Elaine's Point of View
"Get out of my apartment! You're all useless, just a burden! Pay the rent instead of just hanging around!" Sir Pedro yelled, his neck veins almost visible from anger as he shouted at me and my dad. The truth is, we didn’t have enough money for rent because my dad only worked as a tricycle driver after losing his job.
He often told me life was easier when he worked for the Montemayor family, but unfortunately, they were replaced by workers from France, which led to my dad falling into debt. I never met my mom; all I have left of her is a photo on our wall. Dad once told me she left me a necklace I’ve kept and treasured.
"Sir Pedro, please give us another chance. I’m begging you," I said, almost on my knees, to convince him not to throw us out. I hadn’t found a part-time job yet, and my dad’s earnings were barely enough for us. Luckily, I had a scholarship at school. But in exchange, I had to study hard and take extra-curricular activities. Ultimately, I almost became a nerd, focusing so much on my studies, believing it was the only way to escape poverty.
I chose to study Education because I loved teaching what I knew and seeing the smiles on kids’ faces. I wanted to be the one to teach my future children.
"Goodness, kid. How long have I given you a break, and you still say the same thing? I’m not even making any money off you. I’ve got my own family to support. So get out!" Sir Pedro snapped, using his fan to wave himself some air.
"There's someone else interested! Go on, leave already! Looks like we have new tenants moving in!" he added, quickly heading toward a man walking our way.
What else could I do? Sir Pedro had no intention of giving us another chance. This was our fourth move, and I hoped someone would still take us in.
"Wait, Elaine!" the man called out. Shock, it was Kaizer, my crush.
"Ah, Kaizer. What are you doing here?" I asked as I grabbed the suitcase that Sir Pedro had thrown at us.
"Good Day, uncle!" Kaizer greeted my dad, who glared at him, making me chuckle. My dad, of course, had never liked Kaizer.
"Why are your things outside?" Kaizer asked. Just as I was about to answer, Sir Pedro approached and grabbed Kaizer’s arm like a leech.
"I kicked them out so you can rent this place, handsome. What, are you taking it?" Sir Pedro asked, pulling a lollipop from his pocket and eating it, which made me cringe.
What was that?
"I’m not renting. Just let them back into the apartment," Kaizer said, brushing off Sir Pedro's grip as though he was disgusted, which made me laugh.
"What’s so funny? And they don’t even have money, so they’re free to go!" Sir Pedro shouted as he waved his fan toward us.
I had class in a few hours and needed to settle this fast.
"What did you say? This is my girlfriend. If you want to keep your business, let them back in, and don’t worry about the rent. I’ll pay you," Kaizer said, and I was stunned. What? Did he call me his girlfriend?
I couldn’t help but smile at his words, but then my dad elbowed me hard, his look telling me he was annoyed.
"Elaine, behave. Kaizer means a female friend, okay? Don’t get carried away," Dad muttered, making me blush.
Okay, self, stop assuming.
"Don’t try to scare me, boy. My friends are wealthier than you, and you won’t get this apartment. You’d be handsome if you weren’t so arrogant. Too bad about the discount!" Sir Pedro shouted just as Kaizer pulled something from his pocket.
It was a thick stack of bills with a note saying ₱100,000. I was shocked.
"Kaizer, you really didn’t need to do that!" I exclaimed, but he just smiled and said, "Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll find a better apartment for my girlfriend."
As we were about to leave, Sir Pedro stopped us.
"Wait. I’ll give them the biggest room here," he said, slowly letting us back through the gate.
I wanted to complain, but before I could, Sir Pedro shouted.
"Bonjing, Patrick, carry these two suitcases!" he yelled, and two guys came out of their apartment, yawning and staring at us. Sir Pedro hit them on the head with his fan and hurried them to take the suitcases we were holding.
Kaizer approached my dad and whispered, "What’s up, uncle? Did my handsome points go up?"
Dad just sighed and ignored Kaizer. It was clear he really didn’t like him.
"Kaizer, thanks again. I’ll find a job so I can pay you back," I said, shyly lowering my head.
Dad had already gone inside, leaving Kaizer and me outside.
"What’s up? I helped you because I’m your boyfriend, and it should be only me. If anyone else tries, I’ll charge them ten times the interest. I’ll add more interest, so it has to be me, okay?" Kaizer said, leaving me confused.
"You’re the only one I want, as are my boyfriend and Elena, too, but that’s another story," I replied, noticing Kaizer tapping his forehead.
"Yeah, Ely. I know," he said softly.
When I checked my watch, I quickly told my dad I was heading to school.
"I’ll drop you off," Kaizer said. I was about to protest, but he pulled me toward his car before I could.
"Kaizer, I’m so sorry. You’ve done so much for me today, and I’ve really disturbed you," I said once we were in the car.
Kaizer and I met at a bar. It was my first time there. Venice treated us, and I was surprised when someone pulled me in and kissed me. I slapped him hard, but Kaizer just said, "Don’t you want me?" which made me go crazy with anger. Over time, we became close, and he apologized for what happened. He said it was a dare from his friends.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s fine, especially if it’s you," Kaizer said as he put my seatbelt on.
