When I arrived at our beach house, I quickly went out of the car. My heart was beating fast as I felt like I was finally close to the answer to my questions.
Using my key, I opened the door and instantly searched for Cadmus. My breathing became heavy when I saw a woman's dress near the staircase. I heard a noise from upstairs so, I slowly walked up while I prepared for what I might see.
My heart dropped to the floor when I saw Cadmus. He went inside the room with someone. My feet moved on their own and stopped in front of the open door.
Of course, they would leave it open because they have the place all for themselves.
I have always believed that my husband, although our marriage was arranged by our parents, will never cheat on me. But now, he just proved me wrong.
Cadmus stood before me without any hint of shame. He doesn't appear to be nervous at all. He didn't even bother picking up his clothes from the floor before he faced
My chin rose to push down the tears that were making their way to my eyes. Percival stood in front of me and stared at me with promise. I stared back at him as I tore my own heart out of my system. Everything that serves Cadmus no longer has a place in my being.Percival's eye suddenly widened as if realization have hit him."What made you leave him, Katalina?" I haven't answered but anger is already evident in his voice, I even saw his jaw clench."He told me that I was damaged and no one will want me because I am a woman of no value if I can't carry a child... He even cheated on me for that reason. He cheated on me with Minty," I swallowed hard as my gaze dropped to the ground. "And I saw it with my own eyes."I raised my now empty eyes back to his face. There I could see the horror in his eyes as he stared at me as if he knew what I said just killed me. When he drew his face away, I could still see his uneasy pupils that seemed like they were sha
When my secretary delivered my laptop and paperwork, I started working on all my pending load. Percival was still around and, he doesn't seem to be doing anything—is he on some kind of day off? Or does he really slack around just like how he used to when we were students? I simply ignored him and focused on my work. Evening came so, I decided to wrap things up and have dinner with him. We still had a lot to talk about. A man came into the house and cooked our dinner for us. I guess all his staff doesn't reside in his home rather, they come only when they're needed. We were in the middle of a meal when I spoke to break the silence. "Percival, about the agreement. Shall we talk about it?"He raised his gaze to meet mine. "What's there to talk about?" I don't want to make the same mistakes. That's why I want to know if we're on the same page. "What will our set-up be?
I spent five days with Percival. I was too busy trying to recover from the damage that Cadmus did to my heart that I didn't notice that Percival has been taking care of me throughout the process. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. We even argued a lot.He's been reminding me to eat, helping me with work, and we have talked about our next move.We also planned to get married as soon as my marriage with Cadmus gets annulled."I'll come with you," Percival said."Should I take my clothes as well?" I asked. "Or should I just buy new ones?""Just take what's important. Everything else can be replaced." He took his keys and faced me. "Let's go?""Let's go." Thanks to Percival I can now face Cadmus without getting too overwhelmed with emotions.I just want to talk about the annulment and gather the important documents I left in the house.It did not feel too strange to breathe the same air as Percival. Eve
My body reacted to my emotions again. I felt my knees going weak when we arrived at Percival's place. It was not just about my emotions. It might also be because of my pregnancy."Katalina?" Percival examined me as he pushed the door close.I have to tell him about my child. I told him that Cadmus left me because I'm infertile, and it seemed like it didn't bother him at all. Now, he has to decide if he can play the role of a father to my child as well.He has to know so he can decide whether to stay by my side or not. I'm sure it won't be much of a problem because there was no love between us. But, I still respect his opinion about the matter."Percival...I have to tell you something," I started."Katalina, you're turning pale. Let's go to my room." He went to my side and held my waist as he guided me toward his room.He made me sit on top of the bed. He even fixed the pillow so I can rest my back there."You really ha
I couldn't answer Percival yet. I have to know how my parents will react to my annulment first. I know that they will not be against it once I tell them my reason. What I'm more worried about is Koen. I know he's been looking for a reason to start a fight with Cadmus. He might also get cautious of Percival after what happened to my first marriage. In the end, I know they would still respect my decision. I'm just worried about how it would affect their feelings. At the same time, I'm embarrassed by how my life turned out. My parents were so happy when I married Cadmus, they're probably frustrated after the last dinner we had. The thing about my parents is that they have always respected my decisions and opinions. Even when they arranged my marriage, they made sure that it was fine with me, that I wanted it too. He chuckled and leaned back on the sofa. "The meeting with the parents will have to wait, I suppose." "I'll still h
"Father, mom, please calm down; I'll explain everything," I said as my eyes implored my father to listen."Give me a moment. I-I'll be right back." I turned my back against my parents. But before I could leave the room, I stopped to say something.This was all Cadmus' fault. I don't want my parents to ever feel guilty for it."I wanted this marriage, and it fell apart. None of it was your fault," I said without looking back at them. I took another deep breath before I left the room.This was the first time that I ever walked so fast. The moment I stepped outside, the bright light shone on me but, my eyes were fixated on a man's moving figure."Cadmus!" My voice thundered across the place, which caused Cadmus to halt.It took him a moment before he turned to face my direction. I was quick to close the wide distance between us, and as soon as I got near, my hand flew to his face.
