*Arlene’s POV*
I bolted down the stairs, heart racing as I heard the unmistakable sound of Mago’s car pulling away. A sickening dread twisted in my stomach—why would he leave so abruptly, without saying goodbye? My fingers gripped the banister as I reached the bottom, my eyes darting toward the door, hoping somehow I’d misheard, that he was still there.
“Arlene,” my mother’s voice stopped me, gentle yet insistent, but I could hear a strange tremor in her tone.
“Mommy!” I choked, tears blurring my vision as I turned to face her. “Why did he leave? What happened? He didn’t even say goodbye!” I looked to her for answers, hoping she could make sense of it all. But instead, I saw something unsettling in her expression—an intense worry, almost like fear, barely hidden beneath a calm facade.
Before she could answer, my father’s sharp voice sliced through the silence, cutting down the small comfort I’d hoped for.
“Enough of this nonsense,
*Mago’s POV*The insistent ringing yanked me from sleep, an unwelcome tether back to reality. I reached for my phone, already irritated by whoever was so determined to get my attention at this ungodly hour.“Boss Mago!” Dessa’s voice crackled with urgency.“Dessa, it’s early.” My tone was a mixture of annoyance and fatigue.“Did you forget?” Her voice was tinged with panic. “You’re meeting the investors today!”My blood ran cold as her words hit me like a slap. The meeting—I’d forgotten. Cursing under my breath, I sat up, groggy and disoriented, and glanced around the dim room. I hung up without another word, then tapped the woman beside me. “You need to go.”“What?” She murmured, eyes still closed, voice laced with the sultry remains of sleep.“I said you need to go.” My tone sharpened. “I&rsq
*Mago’s POV*When I walked up to the bar, I saw Dessa waiting, twisting her hands nervously. She was stunning—quick-witted, magnetic, a woman who could turn heads with a smile, yet she’d chosen to be with women. Her choice worked for me; it made her the perfect decoy, my “girlfriend” to ward off women who couldn’t resist me. And there were plenty—women begging to be with me, trying to claim a piece of me. But I was Mago Concepcion, and I wasn’t the kind of man who settled. I preferred variety, the thrill of tasting something new every night, savoring life like an endless array of fine wine. Why choose one bottle when the world was a cellar, each one offering something different?“B-Boss Mago,” Dessa stammered, handing over the contract. “The investors are inside.”I gave her a slow, confident smile. “I’ll handle it,” I said, oozing assurance.She gave me a slight nod, her eyes darting down. “Good luck.”I chuckled, almost pitying her misplaced concern.“Luck? Dessa, I am luck.” I winke
*Arlene’s POV*Janine and Marco had invited us to their wedding anniversary party, but Mago went ahead, leaving me to catch a taxi alone. It was yet another reminder of how things stood between us—how he wanted to make sure I felt like a stranger in his life. When we did speak, his words dripped with sarcasm and thinly veiled insults, as if he enjoyed seeing how deeply he could wound me without breaking the skin.There were only a few guests milling about when I arrived, but I scanned the room, searching for him, my stomach twisting with nerves.“Looking for Mago?” Janine’s voice cut through my thoughts, a touch of anger in her tone.“Is he here?” I asked, hoping he hadn’t disappeared already.“You’re wasting your time, Arlene.” She glanced over her shoulder, face tight. “That manwhore is upstairs in the guest room—hooking up with our florist.”
