"You're getting married so soon?" Yaslyn muttered to herself involuntarily."Yes, we're getting married next month. Will you attend?" Xoan asked.As far as Yaslyn recalled, marriage had always been a distant topic. They had agreed to get engaged first and marry later when they found Yaslyn's mother. Later, when they did find her mother, they had parted ways.Seeing the wedding invitation, she felt a pang of melancholy in her heart."I won't be attending," she replied. Just seconds ago, she had wondered if Xoan had come to care for her, but reality ruthlessly shattered that notion. He was about to get married, and he would not have time for her.She scolded herself for being so naive."That's fine," Xoan concluded, closing the subject.Soon, they arrived at the Lukesh Company building. Xoan had just parked the car when Yaslyn hurriedly opened the car door and rushed out.Her haste troubled Xoan. "It's raining. Take the umbrella.""Thank you, but I don't need it."Yaslyn shook
Yaslyn, perceptive as ever, detected a hint of jealousy in the young girl. She thus swiftly clarified, "Santiago is a prominent figure on my company's social media. If anything happens to him, how will I face his parents?"Through her words, Yaslyn subtly reassured Skylar that nothing romantic was happening between her and Santiago.Skylar raised her head, her eyes misting up with tears. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been talking to him in the car and distracting him, this accident wouldn't have happened."Yaslyn forced a faint smile and patted Skylar's hand. "Don't blame yourself too much. How could this possibly be your fault? It's his own doing."Though Yaslyn's words were not very friendly towards the man lying unconscious in the hospital bed, it did not matter. He could not hear her."What do you mean by 'his own doing'?" came a hoarse interjection from behind.Both Yaslyn and Skylar turned in surprise to find the man in the bed had opened his eyes, his gaze car
The mention of Helen was like a taboo, and Yaslyn froze. Taking a deep breath, she pushed down the rising annoyance triggered by his thinly veiled insinuations."What are you implying? Speak up," she said sharply.Yerick, however, seemed content with just dropping vague hints and was not about to divulge everything. "As I've mentioned before, if you're curious, name a time and place."Yaslyn was naturally skeptical of Yerick. After all, he rarely spoke with sincerity. "If that's all you have, I'll take it as mere posturing."She swiftly ended the call and began counting in her mind. '3, 2, 1.'The phone rang again.Yaslyn calmly answered the call, listening to the slightly annoyed voice on the other end. "Alright, you win."Yaslyn smirked. "Spill the beans, then."Yerick did not rush to speak. Instead, he posed another question. "Why did you push me away so fiercely, even though I hadn't done anything wrong?"They had gotten along so well when they were abroad, and their rel
Skylar was taken aback but remained composed. She recognized Santiago from before, with his signature tousled hair and that ever-present bold grin.She just never thought that their seemingly separate lives would intersect over such a minor issue."Don't be so quick to apologize. Weren't you just vigorously denying that you stepped on her?" Santiago pointed out skeptically.A hint of perspiration appeared on the girl's forehead."I doubted that I stepped on her because I didn't feel anything. After all, Skylar is so slender with such delicate wrists, so it's understandable that I didn't notice.""Oh?"Santiago stared at Skylar's wrist and paid little attention to the girl's justification. After a moment, seemingly wanting a closer look, he approached Skylar and gently inspected her wrist.Skylar was strikingly beautiful and had a naturally reserved aura, so most male peers usually kept their distance. However, Santiago was different—he was fearless.To Skylar, his touch felt un
The cup of warm water, nowhere scalding hot, spilled on Belicia. While the water splashing was unexpected, Yaslyn appeared unfazed, merely offering a casual apology."It hurts..." Belicia frowned, her expression contorted in pain.Yaslyn glanced at her briefly. "You know very well whether that water was hot."As soon as Yaslyn spoke, Belicia—who acted coy and delicate moments ago—immediately relaxed her expression.Santiago, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, took out some tissue and began gently wiping Belicia's hand. He asked if she was still in pain."It's okay, the water wasn't too hot. I might've just been startled, so I cried out in pain."While Belicia claimed the water was not too hot, she casually glanced at Yaslyn as if worried Yaslyn might call her out on her lie.Yaslyn keenly understood Belicia's game; she was trying to make her look bad to Santiago!Yaslyn would not play into her hands. She leaned down and looked at Belicia squarely in the eyes with a gent
For the first time in his life, Santiago felt an overwhelming presence from another man aside from himself. His eyes narrowed, sensing that this was a formidable opponent.However, he was not one to back down easily. Confronted by the unyielding aura of the man before him, Santiago straightened his posture, trying to appear taller. "I'm ready whenever you are."Xoan gazed at him, observing the unwavering confidence on his youthful face, and understood his stance.Xoan wordlessly turned and left.As Santiago watched his retreating figure, he fell into a moment of silence. Suddenly, he extended his right hand and made a punching motion into thin air. "Who does he think he is, threatening me when they've broken up?"Santiago considered telling Yaslyn about this incident, but he changed his mind and put his phone back down.He could not tell Yaslyn. She was slowly forgetting about this man, and if Santiago told her that her ex-boyfriend Xoan had come to challenge him on her behalf, s
