They set off on their journey while she stayed at the back with Zayne, while Zekiel was the one driving. As Claire and Zayne were playing, the little boy yawned, so she immediately leaned him against her. “Go to sleep, Zayne. I know you’re tired.” Her words seemed to signal him to close his eyes, and he quickly fell asleep. So the kid was already sleepy but didn’t say anything. The car fell silent after that. Claire didn’t want to disturb her son’s sleep, so she just guided Zekiel on the road until they arrived. “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Gray. You should head home now so Zayne can sleep properly,” she said with a smile. The man only nodded in response before immediately driving off. “Seriously, no manners at all,” Claire muttered in annoyance at how he just left without a word. She let it go and went inside the house, freshened up, and then called her daughter. Zoey happily chatted with her, but like Zayne, she was also tired, so their call didn’t last long before Zoe
I was startled awake by loud banging on the door of the room I was staying in. I had been dreaming and could still feel the bed pulling me back to sleep, but I couldn’t do anything about it because the noise at my door had grown too loud.I was confused as to why it was so dark, so I immediately turned on the light and hurried toward the door, which was still being pounded by whoever was outside.“Yes, I’m coming!”I shouted, hoping it would make the banging stop, but it didn’t—as if the person outside couldn’t hear me.“Who the—”“Auntie!”“Ninang!”I was shocked when two children suddenly screamed and hugged me. That’s when I saw my son, Zayne, and Bianca, both dressed in formal attire.Zayne was wearing a tuxedo, while Bianca had on a fitted dress.“What are you two doing here?”“They are with me.”I turned to the speaker and was stunned to see a handsome figure standing there. It was Zekiel, also wearing a tuxedo that matched our son’s perfectly.They looked so much alike, and wit
A few minutes later, I had already changed and fixed myself up. I cried for five minutes, then immediately composed myself. I only did quick makeup.My outfit was white with glitter, making it shimmer.The only thing I didn’t like about it was that it was a crop top. I was surprised seeing this because this was my design! My own design—I couldn’t believe I’d be wearing something like this. The sleeves were long, a full-length sleeve, making me feel like a Hollywood star in this outfit, paired with my tall white heels.I sprayed net on my hair to keep it sleek, combed back—truly a Hollywood star look.Good thing my puffy eyes weren’t noticeable. As for the outfit, I had no choice because Tita insisted I wear it. It was beautiful, but I never wear crop tops—this was my first time.Yes, I design crop tops because they’re trendy, but I don’t wear them myself.I looked like a model for my own clothes. I shook my head at the full-body mirror—I was already late, so I had to hurry.“Zayne? Bi
”I’m back again, so sorry for that. By the way, I just received news that this new couple on stage, along with Mr. Gray’s son, has an interesting video. Let’s watch this.”I immediately felt alarmed. What video?!I glanced at Zekiel, and his reaction mirrored mine—shock. Even my son, Zayne, looked stunned.”What is that?!” I demanded, but no one answered. Instead, a video began playing on the large projector in front, silencing the entire room.I shot to my feet at what I saw—it was a video from yesterday when we were on a call with the venue designer while the three of us were arguing over the arrangements.The room erupted in noise. I heard some positive comments, but far more were negative—because I was just a secretary.”Yes! She’s Mr. Gray’s btch secretary!”I scanned the room, trying to see who had shouted that, but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. The murmurs only grew louder.I turned to Zekiel, who remained seated, unfazed.”Do something!” I hissed at him, but he just looked a
“Excuse me, Ms. Belle, but Ms. Sanchez fainted in the garden. She’s currently in the clinic.” “What?!” Bea immediately stood up from her seat, startled by what her employee had whispered to her. Most of the people around turned to look at her because of how loud her reaction was. “What happened, Love?” her husband asked worriedly, knowing something bad must have occurred—especially from her visible reaction. “Venice fainted in the garden!” she said anxiously. “What?!” “Auntie!” “What?!” Zekiel’s family stood up in shock, especially him and their son, Zayne. Everyone turned to Zekiel as he immediately ran off. “Wait, Kiel! We’re coming with you!” The crowd began murmuring among themselves, distracted from the ongoing company employee games due to the sudden incident. Fortunately, the MC was informed right away and apologized to the audience for the unexpected disruption. Many were concerned, but most were just eager to gossip. Bea and Kiel’s parents didn’t hesitat
