Seeing Liliana still standing there, lost in her thoughts, Sean's anger flared. "Liliana, this is the last time I'm telling you. Get in the car.""How can I if you don't unlock the door?" Liliana said, feeling a mix of confusion and hurt.Even when she spoke, her voice was so soft. Next to Sean, she never seemed to be able to speak up confidently. It made sense, though. She was the one who had fallen for Sean first, and he did not love her back at all. She had always known that, had she not?Seeing Liliana looking so sad made Sean's heart clench, but he was getting impatient. "Look, I'm not used to playing chauffeur," he said.With that, Sean rolled up the car window. Liliana took a sharp breath and blinked in surprise at his words, but then she remembered he had not actually refused to drive her. She quickly opened the car door and climbed in.Once inside, she realized just how cold it was outside. She had only been standing there for a little bit, but she was already shivering.
Keith spotted Liliana too. No one knew how long he had been there when he saw her step out of a car and freeze in place.Neither of them spoke. Liliana felt awkward. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, but it did not feel like enough.She knew Keith liked her a lot, and she had said yes to dating him. However, deep down, Liliana knew she was not being the girlfriend he deserved. Still, Keith was always so understanding.Just moments ago, she was in another guy's car, thinking about Sean.Seeing Keith just standing there and knowing the car was still behind her made Liliana feel like she was doing something wrong. She was torn about Sean but could not deny she liked how Keith treated her.Feeling more embarrassed than ever, Liliana gripped her bag, bit her lip, and managed a small smile. "Keith, what brings you here?"Keith had seen the car too. It had not left. As her boyfriend, he had a lot of questions, but he did not ask any of them. He just nodded. "I tried calling you, but y
Liliana felt a wave of guilt as she watched Keith being so thoughtful.She had never felt like that before. Even though she knew she did not love Keith, she was still with him. When Keith was so kind to her, all she could think about was Sean.Liliana felt awful, but she did not know what to do about it.Keith caught Liliana's gaze. Her eyes looked a little teary. "It must be the cold. Go on up," he said.Liliana sighed. After a long moment, she gave Keith his coat back and went upstairs.Keith stayed until he saw the light turn on upstairs. Only then did he leave.Once home, Liliana rushed to the window to check if Keith was gone. When she saw he had left, the uneasy feeling inside her grew.She pulled a pregnancy test from her bag and headed to the bathroom.As the seconds slowly passed, Liliana felt like it was the longest wait ever.Liliana's eyes widened as the second pink line slowly appeared on the pregnancy test. Her face lost all color, and she stumbled backward, her
Liliana did not take any medicine. She just sipped some warm water and went back to bed.Her sleep was restless, filled with dreams of her childhood, the bullies, the schoolyard taunts, and Sean...Liliana could not help thinking she was a mess. Sean had been so clear about his feelings, yet she kept trying to get close to him. Was she really that pathetic? She was even dreaming about him.She slept the whole day, waking and sleeping in fits and starts. If Keith had not kept trying to call her, eventually coming over to check on her, Liliana might have been in real trouble. She would have been sick and alone in her apartment, with no one the wiser.Ever since Keith got home last night, he could not stop worrying. He had not heard from Liliana all day, and she had not answered any of his many phone calls. Finally, he decided to go see her himself.He rang the doorbell over and over, and just when he thought Liliana might not be home, she slowly got up from her bed and opened the do
Autumn had painted Brookville in shades of gold and crimson when Noelle Shaw stepped off the plane. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out into the crisp air, a familiar sense of home wrapping around her.A whole year had passed since she left to pursue a corporate training program overseas, and now, she was back just in time.Her third anniversary with her boyfriend Xavier Harris was just days away, and she had been working nonstop to make it back early enough to surprise him.She hailed a cab and headed straight for Xavier's office. The moment she walked through the front doors, Alice, the receptionist, gave her a look of total shock. "Ms. Shaw? You’re back? Are you here for the CEO's engagement party?"Noelle's brow creased in confusion. "The CEO's engagement party? What are you talking about, Alice?""It's Mr. Harris's engagement party with your sister!""What?" Noelle's heart skipped a beat, and the happiness drained from her face. "Whose engagement party?"Alice seemed to
Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, "Sir... Sir?"The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. "Ronald, go see what happened.""Right away, sir." Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.Ronald was puzzled
