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CHAPTER 37: A Surprise
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Secret Island CHAPTER 38: Smile for Me
Celine told him the truth when she said she could drive a yacht. The fact amazed him. He enjoyed seeing her having fun with everything and taking the lead. She prepared it all; the champagne bottles in the wine cooler, the food for today; the music playlists; everything. He felt like a special guest at a private party somewhere. Not that he hadn’t been on a yacht party before. But the ones he went was much tamer—the purpose of those parties were networking and pitching ideas to either clients or executive. He was always on edge from the stress and could barely taste any champagne. But this was different; this private yacht party was just him and Celine. And it has been an adventure. Celine was the kind of person that enjoyed life and chose to live life her way. He was learning that philosophy from her. In contrast to her liveliness, he felt like an older man trying to relearn living after being in hibernation. “Alright! We have arrived.” The woman at the st
The Secret Island CHAPTER 39: The Promise
Both of them tirelessly got themselves back to the yacht. We were practically in the middle of nowhere amidst clear water. Martin couldn’t believe how much fun he had with just scuba diving and exploring the area. There was a beautiful cave that we swam to and spent a few hours there. It was as if swimming in Atlantis. And when we swam out of the cave, it was already dark out. The yacht essentially had everything we needed. We showered and got changed. Celine got some food and champagne out to the yacht deck. She said we could watch the sunset together here. “So, it’s the end of the day already. Time flies…” She mumbled to herself as we sat quietly together. The unspoken words between the lines were too obvious and too painful to utter without hurting us. Our two weeks together are nearly over. Celine told him that she was leaving tomorrow evening. And he had no confidence in himself to endure the agony of seeing her walking away from our villa and h
The Secret Island CHAPTER 40: In Our Bed
Celine was losing her mind. Still heaving heavily from the recent lovemaking, she couldn’t help but caress his bare skin, exploring the contour of his body. Martin was lean and muscular, and she loved his body. Her naughty hand traveled from his biceps to his chest to her hard six packs abs. She savored the moment. Martin had no idea she was crazy about him. He knew she loved him after her multiple confessions. But he didn’t know she was this infatuated. She was crazy about him.“Aren’t you tired?” Martin asked. His eyes were sleepy, but there was an unmistakable playful glint to them. She thought he was so sexy looking at her like that. His hair was messy and out of place, but that was because of her ruffling it in the heat of passion when he was moving inside her. Oh, my, that man, how he moved. She lost her breath, screaming as he was coming to her hard. One shouldn’t trust a quiet, nerdy boy, indeed.“After only the first round? You must be kidding.” She smiled cheekily. Celine en
The Secret Island CHAPTER 41: The Sun
Celine woke up in the middle of the night. The sounds she heard were the same sounds as the past few days—the strong wind from outside and the consistent breathing sound from the man lying next to her. But she sensed the temperature was much colder than usual. The much closer sound from the waves reminded her where she was. She was groggy from just waking up, and looking around trying to make sense of the space. Martin was still deep asleep. He looked younger in his slumber. And the painful pang in her chest started to grow. The voice in her head whispered the reality she had to face in a few hours. It pushed her to face the inevitable. Because today was the last day. She didn’t know how long it would take until we meet again, the day he will be hers again. But Martin must know it…she hoped he knew it that she will not change her mind. He was sleeping so soundly that she couldn’t help herself but kissed him. Under the moonlight, the time in ou
The Secret Island CHAPTER 42: The Morning
No one had enough sleep, or to say it correctly, no one had any sleep. But they got on the deck to watch the sun slowly rising from the dark horizon where the sky meets the sea. The air in the morning was colder than usual, so the two of them took the blanket from the bedroom for warmth. Martin held her hand under the blanket that wrapped around them both. Celine’s hand was cold, and he wanted nothing more than to warm her up. Her nose was red from the cold. We had not long until we had to go back to the villa. “Martin.” She nudged his hand and called him. “Yes?” “I love you.” She told him again. He couldn’t remember how many times she said she loved him today, and she never hid her feeling in every action, every touch, and every word. Her eyes even talked to him in silence—she loved him. Everything he received made him curious. What did he do to deserve all the beautiful experiences she had given him? Was he good enough or deserving of her
The Secret Island CHAPTER 43: The Phone Call
Martin told her he would be gone for a few minutes, but he had been for an hour by this point. She was worried sick. Sadness turned into a concern. She had to leave the island within hours and she didn’t know where he went. She went out to look for him in the areas around the villa and she couldn’t find him. She wanted to walk to the places she frequented, but she was afraid he would come back when she was gone. She thought she had cried until there was no tears left, but that was not true. The uncertainty was the cause for concern. Especially because she didn’t know the extent of his ‘problems.’ She didn’t know if anything happened to him. All her bags, luggage, and suitcase were completely packed and laid out on in front of the entrance door. She properly wrapped the book Martin bought her and put it in the suitcase. The handwritten plans we did together were also kept in a file. The caps we usually wear in as a couple are on her lap. Her fingers caressing the fa
The Secret Island CHAPTER 44: Goodbye
Martin was walking back to the villa. The thought of living without Celine gave him a severe headache. He was going crazy thinking about his life tomorrow. The hopelessness in his heart drove him insane. He sought the only way out like a drowning man. He went to Carlo to negotiate. The deal wasn’t so much about selling his soul to the devil like before. He just went to negotiate. He wanted to attend Celine’s graduation ceremony. He wanted to see her face again. And seeing her in a few weeks’ time was something he could look forwards to. Even if it was just a few minutes to see her face, it would have been worth it. He didn’t know if he let her wait for too long at the villa. He hoped she didn’t get mad. He told her that he would be gone for a few minutes, but it had been well over an hour. If she got mad, he would apologize and find a way to make up for it. Martin was surprised to open the door and found her smiling at him. “Martin!” She
The Secret Island CHAPTER 45: A New Beginning
Every time she went back to this island, Celine felt the same—no matter how long time had passed, how hectic the world had changed into, she still felt the same. Everything felt the same. Today, a seat next to her was empty just the same; there was no Martin. In the loneliness during this long wait, a new idea began to take place, the inevitable thought that perhaps it was time for her to let go. She hadn’t made up her mind about that just yet. A beautiful lady, at the age of 27, sat alone on a yacht that she bought from a previous owner. It was the same yacht she rented a few years back. She couldn’t take the risk of it being rented out when she needed it. She looked out into the distance. She had to go back to London tomorrow. If she let go of him and all the memories associated with him, she had to sell this yacht. Oh, the villa, too. She bought that. Letting go of the physical assets as well as letting go of the memories. Then upon landing
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The Secret Island CHAPTER 96: Any Worry?
“Celine, why are you so quiet tonight? Talk to me, will you?” Martin spoke out, breaking the silence. They were back to his room after dinner with her friends. And she couldn’t find words to say anything. She could only sneak a peak at him. Instead of saying anything, she walked to hug him. “What is this all about?” He chuckled and hugged her back. She decided to sleep over at his place tonight. Soon, he will move to a condo she helped him choose, a new property he will buy. It took a while for the deal to go through. Martin wasn’t the bossy one. To Celine, when it came to big purchases, he seemed to be too casual about it. She saw through the deals and negotiated the price for him. It was also not a coincidence that the condo that Martin bought was precisely in the design and style that Celine loved. “I just do what I want to do.” She replied, referring to her hold on him. She wouldn’t let go so easily. Martin chuckled at her strange action and kissed her f
The Secret Island CHAPTER 95: Her Friends
When Celine and Martin sat at the table with Celine’s friends surrounding them, she knew the source of her nervousness. The CEO sat still and observed the conversation exchanged between Martin and her friends. Her friends shot him question after question, but Martin was no longer a man of few words. He smiled and put on all his charms. He got to know her friend one by one. There was Jessica, a hotel heiress, that Martin expertly discussed the business of the F&B industry with. Kimberly, an up-and-coming model, with whom Martin got into an intense debate over the trend of fast fashion ethics. And then there was Marie, a real estate heiress and socialite that seemed to like Martin a bit too much. She just kept looking at him when he told her what he knew about the real estate market. Before coming here, her friends teased her that they would question him to the point that he might run away or be afraid to have dinner with Celine’s friend group again. That didn’t see
The Secret Island CHAPTER 94: The Recovery
Celine had worked with countless executives and talented individuals, and she found out that after working with different types of people, there were people who were considered great workers because they knew how to work smart. Another type is people who are naturally gifted, and then there is Martin. He deserves his own category. Celine knew prior to deciding to partner with him that he was a capable man in every sense of the word. But after one month from the day that he agreed to sign the contract with her, everything happened so fast. Everything that Martin did exceed her expectation. Since that day, he asked to spend two weeks traveling to her factories, met her designers, and called in a marketing consultant. He even flew to Paris and then Japan and also Dubai to meet up with retailers and suppliers. He studied the market and came up with a plan for business expansion as well as product ideas that would fit different markets. He reviewed all of the company’s
The Secret Island CHAPTER 93: The Business Partner
