“KUYA, are you sure about this?!” Zoey asked her twin nervously as they approached a place where a party was happening. “Calm down, Zoey. Just trust me,” Zayne said seriously, making his twin frown but quietly follow him. Zayne had explained things properly to her. After leaving their parents earlier, they went straight to the mall to buy a formal dress, a new wig, and new contact lenses. According to Zayne, they were going to a party that served as an entrance to the underground mafia world. At first, she couldn’t believe it—especially since it was her first time hearing about such a thing—but when she saw how serious her brother was, she decided to go along with it. When they entered the place Zayne mentioned, Zoey couldn’t help but marvel at the crowd inside, dancing in the center. Some were drinking at the sides, others were chatting—it looked like a bar! “Wow! This is my first time, Kuya! Let’s go!” Zoey was about to rush into the crowd to join the party, but her twin q
CLAIRE 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 unti
As soon as I entered, I immediately saw Bea, but Dylan was no longer there. I quickly approached her. "Bea," She immediately looked at me, stood up, and hugged me. I felt her shoulders shaking again. She seemed troubled earlier while waiting for me. "C-Claire, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" "Shhh... It's okay, Bea. Don’t worry about it," I said while patting her back, letting her cry in my arms. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down. "Are you okay now?" I asked with a smile, and she nodded. Her eyes were swollen, and her nose was red. Bea was beautiful—she had long black hair with brown highlights, thick eyebrows, long lashes, and thin lips. In short, she was perfect. "Let’s sit down, Bea," I said, and we sat. "Wait, where’s Dylan? He was here earlier, right?" She looked at me curiously. "He left. He said he was going to wake up his friend, the best man, Kiel. You know, you and Kiel would make a great pair! Though he’s a bit grumpy, but with your beauty, I’m sure you co
Key Notes: “Nanay Lucing” – it’s a term of endearment (like ‘Mommy Lucing’). “Kuya” – tagalog word of ‘Brother’; it’s also a sign of respect to a stranger in Filipino culture.***I’M now in Bea’s hotel car. After our conversation, I didn’t hesitate to leave. I left some clothes and belongings behind since I wouldn’t need them at home anyway—I have plenty of clothes there. Besides, if I ever go back, I’ll have something to wear. We’re almost home, and I’m sure Mom and Nanay Lucing will be surprised by my early return. I originally told them I’d be staying there for a week for a vacation, even after Bea and the others left. But unexpected things happened. "Ms. Claire, we’re here." The driver’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked outside and saw that we had indeed arrived. I must have been so preoccupied that I didn’t even notice our surroundings. "Thank you so much, Kuya. Here’s something for your trip home," I said with a smile, handing him a thousand peso
"Mom, Nanay, please take care, okay? A month will pass quickly, and I’ll be back soon, I promise," I said to them as I hugged them tightly. It was already six in the evening, and my flight was at seven. I needed to leave now, or I might be late. "Take care too, Claire. We’ll miss you," Mom said, her voice trembling with tears. "Don’t cry, Nanay, or I’ll cry too. I’ll come back, okay?" I replied, my own voice breaking. I couldn’t stop my tears—they just kept falling. "Lucing, stop it. Claire’s crying now too. If she doesn’t leave soon, her flight money will go to waste," Mom said, shaking her head. "Just take care, okay? I’ll call you as soon as I land in Paris. It’ll be morning there, but night here." Since it was nighttime here, it would be morning there. That’s why Bea booked me a night flight—she knew that. "That’s good. And if anything happens, call us immediately," Mom said, making me nod. Between the two of them, Mom was the most worrisome. She acted like I was never
"You’re going to kill me with worry, Claire! You almost fell on the floor earlier! Aren’t you being careful? You know you’re pregnant!" I sighed at Bea’s scolding. I had already returned to my unit because she immediately picked me up from the lobby. Turns out, she had told the staff not to let me out, so I couldn’t escape—plus, Zekiel was just in the other room. I was okay now because I’d already seen him. Even though our reunion wasn’t perfect, at least it was something. Hehe. "Are you even listening to me, Claire?" Her words snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked at her and flashed the sweetest smile I could muster. "You’re so stubborn, Claire. Goodness, what am I going to do with you?" she said, pacing back and forth in front of me like she was deeply troubled. "Don’t stress yourself, Bea. You’re pregnant too," I told her, making her glare at me. "Then don’t do anything stupid!" she shot back, shutting me up. She was right—all I ever did was act reckless. I just cou
