Novels by my.dianeabegal.montero

For the next several days, Ariana avoided Damien as much as possible. She left the room early. She ate meals quickly. And constantly made excuses whenever Damien tried speaking to her. The pregnancy terrified her. Every time she looked at Damien, guilt tightened painfully inside her chest. Because she still hadn’t told him the truth.Meanwhile, Damien slowly became more irritated by her strange behavior. Inside the Monteverde mansion’s dining room, he watched Ariana quietly sipping water while avoiding eye contact again.“You’ve barely eaten.”Ariana forced a smile. “I’m not hungry.”“You said that yesterday too.”“I’m fine.”Damien placed down his coffee cup slowly.“You keep saying that.”Vanessa rolled her eyes dramatically from across the table.“Maybe your wife finally realized how exhausting it is pretending to be classy.”Ariana ignored her. But Damien’s gaze remained fixed on Ariana. Something was definitely wrong. Even her face looked paler lately. Then suddenly— Ariana stood

The following weeks passed quietly inside the Monteverde mansion. Too quietly. Ariana slowly adjusted to her new life, but every single day still felt unnatural.Every morning, stylists chose her clothes. Etiquette teachers corrected the way she walked, talked, and even held utensils. At night, she attended dinners and business gatherings beside Damien while pretending to be the perfect wife. It was really exhausting. She constantly felt like she was acting inside a world where she did not belong. But despite everything… One thing slowly began changing.Damien.He was still cold ,still distant and still emotionally unavailable. But little by little, Ariana started seeing cracks beneath his icy exterior. Like the way he silently waited for her whenever she walked too slowly in heels. Or how he always made sure she ate before long events. Sometimes, he even defended her from his family’s insults without making it obvious. Small things, tiny things. But enough to confuse Ariana’s heart.

Morning sunlight slowly entered through the massive glass windows of Damien’s bedroom. Ariana woke up feeling disoriented. For several seconds, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling before reality came crashing back. She was married. Married to Damien Monteverde. Her chest tightened instantly.nShe slowly sat up and looked around the room. The couch was already empty.Damien was gone.Ariana glanced at the clock beside the bed. Seven in the morning. A soft knock suddenly echoed from the door.Before she could answer, a maid entered respectfully. “Good morning, ma’am.”Ariana immediately stood awkwardly. “G-Good morning.”“The young master already left for work. Madam Vanessa instructed us to prepare you for breakfast downstairs.”Ariana nodded quietly. The maid smiled politely, though Ariana still noticed the curiosity in her eyes. Everyone inside this mansion was probably wondering the same thing.Why did Damien Monteverde marry someone like her?Thirty minutes later, Ariana ca

Ariana did not sleep that night. She remained seated outside Lucas’ hospital room while tightly holding Damien Monteverde’s business card in her trembling hands. Every second felt heavy.Painful.Suffocating.Marriage.The word kept repeating inside her mind like a curse. She had dreamed about love before. A simple life. A small home. A husband who genuinely loved her. But reality destroyed those dreams long ago. Now, she was being asked to marry a man who looked at her like a business transaction. A stranger, a cold-hearted billionaire. And worst of all— a man she already hated.Ariana wiped her tears weakly before glancing at Lucas through the glass window again. The sound of the heart monitor echoed softly inside the quiet hallway. Her chest tightened painfully. If she refused Damien… Lucas could die. That thought alone was enough to destroy her. Around three in the morning, Lucas slowly woke up.“Ate…”Ariana quickly entered the room.“Hey.” She forced a smile. “How are you feelin

Rain poured heavily across the city that night. The cold wind slapped against Ariana Celeste Villareal’s skin as she ran across the hospital entrance while desperately pushing her younger brother’s wheelchair.“Lucas! Stay awake! Please… just stay awake!” Her trembling voice broke between sobs.Sixteen-year-old Lucas looked pale and weak. Sweat covered his forehead while one of his hands tightly clutched his chest.“Ate…” he whispered weakly. “It hurts…”Ariana’s heart shattered instantly. “We’re here already. You’ll be okay. I promise.”But even she no longer believed those words. The moment they entered the emergency room, nurses immediately approached them.“What happened?”“He collapsed again,” Ariana cried. “Please help my brother!”The nurses quickly transferred Lucas onto a hospital bed while doctors surrounded him. Ariana stood outside the emergency room, shaking violently from fear and exhaustion. Her soaked clothes clung to her body, but she no longer cared. All she cared ab