DEVANCE hurriedly parked his car in the vast parking area of a well-known hotel in the city. It was a good thing that they had stopped over at one mall earlier to buy some clothes. He loosened one button on his gray shirt.When he strolled inside the hotel’s lobby, Devance immediately found the person he’d meet. However, his face was void of emotion when their eyes met.“Dev!” A woman waved at him at a distance wearing a fitted yellow dress. She looked confident as she flaunted her curves and her towering height.“Eshvi…” Devance only shook his head. Getting in touch with her after three long years was unexpected. She appeared glamorous now, compared to the last time he had seen her. Eshvi Javier was his ex-girlfriend, and they had a nasty break-up three years ago. And now that he had matured, he chose to understand everything between them.“What the hell are you doing here?” Devance did not conceal his irritation as he approached her.“I guess I was wrong for expecting a warm welcom
EVERYONE was busy in preparation for Triana and Devance’s wedding. As expected, they had to do a wedding photoshoot because their parents were so excited about it. It was the talk of the society pages—the extravagant wedding of the son of the billionaire to his ‘childhood sweetheart’, the Allende princess.Triana almost winced in disgust upon reading that headline on one entertainment page. Their parents plotted this story, making everyone believe they were childhood sweethearts. It seemed they wanted to portray them as having a love marriage.Right now, Triana wanted to finish this madness as quickly as possible so her life would be back to normal. She had been enduring a lot since the day she met Devance at her doorstep. Everything happened so fast.Triana’s family flew to Nepal a few days before the wedding. It was too late when she found out that the Chaudharys had prepared a grand celebration of their union.“I thought we’re clear on this. Dev, we agreed we’ll only have a simple
MOST of the Chaudhary relatives arrived at night, and Triana and Devance had to greet them. They had a custom of bowing down and kissing their feet as a sign of respect for their immediate family, although this was not required. Devance had advised her not to follow it since they would only do this to their parents. It would be tiring if they did it for every family member. Besides, Triana was not used to this kind of tradition.“Kanchhi, have you seen Dev?” Akhil was beaming when he asked her.“Y-yes, Dad. I think he’s on the roof deck.” She averted her gaze. It was because since he left with Eshvi, she hadn’t seen him until now.“Please come to the living room downstairs. My family wants to see you both.” Akhil reminded her before he left.“Yes, Dad.” Triana moved in haste. Where could she find Devance in this massive house? He tried calling him, but there was no answer.Triana went to his room on the fifth floor. The door was not locked, but it was empty. She bumped with Austin and
TRIANA could not complain when Devance guided her into his room late at night. She was too tired to argue with him. She might even lose consciousness anytime now because she was bone-weary.“I can sleep in my room.” Triana harshly sighed as she studied his room—it was minimalistic, with a black and white interior. A 3D world map was hung on top of the cream leather couch. “Are you crazy? We’re married now. You know we can’t sleep in a different room in this house, especially now that my entire clan is here. What would they think if we slept in a separate bed?”“I get your point. But I can’t share a room with you.”“You have to endure more, sweetheart,” he teased. “Dev, I’m exhausted. I want to rest.” She went to bed and sat in silence, surprised at how smooth it was. She assumed it was probably a waterbed.“Go ahead. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll just change. You can use the bathroom.” He pointed in the direction from the right side, “by the way. All your belongings are in this room
TRIANA’S family and Devance’s parents went back to the Philippines to attend the board meeting two days after the wedding. Akhil assured them that he’d be in charge of the turnover. He promised to appoint Devance as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors in the next three months and Triana as the Chief Executive Officer. Devance was euphoric upon learning about his appointment. “I thought you’re just going to make the President of AGC. But being a top-ranking executive means a lot. I promise to make you proud, Dad.” “I expect more of you, son. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my gift.” Akhil was cheerful while he handed a check amounting to one hundred million pesos. It was his personal gift as their allowance for their honeymoon for the next three months. “If possible, I want a grandchild,” Akhil added. This startled the couple. But they did not make it a big deal and shrugged it off, thinking it was a joke. “We’ll try hard, Dad,” Devance tried to sound sure. The couple thanked
TRIANA and Devance went back home around seven o’clock. The night escape of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur was enchanting. There were so many colorful lights blinking around the city. It was almost mid-October, and most people were preparing for the Festival of Lights. “I guess our families will be back here in the next two weeks to celebrate the Tihar. It’s a five-day Hindu Festival,” Devance informed her while walking in the helipad and going inside.“Yeah, the Festival of Lights.” Triana nodded. She knew that the Chaudharys celebrated a lot of festivals because of their culture, and she found it amusing.“Come, dinner must be ready.” They sauntered to the dining room, and Xavier was there.“Where is Dexa?” Devance asked his brother-in-law.“She flew to India earlier to attend a bridal shower. She’ll be back after two days,” Xavier answered while putting some Chhoila on his plate. It was spiced grilled buffalo meat.Devance was surprised. “Whoa, and she didn’t let you join?”“She said it
“WHAT the hell is the meaning of this?!” Triana was finally relieved—it was Dexa. It appeared she had just got home from the airport. She wore a pink saree with her smokey make-up and vibrant red lipstick.Xavier halted for a moment, enough for Triana to push him away. The man clenched his jaw.“Didi! Help me!” Triana quickly got up and ran towards her sister-in-law. She was used to calling her Didi since it was a Nepali term for an older sister.Triana clasped Dexa’s arm as tears fell on her face. But she was dumbfounded when Dexa pushed her away, motioned her hands, and slapped her without warning.“Why does my husband seem to be moaning on top of you? Are you enjoying it?” Dexa said sarcastically.“Didi!” Triana was horrified as she gaped at her. She held her burning cheek, but it was nothing compared to realizing Dexa was not there to help.“Do not call me that! I knew something was wrong when I saw my husband enter a different room.” Dexa stared at her as if betrayed. “Honey, I
TRIANA found that Dexa and Xavier were not in the house the next day. Devance informed her beforehand, and she was glad. She’d have her peace of mind.She freshened up quickly. Triana thought it was just a nightmare. She was thankful that Devance never left her side. She was so scared last night, thinking Xavier might be back to force her again.“Are you ready?” Devance asked when he entered the room. And as usual, he had just come from the swimming pool with a white towel covering his lower body.“I’ll have my tea.” She tried to smile and avert her gaze to his torso. “Thanks, about last night.”“Oh, don’t mention it. Let’s catch the flight at nine.” “A-about that, I think I changed my mind.” She hesitated to tell him the reason.“But why?” His forehead creased. Triana knew he was just anxious about her condition. That was why he suddenly decided to return to the Philippines.She cleared her throat. “Caleb called a few minutes ago, and he confirmed his flight going to Bhutan a day af