Masuk“We missed all of you!” he chimed cheerfully. “We missed you too, buddy,” Dino called out, stepping forward with a wide, excited grin. “We even built hammocks and a treehouse at the orchard. You should check them out later.” “Yey! We have a treehouse and hammock!” Atlas’s face lit up instantly,
Four years later— The convoy slowed as it entered Sta. Cristina, the once-quiet town now alive with movement and color. Gone were the uneven dirt roads. In their place stretched smooth pathways that wound through thriving fields—rows upon rows of crops swaying beneath the sun, their greens deeper,
The wedding celebration slowly softened as the sun dipped behind the mountains of Sta. Cristina. Laughter still lingered in the front yard of the humble Greene home—warm, unrestrained, filled with the joy of a union long awaited. But somewhere between the laughter and the fading light—Cassie and A
A breath. “Every day.” Her smile deepened through her tears. “Every lifetime.” Their gazes remained locked—quiet, unwavering—despite the swell of applause rising around them. It filled the chapel, warm and thunderous, echoing against the wooden walls. Pride shone in the men’s eyes, steady and u
"Cassie…” His voice came out quieter than anyone had ever heard it—stripped of authority, stripped of control. Just Ashton. Just a man standing before the woman he loved. After her slow, soulful walk toward him… after Eliseo and Celia had gently, tearfully placed her hand in his— He held her now.
Cassie allowed herself to be pulled forward, though her expression remained stunned, her mind still trying to grasp the sheer extravagance hidden beneath what she thought was simplicity. Behind her, Eliseo and Carmel exchanged a glance. Then, almost in unison, their gazes drifted back to the gown.
"Cassie... we're in the office," he protested, but the words were a hollow formality. He made no real move to stop her. A sharp, startled gasp tore from him. "Ahh, shit!" Her hand had slipped inside, past the waistband of his trousers and his boxers, her cool touch a shock against his heated skin.
She was so absorbed in the spectacle before her—every screen, every flicker of movement—that the world around her seemed to fade into the background. Until— “Mama!” The voice cut through the hum of machines and the quiet intensity of the room. Cassie’s breath hitched, the sound snapping her out o
Still, Ashton didn’t seem bothered. He walked with purpose, leading her past the receiving area, through the family room, and into a study. But they didn’t stop there. Another door. Then another. A room lined wall to wall with books. And still—they kept going. Behind a bookshelf, Ashton pressed so
“This isn’t the way to the Pierce mansion,” Cassie murmured, her gaze drifting from the window to Ashton as she noticed the unfamiliar road stretching ahead of them. “Kai isn’t with Grandma,” Ashton replied smoothly, a faint smile touching his lips. His eyes never left the road, his hands steady on