*Mago’s POV*The cold water hit my skin, grounding me as I tried to wash her image from my mind. But the memory of her—her eyes filled with pain and longing—stayed, twisting inside me. I hated that she still made me feel... anything.But love? No. Whatever I’d once felt was buried too deeply beneath years of bitterness and scars that ran too deep for her to understand. The darkness inside me was beyond anything her love could fix. I couldn’t forgive—not her, not her family. The damage ran too deep.*Flashback*“Mago, you can come out now,” Nana’s voice coaxed gently, pulling me from the cabinet where I’d hidden, trembling.“Nana,” I whispered, “Dad’s drunk again…”Her hand found mine in the darkness. “I know, sweetheart. But you can’t stay in here forever. Come on.”I held back, clinging
*Arlene’s POV*Mago’s warning had struck me like a thunderclap, shaking the foundation of my resolve, but it wasn’t enough to make me give up. No matter how much people mocked me, calling me foolish or masochistic, I clung to a stubborn hope—a fragile belief that I could change Mago’s heart, that I could make him see love as something more than a cruel game.That evening, Mago returned with a woman on his arm. The sight of them together was a knife twisting in my chest. My breathing quickened as I rushed to the door, intercepting them before they could step inside. I felt the weight of my decision settle heavily on me. Call me a martyr, but I refused to share my husband with anyone else. He could wound me, tear me apart with his callousness, but I would not allow another woman to take him away.The woman’s eyes swept over me with disdain, her lips curling into a smug smile. “Who is she?” she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.“She’s just my jealous stepsister,” Mago said dismissi
*Mago’s POV*I only intended to push her, to see how far she would go for me. I wanted to test her resolve, to watch her limits bend and break under my control. But when she knelt before me, trembling yet determined, and pulled down my boxers, I froze. The way her hands moved over me—tentative yet resolute—shattered the image I had clung to. She wasn’t the innocent, untouchable Arlene I used to know. The girl who once smiled at me with unfiltered sweetness was now staring up at me, offering herself in ways I never thought she would.And yet, as much as I wanted to revel in my supposed victory, something inside me shifted. It wasn’t anger or lust—it was something darker, sharper. Shame. A suffocating wave of it crashed over me. What kind of man had I become to drive her to this? To make her kneel, to strip her of her dignity, just to satisfy some twisted notion of revenge? She had once looked at me with love, with purity. And now, she was lowering herself to the punishment I had cruell
* Arlene’s POV *I woke up with the weight of last night’s humiliation pressing down on me. My heart ached, but I knew I couldn’t let it break me. Staying away from Mago wasn’t an option—not now, not ever. If I didn’t fight for this marriage, who would? The thought terrified me, but I also knew the truth: love wasn’t always soft and tender. Sometimes, love was a battlefield, and I had to be willing to endure the pain if there was any chance of saving us.I made my way to the bar earlier than usual, determined to step into my role as Mago’s co-manager. If I wanted him to remember that we were married, I had to be present, persistent, and unshakable. But as I entered, I saw him sitting at the counter, a half-empty glass in his hand, the faint scent of whiskey lingering in the air.It wasn’t just the alcohol that caught my attention—it was his eyes. Red, pained, and distant. He looked like a man carrying a weight too heavy for one person to bear. My heart clenched. ‘Why do you keep pushin
*Mago’s POV*My mind was set on using her for my revenge, to hurt her as a proxy for the ones who destroyed me when I was at my weakest. But whenever she was near, my resolve began to unravel. The anger that had fueled me for so long seemed to flicker, its sharp edges softened by her presence. She had this inexplicable pull over me, like a siren calling me to shores I vowed never to visit again. My rules, my carefully crafted armor, felt like brittle glass in her gaze, and I hated how powerless I became.And then it happened. I had no intention of kissing her—none at all. But my body betrayed me. My feet moved as if they knew the truth my heart refused to admit. When I kissed her, it wasn’t for love or tenderness. It was supposed to be punishment. My lips sought to brand her, to make her feel the pain I carried inside me. But the moment our lips met, everything changed. Her warmth melted through the icy walls I’d built, and I was drowning in a wave of emotions I couldn’t control. Desi
I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment of last night. It was both traumatic and… thrilling. My body still ached in places I never knew could ache, but oddly enough, I had no regrets. Sure, it started painfully, but once the initial shock wore off—well, let’s just say, I finally understood why romance novels were so obsessed with this whole thing.Just thinking about it sent a wave of warmth crawling up my neck. I bit my lip, resisting the ridiculous smile threatening to take over my face. My traitorous body tingled at the mere memory, and I groaned, burying my face into the pillow.‘Get it together, Arlene. You’re a respectable woman. A married woman. You cannot be daydreaming about your husband like some hormonal teenager.’ I scolded myself.The door creaked open, and I snapped my eyes shut, pretending to still be asleep.“Arlene?” Naina’s voice broke the silence. &l
I moved through the sleek, modern kitchen before dawn, my steps slow and deliberate against the cool, polished tiles. The house was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside and the soft hum of the refrigerator. The ambient lighting cast a warm glow on the marble countertops and stainless steel appliances, but even in the luxurious space, an unease settled in my chest.I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t care this much.But here I was, heating the pan, cracking the eggs, and carefully cooking them just the way Arlene liked—soft, the yolk slightly runny. The toast had to be crisp but not too brown. She liked a hint of butter, just enough to melt on the surface. And the coffee—light and sweet, exactly to her taste. I even went as far as slicing fresh strawberries and arranging them neatly on the side of the plate.Why was I doing this? Why did I know her preferences so well?I scoffed, shaking my head as I placed the coffee cup onto the tray. This wasn’t about her. No, of
