Novels by FanFayre

The sun was already climbing high into the sky, its relentless light filtering through the heavy velvet curtains of the room, when I finally regained consciousness. My first sensation wasn’t the light, however, it was the dull, rhythmic throb in my lower back and a sharp ache behind my eyes that felt like a pulse. "Ugh, why is my back aching so much?" I groaned, my voice sounding raspy and unfamiliar in the quiet air I shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, but as I blinked my eyes open, the breath caught in my throat. I wasn't alone. Lying right beside me was a man, his face softened by a deep, peaceful sleep. For a terrifying second, my heart stopped. I looked down and realized with a jolt of pure adrenaline that I wasn't wearing a single stitch of clothing. Only a thick, expensive-feeling duvet was draped over me, shielding my skin from the cool air of the room. Fvck! Fvck! Fvck! What did I do last night? Panic surged through me like an electric current.

The room was quiet, except for the low, rhythmic thrum of the bass vibrating through the walls from the club below. He didn’t say anything else. He just looked at me with an intensity that made my skin flush. He reached out, his large hand sliding firmly behind my neck, and pulled me into a hard, deep kiss. His lips were hot and demanding, tasting faintly of the whiskey he’d been drinking. I gasped into his mouth, my hands reaching up to grip his shoulders. I could feel the solid muscle of his frame beneath his suit jacket. He broke the kiss for only a second, his breath hitching as he moved his mouth to the sensitive curve of my ear. "I’m going to make you forget everything else," he whispered, his voice is low. His hands moved to the zipper at the back of my dress. The sound of the metal teeth sliding down was sharp in the small space. He pushed the silk fabric off my shoulders, letting it pool at my waist. I felt the cool air of the room hit my bare skin for a split second befo

It is time. "Let’s all give a warm welcome to the artist behind this spectacular gallery. Ms. Primrose Zobel!" My hands shook, but I forced a smile for the crowd. The applause was deafening, a wave of sound that only made my heart beat faster with nerves. This was it. My very first art exhibition. My eyes wandered around the room, landing on the paintings I had poured years of my life into. I started painting at sixteen; I am twenty-four now, and that passion had never faded. It had only grown more complex, more painful, and more beautiful. "Thank you all for coming to my first exhibition," I began, my voice steadying. "Every piece you see here has been part of my journey since I was sixteen. Many of them are for sale, please check the tags beside the frames. Feel free to explore, and I truly hope you enjoy the evening." A roar of applause filled the room once more, and the guests began to disperse, wandering between the canvases like ships lost in a sea of color. My eyes

Chapter 32 -Silas's POV- "He was a childhood friend of Ma'am Willow, President. That is the information I gathered from the local records and old school files. From what I have heard from people who knew them in the past, he seems to have developed a very deep and dangerous obsession over her. He is not just a regular person either. He is currently the boss of a large underground organization that operates in the shadows, he is very dangerous so it's better to be careful." Drake reported to me. I sat at my large mahogany desk and I washed my face with my hands. I felt a mix of exhaustion and a very sharp pain in my heart. Willow never told me anything about this man. She never mentioned a childhood friend or anyone who was obsessed with her. I began to think to myself. Is this the reason why she was so hesitant to make our relationship public in the beginning? Was she trying to protect me and our son from this man? The reasons for her secrets were not important anymore. The only t

Chapter 31-Silas’s POV- I could feel the cold sweat dripping down my forehead and neck. My fingers were shaking uncontrollably as I sat in the driver's seat of my car, staring at the laptop screen. I was trying to use every piece of software I had to locate Willow’s cellphone signal. The connection was weak and unstable. Based on the data I was seeing, it looked like it would take me several hours of manual tracking just to find her exact GPS coordinates. Every second that passed felt like an hour of torture. "Drake, call the police right now. Tell them it is an emergency kidnapping," I ordered Drake, who was standing outside the car window. "Tell them to send a tactical team. We need to bring several armed officers with us, just in case the people who took them are carrying weapons." Drake nodded quickly and pulled out his phone to make the call. "Yes, President Mercer. I am on it." I leaned my head against the steering wheel for a moment. I did not know what their motive was.

Chapter 30-Silas’ POV- She ran away?! I looked at Drake, and I felt a very strong surge of anger and confusion. My heart was pounding against my ribs so hard that it felt painful. "I am not in the mood for any jokes or pranks right now, Drake. This is a very serious day, and I need you to be honest with me. Tell me she is just around the corner," I said. I stared into his eyes, hoping he would tell me that Willow was just hiding in the car to surprise me or that she had simply forgotten something important at the house. But Drake shook his head quickly. He looked very tired, and he was breathing very hard because he had been running across the church parking lot. "I am telling the truth, President Silas! I am not joking! I called her name many times when I saw her running out of the house, but she did not stop. She did not even look back at me. She actually started to run even faster until she disappeared from the street! I tried to follow her, but she was gone in an instant!"