Trapped in the man's grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. "What are you trying to do?""Just having a bit of fun..." He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. "Let's go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?"Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man's tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. "Save me!" she gasped.Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man's shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. "Please, save me," she pleaded.Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.Noelle did not let
At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. "I need ice, and make it quick."Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. "Stay still!"His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. "Here's the ice, sir.""Hold on," Charles instructed Ronald. "Just set them down and leave, thanks." His tone was cool and detached.Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles's unusual sternness. Howev
Liliana did not take any medicine. She just sipped some warm water and went back to bed.Her sleep was restless, filled with dreams of her childhood, the bullies, the schoolyard taunts, and Sean...Liliana could not help thinking she was a mess. Sean had been so clear about his feelings, yet she kept trying to get close to him. Was she really that pathetic? She was even dreaming about him.She slept the whole day, waking and sleeping in fits and starts. If Keith had not kept trying to call her, eventually coming over to check on her, Liliana might have been in real trouble. She would have been sick and alone in her apartment, with no one the wiser.Ever since Keith got home last night, he could not stop worrying. He had not heard from Liliana all day, and she had not answered any of his many phone calls. Finally, he decided to go see her himself.He rang the doorbell over and over, and just when he thought Liliana might not be home, she slowly got up from her bed and opened the do
Liliana felt a wave of guilt as she watched Keith being so thoughtful.She had never felt like that before. Even though she knew she did not love Keith, she was still with him. When Keith was so kind to her, all she could think about was Sean.Liliana felt awful, but she did not know what to do about it.Keith caught Liliana's gaze. Her eyes looked a little teary. "It must be the cold. Go on up," he said.Liliana sighed. After a long moment, she gave Keith his coat back and went upstairs.Keith stayed until he saw the light turn on upstairs. Only then did he leave.Once home, Liliana rushed to the window to check if Keith was gone. When she saw he had left, the uneasy feeling inside her grew.She pulled a pregnancy test from her bag and headed to the bathroom.As the seconds slowly passed, Liliana felt like it was the longest wait ever.Liliana's eyes widened as the second pink line slowly appeared on the pregnancy test. Her face lost all color, and she stumbled backward, her
Keith spotted Liliana too. No one knew how long he had been there when he saw her step out of a car and freeze in place.Neither of them spoke. Liliana felt awkward. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, but it did not feel like enough.She knew Keith liked her a lot, and she had said yes to dating him. However, deep down, Liliana knew she was not being the girlfriend he deserved. Still, Keith was always so understanding.Just moments ago, she was in another guy's car, thinking about Sean.Seeing Keith just standing there and knowing the car was still behind her made Liliana feel like she was doing something wrong. She was torn about Sean but could not deny she liked how Keith treated her.Feeling more embarrassed than ever, Liliana gripped her bag, bit her lip, and managed a small smile. "Keith, what brings you here?"Keith had seen the car too. It had not left. As her boyfriend, he had a lot of questions, but he did not ask any of them. He just nodded. "I tried calling you, but y
Seeing Liliana still standing there, lost in her thoughts, Sean's anger flared. "Liliana, this is the last time I'm telling you. Get in the car.""How can I if you don't unlock the door?" Liliana said, feeling a mix of confusion and hurt.Even when she spoke, her voice was so soft. Next to Sean, she never seemed to be able to speak up confidently. It made sense, though. She was the one who had fallen for Sean first, and he did not love her back at all. She had always known that, had she not?Seeing Liliana looking so sad made Sean's heart clench, but he was getting impatient. "Look, I'm not used to playing chauffeur," he said.With that, Sean rolled up the car window. Liliana took a sharp breath and blinked in surprise at his words, but then she remembered he had not actually refused to drive her. She quickly opened the car door and climbed in.Once inside, she realized just how cold it was outside. She had only been standing there for a little bit, but she was already shivering.