The sight of the approaching man made Zyra's eyes light up. "Tyler, what brings you here?"Tyler looked at her with a smile, a hint of amusement and mystery. "I just came to check on you and, you know, casually ask when you plan on gracing my company with your presence?"Zyra's smile faded. She sighed as she glared at Wrenley."I'd have gone back ages ago if it weren't for a certain difficult woman here. You might know her as the haughty fiancée of an investor, throwing her weight around, delaying our shoots. It's enough to give me a massive headache."She did not name Wrenley, but everyone knew she was the subject of Zyra's frustration.Wrenley's face twisted in anger. "Zyra, watch your tongue or you'll regret it."Zyra snorted. "What happened to the sweet and innocent act, Wrenley? Weren't you just begging Xoan for help?"Realization dawned on Tyler, who chuckled in response. "Ah, so you must be Mr. Xoan Warren's fiancée. Quite a bit more impulsive than I'd imagined."That wa
Tyler smoothly said, "By the way, tell your father to fire the project manager related to this collaboration."The air seemed to freeze with that statement, the truth revealing itself like a crackling ice.Zyra's insatiable curiosity got the best of her. "I still want to know how you figured out who's behind this."From the corner, Yaslyn could not stifle a laugh, earning a puzzled glance from Zyra. Trying to suppress her amusement, Zyra asked, "Why are you laughing? Do you know something?"Yaslyn playfully raised her hands and surrendered, not wanting to spill the beans. "It's better to let Tyler tell you."Tyler leaned back and smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret.""Really? Both of you are against me now?" Zyra huffed, jabbing her fork angrily into the piece of salmon on her plate.'Stab, stab, stab, just like I could stab his secrets out,' she thought.Yaslyn, in an attempt to lighten the mood, pointed to a bottle of sake by her side. "Let's have a drink to celebrate the res
Whitey glanced back and forth between them, shaking her head. "You two are a mystery."Suddenly, Doniel stood and waved Whitey over. "Hey, Whitey. Come here for a second."Confused but compliant, Whitey walked over.In a swift move, Doniel took her hand. With a smug look at Matheo, he announced, "I'm taking Whitey off your hands for a bit."Matheo's expression turned steely. "What's your game?""Don't sweat it, she'll be back soon."With that, Doniel led Whitey out.They reached a more secluded spot before Doniel finally released her hand. "Whitey, you're not hurt, right?"Whitey shook her head, twirling in front of him to prove her point. "See? I'm totally fine."Doniel reached out and gently tapped her forehead. "Someone hit you, didn't they? Your face is still swollen, and here you are, telling me it's nothing."Whitey playfully stuck out her tongue. "I just didn't want you to worry. Besides, I'm not the one who got seriously hurt. It was Matheo.""I know. Matheo really d
"Don't make that call!" Whitey screamed in a panic.A harsh slap struck her face as the ringleader yelled, "Shut it, woman! Who said you could talk?"The man, not satisfied after hitting her, gave in to his fury and kicked her. However, before he knew it, Matheo, who was standing nearby, had silently moved behind him. Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed as Matheo snapped the man's fingers with raw force.Matheo wrapped his arms around Whitey and quickly retreated."I can't take it! I'm done. I don't want anything else. Just do it!"The ringleader was seething with rage, the throbbing in his fingers ruining his will to fight Matheo.A few thugs had been itching for a reason to go after Matheo, and they wasted no time grabbing their weapons and launching an assault.Matheo fought back while dragging Whitey out of harm's way, but as the fight dragged on, he started losing ground.A vicious knife cut to Matheo's leg sent him tumbling down with a grunt."Matheo!"Whitey crouched beside
Whitey shook her head. She did not have a clue, and even if she could guess, she did not know what to do about it."I was actually about to..."Before Matheo could finish, a deafening crash rang out.Startled, Whitey clapped her hands over her ears. Matheo wrapped her in his arms and glanced at the rear window.A random stone had shattered the car's back glass, leaving a gaping hole.The chaos erupted out of nowhere, catching both of them off guard. They had been deep in conversation when suddenly, a line of cars barricaded the road, trapping them.Matheo gently patted her head, a silent plea for calm.Whitey, frantic, nodded and fumbled for her phone, only to find it had mysteriously powered down."Stay put in the car and don't worry," Matheo said, handing her his phone."If things go south, call the cops, call anyone."He was ready to step out and face the unknown threat head-on.Whitey protested. "Matheo, we don't know what we're dealing with. Don't just rush out there."