Chapter 29 -Willow’s POV- "I really hope that I can be as beautiful as you are when the day comes that I finally get married, Willow," Lily said. She was standing right next to the white vanity table and she was busy handing the various makeup brushes and tools to the professional makeup artist. She looked at me with wide, admiring eyes. I felt a small smile form on my face because of what she said to me. I was looking at my reflection in the large, gold-framed mirror of my dressing room. The light was bright, showing every detail of the cosmetics on my skin. "I also saw the church earlier today and I saw the place for the reception as well. It is so big and it is so grand! I think that even just one single serving of the food at that party will cost as much as my entire monthly salary. It is a very good thing that the food is free for us today because we are part of the team," Lily added as she continued to look at the train of my wedding gown. I could really relate to what Lil

Chapter 28-Ace’s POV- I stood in front of the tall mirror in my bedroom and stared at my reflection for a long time. I reached up to my neck and began to adjust the stiff, white collar of my dress shirt. Once that was straight, I moved my hands down to the sleeves of my formal suit jacket. I pulled the cuffs out just a little bit so they showed past the dark fabric, exactly the way I had seen Silas do it many times before. I turned my body to the left and then to the right, checking the fit of the vest and the sharp lines of the trousers. It looks nice. The suit was made of high-quality material that felt heavy and expensive against my skin. It had been tailored perfectly to my small frame, making me look like a miniature version of a businessman. After a very long and very complicated journey that was filled with secrets, hidden identities, and legal contracts, their formal wedding day finally came. This was the day that was supposed to change everything for our family. It was th

Chapter 27 -Willow’s POV- Several weeks have already passed since the news broke that Stacy, my father, and my stepmother were officially facing serious legal charges. The investigation into the landslide incident on the film set had been thorough, and the evidence regarding the financial fraud involving the Sinclair family’s past business dealings was undeniable. Although I know deep in my heart that they deserve the consequences of their actions, I still find myself feeling a small, lingering sense of guilt. It is difficult to completely erase the history I have with them, even if that history was filled with pain. However, I have to remind myself that it was their own fault. They chose to commit crimes, and they chose to hurt people to get what they wanted. They created their own downfall. As for Elijah, I received news that he has left the country again. He has returned to his operations involving the international black market business that he manages. Knowing that he is thou

[EPILOGUE]SAVINE’S POVNakatayo ako sa harap ng isang malaking salamin sa loob ng presidential suite ng isang sikat na hotel sa Tagaytay. Sa labas ng bintana, tanaw dito ang bulkang Taal.Huminga ako nang malalim. Tiningnan ko ang repleksyon na nasa harap ko. Suot ko ang isang masterpiece na gawa ng isang sikat rin na designer, isang bridal gown na kulay off-white, puno ng intricate na French lace at mga maliliit na dyamante na kumikinang sa bawat galaw ko.Hindi ko mapigilang mapangiti. This is every girl's dream wedding gown."Ate, stop moving! Baka masira ang pagkaka-ayos ng buhok mo." sita ni Vivian habang inaalalayan ang mga stylist koTumingin ako sa kaniya sa salamin. Si Vivian ang tumayong Maid of Honor ko. Suot niya ang isang silk gown na kulay dusty rose. "Kinakabahan ako, Viv." pag-amin ko"Normal lang yan, Ate. Pero look at you. You are the most beautiful bride this country has ever seen. And finally, you're marrying the man who never stopped looking for you." nakangitin

[34]SAVINE'S POVNapakabilis ng mga pangyayari. Isang linggo matapos ang sunod-sunod na revelation sa Malvaran. Heto ako ngayon, suot ang isang elegant champagne-colored dress na pinili mismo ni Vivian para sa akin. Habang nakatingin sa salamin, halos hindi ko makilala ang sarili ko. Parang hindi talaga bagay sakin ang mga ganitong mamahalin na damit.Ngayong gabi kasi, inimbitahan ako ng mga Lazaro sa isang dinner sa mansion nila. Hindi lang ito basta dinner, ito ang pormal na pagpapakilala sa amin ni Liovie sa buong angkan nila. Kasama ko si Mama, na kahit halatang kinakabahan at paulit-ulit na inaayos ang bestida niya. Narito rin ang mga magulang ko, sina Mr. and Mrs. Constantino, at si Vivian. Nakakatuwa nga kasi tuwing nagbobonding kami ay napapansin ko na mas binibigyan na nila ng atensyon si Vivian.Pagpasok pa lang namin sa malawak na living room, ang atensyon ng lahat ay agad na napunta sa katabi ko, si Liovie. Nakasuot siya ng blue na dress na may ribbon sa likod."Oh my

