As soon as the show was over, Annalia walked straight to the VIP area to relax and cool off. She was ready for the hosts' and the audience's questions. However, when they were answered—particularly the ones that were out of the line—Annalia was forced to provide a safe response even though she was already finding it difficult to express her annoyance.
"Are you hungry? I'll order food for you. You didn't eat this morning, did you?" Don enquired with concern. Donovan's offer was declined by Anna, who instead responded by saying that they should phone their father. There is still the matter of her father's plans for her to take Adam on as her personal bodyguard, which they need to discuss.
"Where's Dad?" Annalia asked Don.
"He should arrive any minute now."
Annalia responds with a simple nod of her head before returning to nap. In the meantime, Donovan left the VIP room to get some lunch for Anna. While she was taking a moment to relax, the door abruptly opened, which caused Anna to frown. Inside this room, only she and Donovan are permitted to be there.
"Donovan gave me permission to look over you," Adam said after closing the door.
Coldly, Anna replied, "Well, I didn't allow you to come here." Adam couldn't help but smile in amusement at Anna's comment, but he didn't let it bother him even a bit.
Adam answered with a mocking shrug and commented, "You are still not my boss." Annalia gave a sarcastic chuckle as she crossed her arms over her chest. This guy always has a response ready for what she has to say. It's driving her crazy!
"So, was that exactly what happened to you when you were kidnapped?" Adam asks after a brief silence.
"What do you think?" A snarky response from Anna to his question. Adam can only look at her helplessly and shake his head at her behavior. If her fans saw this, it would be the end of her career. Tsk. Silas Santiago had just arrived while Adam was in the middle of eyeing her.
"Dad." "Mr. Santiago."
"Annalia, my daughter!" Mr. Santiago cheerily exclaims from across the room to his daughter. Instantaneously, he focused his attention on Adam, and with a broad grin, he said, "Adam, it's great that you're keeping a tight check on Anna."
Adam responded with proper courtesy by saying, "My pleasure, sir." After talking for a bit, Adam hurried off to join the other security personnel standing watch inside the building.
"How's your day, mi hija?" Mr. Santiago affectionately stated. Anna gives him a condescending eye roll before getting to her feet and walking over to the vanity. She slowly scrutinized her face while she reapplied her signature red lipstick. Beautiful yet damaged.
"Are you going to elaborate at this time?" Annalia inquires in a tone indicating apathy. She overheard her father heaving a sigh of defeat as if there was no point in concealing the information from her. Tense was clearly visible in Mr. Santiago's eyes as he looked at Annalia.
"Anna, he is completely ignorant about everything," Silas began. Annalia maintains her silence, which serves as a cue for Silas to proceed with the sentence. "He wasn't there when the incident happened."
Annalia replied to her father in a matter-of-fact tone, "He's a Delatorre,"
"That's why I hired him to work in our company."
In response to what Silas stated, Annalia can be seen staring coldly at him through the reflection of the mirror.
"Let's commence with Adam,"
"What?"
"Let's get started on your plan of vengeance with him; doing so will bring you closer to the Delatorre without requiring any effort. Marcel already knows that Adam is working in our company and he is coming back. Marcel Delatorre is a tyrannical and proprietorial bastard, Anna. When he hears the news that his cherished son is working with us, he will get enraged," started Silas. Annalia frowns as she attempts to take in everything that her father has discussed with her. "Nonetheless, Marcel is always Marcel. He constantly looks to increase his prestige. He takes great pleasure in manipulating other people for his own ends. The mere fact that Adam is in your inner circle will ensure that his name is spread far and wide, particularly given that you are in a more powerful position than you were before."
Annalia couldn't stop thinking about the outcome of the plan while she was analyzing the information. Marcel is such a power-hungry individual; you can be sure that he will stop at nothing in his quest to strengthen his image and reputation. And he will make use of her for that purpose.
Keep your enemy closer.
Annalia will consent to Marcel's exploitation of her for her to con Marcel into believing that Annalia is an acquaintance.
Exploit his weaknesses.
In the same proportion that Marcel covets his wealth and power, he is very territorial over his sons. It's not because he genuinely cares about them; instead, he views them as an asset to be exploited. Marcel will be put in a vulnerable position if one of his sons decides to side with her. But why should she acquire just one when she can get both of them?
"Anna, I am certain you are already grasping what I am trying to say. I am aware, more than anybody else, that you are already formulating your plans for everything," Silas stated while exuding an air of pride and contentment. Anna gave a sly grin herself. Silas is never at a loss for what to do next.
"Keep in mind that I am right behind you if you need anything. This is Marcel Delatorre, Anna. He's not easy to beat."
I know. But...
