Claire Sanchez will apply as Zekiel Gray's secretary for two reasons.** First, she wants to reclaim her late mother's company, and second, she hopes to see one of her twin sons. Back then, she had no choice but to leave the eldest boy at Zekiel's gate, as raising twins was too difficult, and since the child looked exactly like him—except for the eyes, which he inherited from her—Zekiel took him in and raised him. The twins were the result of a night they never expected—a one-night stand. What will happen when Zekiel finds out that his secretary is the woman he’s been searching for all this time? Especially since he’s certain that the mother of his son, Zayn, is the same woman he was with five years ago?
View MoreCLAIRE
I was half-asleep when I felt the urge to pee, so I stretched on the bed before getting up. But suddenly, I felt something brush against me—and it moved. Then, I felt a warm hand wrap around my waist. My mind snapped awake, and I turned to look beside me, but I winced as a sharp pain shot through my head. What happened? I tried to recall the events until everything came rushing back. "Oh my God!" I whispered under my breath and immediately glanced beside me. There he was—the guy I saw yesterday, shirtless, just like me. I fell back onto the bed, my heart pounding wildly. What do I do?! I just had a one-night stand with a stranger! My God, Claire, what have you done?! I took a deep breath to calm myself before gathering the courage to slowly remove his arm from my waist. I was careful, and thankfully, I succeeded. He stirred slightly, but I quickly slipped away, replacing my spot with a pillow. Then, I felt a dull ache between my thighs. My God! I was a virgin until last night—now I’m not! I wanted to cry, but what could I do? It already happened. I grabbed my clothes and rushed to the bathroom to pee. Afterward, I dressed quickly, afraid he might wake up. Then, I peeked outside the room, confused when I didn’t see any other doors nearby. Wait… is this a VIP room? Does that mean he’s rich? I facepalmed myself. Of course! He’s Dylan’s friend—the best man! And Dylan’s a well-known young businessman, so his friends must be loaded too! --- After the church ceremony, we headed straight to the reception. Bea and Dylan got married in Batangas, her hometown, where we used to hang out often. The reception was held at their beachfront hotel. Bea’s family was wealthy, with hotels and condominiums worldwide. She and her siblings managed the business together. Right now, I was by the beach, avoiding the crowd. The sun was setting, and I planned to join the celebration later at night. I needed a drink—to celebrate my best friend’s wedding and to toast to my own solitude. If you’re wondering about my job—I don’t have one yet. Bea and I just graduated last year. I wanted to study again to become a professional designer. I loved designing dresses. Once the sun disappeared, I decided to head to my room. Bea had given me my own suite here as a graduation gift. I told her it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted—said I needed a proper place to stay whenever I visited. I changed into a long black dress that reached my feet. I’m wearing black to a wedding? I laughed to myself. Bea knew I loved black—almost everything I owned was black. She’d even joke that I looked like a witch sometimes. I took the elevator down from the eighth floor. My unit was huge—definitely expensive—but I’d take care of it just like I took care of her. The reception was packed. Dylan came from a prominent business family, and at his young age, he already managed several ventures. Some guests who missed the ceremony had arrived, making the crowd even bigger. I headed straight to the bar counter—Bea knew she’d find me here. "Give me a glass of tequila, please." I grinned at the bartender, who obliged immediately. I downed it in one go, making him wince. I knew it was strong, but who cared? The staff here knew me—Bea always introduced me as one of the "bosses." I ordered more until the world started spinning. "Claire!" I turned and saw Bea smiling at me, arm-in-arm with Dylan. "Hey! The newlyweds are here!" I cheered. "You’re drunk, Claire!" Bea frowned. "No, I’m not! I’m celebrating!" I argued, asking the bartender to back me up. "Ma’am, she’s had five," he said, making Bea sigh. "Love, I think Claire needs to rest," Dylan suggested. "Come on, Claire, I’ll take you to your room," Bea said, grabbing my arm, but I pulled away. "No! We need to celebrate! This is your wedding! My best friend’s wedding! My sister’s wedding!" I took another shot. Bea fell silent at my words. I raised my glass again. "To