Elaine"Are you okay, bestie?" Elena asked when I opened my eyes. Concern was written all over her face, so I gave her a fake smile."Yes. I think I just got too hot in this gown," I said.There was some truth to my response since it was indeed warm, and I had been sweating under my arms ever since we were at the church earlier."OMG, bestie! I got worried for you. If something bad happens, your husband will blame me!" Elena helped me stand up. "What’s that behind you? Why are you hiding it?" she added. I swallowed nervously.She was about to grab the gift when I suddenly thought of a reason."T-This is a gift from Sandra for our honeymoon, Louis and I," I replied, causing Elena to stop. A smile appeared on her lips because of what I said, but I had no choice but to stick to the story.I didn’t want anyone to know about Zap’s gift. I didn’t want them getting involved because of me."I knew it. You just couldn’t wait, huh? Even here, you’re bringing it. Maybe there’s something for cosp
Elaine“Excuse me,” I said to the guests blocking my way.“Watch out, miss!” the waiter gasped when I accidentally bumped into him.“F*ck. Your clumsiness ruined my fiancée’s dress. Look what you’ve done!” shouted a man in a tuxedo. Just by his posture, I could tell he was one of the business partners of Louis’s company and had only attended our wedding to impress the other businessmen here.“I’m sorry about that, but I really need to go,” I replied. I was about to walk away when the woman with him suddenly grabbed my right arm.“How rude of you! Not only are you a woman who’s causing trouble, but you also have the audacity to turn your back on us. Don’t you know who we are, huh?” she shouted. She caught the attention of other guests nearby the veranda.“I have urgent things to do. I promise, I will come back to pay for your dress’s laundry,” I said while looking around because the man in the mask was slowly disappearing from my sight.“Do you know how much this dress cost, huh? Obvio
ElaineI slowly opened my eyes. Immediately, a large chandelier that was sparkling came into view. When I tried to sit up, I suddenly grabbed my head because I felt a sharp pain."It looks like you’re awake," a masculine voice said, and I quickly turned to my left.I gasped when I saw Ashton, who was shirtless, sitting confidently with his legs crossed, arms folded."Why are you here? What are you doing here?" I asked, but he only smiled at me and slowly looked down at my chest."I think you should dress up before talking to me. How about that?" he asked, grinning, and stood up to go to the closet.What is he talking about?When I looked down, I realized I was only wearing underwear.What’s going on here?I immediately wrapped the white blanket around me and stood up to confront Ashton."Explain to me why I’m naked! For Pete’s sake, Ashton, what did you do to me, huh?!" I asked angrily as he dressed in his shirt."I only just saw your pink bra. What’s the big deal about it? Also, you’
ElaineWhen I woke up, I immediately looked around. It was still the same room where Ashton brought me. This meant that what happened earlier was real, not just a nightmare.I placed my hand on my forehead as I recalled what Ashton told me about my relationship with Louis. I had no idea there was such an agreement between us. I thought our marriage was the repayment for our family's debt to the Montemayors, but it seems I was wrong.What else should I have expected?This is the price for trusting too much. If I had known, I wouldn't have opened my heart to someone who only planned to use me against other organizations.I didn’t know what to do. I had no intention of moving from where I sat, my whole body feeling heavy from the information I had just learned.When I looked at the clock, it was already ten in the evening. I had been staring at the blue wall for minutes.Everything still hadn't sunk in, and how much harder would it be when I find out the truth about myself?I think Ashto
ElaineAs soon as I returned inside the venue, Venice immediately approached me.“Good thing you’re finally here, bestie. Everyone is waiting for you on the balcony so that you and Louis can receive Aunt Hacel’s gift,” she said. I couldn’t help but swallow due to nervousness.What is the Montemayor family up to this time?I quickly forced a smile when I saw Venice still looking at me. She had no idea about what was going on between Louis and me. I couldn’t blame her because I was sure Volstrige would keep it a secret from her.“Sorry, I was late again. I just went to the restroom for a bit,” I explained and was about to step forward when Venice suddenly grabbed my arm, stopping me.“Wait a moment, bestie. I was really waiting for you here because I have something to give you. Also, are you spaced out? That’s not the way to the balcony. Is that the effect of alcohol?” She burst into laughter.When I realized she was right, I couldn’t help but close my eyes in embarrassment.“I wasn’t g
ElaineI was startled awake when I suddenly heard a loud ringtone coming from Louis' cellphone."Answer your call," I ordered. I saw Louis decline the call and return his gaze to me."I'm sorry for waking you up," Louis said.I rubbed my eyes to see his face more clearly since the room was dim."It's okay, I was just startled. But why are you still awake?" I asked him as I was about to get up to get a drink from the kitchen.Ouch.I immediately shut my eyes tightly when I felt a sharp pain in my lower body. The same thing happened to me after our first time. It felt like my body was being split in two.Noticing that I seemed to be in pain, Louis helped me up. "Are you okay, wife? Should I call a doctor?" he asked with concern, making me stare at him.Was he really concerned about me?I smiled in amusement, but Ashton’s words suddenly echoed in my mind.Louis was just using me. That’s all. I shouldn’t fall for his actions anymore."I'm fine, it's just that my lower part is sore. Someon
ElaineI woke up because the sunlight was hitting my face; it seemed like Louis was still not back. I slowly got up because my head still hurt a little, and my eyes were swollen. My fingers still had cuts from picking up the broken picture frame.I went to the kitchen and took the photo. I stared at it once more before crumpling it and putting it inside my pocket. Louis must not see this—I’m sure that only Father can answer all the questions I have about the true identity of this man.I opened the fridge, but it contained nothing except water. I sighed and took a shower so I could go out. I needed to find a grocery store.“Wife, where are you going?”My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw Louis. His hair was messy, and he had deep eye bags. His clothes had traces of blood, and there was a scratch on his forehead.“Are you okay?” I asked, touching the wound on his forehead.I quickly realized what I was doing. Why should I care? I shouldn’t, but my heart couldn’t help but wo
