"You?" Angel was shocked as she descended the stairs and saw the person standing there. Mark had just finished his morning jog, dressed in his jogging suit."Why are you here?" Her question was obvious, given Mark's attire and the early hour. He couldn't possibly have jogged from his house to the Baristanas."He has taken temporary leave to care for you," Chad said with a smile as he joined them from the stairs."We wanted a professional to help you recover."To Angel, it sounded like a joke. If they wanted her to be taken care of, they would have sent her to the hospital rather than having Mark do it. Why did it have to be him?The night before, Chad had left Angel's room with Mark, who was questioning him about why he would allow a stranger to live with them."I don't know why. But I feel the need to protect her," Chad had answered.Mark knew no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change Chad'smind. What he could do, however, was change Angel's plan against Chad."Alright, if that
"Princess" Angel had turned her gaze to meet her mother's, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. For the first time, she had addressed her as "princess," and a tender smile accompanied her tears as she listened intently to her mother's words."Remember, we must avenge your father's death. Those responsible must pay the price," her mother emphasized, and Angel nodded in agreement. Her mother's affectionate demeanor filled her heart with joy.She took Angel's hands, her voice laced with a hint of warning. "Only when I've exacted revenge on the Baristanas will my heart be free to love you fully."****** Evan's anger simmered as he pushed his chair back and stood up. Seeing Evelyn was better than seeing Angel.He glanced at his father and uncle, aware that his father's decision was final and unchangeable.Evan struggled to contain his emotions, refraining from saying or doing something he might regret."I've lost my appetite," he growled, turning to leave. But Angel quickly interven
Mark suddenly became aware of his proximity to Angel. It prompted him to take a step back. The room fell into silence. Mark cleared his throat in an attempt to dispel the awkwardness that had settled over him. It was better he left the room as the emotions tuning through his system were lingering. He turned away, his back to her."Finish your food before it gets cold." With that, he exited the room, leaving Angel's cheeks to flush with color.Mark paused, after closing the door, his thoughts consumed by the unexpected flutter in his chest that had occurred when he was near Angel. He couldn't help but marvel at how he had managed to form a coherent sentence to extricate himself from the situation. His hands, he noticed, were pressed against his chest, as if to still his racing heart. The realization of his own reaction left him stunned, feeling like a stranger to himself.It wasn't just Angel who had experienced a jolt of emotion; Mark's involuntary response had betrayed the spark he
Evelyn stumbled and as she regained her composure, she couldn't help but take a step backwards, overwhelmed by her brother's intense stare.Evan started to approached her, his eyes blazing with malice, determined to make her regret her return. He had vowed to torment her, to make her life a living hell, and he was hell-bent on keeping that promise. Desperately searching for help, Evelyn's eyes darted around the room, but she knew they were alone. She trembled as she watched Evan's menacing steps towards her, fully understanding the meaning behind his words.Her fear heightened when she felt her back press against the wall, trapped with nowhere to hide. She knew she would have to stand and endure whatever he had in store for her. "Please, forgive me. I never meant to..." Evan's smirk and triumphant gaze only added to her fear. He reveled in her trembling, knowing that he was achieving his goal of breaking her spirit. To him, this was payback for all the suffering he had endured.He k
Marlie had prepared to leave the house. Her unusual attire caught everyone's attention, including Evan's, who was sitting in pain. It was only then that they noticed her dressing, having been preoccupied with Evan's condition."Are you heading out somewhere?" Chad's concerned expression was evident as he asked. Marlie rarely ventured out, and Chad's surprise was palpable. The sudden shift in attention towards her prompted Marlie to explain herself."I need some fresh air," she said, a warm smile spreading across her face. It had been a decade since she left her job to care for Evan, and also to cope with the fruitless search for Evelyn. And her last outing was with Evan, but it ended in disaster.Now that Evelyn was back, there was no reason for Marlie to stay at home. "I want to take the girls out to get them a few things," she added. Chad's face lit up with a warm smile, and Mark wore a happy grin, but Evan's annoyed expression stood out. He felt left out, as Marlie was taking the
Mark's presence was the silence-inducing pill that Angel had taken. She sat quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Marlie tried to ask her about the problem, but she couldn't speak as Mark quickly cut in, saying, "She might have eaten less to save energy for talking."Angel shot Mark a glare, but only he could see it. Marlie and Evelyn were still thinking about Evan's anger and harsh words directed at them.Angel wanted to cry and hide from everything, but she didn't want to raise suspicion. As they got out of the car, Angel received a text from her mother. She knew she needed to be alone for this.[I need to talk to you. Make sure you're alone.]Despite wanting to reply affirmatively to her mom, Angel was being watched by Mark, who was once again reminded that there was something she was hiding on her phone."Angel, are you coming?" Marlie asked, interrupting Angel's thoughts as she tried texting her reply."Uh, yes Mrs. Baristanas," Angel replied, as she quickly finished her tex