I felt them rubbing my back. “Hush now, my child. Didn’t I tell you before you left that no matter what problem you have, you should just tell us because we’re ready to help you? But what did you do? You hid it and ran away from the truth,” I shook my head at what Mom said to me. “M-Mom, I didn’t want to… I didn’t want you to know. I have so many dreams for the three of us, and I haven’t even repaid you both, yet here I am, pregnant. Mom, Nay, I promise I didn’t mean for this to happen.” “Shhh, calm down, Claire. Crying isn’t good for the baby. I’ll get you some water,” Nanay said to me before standing up. I looked at Mom, who was staring at me in disbelief. “Mom, I’m sorry. I know I disappointed you. I’m really sorry,” I hugged her, and she rubbed my back. “I accept your apology, Claire, but God has a plan. I know there’s a reason why there’s a baby in your belly. I just can’t believe you’re going to have a family now, my child. I just can’t believe it. By the way, where’
-FOUR MONTHS LATER-Several months have passed, and my baby has been in my womb for six months now. They’re getting heavy. Sometimes, I even struggle to stand. How could you not, when there are two babies inside? I don’t know how you wouldn’t find it difficult. "There’s nothing you can do, Bea. I’m going there now, and that’s final." Bea and the others returned home a week after I found out I was carrying twins. At first, Dylan didn’t know I was pregnant, but when my belly started growing, he realized—and was shocked to find out it was twins. He never asked who the father was. He probably respected that I didn’t want to say, especially since I never mentioned anything to him. Now, Bea and I are arguing because I want to see Zekiel. It’s been so long since I last saw him in person. I need to see him face-to-face—it feels like I’ll die if I don’t. "Claire, you’re losing your mind again! What if something happens to you?! What if he recognizes you?! Claire, come on!" Bea’
“KUYA, are you sure about this?!” Zoey asked her twin nervously as they approached a place where a party was happening. “Calm down, Zoey. Just trust me,” Zayne said seriously, making his twin frown but quietly follow him. Zayne had explained things properly to her. After leaving their parents earlier, they went straight to the mall to buy a formal dress, a new wig, and new contact lenses. According to Zayne, they were going to a party that served as an entrance to the underground mafia world. At first, she couldn’t believe it—especially since it was her first time hearing about such a thing—but when she saw how serious her brother was, she decided to go along with it. When they entered the place Zayne mentioned, Zoey couldn’t help but marvel at the crowd inside, dancing in the center. Some were drinking at the sides, others were chatting—it looked like a bar! “Wow! This is my first time, Kuya! Let’s go!” Zoey was about to rush into the crowd to join the party, but her twin q
Suddenly, Zekiel grabbed my hand and was about to place it behind his back, but I stopped him. “It’s been a long time, princess.” I immediately smiled at that and ran toward him, hugging him tightly. “Hazel!” He returned my embrace right away, and I even heard his soft laughter. “Still the same princess, huh? Did you really age?” I hit his arm for saying that, but he only laughed harder. “You made me worried, Hazel. Don’t just appear out of nowhere. Especially earlier when your annoying friend removed her contact lenses.” Hazel and I broke apart from our hug when Zekiel arrived, glaring at me, so I hid behind Hazel. “Don’t worry, Keil. I’ll scare you more next time.” Zekiel gave Hazel a sharp look, but she didn’t care at all. By the way, this is Hazel Reign. She’s a mafia leader. I met her four years ago, during the time someone tried to harm my brother Clark. She helped me infiltrate them, and her reason? She was annoyed with her father’s way of running the mafia wo
CLAIRE “Was it right to leave them behind? What if they don’t know the way back and run into the mafia again?” I asked my husband worriedly as we walked. We had left Lili and Kai at the park because they said they wanted to stroll around. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was completely at ease with them—maybe because of what happened when we rescued them. Plus, I really adore Lili! “My love, they’re grown-ups. Besides, Kai’s responsible for her. If they get lost, then he doesn’t deserve to be Lili’s husband.” I glanced at Zekiel. I’d noticed he didn’t get along with Kai. Kai was kind and always smiling, but my husband seemed to dislike him. Well, I couldn’t blame him—he’s overprotective of me, and Kai couldn’t even protect his own wife. But I couldn’t hold it against Kai either—they were just ordinary people. I learned from them that their mothers were both Filipinas, while their fathers were from different countries. Not surprising—it was obvious. “Don’t be like that, my love
Zekiel and Claire were walking around after getting off the plane. They already had a place to stay, and it wasn’t hard to get there, but they decided to walk first to think about where they should start looking for the twins. It was a huge advantage that Claire knew the area well, especially since they were the ones who governed the town—unlike the twins. That’s why they were worried. In the middle of their walk and conversation, they heard someone calling for help. “Did I hear that right? That was Tagalog, wasn’t it?” Claire asked in surprise, and the couple exchanged glances. That was enough for them to understand that someone needed help. Claire was about to rush toward the voice when her husband stopped her. “No, my life! If we save them, we’ll be the ones targeted! I’m sure those people are part of a mafia group!” Zekiel warned his wife, but Claire narrowed her eyes at him. “So, you’ll just let our fellow countrymen get hurt?” Zekiel fell silent at his wife’s words,