both of you! I’m so happy for you! But Bea… I’m also sad because now I’ll be alone. But it’s okay! Because I want you to be happy!" I downed the drink and slammed the glass down. When I faced Bea again, she was crying. "Why are you crying? Didn’t I tell you to enjoy your day?" I stumbled toward her, steadying myself. I pinched her cheeks into a smile. "There! Smile, Bea. I’m happy for you. Be happy, okay?" I hugged her tightly, and soon, we were both sobbing. "C-Claire..." We cried for what felt like three minutes before I pulled away. "Enough tears! Our makeup’s ruined!" I laughed, wiping my face before turning to Dylan. "Hey, Dylan! If you ever make my best friend cry, you’ll have to deal with me, got it?!" "Don’t worry, Claire. I’ll take care of her. I’ll never make her cry," he promised. I smiled and nodded. "Alright, I’ll leave you two now. I’m drunk—enjoy your night, newlyweds!" I staggered away, not heading upstairs just yet. Instead, I went to the beach and collapsed onto the sand, crying into my knees. I’m happy for Bea—really. But the loneliness hurts more. I knew she’d always be there, but things were different now. She had a husband. I couldn’t just barge into their lives anymore. I cried until I felt numb. "Why are you crying?" A voice startled me. I turned but couldn’t see anyone—it was too dark. "W-Who’s there?" "You’re drunk." I laughed. "No—I just had a few drinks." Should I run? What if he’s dangerous? Stupid Claire, this is why you shouldn’t drink! "Let’s go. I’ll take you to your room." I looked at him again. He seemed nice—maybe I was overreacting. "Sure, please. I am drunk." He offered his hand, and I took it, but my legs gave out, and we both tumbled down. I landed on top of him, and in the dim light, I finally saw his face. It was the guy from earlier—Dylan’s best man! "You’re handsome," I slurred, grinning. He shook his head. "Get up now, woman." I didn’t move. The world spun, and I rested my head on his chest, hearing his rapid heartbeat. "W-Why is your heart beating so fast?" "G-Get up..." He sounded strained. Was I that heavy? When the dizziness faded, I lifted my head and stared at his lips. I don’t know what came over me, but I leaned in and kissed him. What started as a simple kiss deepened as he cupped my head, pulling me closer. I didn’t resist—it felt too good. Somehow, we ended up on a soft bed, our clothes discarded, our bodies tangled together in heat. --- I’M IN BIG TROUBLE! Now I remember everything from last night. What if he brags about this to his rich friends? Ugh, Claire, you idiot! You just became another notch on some wealthy guy’s belt! Furious, I stormed into the elevator, ignoring the soreness between my thighs. Once inside my room, I leaned against the door and tugged my hair in frustration. "Stupid, Claire! You gave your virginity to some rich guy who’s probably had dozens of women! And you made the first move!" I flopped onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. What if he hunts me down? What if I get pregnant?! "Oh my God!" I shot up in panic. My period just ended—sht! Did he even… Ugh, I was too drunk to remember! I slumped onto the carpeted floor, pulling my hair again. I need a plan! If I am pregnant, I’ll keep the baby—it’s my fault. But I’ll never tell him. I won’t let my child be treated like some rich man’s mistake. Wait, why am I assuming I’m pregnant?! It’s my ovulation week! I needed to delete the CCTV footage. I wore a fitted black dress last night—I’d erase any trace of me. Just as I stood up, something caught my eye. "What’s this? A note?" I picked up the letter on the side table. "Dear Claire, I know you’ll read this. Meet me at the breakfast area—we need to talk. We won’t leave the country until I speak with you. I’m so sorry, Claire. I love you. Love, Bea" My eyes widened. Bea hasn’t left?! They were supposed to fly to Paris last night for their honeymoon! Why is she apologizing? What does she want to talk about? "Oh my God!" I covered my mouth. Did I say too much last night? I remembered now—before ending up in that guy’s arms, I told Bea I was lonely. Ugh, Claire, you emotional drunk! I quickly changed clothes (no dresses—what if that guy wakes up and sees me?) and headed out. But first—the CCTV room. "Kuya," I called the guard, who immediately stood at attention. "Ms. Claire! It’s you!" "Can you ask a housekeeper to clean my room? I’ll wait here—I got drunk last night and made a mess." He chuckled and agreed. Once he left, I tampered with the system. Thankfully, I was a quick learner. "Deleted." I smirked, dusting off my hands. Then, I noticed a separate CCTV feed—the VIP room. Sht! Did the guard see me leave? My eyes then landed on the breakfast area. Bea’s still here! With Dylan! How long has she been waiting?! "Ms. Claire, it’s done," the guard returned. "Kuya, has Bea been there long?" "Since the breakfast area opened, ma’am." I winced. She must be worried sick because of what I said last night! Did she postpone her honeymoon?! "Thanks, Kuya." I rushed out, heading straight to the breakfast area.