My father was already standing by my mother when I entered the office. He seemed to be trying to comfort her. Their eyes immediately landed on me, and I felt my body tense up. It was a topic I never wanted to talk about with them... So, as I looked them in the eyes, I could feel the pressure and embarrassment. So many thoughts came to mind. Like, where should I start, and how will they take this? Mom stood up, and desperation was visible in her eyes—she wanted answers. I knew she had a lot of questions after the last dinner we had with Cadmus' family. Father immediately placed his arms around mom as they walked closer to me. Looking at them made me realize how lucky they were to have found each other. Who would have thought that marriages are even harder to maintain than businesses? Maybe my idea of love came from my parents. They were both successful in the business industry yet still found love. I envy them--and it was
The evening arrived rather too early. All I could think about on my way to the Salazar's place was how everything between me and that family would end today. So, as I sat with Cadmus' parents at one table, I tried to hide how much I detested their son.When I looked at them before I took my seat earlier, they all seemed relaxed yet cautious of me. Because of that, I confirmed that Cadmus had already spoken to them. My eyes glowered at him for not letting me tell my parents first.I rolled my eyes. Of course, Cadmus wanted to make me miserable as if having an affair behind my back wasn't already enough.There was a long silence between the four of us. I did not bother opening up any topics before they did. Perhaps by then, they would realize how much this family has disrespected mine. Cadmus did not only hurt me, but he also did not honor the forged bond our families had. My parents respected him and trusted him—what he did was not just
It took two days before the doctors said that my brother's condition had improved and he would wake up anytime soon. I wanted to stay by their side, but we had to head home each night for Marcus. After three days, we decided to discuss the situation with Helena. My family was my top priority, but it was time they filled me in with everything that happened while I was occupied at the hospital and at home.We were at the house, in Percival's office, along with Andrew and Rocco. They laid out pictures of where Helena was spotted after the incident.She might've gotten away, but she'd have no place to hide or people to rely on. Even her trusted assistant had agreed to help us in exchange for a clean slate. Helena might have had the upper hand when we didn't know who was pulling the strings. But even her people knew she'd lose the battle the moment she was discovered. Because in the world we live in, for most people, facing the Marquez head-on was just not possible.All of Helena's crimes
We decided to transfer Aisha here since we couldn't send her back to the hospital where she was originally admitted. She was determined to be by Koen's side, so we let her. I was sure my brother would want her to be at ease. So, we arranged her room to be next to his.While Percy was busy, I brought Aisha to Koen's room. I knew she wanted to run to his side the moment we entered, but she stood with glazed eyes by the door until I told her it was okay to come close. She greeted him with the softest voice I had ever heard and continued to be so careful as she touched him. My brother was still strapped to machines, and I hoped whatever Aisha was saying to him would be enough to bring him back.After she finished talking to him, we both sat quietly in his room. The nurses kept tending to her, asking her to return to her room, but she would beg them to let her stay by his side a little longer.I didn't say anything for the first hour that we sat there. Aisha was clearly worried, and I knew
This was a private hospital with a floor dedicated to their VIP patients. The lounge near the ICU and the corridor to my brother's room were exclusive to us. The other areas and rooms on this floor were also exclusive to the patients occupying them. It was impossible to loiter around without permission.We weren't accepting visitors. That was why this girl here was being driven away by the security and staff. But she seemed panicked, and her voice was begging."Who are you?" I asked as I walked toward them. My eyebrows were knitted as I scanned her appearance. She was wearing a jacket over her hospital gown. Her face looked pale, and she was wearing a beanie. Another patient?She looked at me in shock. I could sense the hesitation, but we both knew the only way to my brother was through me. And she seemed desperate. "I... I'm Aisha. I just want to see Koen. I want to know if he's alright.""Why? Why do you need to know? Who are you?" I asked again. Firmly this time. I had never met th
Light pierced through our curtains, indicating that I had been sitting on this bed for hours. The guards had secured the area, and Marcus had been moved back into his bedroom. My father and Koen were still in the hospital, and I felt too defeated to rush there and see them.I suppose this was the time to feel angry and start thinking of ways to punish whoever did this to my family. After all, anger was the only emotion I knew how to deal with. Because anger meant I could make people pay. I could put them in their place and make anyone regret crossing me. Either that or I shut down my emotions until there was no point in feeling them anymore.Anger. Hatred. Resentment. All of that made me believe that I could do something about the insurmountable grief from my mother's death and from losing the life I used to have. I thought, who could blame me? The grief was inescapable, and there was just no way around it.But the anger that pushed me to victory had also damaged the people and things
