C40“GOD!” Heart jolted awake feeling nauseous. She was panting heavily from the intensity of her nightmare. The surroundings seemed unfamiliar, and then she realized they were in a hotel. Rushing to the bathroom, she couldn't shake off the feeling of disgust, almost breathless from the vividness of her dream. It was as if she barely recognized the environment she grew up in. Turns out, they were in a hotel. Sobbing, she ran to the bathroom to throw up. It occurred to her that she had fallen asleep while waiting for her husband's call. Lux, enticed by Silvana, lingered in her thoughts vividly, the two of them enjoying each other's company.Who said she wasn't skilled at giving oral pleasure? She was, with no teeth getting in the way. Damn Silvana! She wiped her tears, realizing it wasn't just a bad dream; it was a nightmare. She stood by the window, witnessing the scenario between Lux and Silvana in her mind.Fists clenched, she turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom. Gl
C41"WOMANIZER!" Heart immediately exclaimed as Lux called her again. His handsome face appeared on the screen of her phone. Fueled by intense frustration from her dream, she shouted at him. What if it was true? She wouldn't be clueless.A faint laughter reached her, and Lux glanced at her, saying, "God. What happened, baby? Did you go crazy again over your handsome husband? Sorry."She scowled and remained silent, sitting back and trying to calm her breathing. "Silvana's men were watching me. They've been eyeing me since we left the hospital. Silvana hasn't returned home since then.""Didn't you say she's with a friend?" She asked, still annoyed."Yes, baby, but I'm really wondering. Our men waited all day, thinking a friend of Silvana would show up. Now they're going to the barangay to request permission to enter the house. I'm considering the possibility of Silvana using prosthetics, pretending to be someone else."Heart shuddered at Lux's words. Silvana's mysterious nature was c
C42Lux attempted to call Silvana multiple times, but her phone remained unanswered. They were on their way to the hotel where his family awaited, their trip was delayed due to a plane malfunction. Using his pickup, Lux and Delight continued their journey to Oas.Despite Silvana’s threats, Lux was determined not to let her ruin the vacation. He remained vigilant to protect his family. Delight glanced at him, expressing concern about being unable to reach his mom and hinting at a change in her behavior.“I was trying to call your mom, but she was out of reach. Maybe she changed her number. When you see her, stay away from her. Your mom’s attitude has changed.”Curious, Delight innocently asked, “What’s different?”“She’s ill and needs treatment. If she doesn’t see a doctor soon, she won’t get better.”“Will she hit me?”“Yes, so she needs to get better to avoid hurting you. Do you understand?”“Yes,” Delight nodded, “I don’t want Mommy anymore. I don’t want her to hit me and hold me p
C43Heart stared at the television, still not visited by sleep. The two children were already asleep on the other bed. The rain was pouring heavily, accompanied by occasional lightning. Fortunately, Lux was with her; otherwise, she would likely be terrified again.She leaned against the headboard, and Lux embraced her.“For those who see the woman flashed on the screen when not using prosthetics, you can contact the police. Fifty million pesos was offered for the woman considered most wanted, and armed and dangerous. She is said to be the mastermind behind the turmoil in the Montesalvo couple’s lives.”Heart swallowed hard, feeling a dryness in her throat.The police also released a photo of another face of Silvana. The woman was seen leaving a house, which was confirmed to be unoccupied. This information was provided by the personnel who arrived yesterday, giving testimony to the police.Items found in that house included wigs, foam latex, silicone, and clothing that hinted at their
C44LUX’s breathing hitched. He doesn’t blink while staring at the impostor. His anxiety is at its peak, reaching up to his head, but he can’t afford a mistake and lose there. He’s damn nervous for his loved ones.His wife is behind him, and he tries to hide her because he doesn’t want her to get hurt. He carefully considers his next move. The crazy one who wants revenge and is using his past against him is right in front of him, dressed in an old lady’s clothes.Silvana is kind of creepy. Well, that explains why she’s a psycho. She probably enjoyed watching killings and horror to weave them together and use them now for revenge.He's sweating, keeping his gaze fixed on her, watching her every move, even the smallest ones. Diana never reached this level. She didn’t even escape the crime she planned. She waited for the police to arrest her. This one is even more than Diana.Maybe half of Silvana Joan’s life is filled with anger. Likely. That’s the root and end of everything.She was fa
C45“NOOOO!” Silvana’s loud scream filled the entire hotel, accompanied by Lux’s voice, as the deafening gunshot echoed in the lobby. Heart witnessed the young boy collapse after being hit by the bullet.Delight sprinted and shielded Lux when Silvana pulled the trigger, taking the bullet intended for her husband.“You beast!” she angrily shouted at Silvana, almost losing her composure.Heart sobbed, the surroundings darkening with her tears. The woman, in shock, dropped the gun as if unable to believe the crime committed against her own nephew, whom she treated like a son.“I didn’t mean to! Delight, baby! Wake up! Wake up!” Silvana wailed, seemingly snapped out of her madness. Unbelievably, the lump on her back revealed a hidden gun. It was a part of his play. He made a lump to keep her weapon inside it. How clever.As Silvana was momentarily dazed, personnel and police entered, seizing the opportunity to catch the woman. She didn’t struggle, seemingly unsure of what to do, until sh