Liliana's face turned even paler, but she could not deny Sean's logic.If something did happen to her, Charles would surely come after him. Even though her situation was awkward, she was still part of the Hoffman family. She was Tania and Peter’s guest today. If anything went wrong, Tania would surely hold Sean responsible, and Peter was Tania's boyfriend, after all.Thinking that through, Liliana almost laughed.Initially, upon seeing Sean's face, she had a tiny hope that he had forgotten their past and that they could go back to how things used to be.However, it was just wishful thinking. Sean was simply avoiding trouble, and since Peter had given him that responsibility, he was treating it strictly as a task.Liliana looked a bit pale as she pondered, and Sean noticed her unfortunate complexion. Despite that, she stubbornly refused to get into the car, and her face grew even more troubled. "Please get in the car," Sean urged.With a mix of emotions on her face, Liliana hesi
Tania could tell something was up with Liliana lately. She really wanted to be there for her friend, but she was caught up with Peter, who had just moved her into his place at Five Elements Residence.Peter was a tough nut to crack. Sometimes, Tania thought he did not like her because he was always so serious, but at night, he would ask for so much that it made her think he must be crazy about her.After their meal out, Tania had planned for Peter to drive Liliana home. They would drop her off and then head back together. However, Peter got a call and had to leave, taking Tania with him.Tania made Sean promise a bunch of times to take Liliana home because it was really late and she was worried.Once Tania and Peter were gone, Liliana felt the whole vibe change and get heavier. She could not believe Tania had asked Sean to take her home, and her heart started racing.Before Sean could get upset, Liliana got to her feet quickly and said, "Mr. Smith, it's getting late. I won't keep
Liliana's arm throbbed where Sean had grabbed it, but she bit her lip, refusing to give in. "I didn't do it on purpose. I had no idea she invited you.""Oh, you didn't know? Isn't she supposed to be your best friend?" Sean's voice was edged with sarcasm. "Or maybe this was your plan all along?""I didn't!" Liliana felt a tightness in her chest at his accusation.She pulled her arm free from his grasp, her face twisted with both anger and shame. "I truly didn't know.""Who knows what the truth is?" Sean said with a light laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tania doesn't know about us, and you think you're in the dark too? What if Tania found out who you really are? Would she...""Don't."Liliana's voice was loud and full of panic. "Please don't tell Tania." Deep down, she was being selfish. She did not want Tania to find out about her secrets.When she first became friends with Tania, all she wanted was a simple friendship. She did not want Tania to know about her embarrassi
The next few moments dragged on painfully for Liliana. She would have bolted if Tania, her best friend, had not been there.She felt that neither Sean nor Peter wanted to see her around.She did not want to be near them either.Peter was a mystery she did not dare to unravel, and as for Sean...Liliana snuck a peek at Sean when no one was looking. It had been over a month since she had last seen him, and despite herself, she was thrilled.She tried to bury her feelings in work every day, but she knew how hard it was to forget Sean completely.They had promised not to meet again, yet there they were. He could not possibly think she planned this encounter, could he?As Liliana watched Sean and lost herself in thought, she noticed him suddenly glance her way. She quickly turned away, dodging his gaze.Liliana felt like she was a thief caught red-handed when she unexpectedly ran into Sean.Upon laying eyes on Liliana, Sean could not quite figure out what he was feeling.They had
Tania's lips quivered, as if she wanted to say more, but seeing Liliana so determined, she held back.However, as Tania paid, she leaned in and whispered something to the cashier, then scribbled down an address. "Make sure it gets here, okay?"Tania settled the bill, grabbed the shopping bags, and linked arms with Liliana as they headed out. "Liliana, you're joining me for dinner tonight!"No backing out this time. You've canceled on me too many times already.""Okay, fine!"Liliana had no idea that Tania's dinner invitation also included Peter. If she had known, she would have stayed far away. When Liliana returned from the restroom, she found not just Tania and Peter, but also Sean sitting there. Her first instinct was to turn around and leave.She was about to do just that, her foot already inching backward, when Tania caught sight of her. "Liliana, where are you off to? We're right here!"Frozen in place, Liliana could not seem to move a muscle.Standing with her back to th