“No, YOU are being rude.” The man suddenly sat back down at her words, and the room fell silent. “May I remind all of you? We hired you to be the BALANCERS of this country, not the RULERS. WE are the rulers, and YOU are the balancers. So you have NO right to decide whether to accept me or my late mother as Princess and Queen of this country!” Claire held her head high as she spoke, leaving them speechless. Timothy grinned widely, almost clapping at his friend’s words. “I, the Princess of Spain, declare that the current council will be REPLACED with a new one!” Everyone stood up in protest, but Timothy acted swiftly, slamming his long gun on the table, silencing them. “The princess has given an order, so you MUST obey. Royal blood can make decisions without consulting the king.” Claire smiled as she saw the defeated looks on the men’s faces, then glanced at Timothy, who nodded back. Finally, she had avenged her mother. ’Mama, I know this is what you wanted. We miss you so
Breaking News: After a decade and a half of searching for the Queen and Princess of Spain, they have finally been found. Unfortunately, the Queen has passed away, and only the Princess, Princess Claire, has survived. Reports have also spread that the two royals had been staying in the Philippines, where they lived as ordinary citizens. --- Zekiel turned off the TV after seeing the news. A few days had passed since Timothy went with him to retrieve the body of the late Queen. He desperately wanted to see Claire, but he couldn’t—he had no right to ask about her. Especially now that she was known worldwide, with the strange circumstances surrounding her and her mother spreading everywhere. “Daddy!” He turned to the door and saw the twins running toward him. “Is there any news about Mommy yet?” Zoey asked with a hopeful smile. “Not yet, sweetheart,” Zekiel replied sadly. “Don’t worry, Daddy! Mommy will come back! Uncle Clark promised us!” Zoey said cheerfully. “Zoey’s ri
He was Timothy’s father and Kaithy’s husband. The right hand of the King, his own father. He was the one who taught them how to fight back then, so he could never forget the man—he had played such a huge part in his life. “I miss you so much, Tito!” She pulled away from the hug, and the man held her cheeks. “I couldn’t believe you’d grow up into such a beautiful lady.” Claire smiled even wider at his words. “Mama took good care of me, Tito.” The man’s smile faded at what she said. “I’m sorry about your mother.” “It’s okay, Tito. I’ve accepted it. It’s Papa I’m worried about.” Timothy’s father understood Tagalog but couldn’t speak it fluently since he didn’t grow up in the Philippines, unlike his wife and son, who had spent many years there. “I’ll go ahead now, Tito. I’ll see you later.” She smiled at him, and the man nodded. The news of the princess’s arrival spread quickly throughout the palace, and many wanted to catch a glimpse of her. Some even secretly positioned
Clark bowed his head at her question. “The doctor said your body is completely exhausted, especially after you were hit by a bullet in the shoulder,” Claire touched her shoulder but felt no pain there. No wonder it didn’t hurt—she had been asleep for a week. “The twins, Kuya?! What happened to my children?!” she exclaimed in shock as she remembered her kids. “Calm down, Claire. They’re fine. I had our people watch over them, so everything’s alright.” Claire stopped her hysterics upon hearing this and let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, Kuya Clark. I’m just scared something bad might happen to my family.” Clark nodded in understanding at his sister’s words. Even though he didn’t have his own family yet, he felt the same way about theirs. “Oh, by the way, Kuya, does Papa know I’m here?” Clark shook his head at her question. “Papa doesn’t know. I hid you, Claire, because I want you to be the one to talk to him about what happened to Mama.” Claire couldn’t help but feel