“Hmmmph,” the pain was unbearable. Every inch of him felt like a foreign invasion, pushing into places that were never meant to be touched this way. I gasped, biting my lip, trying to hold back the scream, but the sharp sting forced it out “Aaargh!”“Just relax, Arlene,” he murmured, his voice trying to soothe me, but it only made the situation worse.“I-I can’t,” I sobbed, my voice breaking, fragile like the very core of my being.“Don’t fight it,” he said again, his hand lifting to cup my face, guiding my gaze to meet his, “Arelene, look at me.”I did not want to look. I did not want to see the intensity in his eyes, the purpose in his every movement. But I couldn’t look away. His gaze held me, trapping me in a silence that felt like it was both suffocating and electric“M-Mago,” I heard myself cry his name, almost a
*Mago*“Hmmmph,” she whimpered, her body tense beneath me as she fought to endure the pain. But the moment I moved again, she screamed, her cry sharp and raw. “Aaargh!”“Just relax, Arlene,” I urged her, my voice strained with worry.“I-I can’t,” she sobbed, her tears flowing freely now.“Don’t fight it,” I said softly, trying to keep my own emotions in check, though the sound of her cries twisted something deep inside me.“Arlene, look at me,” I said, my tone filled with both worry and determination.“No,” she choked out, turning her face away from me as her body shook with quiet sobs. “I don’t want to do it anymore,” she added, her small hands pressing against my chest in an attempt to push me away.My chest tightened at her words. She wasn’t just in pain—she was terrified, vulnerable, and br
*Arlene*The room felt heavy with anticipation, the air almost stifling as I paced back and forth, trying to calm the storm of emotions surging through me. My heart pounded against my ribcage, loud and unrelenting. From the moment Mago and I decided today would be the day we finally consummate our marriage, I had been a trembling mess. It sounded simple—dinner first, then intimacy—but nothing about this felt simple.I’d already taken three baths since 2 p.m., unable to decide on the perfect perfume to wear. My bed was a chaotic sea of discarded lingerie, each one scrutinized before being rejected. Eventually, I settled on a red lace strapless set—seductive yet classy—hidden beneath a black Venetian-cut ballgown.“Should I wear makeup?” I’d asked Janine earlier, my voice trembling with nerves. “Or would it just smudge off anyway?”“You’re clueless,” she teased wi
*Mago*Marco’s office was alive with the usual energy—cigar smoke curling in the air, beer bottles clinking on the wooden table, and the sound of good-natured ribbing echoing off the walls. It was our sacred space, a haven where we could tackle life’s heavier problems and then lighten the mood with relentless teasing. Tonight, we’d gathered to lend support to Angelo, who looked more stressed than I’d ever seen him.Angelo leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, absently spinning his beer bottle. “Thanks for coming, guys. I need this.”Marco waved him off. “You don’t need to thank us. We’re your brothers. What’s going on?”Angelo exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “It’s Cerise. She’s been… struggling. She’s got a lot of doubts about us, and it’s hard to get through to her.”Stuart frowned. “Doubts? Like what?”
*Arlene*I marched into Janine’s mansion, nerves tying my stomach into knots. Stuart had just proposed to Patricia, and now my own marriage to Mago was on a fast track to… consummation. Even the word made my chest tighten. I was desperate for advice and moral support.“The ladies are waiting for you in the entertainment room, ma’am,” the butler informed me with a polite nod.“Thanks,” I said, already making my way there. I didn’t need directions—I knew this house like the back of my hand.As soon as I entered, Janine waved at me from the oversized couch. “Budz! You look stressed. Sit down and spill.”I collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. “I need help. Like, serious help.”Patricia raised a perfectly arched brow. “Wait, you haven’t done it yet, have you?”“Not yet,” I admitted, covering my face. &ldqu
*Mago*I don’t know what came over me when I stopped by the jeweler where our wedding rings were made a year ago. Back then, I had been a fool—a man blinded by love and hope. I thought Arlene was my fresh start, the one who could heal the wounds of my past. What I didn’t realize was that she would be the one to rip those wounds open, exposing every scar I’d tried to bury.“Wear this,” I said as I handed her the ring, my expression blank, and explained, “Naina asked about the rings earlier. So, I decided we should have them.”Her lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile crossing her face. It wasn’t just a smile—it was hope. Quiet, stubborn, dangerous hope.“Don’t read too much into it,” I added, my voice sharp enough to sever any illusions. “This is just to keep Naina from asking questions. That’s all.”She said nothing, just quietly s
*Arlene*I spent the entire day alone in the house. Mago had taken Naina to the doctor, explaining briefly that she had fainted when she saw him at the cemetery, and he wanted to make sure she was okay. The house felt empty and unnervingly quiet, but I used the time to follow through with our agreement.I moved my things into Mago’s room—a task I’d been both dreading and looking forward to. Each trip felt like I was intruding on his space, yet claiming it at the same time. This was what I wanted, after all.As agreed, I began removing the pictures I had hung around his room. Pictures of me. Carefully chosen, perfectly staged, deliberately seductive. Each image had been placed with one goal in mind: to break through Mago’s walls and remind him that I wasn’t just his wife on paper—I was a woman who wanted him.Now, as I removed them one by one, I couldn’t help but feel a small, amused triumph. He ha