"Un... Uncle James?" Angel trembled as she gazed at the man before her, his sinister smile sending shivers down her spine. Her heart raced with fear as she looked at him."Did you miss me Angel?" He leered at her, making her even more nervous."What... what are you doing here?" Angel's shaky voice asked. But instead of answering, he moved closer towards her. "Don't come any closer!" Angel almost screamed the words, her fear taking over."Isn't it obvious, princess?" He whispered being close to her and grabbed Angel's right hand, pressing it her against the wall. With his smug grin he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Angel's trembling lips. "I already miss you!"His creepy voice confessed.His words were like a sudden earthquake, leaving Angel shaken to her core. Her legs began to shake and tears welled up in her eyes as she felt his hot breath on her face, that was like thorns pricking her. "Please, don't touch me." Her words were a plea for him to leave her, but he had her pinned
Mark remained speechless and unable to tear his gaze away from Angel. It was clear that the last comment was true. He was completely captivated by her."Sir, how is the dress?" one of the attendants interrupted, noticing Mark's stunned expression. The attendants now had their attention on Mark's infatuation with Angel. For her part, Angel was struggling to understand why he was looking at her like that. She couldn't help but feel a bit shy as she caught his gaze.Coughing in embarrassment, Mark tried to compose himself. The attendants couldn't help but giggle at the scene. "Well, I suppose it's not our place to stand here and spoil the moment. Let's leave him to admire his girlfriend," the attendants said, leaving the two alone. Mark continued to stare at Angel for a moment, not even realizing when he whispered, "You look beautiful." But Angel soon started to shift uncomfortably in the dress. It was then Mark realised something was wrong with her. He couldn't help but ask, "W
"A boy?" "Yes, a few of the boys in my..." Evelyn continued to speak, oblivious to Evan's darkening expression. But Evan's anger boiled over, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Boys? You just got to school and you are already involved with boys?!" He let out a bitter laugh, his anger simmering just below the surface. "I was with Phil and he...", Evelyn tried to explain, but Evan wouldn't let her finish. "Are you that naive? Did they flatter you with compliments and you fell for it? Who fed you those lies about being pretty when you smile?" he thundered, his thought running wild imagining how they had complimented Evelyn and she had smiled at them. Then his thought shifted to Phil being present while the boys flattered Evelyn, "That empty head!" The car pulled up to the mansion, and the driver, sensing the tension, quickly opened the door for Evelyn to exit but Evan was blocking the way. Evan's anger was detectable, and the driver wisely kept his distance. "Phillimon Winterfill!
Evan and Evelyn stood inches apart. Oblivious to their surroundings, they were lost in their own little world. It wasn't until the driver apologized a few moments later that they snapped back to reality. Their faces flushed with embarrassment as they pulled away from each other. The tension in the car suddenly become palpable. Neither of them could muster a word. The silence was deafening, their hearts beating in unison. Evelyn nervously intertwined her fingers, while Evan rubbed his palm against his chest in an attempt to calm himself down. "I'm sorry, sir. It was my fault. I didn't see the car coming." The driver finally broke the silence, his voice laced with regret. "No, no, no, you shouldn't blame yourself..." Evelyn quickly intervened, apologizing to Evan instead, "I'm sorry Evan, I didn't mean to fall into you." But Evan lashed out at the driver. "Can't you watch where you're going? Do you get paid to be so careless? You could have caused an accident!" "I'm so
Evan had to share the car with his sister since Mark took Angel in his. Evan fixed his eyes on Evelyn, who seemed to flinch under his gaze. She wanted to ask why he was staring, but she was afraid he would lose control and scold her instead. His intense gaze made her shift uncomfortably in her seat. And seeing how he had been looking at her for the past days, she was over the moon. Evan, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to initiate a conversation. He remembered the challenge he had set for himself, and he was determined to stick to his rule of making her talk willingly without using tricks. Though his heart was betraying him, he managed to keep his composure and cleared his throat. Even that small action startled Evelyn, causing her to squeak in fright. Confused, Evan frowned, wondering what had caused her sudden reaction. It was then that he realized his own actions had made her scared. He readjusted his coat and sat up straight, trying to appear composed. Despit
"Evan, you were looking for Angel, right? She's currently at the parking lot." The student's words were hurried, a testament to the speed at which he had run to deliver the news bearing witness, that they had been looking for her. Without hesitation, the entire group, including the principal, rushed to the parking lot. Upon arrival, they found Angel standing with a coat draped over her. But she was not alone. Angel was accompanied by her mother, Stella. The group halted at a distance, observing Angel's back as if they were not sure it was indeed her. Angel, visibly shaken, stood with her mother, clutching a cup of warm coffee to calm her nerves. Stella caught their gaze and with a soft smile, she gestured for Angel to turn around. Angel turned to face them and saw a collective sigh of relief on their faces. She knew they were worried, most importantly Mark. Mark, was the first to rush to her side, overcome with emotion, and pulled her into a tight embrace. He held her a
Mark's face contorted in anguish as he emerged from his car. He had sped out of the hospital after learning that Angel was missing. The fact that Angel had vanished just hours after he had left her was unsettling. Mark's intuition told him that she had been hiding secrets from him, and her disappearance was likely connected to her failure to comply with the plans of those who had sent her. As he drove, he repeatedly called Angel, but his calls went unanswered. His worry and frustration grew with each ignored call, and he feared the worst. Meanwhile, Angel's phone rang in her pocket, but her fear paralyzed her, preventing her from even glancing at it. Her uncle James's laughter ceased as he noticed the phone, and his expression darkened. James approached Angel, extracted her phone from her pocket, and his eyes scanned the screen. His face transformed into a scowl, and he flashed a malevolent grin at Angel. "It's him calling," he sneered. Angel knew Mark was the one calling, b
Evan got up from his seat in shock. "Have you seriously check every conner in the school?" Phil nodded in responds much to Evan's shock. "We just went on break. How could she disappear in few minutes?!" Nancy was in tears at that point. Her body shook with fear. She had called home, but no one answered which increased her fright the more. "Let check it again. She can't possibly be missing." The three of them dispersed at the command of Evan. ****** Angel was shoved into a room which ended her on the floor. Her body shivered in fear as her eyes stung with tears. As the door banged closed she let out a terrified cry. Looking up from the floor her face consorted with terror at the man who looked at her with a menacing grin. His perverted eyes hovering over her made her heart shriek with fear. He squarted in front of Angel making her embrace her legs in pure terror. "Hey princess, it's been a while. You don't know how much I miss you." The word princess coming out of his m
Angel's eyes widened when the car glass rolled and she saw the person sitting in it. She held the bag tightly as she gazed at her mother's face. Stella's expression was stern and as icy cold and her eyes were colorless as the devil's glare. "Are you waiting for an invitation?" Stella's cold and manacing voice made the inner being of Angel roll with fear. "Alright then, please enter, Your Highness?" She motioned with her hand besides her with a devilish grin. Angel's heart skipped a beat. Getting into the car was not going to be anything good. Yet, where is the choice? Angel fearfully let go of the bag and took a step towards the car. The roses and chocolate finding their way to the ground helplessly. The manacing grin of Stella made Angel shook with terror and her eyes stung with tears, fearing the worse to come. She wished someone would save her but she was all alone. Angel stretched out her shaking hands to get the door. Luckily, Phil bounced from the back calling her name.
"Aunty, you're here?" Stella's face lit up with a forced smile as Nancy approached her, asking. Nancy's innocent gaze didn't detect the artificial warmth behind Stella's eyes as she nodded. Her attention shifted from Nancy's face to her phone, her voice laced with curiosity. "Who were you talking to?" Nancy's eyes followed hers , and she replied innocently, "My cousin called. She said her battery died, but she's okay now. Nothing's wrong." Stella smiled as Nancy explained, but her anger simmered beneath the surface, fueled by Angel's unreturned calls and messages. "That's a relief." She masked her emotions with a calm tone, carefully choosing her words. " Did she ask for anything?" "Yeah, she wanted me to bring her uniforms to school," Nancy thought for a moment before responding " But then she told me to stop." "Stop?..." Stella's interest was piqued, and she pressed on, "Do you know why?" Nancy had no idea how her aunty was reeling in anger and continued telling her
Mark's sudden movement off the bed was a desperate attempt to interrupt Angel's words. The meaning behind her words stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him. Her closeness elicited a burning heat in his body, and her words were the catalyst for the tingling sensation in his stomach, causing the front of his pants to rise. "You need to go to your room now, Angel," Mark said sternly, shocking Angel with his reaction. She furrowed her brow in confusion and rose from the bed. "Why are you sending me to my room? How am I supposed to sleep if you don't give me a goodnight kiss?! I came here only for that." Angel's voice rose in frustration, her face now etched with annoyance. "Here I was thinking you would want to sleep only after kissing me, but I guess I was wrong." Angel looked visibly annoyed, while Mark was taken aback by her words. He was taken aback by Angel's reaction, realizing too late that he had misinterpreted her intentions. His mind had ventured into a realm of emo