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.
"So, what’s your plan now… after hearing Ashton Pierce’s explanation?” Zandrie’s voice was careful, measured, as he sat across from her. He had only heard fragments of what happened earlier—the confrontation between Cassie and the two Knowles women. But by the time he stepped out, Cassie was alrea
"If becoming the villain was the only way to make you walk away,” he said quietly, his voice heavy but resolute, “then I was willing to be the one you hated—if it meant you would finally leave the people who were slowly destroying you.” “I would do anything for your freedom, Cassidy,” he said soft
“Over and over again, I told you to leave that place. I told you your life would be better if you walked away.” His jaw clenched. “I was ready to help you.” A brief pause. “But the moment you chose them over your own dignity…” His voice turned colder than before. “I stopped offering.” Silence p
"Yeah… you’ve told me that countless times.” She gave a small, hollow chuckle and nodded, as if agreeing with something long settled, something she no longer had the strength to argue against. Turning away from him, she faced the lagoon. The water was calm, the surface reflecting the quiet sky—but