Claire had no idea that the blonde woman she was talking about was none other than Zoey. After leaving their house, they immediately went to a remote place with very few people—the kind of area the wealthy would never visit. That was their first thought because they were sure their father would never expect them to stay there temporarily. They rented a small house and paid for a full month, even though they only planned to stay for two days. They introduced themselves as a married couple under the names Lili and Kai Ryan. Since they paid upfront, they were quickly accepted as tenants. The place was small but clean, which Zoey preferred, especially since she was particular about cleanliness. There was only a simple bed and no other furniture, but it didn’t matter to them since they wouldn’t be staying long. While they were there, Zayne took care of arranging their passports and fake documents. Where did he learn to do that? Aside from the internet, he had picked up a lot from t
Bianca immediately stood up when she saw me and hid her phone. I narrowed my eyes at her because of what she did. “Oh yeah, why didn’t we think of it sooner? Those three must be friends!” Hero said, as if suddenly realizing. I sighed, let go of Zekiel’s hand, and approached Bianca. I sat in front of her and looked straight into her eyes. “Bianca, do you know where the twins went? Based on how you hid your phone, you know something, right? So don’t hide it anymore, okay?” I asked with a smile, making her shoulders slump before she nodded at me. “Ninang, I’m worried about them too! I can’t contact them anymore! They told me they’d call as soon as they arrived in Spain!” “Spain?!” We all asked in unison after hearing Bianca’s words. She nodded and handed me her phone. “That’s my last conversation with Zayne, Ninang.” The others immediately gathered around me to look at the phone. There were only a few texts, but it was clear—Zayne said they were going to Spain to look for
CLAIRE “PLEASE, Papa, just agree! I don’t know what I’ll do if something bad happens to my children. Papa, I’m begging you!” I was almost on my knees in front of Papa, just so he would allow me to return to the Philippines. When I found out the twins were missing, I immediately disturbed Papa so I could go home as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be at peace until I knew where they were. First, Kuya Clark goes missing, and now them too? “Claire, my child, stand up. I’ll agree, but—” “Thank you, Papa!” I couldn’t help myself and hugged him tightly, but he quickly pulled away. “That is, if your Kuya Timothy agrees. He’s the one covering for us. Don’t you remember you’re the Queen now? If they find out you’re not in the palace, there’ll be chaos again.” “Don’t worry, I’m willing to cover for Her Highness.” I was about to speak when that person cut me off. When we turned, we saw Kuya Timothy bowing respectfully to us. He lifted his gaze and gave me a sad smile. “I know how h
BREAKING NEWS: King Clark is missing! According to sources, he was last seen after the council meeting. Our King has yet to be found. Princess Claire and her family are now at the Palace to address the current crisis! This news has spread worldwide. After five years of King Clark Fuentes’ reign, Spain has enjoyed peace and prosperity. With the help of the new council appointed by the Princess, the country has flourished and gained even greater recognition. Who wouldn’t know the Fuentes and Gray families? Five years have passed since the Princess returned and started her own family. Today, their businesses continue to thrive, as does their growing number of supporters. The news spread quickly, and according to their rules, Claire had no choice but to temporarily take her brother’s position and become the acting ruler. “But Papa, I need to find my brother! How can I search for him if I’m buried under all this work?!” Claire said in frustration to her father, Stefan. “My chil
“We can finally get married now, right? And you can finally say yes to me, right?” Claire nodded while Zekiel smiled through his tears. The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of them, especially since they immediately recognized Zekiel—one of the most renowned businessmen in the world. “Will you marry me, Princess Claire Fuentes?” “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!” The people around them chanted loudly, making Claire’s family smile and even the twins join in. “Say yes! Say yes!” Claire slowly nodded, still crying. “Y-yes! Yes, absolutely, Zekiel!” Zekiel quickly slipped the ring onto her finger and stood to meet her gaze. He studied Claire’s face, wiping away her tears. “You don’t know how happy I am right now,” Zekiel said with a smile. “M-me too, Zekiel! I’m so happy! So, so happy!” Zekiel kissed Claire, making the crowd cheer even louder, some even screaming in excitement. They accepted whatever made their princess happy, and they accepted whoever she chose to m