C46The doctor looked at Lux as he entered, keeping his gaze on the child who was undergoing a surgery. “Complications may arise if you’re a relative. That is the new study according to HAS.”“I…am not the father, and we’re not related,” he said, his gaze fixed on the child, uncertain if he would make it.“Okay. Pretransfusion testing first. This will not consume too much time.” He nodded and followed as he was pulled onto a bed. There was a distance between him and Delight.Various procedures were done to him while lying on the bed, but his eyes were focused on the child fighting for his life. “Dropping, his heartbeat is dropping,” a nurse said, causing him to close his eyes when he saw Delight’s heartbeat flattened on the monitor.Jesus, no.Lux looked away as he saw the doctors trying to revive Delight. The child looked pitiful, and despite his strength as a man, he couldn’t handle what he was seeing now.It hurts. It hurts so much that even though Delight wasn’t his son, he coul
SC 1Heart nearly screamed when she saw her notifications and read the email in her school's portal. It indicated she had received her grades for the first semester’s final exam.Excited, Lush shared the news with her father via video call. “Mommy, going crazy!” he exclaimed.“I supposedly have my grades!” she added, joyfully shifting the camera focus to herself.“Really, baby? Congratulations. Let’s see the grades, maybe around 80,” her husband remarked, chuckling.Nervously, she checked the message from the school and opened the portal to view her grades. Overwhelmed with emotion, she almost cried at the high marks.“My grades are so high,” she exclaimed tearfully. “Just one more semester, and I’ll graduate. I’ll prove something to you,” she told her husband.“Silly you. What are you proving to me? I’m not interested in your diploma or honors,” he replied nonchalantly.“Ih, I want to,” she insisted, making him laugh.“Okay. Congratulations again, baby. I’m looking forward to seeing
46.RUTH accepted a handshake offered by the manager, Vaughn Andaya. She was sitting in front of the man, who was in a swivel chair. She applied for a position at SM as a sales lady for an expensive clothesline worn by politicians in their area. A button-down shirt costs four thousand pesos. Today is her interview, and she just got hired a month after returning home from Manila to Camarines Sur. She’s in Naga City searching for a job and doesn’t want to stay idle at home.Her relatives are furious with Baron, and they say that if he shows up, he’ll face consequences from Uncle Ernesto. They may not have pure blood relatives, but their relationship with each other is invaluable, especially for her, a considered orphan of the family. Her family is protecting her, especially now that they know the story about Baron.The people from Cam Sur have a different attitude—brave and unyielding. If Baron sets foot in their area, he’s in for a surprise. Vaughn smiled at her during the handshake, b
45.RUTH is holding her resignation letter, planning to give it to Lush Miguel. Patricia, facing her, reads the letter. “This is an urgent resignation letter, Miss Eduardo. It says you have something to attend to and will be away for a while. Where to?” Patricia asks with a smirk.“Confidential, Ma’am. I’ll be traveling today,” Ruth responds.“Okay. If that’s your decision, it’s hard to stop you. I don’t know your personal life and problems,” Patricia signs the letter without hesitation.Surprised, Ruth asks, “Won’t you submit it to the CEO?”“Nope,” Patricia shakes her head, “Lush had given me all the authority to decide as long as it’s under my supervision. In your case, since you’re under me, I’ll handle it. Besides, there are plenty who can replace you. Good luck.”Ruth nods and forces a smile. All the authority is with Patricia. Why should she be surprised? Patricia is probably the woman Lush mentioned as new, just unwilling to tell her.She turns away, heavy-hearted, wal
44.FINISHED.He took a deep breath as Ruth gradually disappeared from his sight. Seated in his car, he waited like a thief, watching her run away with Muse’s cage.That’s all he could do, gaze at the girl from afar because, despite his anger, he genuinely loved her. Even in anger, he couldn’t insult or speak hurtful words to her.His respect for Ruth remained high despite everything, knowing she deserved it. Now, he envied Baron. That asshole's spouse was kind, and he hoped to find another Ruth someday, but not now.Lush badly needed time to heal, and the process wouldn’t be easy. He was sure of that because he was deeply hurt in his first experience of love.The young man lazily started the car engine, but he didn’t go in. He would go home, where his parents and Babuela were. He owed his parents an explanation. At thirty-one, he felt the need for a mother’s care. He needed his Mommy.When he arrived home, his shoulders still slumped. As soon as he entered the portico, his Mommy was