I couldn’t help but glance at his face because we were so close. He suddenly looked at me and winked.
My heart almost exploded from the rapid pounding.
Just a crush, okay? It can’t go further than that.
He started driving, but his eyes kept drifting to me.
"Yeah, if we crash, you won’t be able to look away," I muttered, and he laughed.
"Chill, miss. You’re too beautiful; I can’t help but look," Kaizer said, making me blush, so I turned to look out the window.
Ugh.
When we reached school, Kaizer opened the car door for me first.
"Bye. Thanks again, Kaizer!" I said, but he blew me a flying kiss before I could walk away.
He’s such a flirt.
Venice and Elena were already waiting for me when I entered our room.
"Here she is, Rapunzel," Elena teased as she combed through my hair.
"So, what happened? We saw you outside when he blew you a flying kiss. Admit it, you were melting!" Venice said, poking my side.
I sighed. I had no choice but to tell them.
"I was just with Kaizer because Sir Pedro kicked us out again," I started, dropping my bag on my chair as they followed me around like crazy.
"And then, like a knight in shining armor, Kaizer saved us from Sir Pedro. And then he said I was his girlfriend," I continued, embarrassed, covering my face. Both girls squealed and laughed.
We caught the attention of our classmates who were busy with their work. "Quiet down," I said, but it just made them laugh harder.
"Come on, be real. You should go for Kaizer. He’s so into you," Venice spoke, nudging me. She always liked to tease me.
"No way. He’s just being nice, so when he says girlfriend, it just means that I’m her female friend," I replied. I didn’t want to assume too much. I didn’t want to get hurt in the end.
"Yeah, right. Go ahead, stay clueless," Elena teased.
We all headed home together since we lived along the same route. They insisted on staying over since Kaizer—who they claimed was my boyfriend had apparently gotten us a big apartment. I was about to protest, but if I didn’t agree, they’d say I liked Kaizer, so I had no choice but to agree.
"Get your clothes first, then come to ours," I said, and they both nodded. Actually, I planned to stop by a restaurant to replace Janna, who couldn’t make it.
The extra income would really help us pay off what we owed Kaizer.
"Alright, I’ll go ahead," I said, but Venice pointed at a Land Cruiser before we could leave.
"Look, a handsome guy is standing outside, but he looks like he’s in trouble," Venice said, and we all laughed. They were right. The car seemed to have broken down.
"He’s handsome. He must be the driver. There’s probably someone inside. Let’s wave at him," Venice said playfully, and we all waved. I even made a heart gesture, but I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do. We stopped when the guy got into the car, and we decided to go our separate ways.
"Alright, you know what waitresses do. Take the order and bring it to us, okay?" one of the chefs said, and I nodded.
I overheard them laughing as I left the cooking area.
"Such a granny," they whispered, but I just smiled. I was used to it. People often teased me for dressing old-fashioned, but at least Venice, Elena, and Kaizer didn’t say anything like that, even though it was true.
I had to stop expecting Kaizer to like me, especially based on my looks. I was already at a disadvantage with all the beautiful women around him.
"Waiter!" called out a woman in a tight red bodycon dress. I quickly went over and wiped the tears from my eyes.
I needed to focus on my work, not on the other things.
"What would you like to order, ma’am?" I asked as she dramatically flipped through the menu.
"Steak. How about you, baby?" she asked the man with her, staring at me.
Was there something on my face? This guy looked like a Greek God, and his blue eyes were mesmerizing.
"Baby?" she repeated as we both waited for his answer. We were both shocked when he didn’t order from the menu.
"I’ll order you," he replied, and I froze.
What? What was happening? I didn’t even know him.
Elaine's Point of View“Huh? W-wha—what did you say?” I stammered, confused.We just stared at each other, and all I could think about was how unbelievably handsome he was. Is he a model? If any other waitress had heard him, their knees would have buckled. I was the first to look away, and my gaze fell on the woman beside him. She shot me a dirty look.Had I done something wrong? Why was she acting that way?“Baby, what are you saying? I’ll pick the food if you want,” the woman asked while holding his hand on the table. It looked like she was his girlfriend; I had thought she was his mother at first—what a mix-up.“Can I take your order, please? It might take a while to prepare,” I said, trying to break the awkward tension. The woman glanced at me, her glare almost enough to cut through.They had some tension going on.“Leave,” the man ordered, pointing toward the door.Was he kicking me out?“Didn’t you hear him? He told you to leave!” the woman shouted, grabbing my shoulder and causi
Elaine's Point of ViewI woke up to the noise coming from outside. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see what was happening and noticed a woman I didn’t recognize talking to a man.“Why do you want me to add you to my collection?” the woman asked, her voice dripping with arrogance while the woman treating her seemed furious.“Excuse me, womanizer. Please don’t treat me like my cousin who had a thing for you. I’m still wondering what she saw in you,” the woman replied, which made me wonder who they were talking about.I needed to leave but was too embarrassed to interrupt their conversation.“Don’t ever talk about that woman in front of me,” Louis said, standing up and pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.“Are you still bitter, Louis? Don’t tell me that woman was just a fling. From what I heard from your mother, she’ll be your wife for some reason. I pity her! She’ll be stuck with a man who still hasn’t moved on from his ex,” the woman said, standing up to face him. Louis fired bac
Elaine’s Point of ViewI waited for Louis to return to the dining room, but thirty minutes passed, so I decided not to eat. I had also lost my appetite.As I passed by the bookshelf, I noticed the book I wanted earlier was now on the lower shelf, so I grabbed it and went up to the room where I had been resting earlier.There’s probably nothing wrong with lying down here. They have plenty of rooms.“Nerd.”I quickly sat up from the bed when I heard the man who had approached Louis earlier.“What are you doing here? Where’s Louis? And who are you?” I asked, quickly grabbing a pillow to defend myself in case he had bad intentions.He chuckled. “Chill. Louis just asked me to tell you not to wait for him anymore because he has something to do with Mariella. He missed his ex so much. Do you know that?”His words felt like a sharp sting to my heart, but I reminded myself that our marriage was just to pay off my father’s debt.“I’ll go ahead,” he said.He was about to leave when I stopped him.