“Oh, c’mon, we have taken our relationship to this point. We shouldn’t have anything to hide from each other. Just tell me, Martin.” Celine stared at the man in front of her. He was visibly nervous and clearly in search of the right words. But there was no right word. She knew he might not tell her anything at all. “Martin, please. I deserve to know.” Her voice was soft. She didn’t force him. She was just pleading for the truth. Martin hesitated. But in the end, he relented. “I…I am afraid I will mess it all up.” He confessed. And she frowned. “Messing, what up?” “Everything. Everything here…” He looked around the room. Martin was worried and refused to look at her. “What do you mean? Like messing up the business? You will singlehandedly bankrupt me? Is that something on your mind?” Celine tried to elaborate. She wanted to say that that was utter nonsense but reserved her words. “Yes, exactly that. This is your dream. This
The Secret Island CHAPTER 92: The Interview
Martin was looking at the white wall and the decorations inside his ‘interview room’ for today. He smiled at what he saw. How could he not like the room when it was he who designed it on a piece of paper and handed it to her that day on the island? The idea materialized into reality because of Celine. He thought of his life as he waited for Celine to finish her online meeting. He didn’t know what his life would become without her. She had always been caring and prioritized his issues as if they were her own. He really didn’t know what he would become without her. Even though this aspect of his life he thought would never overlap with her, his career, she still offered to help him with it.He gave her an answer yesterday. And today, Martin intended to do the same.He had every intention of denying her generous offer.Yes… yesterday, he denied her offer. But Celine being as stubborn as she was, asked him to at least go through an interview, to really talk through the details and let h
The Secret Island CHAPTER 91: Our Collective Dreams
“Do you think Celine would know if we are spying on them?” Celine’s parents were lurking in the corner of the room, observing their daughter and her boyfriend from a distance. From this angle, it perfectly gave them a clear view of the couple. It was also a rare occasion for Celine to be in the kitchen at all. They knew that she was a terrible cook. No matter how many compliments they had given to her burnt toast in the past, they knew in their heart that her being in the kitchen was also a risk of a fire that could break out at any time. “I think she knows, but she doesn’t care. You know how she is. She does whatever she wants.” Celine’s father, who pretended to read the news on his tablet in case his daughter looked his way, said. He knew Celine well. She never cares much about others’ opinions if she sets her mind on something. It didn’t take long for their small chitchat and spying that Celine’s mother yelped in excitement after seeing someth
The Secret Island Chapter 90: Cooking Session
After Martin stood still for a while and let Celine hug him, she let go of him and helped out with other jobs of this cooking task. Martin was quite dumbfounded when it came to the matter of cooking. He hadn’t cooked good food for himself for years, so it was not surprising that it took him longer than expected to prepare the ingredients. He did look up the recipe on the internet and tried to go slow. But he completely lost his confidence when it came to performing a task that produced an outcome. He felt totally out of place and even felt weird holding the pot and pan, and utensils. Celine was always by his side and helped him. She was no great chef, and she admitted it, but Celine still enjoyed the process, definitely a lot more than he did. The pasta was something Martin thought was the easiest menu to make, but even so, he overcooked the pasta, boiling it too long that it became too soft. He just could not time it right. We had to redo the whole thing again. It was strang
The Secret Island Chapter 89: Casual Supper
Celine came back to Martin’s place around 7 PM. Once she arrived, the first thing she asked of him was for him to shower and dress well because she was taking him outside. She told him that she wanted to take him somewhere. She didn’t tell him where no matter how many times he asked. Celine smiled at him tiredly. She must have a lot of work and responsibility to handle. He felt guilty for making her worried this morning, and the whole incident took some time out of her days. He really wanted her to rest a bit more. Once Martin got in the car, he saw several bags in the backseat. He was a bit curious about its content but thought to pass it. His curiosity didn’t matter. He kept quiet and asked about other things. “How’s your day? A lot of work to handle? Are you tired?” He turned to see that the woman in the driver's seat was smiling in answer. “Seeing you are looking so contented today, I am not the least bit tired,” Celine answered him. That smile
The Secret Island CHAPTER 88: Because You Are, I Am
Martin was on the balcony of his condo and staring into the bright blue sky that was considered rare for London. Once he got a chance to confess what happened and explain everything that he faced in life, he felt as if the grey clouds that surrounded him were disappearing.Celine told him she wanted to spend time with him all day, but her business was expanding, and she had meeting after meeting and not to mention the documents she had to review. Even though he wanted her to stay with him all day, he was the one that asked her to go to work as initially planned. He had no business disturbing her work schedule. Celine was an executive and had responsibilities to take care of. She had no time for this. Martin was still confused over what had just happened. His brain returned to the event that took place earlier this morning. His hand kept massaging his temple and his eyes fixated on the vast blue sky.Martin abruptly ceased all movement when he finally realized that he had told Celin
