Khione Louelita Silay. That was the name given to her by one of the nuns at the orphanage where she grew up. It was a name that carried no ties to a family, no connection to a past she could return to—only the identity of a girl who had learned to survive on her own.
Now, seated in her small yet comfortable townhouse, Khione let out a deep sigh of relief. “Three months of pleading, begging, and finally...” She clenched her fists in excitement. “They let me work from home!” She nearly wanted to collapse in joy. It was the best thing that had happened to her since joining the National Bureau of Investigation’s Counter Intelligence Department. The NBI had recruited her three months ago because of her exceptional skills in computer information technology. However, what the government didn’t officially acknowledge was that she was also one of the most skilled hackers they had ever encountered. Her job required absolute secrecy. Her identity had to remain protected at all costs. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had taken Khione away from her neglectful parents at a young age. She was no older than four or five when she was placed under their care, and from there, she had been sent to an orphanage. No one came to claim her; no relatives stepped forward to take her in. She had spent her entire childhood within the orphanage’s walls until she graduated from school. It was at that orphanage where her unusual talent was first discovered. At the age of ten, with nothing but an old, barely functioning computer, she had hacked into a government website—without even fully understanding what she was doing. Her actions had caused the site to go offline for an entire week. The government, intrigued by the sudden cyberattack, traced the source back to the orphanage. But instead of punishment, they made her an offer: education in exchange for service. The deal had shaped her entire future. Now, at twenty years old, she already owned her townhouse, a privilege granted by her employers. However, her salary had been significantly cut, with the excuse that her education had been an investment. It was clear to her—they had no intention of paying her what she was truly worth. According to the agreement she had signed upon graduating from university, she was required to work for the NBI Counter Intelligence Department for five years. It was a contract she had no choice but to fulfill. But even with her talent, even with her intelligence, there was something Khione struggled with. Something that made her daily life unbearable outside the safety of her home. Social anxiety disorder. A persistent, overwhelming fear of being watched, judged, or ridiculed. It affected her in ways that many would never understand. Simple interactions left her paralyzed. Meeting new people sent her into a state of panic. Her mind would go completely blank whenever she was forced into a conversation. She knew people found it strange—how could a genius hacker be afraid of talking to people? But it was who she was. She had been like this since childhood, no matter how many psychologists had tried to help her. Even her job interview for the NBI had been a disaster. She had sat there trembling, unable to say a single coherent word in front of the department director. She had been completely frozen, overwhelmed by the weight of their stares. But despite her failure, she had still been hired. Because the higher-ups wanted her. And now, she was finally working in the only place where she felt comfortable. Home. “This is a good life!” Khione stretched her arms with satisfaction. Inside her house, she was free. No awkward conversations. No judgmental stares. No anxiety eating away at her. Even when she had lived at the orphanage, she had always preferred to stay inside. Other children had tried to befriend her, but she would run away before they could even say a full sentence. The only person she had ever trusted was Sister Faith, the nun who had acted as her mother figure. She had never needed friends. She was better off alone. Khione’s thoughts were interrupted by a message notification on her screen. One of her coworkers had sent her a chat. She stared at the message for a moment—then ignored it. “Why do they keep trying? They already know what my answer will be.” She considered closing the chat tab altogether. Instead, she logged into the NBI portal and checked her assigned tasks for the day. A large, bold word appeared on her screen: AUTHENTICATION REQUIRED She sighed and opened her security device to verify her identity. Within seconds, the system granted her access. Her stomach twisted as she saw the first assignment waiting in her queue. She knew this was going to be bad. Khione bit her lip, inhaling sharply before clicking the file open. Her screen was immediately flooded with graphic images and classified reports. Her stomach churned. “What the hell is this?” she muttered, covering her mouth with one hand. The photographs were horrifying. Bruised and battered children. Teenagers with vacant, lifeless expressions. Medical reports detailing sexual abuse. Documents exposing human trafficking networks selling them to wealthy clients. Khione swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep reading. This was beyond horrifying. And then she saw something else. A list of potential suspects. She clicked on the names—and her blood ran cold. Politicians. High-ranking officials. CEOs of powerful corporations. She exhaled sharply. “Of course... of course they’re involved,” she whispered, gripping her desk. This wasn’t just some underground crime syndicate. This was systematic. Organized. Protected. “Why do I have to be the one handling this?” Khione leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. It didn’t make sense. She was just a hacker. A specialist in cyber intelligence. And yet... They had given her this case. “Are they... are they using me as bait?” The thought sent a chill down her spine. She stood up abruptly and walked to her small kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. She needed to think. But no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, something about this case felt personal. Then it hit her. The orphanage. She froze mid-sip. She remembered it now. Children had gone missing. Back then, they had been told it was just bad luck. That some kids ran away. That some were taken in by families. But... Has that been a lie? Khione’s fingers trembled as she set her glass down. She forced herself to return to her desk. She couldn’t let her emotions cloud her judgment. She opened a coding window and began typing, her fingers moving with mechanical precision. As she worked, another thought crept into her mind. A memory. A nightmare. The very reason she was here today. And the terrifying truth she had spent her whole life trying to forget.“Sir, the weather's turning rough. We should head back.”Ezra stood at the helm of his private yacht, eyes fixed on the churning sea ahead. Rain lashed against his face, but he didn't flinch.“We’re not stopping,” he said, his voice cold and resolute.Elio’s voice crackled over the radio from a nearby vessel. “Ezra, we’ve scoured this area for weeks. There’s no sign of her.”Ezra gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles white. “We keep searching.”Primo’s voice joined in, laced with concern. “Ezra, please. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”Ezra’s jaw clenched. “Not hard enough.”The crew exchanged uneasy glances but knew better than to argue. Ezra had been relentless since the crash, refusing rest, food, or solace.As the storm intensified, the yacht pitched violently. Omar’s voice came through the radio from another vessel. “Ezra, your behavior is madness. We need to regroup.”Ezra slammed his fist onto the console. “I won't abandon her!”Inizio’s calm tone tried to reason with him.
