LOGIN“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.
A few days after Zandrie and Mirriam left Cassie at the restaurant, Zandrie still hadn’t returned to the hotel for the night. She hadn’t noticed it though. Her thoughts were consumed by something else entirely—by the unsettling aftermath of her unexpected encounter with Ashton. After introducing
Not sorrow. Calculation—masked as morose. “I appreciate your solid foresight in matters like this, Miss Knowles,” Zandrie said, turning fully toward Mirriam, his attention shifting away from Cassie. Mirriam straightened, seizing the opening without hesitation. “Well, I’ve been accompanying Dad
Zandrie placed the order, and while they waited for it to arrive, the table settled into polite small talk—harmless remarks, easy laughter, the kind meant to fill space rather than meaning. They only quieted when their orders arrived. Mirriam, however, wasted no time. A subtle nudge followed—her
Easy for whom? she wondered, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. Turning on her heel, she continued toward the restaurant where Zandrie was already waiting. Anticipation curled warmly in her chest—not for the meal, but for the drama she knew was bound to unfold. The moment she stepped inside, Drie







