Mag-log in“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.
Ashton offered no acknowledgment. “Just these three?” he asked Cassie, his focus unwavering. Cassie shrugged, unfazed by the glares burning into her back. “Well, if I add more, Mirriam and her friends might convulse from concern that I’m shamelessly spending my husband’s money,” she said casually
Cassie’s patience snapped. She caught the piece just in time and turned, her eyes flashing as she glared at her sister. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded, her voice low but razor-edged. The boutique seemed to fall into a tense hush, the sparkle of diamonds suddenly overshadowed by the unmist
The night of glamour had finally drawn to an end, its glitter fading with the morning light. Cassie’s next appointment loomed far less forgiving: the stockholders’ meeting. The first since the acquisition. The first under a new name. Knowles and Greene Corporation. It would be her battlefield.
“Ash—ton—” she tried to resist, but her strength paled in comparison to his. One arm locked around her waist, the other holding her in place, leaving her nowhere to retreat. The moment she tried to speak again, his kiss deepened, silencing her. It was consuming—overwhelming. She tasted wine on hi







