How far would you go to repay the so-called debt of gratitude your family demands of you? Ever since she found out she wasn’t the real daughter of the Lopez family, her life changed. She is Eloise Jane—the girl everyone believed to be the one and only true daughter of the Lopezes. But once the truth was revealed, she was cast aside. And to repay the Lopez family's care for her all those years, she’s forced to marry a wealthy man. Cozmo Dominguez—the sole heir of the richest family in the city. Yet despite all he has, there’s one thing he cannot do—walk. Will Jane be able to help him? Or will he ever learn to accept Jane into his life?
View More“Get out!”
A cold voice rang out, followed by the sound of glass shattering at her feet.
Good thing Eloise had stepped back in time—otherwise, her pants would’ve gotten soaked. Luckily, she was wearing pants and not a skirt, or she might’ve gotten cut by the shards.
She looked at the man sitting on the carpet near the bed, clearly irritated and disheveled—he was the one who had thrown the glass just to drive her away.
Her new husband, Cosmo Dominguez.
Originally, it wasn’t supposed to be Eloise who would marry him—it was supposed to be her sister, Elaine Lopez. But once the truth came out—that Eloise wasn’t really the biological daughter of the Lopez family—everything changed. She became nothing but an adopted child. She no longer held value in the family, and her parents stopped loving her.
In the end, they decided to marry her off to Zedrix Montes, the illegitimate son of the powerful Montes family, as a way of repaying the Lopezes' gratitude for raising her for twenty years.
But then Elaine suddenly insisted on marrying Zedrix herself.
The Lopezes, not wanting to lose their connection to the influential Dominguez family, pushed Eloise to marry Cosmo instead.
Cosmo Dominguez—the heir of the most powerful family in all of Tagaytay. A man admired by everyone: intelligent, handsome, and someone people couldn’t help but envy.
But after the accident that left him paralyzed, most women stayed away. Otherwise, Eloise wouldn’t have been forced to marry him.
At this point in Cosmo’s life, the glow he once had was gone. Now he was bitter, quick-tempered, and full of rage.
“I said get out! Didn’t you hear me?!” he snapped, annoyance written all over his face.
Eloise remained silent. No fear in her eyes, no pity either. She didn’t even look offended or judgmental. She was too calm.
Finally, she spoke gently, “I heard you.”
“If you heard me, then why are you still here?!” he growled.
Instead of backing down, she replied calmly, “Cosmo, we have an agreement. Our marriage was blessed.”
He knew that. Still, he glared at her. “So what? That doesn’t mean I agreed to marry you willingly.”
Eloise only nodded. “I understand.”
There was something unsettling about how simple her response was.
That’s when Cosmo realized—he didn’t need to dig deeper into her story. He already knew what she’d been through.
Those two words—“I understand”—meant she didn’t want this marriage either. Just like him, she was forced into it.
“And what exactly do you understand?” he asked coldly.
Eloise gave a faint smile. “I understand your anger. You didn’t want this marriage. And you don’t want me.”
“Is that so?” he replied, still cold.
Eloise slowly stepped forward, calm and steady. “Cosmo, can we just talk properly?”
She knew neither of them wanted this marriage. She also knew Cosmo was angry and ready to make her life hell. But if she didn’t take the first step, she’d suffer more. She needed to do something, to make things clear between them.
Cosmo stretched out his legs, leaning slightly against the bed, clearly uncomfortable. When Eloise knelt in front of him to see him better, it only irritated him more.
He hated the fact that he couldn’t move on his own. If he fell off the bed, he’d need help. And the last thing he wanted was for a woman to see him this helpless.
“We have nothing to talk about! Get out!” he yelled again.
But Eloise didn’t flinch. Her voice remained calm. “Cosmo, I just want a proper conversation. We may not have wanted this marriage, but this is our reality now. It would be better if we tried to understand each other and live peacefully as husband and wife.”
Cosmo didn’t care about her reasoning. “Why should I even try to understand you? Look at me. And you—so eager to get married. What are you after? Isn’t it obvious? You just want our family's wealth! I know my mother gave the Lopezes a dowry worth 200 million!”
On the outside, the Lopezes looked wealthy and stable. But the truth? They were drowning in debt. They were desperate to marry off one of their daughters—not for love, but to sell them off like an investment.
That 200 million peso dowry from the Dominguez family had saved the Lopezes from financial ruin. It rescued them from a crisis and, through the marriage alliance, gave them access to more opportunities and potential profits for their business.
But Eloise didn’t flinch at Cosmo’s accusation. “I’m not the Lopezes’ real daughter. But they took care of me for twenty years. I owe them. And I need to repay that debt.”
Cosmo smirked. “Heh—”
She made it sound so simple. Her reason sounded noble, sure, but he didn’t buy it. Would she really give up her entire life just to pay off a so-called debt of gratitude?
Eloise sighed softly. “Believe it or not, I just want to return the kindness the Lopezes showed me.”
Even if she didn’t marry Cosmo, they would’ve married her off to another rich man.
She used to be engaged to Zedrix. She helped him solidify his position in the Montes family, met with clients, closed deals, and supported him as he climbed the business ladder.
After Zedrix’s father passed away, Zedrix stepped up as the new head of the family. Not long after, he took control of several major companies, bringing his wealth almost on par with the Dominguez family.
Meanwhile, Elaine, who had married into the Dominguez clan, had done nothing to help the Lopez family. Because of that, the elders in the Lopez family often turned to Eloise for financial help or to use her connections to win certain projects.
It happened more than once, and Zedrix eventually grew tired of it. That’s when the rift between them started to deepen.
In public, they pretended to be a picture-perfect couple to maintain the company’s image. But behind closed doors, their relationship had long been broken.
That’s why, this time, Zedrix wanted to cut ties with the Lopez family early—before they could use him any further or force him to do what they wanted.
Cosmo naturally didn’t believe anything Eloise said. She had already lost her title as a legitimate Lopez, and now, she was just an adopted daughter.
In the world of the rich, adopted children didn’t hold much weight. The best-case scenario was for someone like her to marry into a newly rich or middle-class family.
But instead, she ended up with Cosmo.
With Cosmo, she didn’t just gain wealth—she also inherited the power and prestige that came with the Dominguez name.
Cosmo looked at Eloise, one eyebrow raised. “I still don’t believe you.”
Eloise shook her head. “Then let’s make an agreement.”
Cosmo was caught off guard. There wasn’t even a hint of sarcasm in her tone—she was dead serious.
Eloise wanted to ease his doubts about her true intentions. “You can hire a lawyer and draw up a legal agreement.”
Cosmo hesitated. “Are you being serious right now?”
Eloise already knew exactly what she wanted in the agreement, so she began explaining calmly.
“First, even if we’re married, it will only be in name. If we need to show up together in public as husband and wife, I’ll cooperate—but that’s it. There’s no real relationship between us, just appearances.”
Cosmo remained silent.
“Second, I’m in a complicated position with the Lopez family. If the time comes when I need your help to deal with them, you have to be my backup. You don’t need to show up in person or face them directly—but I need permission to use your name and power to make things happen.”
Cosmo didn’t respond.
“Third, since this marriage is just for appearances, once the time is right, I want a divorce—and when that time comes, you’ll agree to it with no conditions.”