The door instantly opened, revealing Adam's face to the people inside. "Here's your food, Ms. Davis. I'm sorry it took so long."
Donovan followed closely behind Adam, furrowing his brow as he did so.
"Ann, I just got an email from someone," Donovan replied, giving the impression that he was perplexed. Anna was given a glimpse of Donovan's cellphone. Upon reading the email sender, Annalia's smug grin of triumph was impossible to suppress.
When it comes to Marcel Delatorre, I have the upper hand...
"Antonio Delatorre," Anna said under her breath.
His Achilles Heel.
-
In the end, Silas confirmed Adam to be Annalia's personal bodyguard after receiving authorization from Annalia. They came up with a contract and set of instructions that needed to be followed when serving in her stead. Following their negotiation, Annalia decided to return to her penthouse. To her great relief, their company wasn't strewn by the media. They were likely too busy writing articles on her. Whatever. Although Anna is relieved that she will not be bothered by the press or anyone else, the problem is that Adam is the one who is now shadowing Anna.
"I beg you, do not follow me. I have already committed to having you serve as my bodyguard. However, following me around all the time is utterly overgoing," Anna sharply whispered as she turned her head slightly to glance at Adam, who was in her peripheral vision.
"You can't blame me; I am still on duty. I was tasked to because your manager isn't here," Annalia's frustration level increased as a direct result of Adam's flippant response.
Anna scoffs, "Okay, whatever! But don't drive me to the penthouse."
Anna flounced her way out of the building, leaving Adam behind. Her car has been waiting for her, and she is quick to get inside before Adam takes the wheel. On the other hand, Adam pauses in his walking and watches Anna with a grin as he watches her stomp out of the company building.
As soon as Annalia arrived at the place, Adam immediately exited his car and started following Anna inside. Annalia sneers to herself under her breath. Even after entering the building, she can't believe Adam is still following her. What am I? A 5-year-old kid? God! She is scolding herself for agreeing to go along with this plan, which involves letting Adam serve as her bodyguard. There is no room for individual privacy!
"I advised you to back off of following in my footsteps, Delatorre. I have already arrived inside the building. Don't tell me that you're going to follow me from here all the way to the entrance of my penthouse, are you?" Annalia's brows wrinkled as she stared straight ahead and muttered an angry response under her breath. Although Adam did not respond to her complaints, it is clear that he enjoyed making Anna irritated.
Even though it's still in the 3rd floor, Annalia steps out of the elevator as soon as it opens. She wanted to know if Adam would follow her. However, in contrast to what she had suspected, it appears that Adam has no intention of following her. Before the elevator door closed, Adam muttered something that made Anna feel so humiliated that she wished she might be devoured by the ground.
Adam said with a sarcastic wink and a broad grin, "Mines on the sixth floor. Bye, Ms. Davis. See you at work."
Just great, Anna.
Anna awoke a little later than usual with her clothes already prepared for the day. Donovan most likely instructed one of his female assistants to bring her these clothes when he realized she would be late for another appointment. Anna put on makeup and did her hair at her vanity after she finished showering. Anna only uses a quick curling iron now because there has no time. While Annalia is on the phone with Donovan, she frantically grabs her purse and the key to her car. After opening the door, Annalia was greeted by a stunningly handsome man who was dressed in black slacks, an unbuttoned suit, and a white polo shirt is worn underneath. Even though his hair is a bit messy, he still manages to look good. "What are you doing?" Annalia asks Adam. Adam responds briefly, "Fetching you." "I will drive mys-" Draw him closer to you as much as possible. "Okay," Annalia merely responded after recalling what her father had said. She turned her back on Adam and started walking ahead after
Annalia did nothing but gaze at Adam for a few moments before she realized that Antonio had noticed her preoccupation with something else and abruptly switched the focus of her attention.Anna cleared her throat and muttered "A-ahm" before pulling her hand from Antonio's palm."Well, would you like to join me?" She asks him while doing her best to ignore the icy glare that Adam is sending her."Sure," was Marcel's response. Annalia asked them to walk ahead of her before she did. She attempted to glance at Adam, but it was too late—he had already disappeared. The Delatorre were shown to their table by Donovan, standing right next to her at the time."Ann?""Yes?""What are you doing? Let's go," Don said. The only thing Annalia did was nod her head before she followed them.Fortunately, their father grabbed Marcel and Antonio for a chat, so she wouldn't have to deal with them for the time being. Annalia is tense for no apparent reason—no, she is nervous. And she doesn't know why. Anna