“Ezra, wake up!” Louelita's urgent whisper pierced the tranquil darkness of their bedroom. Ezra stirred, his eyes fluttering open to find her sitting upright beside him, her silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the moon filtering through the sheer curtains.“What's wrong, Vita Mia?” He murmured, concern evident in his voice as he reached out to gently touch her arm. She sighed, her gaze distant. “I can't stop thinking about Louie. It's been a week since we've seen him. I miss him so much.”Ezra sat up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “I understand. I miss him too. But he’ll be thrilled to see us tomorrow. The Alessio siblings have been sending updates; he's in good hands.”Louelita nodded, leaning into his embrace. “I know. It's just... this is the longest we’ve been apart.”He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll be reunited as a family.“The next morning, the sun cast a golden hue over the private island. The gentle
“Damn, Vita Mia. What are you doing?” Ezra asked as his eyes never left his wife’s body. It is still their honeymoon. They went to the island where Ezra first brought her when he saved her. Ezra asked for an hour or two because of an important meeting with his legal businesses, but his wife. His innocent-turned-naughty wife surely made a scene. Louelita bit her lip, seducing her husband, and looked down at her chest, bringing her hand to the string of her bathrobe and pulling it down, breaking the barrier to her healthy breast.She pulled the bathrobe open slowly, giving Ezra a clear view of two full breasts. His expression is one of shock and temptation. He’s completely caught off-guard as the meeting is on, his eyes glued to her chest for a few seconds before darting his eyes to his laptop.“Shit, Vita Mia, stop that. We will do it after this,” Ezra told her while gulping.Louelita pouted. “I want you now, Ez. I want you to do things to me again.”“Fuck,” he says, exasperated. He
As Ezra entered the room after sending orders to his men, his bulk crossed over the threshold, and in one moment, Louelita was in Ezra’s enormous arms; he wrapped her up easily and tightly. The wedding just ended, but their honeymoon wasn’t.“Is everything okay now?” Louelita whispered, but Ezra didn’t answer; instead, her mouth was sealed by Ezra’s. His mouth was hot, and she had to taste him, the tip of her tongue dancing along the ridge of his bottom lip. Louelita kissed Ezra back. Their hands never stopped touching the other’s skin and their lips never parted until they found themselves at the foot of their large king-size bed.“Fuck, I have some catching up to do,” Ezra muttered, looking straight into Louelita’s eyes.He let her go to undress, and she sat, still in the towel, demurely, as if she wasn’t about to be naked with her husband. His shirt came off, his arms were as thick as she always saw, his chest as wide as it looked, and the curves of every muscle in his six-pack
“Mama!” Louelita turned at the sound of the tiny, excited voice. As soon as she saw Louie running toward her with open arms, she bent down and embraced him. His laughter was pure and light, filling the grand Velleotti estate with warmth.Her heart is also filled with happiness having Louie here. She feels like the child that had been taken away from them by fate was filled by Louie. “My sweet boy,” she murmured, kissing his forehead. “Did you have fun today?”Louie nodded excitedly. “I played with Uncle Primo and Uncle Vito! We built a castle in the garden!”Ezra, watching them from a few feet away, smirked. “A castle? Who was the king?”Louie puffed out his chest proudly. “Me!”Ezra chuckled. “Then I assume you ruled wisely?”Louie grinned. “Of course! Uncle Primo was my knight, and Uncle Vito was the princess. We had a feast and everything!”Inizio and Elio, who was guarding Louelita burst out laughing as they heard and imagine what Louie told his parents. But, when Ezra looked at
“Ezra… What have I done?” Louelita’s voice was hoarse from crying, her throat raw from the sobs she had been holding in for hours. Her hands trembled as she clutched Ezra’s arm, her nails digging into his skin as though anchoring herself to him would stop the world from crashing down around her.Ezra, unfazed by the panic in her voice, simply cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs gently wiping the tears that streamed down her cheeks. His sharp blue eyes, usually cold and calculating, softened as he looked at her.“You did what was right, Vita Mia.” His voice was steady, full of certainty. “And now, it’s my turn to take care of everything.”Louelita shook her head, fresh tears spilling onto his fingers. “But… but Ezra, you don’t understand! I didn’t just expose corrupt politicians in the Philippines—I handed over files that could bring down entire governments! Illegal arms trades, human trafficking routes, drug syndicates… I connected the dots, and now those bastards know I’m the