Eloise kept telling herself that she didn’t care, but truthfully, she couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. Every time she saw Cosmo, the memory of that night came rushing back. It left an uncomfortable silence between them for several days.Meanwhile, Arellano invited her to dinner. Because of what happened before, she declined. But a while later, Ardiel called and told her they would all be dining together that evening. Since Ardiel would be there, Eloise felt she had no choice but to go.When she arrived at the private dining room of a restaurant, both Arellano and Ardiel were already there. They greeted her warmly and enthusiastically. The couple knew her taste well, so they had ordered all her favorite dishes.Eloise wanted to cut ties with the Lopezes completely. But to Arellano and Ardiel, it was just a childish outburst. In their eyes, she was simply sulking to get their attention.Despite her resistance, Ardiel kept chatting with her and even gave her expensive desi
What she said to change the subject sounded like an awkward attempt to make herself look good, and it came off a bit embarrassing.And sure enough, when Cosmo heard it, he paused for a moment before smirking with sarcasm. “Sounds like he thinks a bit too highly of you.”Eloise was used to harsh words, but she still couldn’t help but feel annoyed. She couldn’t stop herself from snapping back, “Cosmo, you’re an educated and respected man. If you can’t treat me warmly, at least show me a little respect. There’s no need to always be so sharp with your words.”At first, it seemed like she wanted to drop the conversation, but Eloise went on. “I know you don’t like me, but I never asked to marry you or carry the title of Mrs. Dominguez! Or do you think I’m weak, and I’m the only one you can take it out on?”Her frustration and resentment spilled out one after another, but Cosmo didn’t belittle her.“Weak? I only said a few words and you shot back ten, half of them defensive. So who’s really
Mr. Viernes had cut off Sasha’s credit card to force her to humble herself and admit her mistake. He knew that if she returned home, apologized, and said a few sweet things, she’d eventually get it back. After all, she was still his daughter, and no matter what, he couldn’t stand seeing his princess suffer. In his eyes, Sasha was simply a girl who knew how to spend money but had no clue how to earn it.Lander had known Eloise far longer than Sasha, but it was Sasha who had become Eloise’s closest friend, and that made Lander feel like an outsider. He couldn’t accept that Sasha had replaced him as the person Eloise trusted the most.“How did someone like you, who does nothing but run off and party, end up as the best friend of a smart and respectable woman like her?”Lander had been rejected by Eloise before, over and over again. But now, it stung even more that she was still pushing him away, this time, for Sasha.He also knew that Sasha was willing to give up a role she had long drea
The words coming from Cosmo’s mouth carried a weight that would’ve felt different if anyone else had said them.He was once a man who seemed to have it all, successful, admired, untouchable. But now, he was in a wheelchair. Even if he pretended to be calm, it was clear that some part of him still hurt over what he’d lost.Eloise had only said one simple sentence, but it clearly struck a nerve, hitting the most sensitive part of Cosmo, and that made him even angrier.“You know that’s not what I meant,” Eloise said softly. “I just want to stay here.”Cosmo looked at her coldly, and Eloise instinctively leaned back a little to create some distance between them.It was a small movement, but given how close they were, Cosmo noticed.“Even if I’m paralyzed, I can still put you in your place,” he said coldly, pulling Eloise toward him until their faces were just inches apart.Their eyes locked. Their breaths mingled.Eloise could see every detail of his lashes. In a gentle voice, she whisper
Even though Eloise knew there was nothing going on between her and Lander, and that it was impossible for anything to happen, Caroline clearly thought otherwise.Eloise had no intention of explaining her private life to Caroline. “Why don’t you just ask Lander yourself?” she replied calmly.If a man caused a problem, he should be the one to resolve it. She didn’t want to get caught in the middle, but in this case, she already was, thanks to Lander.Caroline sneered in frustration. “I’m not stupid enough to just go up to him and ask out of nowhere! He might think I’m watching his every move and start resenting me! The real question is, why are you acting so secretive?”Eloise gave a faint smile. She had to admit, Caroline had a bit of a brain after all. “Because there’s nothing I need to explain to you.”In other words, she didn’t owe her anything.Caroline grew even more irritated. She had never met anyone more frustrating than Eloise. Her voice rose. “Eloise, don’t forget, you’re mar
The entertainment industry was heavily backed by heirs of media companies, something many people could only dream of.But Eloise wasn’t interested in that kind of setup, especially if it came with strings attached. More so because the person offering the help was a former boyfriend, one she once promised to marry.She knew Lander's real goal was to stay close to her, using “friendship” as an excuse to slip back into her life.Eloise gave a faint smile. “Nothing’s changed? You’re only fooling yourself. Lander, your offer for Sasha is generous, and I don’t have a reason to reject it.”Lander’s face lit up, thinking Eloise was finally agreeing. “I’m glad you’ve thought it through, Eloise.”The truth was, with the right support, Sasha’s path to success could be much easier.Eloise wasn’t blind to that reality. Looking at the situation objectively, it was hard to completely refuse Lander’s offer. Still, she didn’t give a direct answer. Instead, she gave him a condition. “Give me time to th
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