43.1Ruth was startled when the door opened, and Lush’s imposing figure loomed over her. “Oh my!” she exclaimed, supporting the young man who peeked at her and smiled. He playfully tapped her nose with his index finger.“Hold on a moment,” she said, closing the door. “We can’t go upstairs; the stairs are too high, and we might both tumble down. Let’s sleep downstairs. Wait, I’ll get the blankets. Have a seat.”Hurriedly, she assisted him to sit on the sofa. He groaned and shook his head, but the young woman quickly went upstairs to retrieve the thick comforter from the bed.Descending again with the items, including Lush’s replacement clothes, she handed him the bottle of alcohol he still clutched.“I’ll take that,” she said, grabbing the bottle.He closed his eyes, his cheeks flushed. He remained the most handsome drunk she had ever seen.“Did you drive home like this? You’re really drunk. Next time, don’t get overly intoxicated. You might stumble or lose balance,” she lectured whi
43.Lush choked on saliva. He couldn't find any words to respond to Ricky. Tearfully, he averted his gaze to hide his eyes. Did she lie to him? Did she conceal her real status? Her profile claimed she was single. Did she forget to update it? Damn! He wanted to rub his face, feeling suffocated. Is he serious about his feelings? Why is fate playing with him like this? The woman he loves is Baron's wife?Damn it!He almost clenched his fists. He wanted to cry and almost wanted to slap himself."Wait, Rick," he hastily excused himself from his friend and walked briskly towards the table with various expensive drinks.He stood in front of it, on the verge of tears. Is there another Ruth Eduardo in the world? Who?He couldn't explain his feelings. He was angry. Why did Ruth deceive him? If that's what happened?He grabbed a wine glass and drank. Unsatisfied, he took another and drank again. He repeated this to numb the pain in his heart. The time with Ruth might have been brief, but he knew
42.Lush Miguel remained nonchalant, lounging. He was still in a four-post position. Ruth was sleeping after four rounds in bed. She was upstairs, and he left her momentarily. He went downstairs to have some coffee now.He grinned as he remembered her annoyance earlier when he introduced Patricia in the lobby as the supervisor. Ruth was jealous of the woman, and he found it amusing. Ruth already had feelings for him, but she was reluctant to admit it. He felt a different kind of joy when he heard the girl sulking in the bathroom earlier.He used to dislike having someone chase after him. He didn’t want anyone to be possessive, but now, he was proud of it. To the point that Ruth didn’t fence him in, and she didn’t hide. Luckily, he overheard her.He took the coffee cup and sipped, but he looked at the stairs when he saw Ruth descending.She was wearing his long sleeves, buttoning a few buttons.“Why are you still lounging?” she asked, obviously sleepy, with no slippers on.He glanced a
41.The last message Lush Miguel sent her was when he mentioned driving his grandmother back home. It’s now ten in the morning, and the coffee break is over. She’s inside the restroom, yet there’s still no update.She’s also waiting for that. It’s a big miracle that she’s not being talked about in the entire company now because of what happened the other day. She’s been waiting to hear something since yesterday. She even told Berna about it so she wouldn’t be surprised.So far, Montevez has remained a peaceful environment for her, especially now that Dennis is no longer around.“Hey.”She winced and stopped mopping the floor as Berna approached her.“Come on, hurry. Your boyfriend is there with another girl!” Berna waved at her, causing her to furrow her brow.Lush?She quickly walked to the door and went outside. The janitors gathered in the lobby, all staring at a beautiful girl. She wasn’t tall, but her skin was exceptionally smooth. She was chubby and had blonde, long hair.She ca
40.“IF I were you, go to the party, so your ex won’t have anything to say,” Ruth told Lush while talking on the cellphone. He was already in the hospital while she was in the penthouse. It was late, and she was alone. All lights were on because she had no company, but she wasn’t scared. He had a companion—the cat. It was amusing that when she asked Lush to take Muse from the condo, it was promptly done by Lush’s bodyguard.“Damn. I really don’t want to go there, sweetie.”“It’ll just be a moment,” she said, though deep down, she didn’t want him to go.Oh God! She gets jealous at the thought of Lush fooling around with that woman, Annelyn or any woman, but he can’t do anything about it. She wants to push him away so that if they break up, it would be easier for both of them.Ruth feels like she has a bomb in her head, a life-threatening illness, that could end any moment. As time passes, she gets closer or, more accurately, falls for the right guy at the wrong time, wrong circumstanc
39.“Thank you,” Ruth smiled at Ricky when they left the police station. She declared that the missing person, who pretended to be kidnapped, was not really kidnapped. She published everything, with Ricky as her witness. The investigation was over. She had concluded everything.The police laughed, wondering why her own husband did such a thing to her. There was only one reason, Baron loved money more than her.“Your job for me is done,” Ruth added, acknowledged by the investigator.“Next time you need a private investigator, just call me directly. For simple matters and when I’m free, even without payment. It’s what makes me happy.”“But never trade a woman and leave her at the altar for an investigation,” she said meaningfully, and he laughed, getting the meaning of her words.“Of course. There’s a more deserving man for you, unlike dela Vega. Where to? Shall I drive you?”“No need. Thanks again.”“Alright, take care. I’ll get you a taxi.”Ricky walked towards the street, and she fol