After Zekiel said that, he immediately shot the enemies, causing the other two to join in, each firing at the opponents trying to advance. Since there were three of them, they quickly defeated them, much to the delight of the other two. “Finally!” Hero exclaimed. “We can go home now! Kiel, come on, hurry!” Dylan was the first to run, making the other two shake their heads before following. Dylan stopped at a door where they knew Louise was. “You go first, Kiel, hehe,” Dylan said, scratching his head sheepishly. “See? Acting all tough but actually a coward,” Hero teased, earning him a glare from Dylan. Meanwhile, Zekiel didn’t hesitate—he kicked the door open. But he froze when he saw Louise and Camille lifeless, drenched in their own blood on the floor. “D-Daddy!” He turned toward the voice and immediately ran to the twins. “Zoey! Zayne!” He hugged them tightly as the twins cried into his chest. When an explosion echoed in the distance, Zoey started crying again, b
“IN the count of three,” Zekiel said seriously as they stood at the edge of the garden of the building where Timothy was hiding, holding his family hostage. “One... Two... Three... NOW!” Zekiel’s men quickly scrambled into action at his signal. When they reached the underground passage, two people opened it, and as soon as it was unlocked, they rushed inside one after another. “Go! Go! Go!” Dylan whispered urgently to their teammates leading the way inside. “Make sure to keep it quiet,” Hero muttered to one of the men, who nodded in response. Once everyone else was in, the three of them followed. They had only brought a few men underground since the others were on lookout and would join them once the trap was set. When they entered, they found themselves in an open space that was clearly abandoned. “Start setting things up as planned.” The men nodded and began working on their assigned tasks. They had agreed to place long, sharp metal rods so that when their enemies
Claire glanced at her trembling hands, the pain and fear of losing the child in her womb overwhelming her. Then, she saw the crown in front of her, picked it up, and placed it on her head before aiming the gun at them again. “A p-princess fears nothing.” Claire moved swiftly and pulled the trigger, but the two dodged. Camille quickly grabbed another gun and fired at Claire, hitting her shoulder, making Zayne cry even harder. “Mommy!!!” He desperately wanted to escape but couldn’t. The noise woke Zoey, and as her mind processed what was happening, she began to cry, drawing Zayne’s attention. “Z-Zoey, close your eyes!” No matter how much Zayne pleaded, the twin couldn’t stop crying. He looked at his mom, now lying unconscious on the floor with blood on her leg, and shut his eyes—he couldn’t bear to see her like that. He prayed that someone would save them when, moments later, he heard gunshots. His eyes snapped open, and he saw tall men in palace guard uniforms swiftly surroun
Her body and hands were tied to the chair, so she couldn’t move. She tried to turn her face away, but Camille grabbed it again, gripping even tighter than before. “Look at me!” Camille shouted angrily, leaving her no choice but to obey. “Do you see this scar?!” Camille hissed. “Yeah, it makes you even uglier.” Claire’s words only infuriated Camille further, who then slapped her hard, forcing her face to the side. “Btch! When someone talks to you properly, answer properly! I’ll make you feel what I went through! I’ll ruin your face because you don’t deserve this!” Camille snatched the crown Claire was wearing, making Claire’s eyes widen in shock—that crown was sacred, and their laws forbade anyone else from touching it. “This suits me better.” “Give that back! It doesn’t belong to you!” But Camille ignored her, placing it on her own head while Claire could only watch helplessly. “See? It looks better on me.” Camille admired herself in a mirror. “Wow, this must be expe
When I said no, it’s a no. No buts, Timothy—take her to the room and don’t let her out. Timothy nodded at the man’s command and grabbed Claire, who immediately tried to pull away. “No! You can’t do this, Zekiel! My child is in there! I won’t rest until they’re safe! Zekiel!” Zekiel ignored Claire’s screams as Timothy dragged her away, continuing with their planning. “Why did you send Claire away? She could’ve helped us too,” Zekiel shot Hero a sharp look for his remark. “Oh, so you’d be fine if I included your wife in this?” Hero fell silent at that and they resumed their planning. Meanwhile, Claire, furious, struggled against Timothy as he forced her toward their room. She was already thinking of ways to escape and save the children. “Don’t even try. I won’t take my eyes off you,” Timothy said flatly, which only made Claire glare harder. But her anger turned to shock when a man suddenly appeared in front of Timothy, holding a baton. “Behind you!” Her warning came to
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments