Thank you for reading. Ladies, it's my special day today, and I am going out with my husband and kids. The second chapter will be late.
Who doesn’t love hugging their pillows to sleep? Kate was a definite pillow hugger. Every night, she would sleep from side to side with her arm and leg around one long pillow. Thanks to her attempted escape at dawn, Kate was still sleeping like a rock. She failed to get up at the usual hour for breakfast. She took her time, hugging a pillow as she rested on the left side of her bed. Her sleeping frame unknowingly shifted to the right side, and she found another pillow to hug. The only catch was her pillow was anything but soft. Her brows twitched, and she let out a sleepy sigh. The more she felt her pillow, the more she doubted its genuineness. Her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze fell on a man's frame, lying on his back. For a second, panic struck her. She looked up, ready to scream, but as soon as her eyes found a familiar face, butterflies in her stomach went wild instead, and her heart galloped. Carlos. There he was. The man she had been waiting for to return, was back.
Carlos had the most tiring three days of his life. From Paris, his team took a special flight to Dubai. Alexander took a separate charter flight to Singapore. They went in and out of a secured hotel, only to change clothes, and then left in another vehicle. From Dubai, they took another flight to Canada. That was the only time when he and Alexander reunited. While Carlos had an opportunity to rest in Canada, he could not sleep a wink. He was so anxious about his trip to Braeton. The police's hunt for the members of the Bonnet gang was still in progress. Thus, to keep Carlos and Alexander safe, they were flown out of Paris at the very first opportunity. Their departure was kept a secret, and with the help of the Tennis Association, the complicated flight plans were made possible. From the very start, the goal was to create confusion as to the exact whereabouts of Carlos and Alexander. After Canada, Alexander flew to his hometown while Carlos and his party left for Braeton. Carlos
“If I tell you, you’d have to marry me. Can you handle that, Kate?” The idea of marrying Carlos for a simple answer would seem like the most sweeping solution to Kate’s growing desire. She thought about it and hinted, “Then, tell me.” “How did you - Wait. What did you say?” Carlos asked, his grey eyes intensely looking at her. Kate gulped and repeated, “I insist you tell me what is inside that chamber pendant.” Carlos did not look away. A slight grin formed on his face, and he clarified, “Kate if I tell you, you’d have to marry me.” Kate’s cheeks burned, and the butterflies in her stomach were partying. How she wanted this to be the end of her longing. She opened her mouth, prepared to accept the unusual proposal, regardless of whether he was joking. “I -” Her stomach growled, and both Carlos and Kate stilled. “It’s - it’s nothing -” Kate’s stomach growled again, this time louder than the last. Carlos wound up laughing. His eyes thinned, all while his grey orbs gleamed. By h
*** FLASHBACK: On Kate's Nineteenth Birthday (Carlos’ Version) *** “Are you sure about this, Hailey?” Carlos asked on the other line. He was signaling a taxi, hoping to get to The Red Brick restaurant and see Kate again. On the phone, Hailey answered, “Yes. Lyla told me that Kate would be there alone. I don’t know why though, and I did not ask. I don’t want to warn Kate that you’ll be there." It did not matter to Carlos; perhaps it was better that he speak to Kate alone. If she wasn’t at the said restaurant, he would simply go to the Wright mansion and beg for everyone’s forgiveness. “Okay, Hailey. Thank you for the help,” Carlos said before bidding goodbye. When Carlos expressed to Hailey how he wanted to see Kate, at first, she was reluctant. After a few more convincing, Hailey offered her help. She gave Carlos some cash to add to his plane fare and contacted a few of their high school friends. That was how Hailey found out where Kate was. Carlos, at that time, was very exc
“Because I love you, Kate… I always have, and I always will. I never stopped loving you,” Carlos said, his grey eyes looking straight into her blue ones. Everything around Kate stilled. She could not believe her ears. Silence engulfed her, and all she could hear was her heart beating. ‘He loves me. All this time, he still loves me?’ Kate lazily stood up. She gasped, all while following Carlos’ gaze. “Kate,” softly Carlos said. “Say something.” Seeing the worried look on his expression, Kate leaned closer, her hands crawling up to his chest. She said, “Carlos, I.” A heavy sigh left her lips before she clutched her hands against his shirt. Then, abruptly, she tipped her toes and pulled Carlos down, her eyes closed unwittingly, and her lips crashed into his. She felt the tenderness of his lips, but just as she kissed him, she noticed how Carlos froze in his stance. She looked at him for half a second, studying his reaction. Before she knew it, however, Carlos captured her lips, h
Kate was smiling in her sleep. Hearing her phone alarm, she rolled to lie on her back, stretching her arms altogether. As she sat up, she realized Carlos was already in her room. She was facing his back while he sat on the edge of her bed. “Carlos?” She softly called. “How long have you been here?” Carlos turned to Kate. In his hand was her diary, and Kate saw how his jaws clenched, his eyes full of sorrow. He said, “Kate, I’m sorry. I did not mean to hurt you-” “It’s okay,” Kate sat up promptly, crawling next to him. She tried to grab her diary, feeling embarrassed by whatever he found out. Forthwith, she understood what he was sorry for. “You fell into depression? And you had to seek treatment?” Carlos asked, his brows meeting as he sought. “It was just for a month. Shortly after you left - give me that. It’s my personal space,” Kate said, reaching for her diary. She did not want Carlos to feel guilty. To her, it was all in the past now. After seizing her diary, Carlos embr
“Why are you perspiring?” Kate asked, seeing beads of sweat form on Carlos’ forehead. ‘Why?’ Carlos thought. How could he focus on their date now when Kate openly suggested she was willing to give herself to him? “You make me think about dragging you to my bedroom. That’s why,” While driving the car, he admitted, but soon he took it back, saying, “But, I want this date. I’ve planned for it for so long.” "You did?" Kate asked. Still embarrassed at having given herself away, she looked at the window as she sought, "But how would you know we'd be together by now?" "Oliver and one other person I trust did the legwork. I estimated my return, and to answer your question, no. I did not expect to take you out as my girlfriend. I was." Carlos paused. He glanced at Kate and disclosed, "This was supposed to be me courting you, taking you out on a friendly date." From the passenger seat, Kate smiled, her heart galloping with excitement, her cheeks burning. It did not take long before they
“Another gift? I thought the dance was a gift,” Kate uttered while Oliver hand Carlos a palm size velvet box. Holding the box, Carlos studied Kate's delicate face. He asked, “Ready?" After seeing Kate nod, he said, "During your eighteenth birthday, you wanted uncle Ethan to get you a special gift. It was either the Circle of Heaven or Princess’ Xu’s Prosperity ring, but your father did not give you either.” Kate’s eyes widened. She sought, “No. Don’t tell me -” Carlos just smiled, his grey eyes sparkling in amusement at her reaction. He opened the box and revealed his gift. A small gift card on the upper part of the box read: [To My Kate. From Mister Jade.] Inside the jewelry box was the ‘Circle of Heaven’ jadeite bangle, one of Chinese history's most precious jade collections. It was a piece that Kate had wanted to buy since she was young. When Kate turned eighteen, Ethan thought it was too much for a piece of jewelry at her age, considering how it cost ten million dollars back