Third Person's Point of ViewWhen Louis arrived at the basement, he immediately glared at Volstrige because of the disruption he had caused between him and Elaine.“You should know the consequences of what you did,” the young man growled as he slowly took out one of his favorite pistols, the Beretta 92, from Italy. Jacob had given it to him when he returned to the Philippines to celebrate his new business in alcoholic beverages.Volstrige immediately hid behind Alex, but Brennon quickly pulled him out. “Boss, please shoot this womanizer. He almost got me into trouble because of him,” Brennon complained, laughing. Volstrige's face was unreadable.“Are you an idiot? I didn’t do anything wrong to you!” Volstrige yelled. The two started arguing, causing Louis to frown.“Stop wasting my fucking time. I have things to do, lead the way,” Louis said authoritatively. Both of them lowered their heads and began leading Louis to where they had captured the spy.Louis had been thinking about going
Third Person’s Point of View“Wife, why are you taking so long to come in? Does Louis have another fling again?” asked a man who looked just like Louis, the only difference being that his appearance showed signs of aging, even though he still looked like a teenager.The man stopped locking the car when he saw Elaine. He recognized her face because he had ordered Louis to marry the young woman.“Who are you, miss, and why are you in my son’s mansion? Explain yourself,” the woman said grumpily, raising an eyebrow. She looked at Elaine, who didn’t know what to say since the young man hadn’t told her that his parents would also be coming.“M-Me? Uh... uh,” Elaine stuttered. Louis’s father stopped Louis’s mother from pulling Elaine’s hair because she was about to drag her out.“Wife, she’s the woman I was telling Louis about. For Pete’s sake, it’s embarrassing to treat your son’s bride like that,” Louis’s father said, which made Louis’s mother realize what she was doing to Elaine. She immed
Third Person’s Point of ViewSirius's butler was restless as they headed to the jail. In truth, in his six years of service to his master, this was the first time something like this had happened to him. Sirius would get mad at him when they arrived, and he was with two of his cousins. What Sirius hated the most was asking for help from anyone, especially people he knew.He didn’t want to be judged. Once, the young man almost killed him because he reported him to his parents, something Sirius hated. He tried to live without asking for anyone’s help, but Sirius had no choice now because his situation was so bad that it threatened the company he had been protecting.“Can you tell us what really happened?” Kaizer asked while Louis was busy looking at his phone. His mother had been calling nonstop earlier, telling him to come home because they were already at the mansion to discuss the wedding. As much as he wanted to go home, he couldn’t because his cousin needed him now.“This is what ha
Third Person’s Point of ViewLouis quickly accelerated the car. He was worried about the young woman, especially since his mother had mentioned that something bad had happened to her.“Damn,” he cursed while hitting the steering wheel because of the traffic. Just when he was in a hurry, traffic appeared in the area.“Can you calm down? As if you can stop the traffic with that, idiot,” Kaizer told him, but in truth, his hand had been shaking with fear about what had really happened to Elaine. He had liked her for a long time, but he always held himself back whenever they met because he didn’t want to complicate her mind with all that was going on.The truth was, he knew Elaine better than her future husband. There was nothing he could do about it, especially since he wasn’t sure if she liked him too. If he could, he would run away with her and live a simple life, but if that happened, there would be equally important things they'd lose that he couldn’t bear.When they arrived at the man
Third Person’s Point of View“Louis, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost,” said the young lady, who was staring at Louis' pale face. She didn’t understand why the young man was reacting that way to the picture of her with her mother, who was holding her in her arms.“Who is that woman to you?” Louis asked. His mind was spinning because of what was happening, but suddenly, his head began to ache. The memory of his former nanny came rushing back.*** Flashback“Lou-lou, you shouldn’t be out at this hour. Your father will surely scold you,” lectured his favorite nanny, Serena. She was kind and always prioritized his feelings. In fact, she was the first person to see him cry, especially when his father scolded him.“But I want to go to Uncle Liam’s mansion. He will probably get mad at Sirius because of what we did. I want to defend him,” young Louis said, raising his hand as if on a mission. Compared to other children, Louis was more mature, even though he was only seven years
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