Zekiel was alarmed, so he immediately approached his son and pulled him away. “Son, your tita is resting,” Zayne looked at him, and Zekiel was surprised to see the boy crying. “Why are you crying, son?” he asked worriedly. The others in the room also fell silent, concerned about Claire, but they were also puzzled by Zayne’s reaction. Hero, meanwhile, could only shake his head at what he was seeing. He knew Zayne could feel that Claire was his mother—even if the boy didn’t realize it yet. “I-I don’t know, Daddy. I’m just worried about Tita. She’s okay, right? She’ll wake up, won’t she?” “Of course, what are you talking about? Tita just fainted. I’m sure she’s fine.” “But you’re not sure, Daddy! You’re not a doctor!” Everyone was startled by Zayne’s outburst, and they had to hold back their laughter. They couldn’t believe Zayne had just bluntly called out his father, especially in that situation. “Whatever, Zayne. I’m sure she’s okay.” Just as Zekiel said that, the
When the elevator opened on the floor where Hero was staying, the group quickly rushed out, led by Claire. She didn’t care if her hair was still messy—all that mattered was getting to his place as soon as possible. “Claire, where are we going?!” Bea asked frantically as she followed her. Since the rooms on this floor were numbered up to fifteen, they had already passed quite a few. “Just wait—it’s right here—this one!” The moment Claire spotted it, hope surged through her. She was about to knock when the door suddenly swung open. “Venice? You’re awake? What happened to you? You’re bleeding!” Claire couldn’t speak, especially when she saw Kiel stepping out of Hero’s room. Even the couple was startled by their friend’s sudden appearance. They didn’t even notice the long, bleeding wound on Claire’s face. Kiel immediately pulled her inside. “Hero, get the first aid kit—fast!” Hero was puzzled by their abrupt arrival but quickly obeyed Kiel’s order. Meanwhile, Claire only
“But you have a wound on your face!” “So what? It’ll heal!” “No.” “Yes.” “No.” “Yes!” “Venice, I said no!” “Zekiel, I said yes!” Zekiel’s forehead creased in frustration at Claire’s stubbornness. He pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged it in irritation. “Zekiel, stop it! You’re so annoying—I told you, I’ll be fine!” Zekiel looked at her again, and Claire flashed him a smile. “Please?” she said in a cute, pleading voice. “Hard-headed.” “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes! Thank you!” Zekiel could only shake his head at Claire’s antics, while Bea, Dylan, and Hero exchanged glances at the scene before them. If earlier it was just Dylan grinning, now even Hero was doing the same, while Bea was squealing internally at what she was seeing. That was the first time they had ever seen Zekiel act like that—getting so angry one moment, then being completely tamed by Claire the next. The three of them weren’t surprised, though, because they knew Zekiel was utterl
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
”We can go back to the palace after we rescue the twins,” Timothy said to Claire, who was fixing herself up after changing clothes. She couldn’t wear that dress anymore because it would hinder their plan to infiltrate Louise’s hideout. At first, she couldn’t believe that Louise was the one who kidnapped her children—especially since she had trusted her—but she was wrong. “I won’t leave until the twins are safe, Kuya,” After saying that, Claire walked out to head to the hideout, where they would plan their assault on Louise’s lair. Timothy could only sigh at his friend’s words—he knew her well. When someone she loved was in danger, she would do everything to save them. “Wait, why did you disappear earlier, Kuya Timothy? And Aunt Kaithy was gone too,” The man looked at her and smiled. “I still have a duty to fulfill, Princess.” “And what is that?” Claire asked curiously. “To report on your brother. As for Mom, she went back home. She said she’d only return to the Philipp
After Claire ordered the twins to be taken to their room, the bodyguards immediately covered their mouths with handkerchiefs laced with sedatives, causing Zayne’s eyes to widen in shock as the twins desperately tried to call for their parents. But it was too late—they had already inhaled the sedative. The bodyguards acted swiftly, slipping out through the back of the kitchen and into a waiting car outside. Since they were recognized as the Gray family’s guards, they were let through without issue. Their journey was smooth, and soon they were greeted by their employer. “Very good, boys,” the woman said with a smile. “Thank you, ma’am. Where should we take the twins?” they asked, addressing none other than Camille. “Take them to my beloved’s room. He’ll reward you for this,” she replied, grinning. The men smiled widely and immediately carried the twins upstairs. Camille watched them go, her gaze lingering as they carried the unconscious children. “Now I’ll finally get my rev