[33]SAVINE’S POVRamdam ko ang panginginig ng sarili kong mga tuhod habang nakatingin sa dalawang taong nakatayo sa harap namin. Sila ang mga Constantino. Ang mga taong madalas kong makita sa balita, isa sa mga pinakasikat na tao sa mundo ng negosyo. Si Belinda Constantino at Phillip Constantino.Pero ngayon, hindi sila mukhang bilyonaryo. Mukha silang normal na magulang na sa wakas ay nakita na ang anak nilang matagal na nawawala."Vienna..." wika ng babaeng nasa harap koParamg akong nakatitig sa sariling mata ko habang tinitingnan ko siya. May pagkakahawig kaming dalawa."My daughter, you're alive! You are really alive." naiiyak na dagdag niyaDahan-dahan silang lumapit. Kinakabahan ako, hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. Yayakapin ko ba sila o ano? Hindi ko alam."Ah pasok po muna tayo sa loob." pag imbita ko sakanilaNapansin ko na nasa likod lang nila si Vivian na pirming nanonood lang samin.Naupo sila sa maliit naming sofa. Hindi naaalis ang tingin nila sakin. Paramg aabot

[32]SAVINE'S POVHindi ako nakatulog nang maayos pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari kagabi. Sino ba naman ang makakatulog kung ang lalaking limang taon mong pinagtataguan ang kayakap mo matulog.Madaling-araw na nang nakatulog kami ni Lionel dahil sa sobrang pagod at emosyon.Pero bago pa man tuluyang sumikat ang araw, narinig ko na ang kalansing ng mga kagamitan sa maliit naming kusina. Dahan-dahan akong bumangon, tinitiyak na hindi magigising si Liovie na mahimbing pa ang tulog sa tabi ko. Paglabas ko ng kwarto, ang amoy ng bacon at pancakes ang sumalubong. Doon ko nakita si Mama Emiliana. Nakatayo siya sa gilid ng kusina, tulala at parang hindi makapaniwala sa nakikita niya. Pinapanood niya si Lionel na seryosong-seryoso sa pagluluto.Lionel Soren Lazaro, ang bilyonaryong madalas makita sa mga business magazine, ay kasalukuyang nakasuot ng kaniyang lukot na polo mula kagabi. Nakatupi ang manggas hanggang siko, at seryoso siyang nagpiprito habang paminsan-minsan ay tinitingnan ang mg

[31]SAVINE’S POVNapatigil ang paghinga ko. Bumilis ang kabog ng puso ko.Dahan-dahan siyang humakbang papasok sa loob. At inilagay ang mug at pregnancy test sa center table nang hindi inaalis ang tingin sakin.Lionel looked broken. Totally shattered.Kitang-kita mo ang lungkot sa mata niya. "Lionel..." He looked at the mug, then at the pregnancy test, and pagkatapos ay tumingin siya sa akin. Namumula ang mga mata niya at nanginginig ang mga kamay."Why?" basag na ang boses niyaParang umurong ang dila ko habang nakatingin sakaniya. Wala akong maisagot. "Bakit ka nagtago? Limang taon, Elvi. Limang taon akong nagtatanong sa sarili ko kung may nagawa ba akong mali sayo. Kung anong nagawa ko para talikuran mo ako nang ganoon kadali. Araw-araw, gabi-gabi, iniisip ko kung may nasabi ba ako, kung may nagawa ba ako kaya ka umalis." tumulo na ang kanina ay nagbabadya niya lang na luhaUmiling ako, hindi ko na rin mapigilan ang pagtulo ng mga luha ko. Ang sakit para sakin na makita siyang

[30]SAVINE’S POV"Mommy, look! Tito Doc gave me another sticker! It's a gold star po because I ate all my veggies!"Masayang-masaya si Liovie habang ipinapakita ang sticker sa noo niya.Kasalukuyan kaming naghahapunan sa loob ng room na nirentahan namin. Maayos na ang pakiramdam ko, o sinusubukan kong ayusin. Pagkatapos ng pag-uusap namin ni Liovie kanina sa kwarto, pakiramdam ko ay gumaan ang dibdib ko kahit papaano. My daughter is so smart, and sometimes, her wisdom scares me."Kumain ka lang ng maraming veggies para mas maging healthy ka." wika ni Jace "Salamat, Jace ha. Naku, mas gumaan yung pakiramdam ko nung nalanghap ako ng amoy ng dagat. Kaso si Savine naman ang parang nawala sa mood." wika ni MamaNgumiti lang ako nang pilit. "Mama, okay lang po ako. Medyo napagod lang po siguro sa init ng araw kanina."Hindi ko masabi sa kanila ang totoo. Hindi ko masabi na parang sasabog na ang puso ko. Gusto ko na sabihin ang totoo kay Lionel. Pero habang tumitingin ako sa anak ko na m