PERCIVALI was livid. So much so that my fingers finally curled into a fist. Veins popped out on my arms and neck. But Helena was too busy unbuttoning my shirt to notice all that. Her lips touched my collarbone, and her hands crawled on my chest. It was a challenge to keep my breathing steady when every part of me was aching to know that my wife and children were safe--to hold them close and feel them breathe. But I took on that challenge for them. To save them, I must first save myself. Helena was nothing but a big distraction that I plan to properly get rid of later. I ignored her and kept my eyes fixated on the fingers I could finally move."You know, I have a better idea," she whispered into my ear. "I think you'd start listening to me when I give you a son that's yours. You might even find it easier to forgive me if I carry your child."My gaze shot back at her. Despicable. I would've given her a scoff if I wasn't planning to trick her into thinking that the drug was still in fu
My eyes scanned the place to spot anything unordinary. Then I looked at my son and checked his clothes. Since Natalie had been here, I had to move Marcus to a safer place. So, I had to make sure nothing would track him. I gazed at Grace and Marcus' nurse and pressed a finger against my lips.There wasn't time for my questions to be asked or for the betrayal to be felt. But something told me that my relatives worked with Helena because of my uncle's greed. He had always wanted my father and brother's company for himself. How could they do this to us? Their family?"Natalie. She's been here," I said quietly. Grace began digging through her clothes, and the nurse followed her lead. They both knew the protocols, and we couldn't be too careful. Rocco gestured for us to follow him, and everyone did. We hurried to the back, with my son still in my arms. The next thing we knew, we were running toward the woods and into a shed. Thoughts were racing in my mind, but I stayed calm and focused o
"Natalie? What are you doing here?" I asked when I opened the door to see my cousin instead of Raya. Despite being my relative, she doesn't know about Marcus, and this house is far smaller than the penthouse. So, we were careful with who we invited over.I told the guards that someone from my agency was coming over. They knew Grace, but anyone else was asked to identify themselves. Since Natalie was a relative and a person from my agency, they probably let her in without too many questions. "Raya and some of the other staff had food poisoning earlier. So, I came to bring you these instead," she said, handing me the magazine and portfolio I asked Raya to bring. "I also got you these. Saw them while I was on my way."Natalie handed me a box of what seemed like pastries. I smiled and thanked her as I took the box and everything else."Food poisoning? How are they?" I asked. "Was it from the cafeteria?""Oh, no! It was food from outside that they shared. But they all seem fine, just a bi
PERCIVALThere was no fighting whatever they put in my food. So, I stopped struggling to save my energy. Alarms were blaring, that much I could register in my mind. They were having a hard time getting me out of the building. The voices and shouting indicated that my security had been alarmed. But I was already held hostage. They wouldn't be able to do much now. What I was counting on was for Andrew to fix this mess. If our trained men weren't spread too thin, they would've been here by now. Perhaps Katalina was right. I was being too stubborn. I should've brought more of our guards on my side--no, I should've been more cautious even around our relatives.The rest of it was a blur. I lost consciousness along the way. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar room. I still didn't have control over my body, but I wasn't as bad as before. I tried to lift my arm, but it was too heavy and numb. Dammit."How long have you been awake?" A voice came from the corner of the room. I couldn't figure out
PERCIVALTali was still asleep when I opened my eyes. In college, I'd often hear people say that she probably slept with her arms crossed over her chest. . . like a vampire. Would they believe me if I told them Tali slept with her arms wrapped around my waist? That she would snuggle closer to my chest when I touched her hair? I wouldn't believe it either.The hardest part of the day was to get out of bed. I wake up a little earlier than my alarm every morning for this little time with her. When she was sound asleep and unaware of how glad I was to wake up next to her every morning. I sighed and kissed her forehead. Despite my desire to stay next to her the whole day, I slowly untangled her arms from my body. Careful so I wouldn't wake her up. I wanted to slow down mornings to have more time with her, where I could lay in bed for a while before heading to my son's room to see if he was also still asleep. I want all that at the beginning of each day. Leaving the house where my son and