suit. Sebastian seems friendlier than the last time I saw him. I distanced myself a little since it would be a nuisance if he asked me to talk to his acquaintances. I sat by the bar, and the bartender gave me a tequila. I smirked and greeted him with proud eyes. He dares challenge me? Well, I have a pretty high tolerance when it comes to these types of drinks. I was enjoying myself when the host announced that the party was about to start. I could vomit at the sight of the host of this event. What the hell? Is this party about them? Sebastian, you idiot. I should not have mentioned Nath
Cohen’s POV It felt strange waking up on a soft mattress. It had been a long since I last slept in one. I don’t know why it feels empty though this room is not even that big, to begin with. It’s cold, really. Winter is knocking on the corner of this house. I stood up after lazily staring at my ceiling for hours, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me today. It should be another day when I should visit the eatery and cook for them, but for some reason, I picked up my phone and told them I’d have to take a leave for today. When I went to the kitchen, Caleb was already there, cooking breakfast. He glanced at me and smirked, “Fancy seeing you wake up late,” I ignored him and went to make my coffee. He seemed to be in the mood today that he irritated me this early. “Where’s mom?” I sat on the edge of the table as I looked at him over my cup of coffee. Caleb turned around and shrugged his shoulders. I furrowed my brows with that. “You don’t know?” “No, I mean, she asked me
"A party?" Ken just reached home after visiting Yael in the hospital. He did not want to leave her, but his family insisted that he stays at home. Yohan was with a nanny since he wanted to stay beside his mother. Johannes stared at his parents with a confused expression, "What party? Do I have to participate in one?" he asked again, removing his coat. It was snowing outside. The first snow was last night, and the whole city was covered in white the following day. Joaquin and Beatrice smiled at Johannes, "This is to celebrate your return, son," Joaquin said. Ken furrowed his brows and sat on the couch. He stretched his neck. When he opened his eyes, he looked at his parents and shook his head. "I hate parties." "You don't even remember that," Clinton, who came from the entrance, interrupted his cousin's refusal. Clinton gave Beatrice a box of a new set of tea from China. The woman smiled at him and then turned to her son again. "Clinton is right, Johannes," "Ken. I told you to call
Nathalie visited the orphanage again when she felt well. She brought a lot of toys and food that she bought from the market. The kids were happy to see her, chanting the fairy song they had made to dedicate it to her. Nathalie was looking around, and Olivia noticed that she was looking for something, “Are you looking for something, Nathalie?” “Oh, ahm... I... I was just wondering where Yael and Johannes—I mean Ken are,” she shyly replied. She had heard from the nurse that Yael had been discharged, so she assumed that the woman was already feeling better. Nathalie thought they would be here since it seemed like Johannes liked being around the children, but afternoon came, and there was no shadow of him, Yael, or her son. “Yael? Oh dear, you haven’t heard the news yet? She was brought to the city to have medications, her illness relapsed, and she needed better treatment,” Olivia told her. Nathalie was shocked. She could not utter a reply and just forced herself to smile. Nathalie we