Whitey was back to her usual routine—classes by day, radio station by night. However, she had a luxury she did not have previously. A private car service, ensuring her safety was never in question.Doniel's lips were sealed, not breathing a word of her injury to anyone. Except for Matheo, who had somehow stumbled upon the secret.That night, after her radio gig, Whitey stepped out expecting to see the familiar pink sports car tucked away in its usual spot. However, it was nowhere in sight.Moreover, he had not even bothered to call her. A knot of worry formed in her stomach. Did something happen to him?Whitey had called his number three, maybe four times, but got nothing.As she was wrestling with her thoughts, a familiar yet unsettling figure approached her.Matheo.Why was he there?Nobody knew about Whitey's job at the radio station except Doniel."Doniel's tied up today, so I'm your ride," Matheo said.Alarm bells rang in Whitey's head. How did Matheo know about Doniel
The nurse nodded, gesturing for Doniel to give them some space.Once the bandaging was complete, Doniel returned with a treat—Whitey's beloved chocolate cupcakes."For you. Why didn't you say it hurt? He was so rough, and yet you asked me not to hold it against him."Whitey, her mouth full of frosting, mumbled a reply. "It's not that bad. Besides, you two are usually on good terms. Why fight over pointless things because of me?"Doniel tapped her head gently. "You're such a goof. What are you even talking about? Meaningless things?""I just thought that you two grew up together, so it'd be a shame to fall out over something so small, right?"Doniel huffed, "I never really cared for him, you know.""Okay, let's figure out a plan B. This mess means I might be stuck in the hospital longer, so I'm counting on you to smooth things over back home."Doniel looked at her with a teasing grin. "Relax, I've got this."Somehow, Whitey could always pick up a strange vibe from his smile, an
Whitey was injured, and Doniel rushed her to the hospital that very night. It was just a slash on her arm, but Doniel was beside himself with worry.Watching Whitey grit her teeth through the stitching, Doniel's face turned a shade of stormy gray. "I'll track down that driver's family if it's the last thing I do!"Whitey winced in pain, but seeing Doniel's fury, she tried to soothe him. "Really, it's not so bad."Doniel looked at her bandaged arm. "Thirteen stitches, Whitey. If you're not in pain, I'm in pain for both of us."Whitey was always the center of attention—a princess who was doted on from the day she was born. She had never experienced an injury as severe as that. As Doniel reached for his phone to call Whitey's parents, she quickly stopped him with a hand gesture, wincing as she accidentally grazed her wound, "Please don't call them. They'll just scold me again if they find out.""I told you to let me drive you home. Now, look at what happened because you didn't li
Whitey gripped the edge of her skirt, a new kind of worry blooming in her chest.'What if Matheo was…'She shuddered at the thought, her mind a garden where fears grew into giant oaks, so tall and dark that they scared her.Looking up again, Whitey's eyes widened as she noticed the taxi had taken a wrong turn, heading into unfamiliar territory.In the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of the driver's unsettling smirk.Taking a cab late at night was proving to be a bad idea, her heart racing with fear. If only she had accepted a ride from Doniel, none of that would happen. Regret washed over her as she scrambled for her phone, desperate to call for help.Sensing her panic, the driver floored it to a secluded spot and then abruptly stopped the car.Whitey's head snapped forward, hitting the seat, and as the world spun, her phone slipped from her grasp. Then, the driver was toying with her phone, his grin wide and wicked."Planning to call the cops or a friend, sweetheart?""
As time swiftly marched on, three years went by.Whitey nailed her entrance exam into the top university in Jefferson City—Jefferson City University.As for the others, Caleb turned 30, tied the knot, had kids, and took control of Sheldon's international ventures. He and his family packed up and moved overseas, while the rest stayed back."Thanks for tuning into 'Moonlit Wishes,' your go-to spot for all things heartfelt. I'm your host, Macie."At the stroke of ten, Macie's soothing voice filled the evening airwaves."Let's hear from our first caller tonight. Hey there, sir, what's on your mind?"Macie's voice was soothing, soft yet strong enough to coax secrets from the most guarded of hearts."Here's the thing, Macie. I've been head over heels for this girl, but she's always kept me at arm's length, saying I haven't done enough. However, today, I caught her in another guy's arms. What gives?"The man's voice quivered with barely concealed tears, slurred slightly by alcohol.M
"So, just because you're into him, you decide to set me up? How does that make any sense?"Whitey could not help but find her logic almost laughable."Because I noticed he always had a soft spot for you, jealousy clouded my judgment, and that's why I..."Jade inhaled deeply, as if bracing herself for what was to come. "Well, you've uncovered the truth, so there's no point in hiding anything. Punish me however you see fit."What was the point in pleading guilty then?Jade stood there, a mix of defiance and dignity, stubborn even in the face of her mistake.Whitey was not looking to lay blame. "I'm not going to take this to the principal, and I won't breathe a word of it to anyone else. However, as of today, our friendship is done. I'll find a new place to sit when we get back."Whitey let out a tired sigh. "There's something else you should know. He's got a girlfriend now."Jade's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, are you two an item now?""No, I'm not the one he's dating."Wi