ElaineIt had been a week, and Louis and I had fallen into a routine. We were like a real married couple. Every morning, he cooked for me, and we spent our days exploring different places. Almost every night, something would happen between us. Honestly, it all felt like a dream, and I never wanted to wake up.“Wife, are you still mad at me? I didn’t mean to be rough last night,” Louis asked while trying to feed me some rice.“No. I’m not mad,” I answered briefly.“Then why are you so quiet, hmm?” he asked again. The truth was, I wished we could just stay here because I was afraid that once we went back home, things between us would change again.“I’m just thinking,” I said.His face turned serious. “What is it? You can tell me.”I forced a small smile. It was better to keep what I saw to myself for now. He might think I was involved with Zap.“I’m just thinking about where we should go today. There are so many beautiful places here. I’ll take a quick shower so we can leave,” I said, k
ElaineThe days passed quickly, and we learned the news that Zap had escaped, so our security doubled as we searched for leads on who helped Zap escape and where my real father was.I let out a deep sigh before leaning my head against the chair. I thought the evil of the Valencias was over, but we were back to square one."Everything will be fine, wife. As long as we are together, we can do anything. I’ll dispatch more people to look for leads," Louis said. He held my hand. I smiled."Thank you, hubby, for always being by my side. Even when I’m still looking for a part of my past identity, you're patient," I said and kissed him on the cheek.That evening, while I was working on paperwork that the wedding organizer gave me, Mace suddenly started crying.I quickly stood up and went to the nursery room, "Wah, Mama." I picked her up and saw Louis enter, holding Caliber in his arms.He asked, "What happened?""Hubby, can you grab the diapers? I think she’s crying because it's already full.
LouisI’ve always thought of myself as the man who knew everything. Someone who was calculated, cold, and efficient—that’s who I am. Or rather, who I was before Elaine. She wasn’t just a woman I was ordered to marry; she was the reason I started questioning everything about my carefully constructed world.It all started when I saw her for the first time walking with her friends down the street. I was in the backseat of my car, flipping through meaningless reports about the family’s business, when I caught sight of her. She wasn’t extraordinary by any conventional standard. She had oversized glasses perched on her nose, braces, and hair that seemed to have a life of its own. Yet, there was something about her laugh. It was carefree. It was pure.“Who’s that woman?” I blurted out, startling Brennon.His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, confused. “I—I don’t know, sir. Should I find out?”I stayed quiet. My heart clenched for reasons I didn’t understand. Why did I care? She wasn’t the
ElaineThe breeze was cold on the day I went to the cemetery. The sun was high, but it didn’t hurt my skin because it was already late afternoon. It was quiet, but I still felt the heaviness in my heart as I walked the path to my father’s grave. Everything that happened was still fresh in my mind, and in the blink of an eye, all the evil deeds of the Valencias were over. But I knew that this wasn’t the end because there were still organizations that wanted to get their hands on the ledger, which I still couldn’t remember.In the end, Zap was imprisoned with multiple charges while Mariella was taken by Lucas to a psychiatrist because she was almost driven insane by everything that happened.I read the inscription on the tombstone that said Raymond Natividad. I placed the bouquet of white roses down and lit a candle.He was such a good father to me, doing everything to protect me.“In a few months, I’ll be giving birth. I’ll make sure to bring them here so you can see them,” I said as m
ElaineWhen I opened my eyes, I felt the pain from the restraints tied to my hands. They were tight and cold, as if purposely tightened to cause severe pain. I trembled as I looked around. It seemed like we were in a storage room, and aside from me, there were two others—Kaizer and Father, both tied to chairs."Ely..." Kai’s voice was weak but filled with concern. "Are you okay?"I nodded, even though my heart contradicted the words. It was racing in fear and anxiety over what might happen to us."Do you know where we are?" I asked, my voice cracking.He shook his head. "All I know is that we've been kidnapped by the Valencia Organization. I don’t know how they found us, but I’ll make sure we escape."I was scared for the baby in my womb. It had nothing to do with this."Everything will be fine, Ely, trust me," Kaizer said. It seemed like he had a plan."Ugh," Father groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.When he saw Kaizer and me, his brows furrowed immediately. "What are you two doin
ElaineLouis and I stayed in Florida for two more weeks. When Louis saw me that night, he was always comforting me. We rarely went out again, and when we did, we always had a bodyguard with us. He didn’t ask me what happened, it seemed like he was waiting for me to tell him on my own.Today, Valerian will pick us up to take us back to the Philippines.“I want to stay here for a while,” I said while organizing the clothes and souvenirs we bought.“We will come back here again. This is one of our houses now, I just need to finish all my work,” Louis answered and pecked a kiss on my cheek.When we got in the car, Valerian smiled at me. “Looks like the newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon that much. Aunt Hacel said to get both of you after three days, but someone wants to stay longer.”“Shut up, dickhead,” Louis said, and I laughed. So, he was the one who planned for us to stay here for a month.“You really hurt my feelings with that greeting, man. A gift for your godchild?” Valerian asked.