"Cut!" "Annalia, come here," said the director. They have just begun filming their newest movie. This is the first day of production. Annalia is, as is her usual routine, extremely busy with work. "Yes?" "This scene right here. I want you to show as much affection toward the male lead! It seems as though you're unsure whether or not to kiss him," the director scolded. Annalia heaves a sigh and bobs her head in agreement. Since the encounter with Adam, Annalia has had trouble concentrating since the beginning of filming. She used to be very professional in her job, but she feels a little hesitant being intimately close to someone of the other sex at this moment. Annalia responded with a simple "Okay, noted." "Okay! Let's get back in position. Chop-chop!" After a little break, Annalia reappeared at the scene. Her partner, Lorence, gave her a reassuring grin as if he were trying to console Anna. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to kiss me as much as you have been. Just show some si
Because Adam is a jerk and lacks professionalism, Anna has no choice but to drive herself to the restaurant where she and Antonio will meet. She is unable to wrap her head around how audacious Adam was to behave in such a manner with her. God! After what he's done, he's definitely getting fired.When she enters, a group of bodyguards gathers in front of the restaurant's entrance. Annalia shortly jumped from her car in the parking lot. This restaurant is impressive, and the parking lot does not have to be accessed from the street, which is convenient for high-profile guests like her. As soon as the bodyguards caught sight of Annalia, they made their way toward Anna, ushering and directing her inside the restaurant. Annalia noticed that Antonio was standing there and staring at her with the tiniest smile on his face, although his rugged facial aspect was still very evident.Antonio welcomed Anna by saying, "Hello, Ms. Davis," while extending his arm and opening his palm in a way that s
When they arrived at the nearest hospital, Annalia quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to leave the car. However, Adam unexpectedly seized her and prevented her from leaving."No. There are still quite a few people inside, and the situation is extremely precarious, given that the offender of the shooting has not been caught," Adam gasped in pain and hissed due to the wound he got."No, Adam. It's okay. We have no choice but to bring you inside so that the bullet lodged in your arm can be extracted," Anna harped on him. But Adam did nothing more than shake his head and groan at the pain in his arm."Have you given Don a call?""Yes. Don is on his way," Annalia responded with a worried tone. Adam merely nods before leaning his head back on the car seat. Because Adam's face was visibly pale, which caused him to suddenly lose consciousness, Anna rushed over to him."Hey, hey. Look at me. Adam, wake up. I need you to stay with me. I'll leave the car and help you find your way int
"What...what are you doing here?" Adam is taken aback upon first sighting Annalia in front of his home. He then immediately wears his sando shirt, looking at Anna in surprise. How did she get to know his address in the first place? "I believe I heard you were released from the hospital on your own accord. So, I came over to see if... if everything is going well for you," while Annalia spoke, her attention was drawn to the arm sling Adam wore. "Don't worry, I was the one who went through your document to find your address since Don...won't tell me." She continues clenching her knuckles to stop the electric vibration in her palms. The realization that her presence here may cause Adam to become irate has caused her anxiety and fear. It took him some time to react while Anna's gaze remained focused on the arm sling that Adam was wearing. The young man makes her feel too ashamed to stare at him, so she avoids doing so. Fuck! She is now feeling both regret and a sense of realization. Don h
As Adam saw Annalia place the meat in the frying pan, he commented, "You really are a good cook." Annalia offered to make him dinner before she planned to leave his house. Adam mentioned to her that he hadn't eaten anything until this evening, which was now eight o'clock. Since there were no cooks or even a maid to take care of him, Anna couldn't say she blamed him. After all, there was no one else here to do it. Also, Annalia asks Adam if he can simply order his people outside to get him food, but he refuses to do so, noting that even if there is food, he can't eat properly due to the wound to his arm. "I learned," is all Annalia has to say in response. Adam stands up and walks toward the refrigerator before he leans against it and turns his head to properly look at her. Adam examined Annalia from her feet all the way up to her face, thinking to himself how stunningly gorgeous she was. Adam caught a lumpy, dry, taut skin on her neck as he continued to stare at her. With a frown, he
"Where did you sleep last night? You actually went to Adam, didn't you? I warned you that it was perilous!" Following Don's preaching, Annalia lets out a deep sigh and rolls her eyes while giving him the side eye. They have arrived at the location where the next set of shots will be taken. To her great relief, she arrived at the company at just the right moment. While traveling from Adam's residence to the workplace, Annalia had severe anxiety because she knew perfectly well that she would be late for the shooting. What can she say; she lucked out. Speaking of Adam, he made the point that he needed a day off before going back to work, and Anna was more than happy to give her approval of his decision. Adam was the one who cooked for them when they had breakfast earlier, and he was the one who made it. Annalia was astounded to see Adam moving around deftly in the kitchen, even though his wound had not yet healed. He assured her that he was feeling absolutely well and that it was not in