ElaineIt had been a week, and Louis and I had fallen into a routine. We were like a real married couple. Every morning, he cooked for me, and we spent our days exploring different places. Almost every night, something would happen between us. Honestly, it all felt like a dream, and I never wanted to wake up.“Wife, are you still mad at me? I didn’t mean to be rough last night,” Louis asked while trying to feed me some rice.“No. I’m not mad,” I answered briefly.“Then why are you so quiet, hmm?” he asked again. The truth was, I wished we could just stay here because I was afraid that once we went back home, things between us would change again.“I’m just thinking,” I said.His face turned serious. “What is it? You can tell me.”I forced a small smile. It was better to keep what I saw to myself for now. He might think I was involved with Zap.“I’m just thinking about where we should go today. There are so many beautiful places here. I’ll take a quick shower so we can leave,” I said, k
ElaineI woke up because the sunlight was hitting my face; it seemed like Louis was still not back. I slowly got up because my head still hurt a little, and my eyes were swollen. My fingers still had cuts from picking up the broken picture frame.I went to the kitchen and took the photo. I stared at it once more before crumpling it and putting it inside my pocket. Louis must not see this—I’m sure that only Father can answer all the questions I have about the true identity of this man.I opened the fridge, but it contained nothing except water. I sighed and took a shower so I could go out. I needed to find a grocery store.“Wife, where are you going?”My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw Louis. His hair was messy, and he had deep eye bags. His clothes had traces of blood, and there was a scratch on his forehead.“Are you okay?” I asked, touching the wound on his forehead.I quickly realized what I was doing. Why should I care? I shouldn’t, but my heart couldn’t help but wo
ElaineI was startled awake when I suddenly heard a loud ringtone coming from Louis' cellphone."Answer your call," I ordered. I saw Louis decline the call and return his gaze to me."I'm sorry for waking you up," Louis said.I rubbed my eyes to see his face more clearly since the room was dim."It's okay, I was just startled. But why are you still awake?" I asked him as I was about to get up to get a drink from the kitchen.Ouch.I immediately shut my eyes tightly when I felt a sharp pain in my lower body. The same thing happened to me after our first time. It felt like my body was being split in two.Noticing that I seemed to be in pain, Louis helped me up. "Are you okay, wife? Should I call a doctor?" he asked with concern, making me stare at him.Was he really concerned about me?I smiled in amusement, but Ashton’s words suddenly echoed in my mind.Louis was just using me. That’s all. I shouldn’t fall for his actions anymore."I'm fine, it's just that my lower part is sore. Someon
ElaineAs soon as I returned inside the venue, Venice immediately approached me.“Good thing you’re finally here, bestie. Everyone is waiting for you on the balcony so that you and Louis can receive Aunt Hacel’s gift,” she said. I couldn’t help but swallow due to nervousness.What is the Montemayor family up to this time?I quickly forced a smile when I saw Venice still looking at me. She had no idea about what was going on between Louis and me. I couldn’t blame her because I was sure Volstrige would keep it a secret from her.“Sorry, I was late again. I just went to the restroom for a bit,” I explained and was about to step forward when Venice suddenly grabbed my arm, stopping me.“Wait a moment, bestie. I was really waiting for you here because I have something to give you. Also, are you spaced out? That’s not the way to the balcony. Is that the effect of alcohol?” She burst into laughter.When I realized she was right, I couldn’t help but close my eyes in embarrassment.“I wasn’t g