Meanwhile, Zayne was crying uncontrollably in his room after what he had learned from his father. He couldn’t accept the truth, but his sobs suddenly stopped when he remembered something. He quickly stood up, grabbed his cellphone, and opened the tracking device. “Mommy’s alive! Mommy’s alive!” His tears immediately dried up, and he jumped for joy when he saw a red dot on the screen—indicating his mother’s location. He was sure it wasn’t the ravine where they claimed she had disappeared. “Mommy isn’t dead! She’s somewhere, and I need to go to her so I can bring her home. Daddy’s already worried.” The child hastily grabbed a bag, packed some of his things, and took cash for his journey. He rushed down the stairs and hid in a corner when he saw someone approaching. He planned to pass through the maids’ quarters since that was always the open exit. The servants had a separate pathway from the main house. Once he confirmed no one was around, he sprinted toward the maids’ qua
“JUST A MOMENT!” Claire shouted from inside as she had been hearing the knocks on the door for a while now. At first, she thought nothing of it since they were faint, but as the sound persisted, she was sure someone was there. “Z-Zayne?” Claire gasped as she opened the door and was met by her child, who immediately clung tightly to her leg. “I-I told you not to leave me, Mommy!” Claire froze at the child’s words, feeling him tremble with sobs. She quickly knelt to his level. “Zayne, shh, stop crying. Don’t cry anymore, Mommy’s here,” she said, embracing him again. --- THE NEXT DAY, Zayne woke up early and immediately left his room to look for Claire, but she wasn’t there. He went outside and saw his mother preparing breakfast. “Mommy!” Claire turned to the voice and smiled when she saw him. “Come here, Zayne, let’s eat.” At her words, Zayne rushed down and hugged her again. Last night, the child had fainted, terrifying Claire, so she immediately called for Faith
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and events are products of the author’s imagination and are not intended to represent real individuals, particularly the respected royalty of Spain.~B.NICOLAY/Ms.Ash
“HAHAHA, don’t make me laugh, Kuya. That joke was so good,” Claire said with a shake of her head after a long silence between them. Timothy’s shoulders slumped in defeat—he had thought she would finally believe him, especially after seeing her confused expression. “Claire, I’m not joking,” Claire’s laughter slowly faded at her brother’s words, especially when she saw his face turn serious again. “You see, I’m the child of your father’s right hand, Claire—the King. My mother was the one assigned to find you and Auntie. Besides, Mama also wanted it because she and your mother were friends.” Claire’s brows furrowed at his words. Yes, she knew their mothers were friends, but it was hard for her to believe what he was saying, especially without proof. “I don’t have time for your jokes, Kuya,” Claire turned away from him. “Butterfly.” Claire froze mid-step. A moment later, she was startled when her brother suddenly approached her and pulled down the collar of her dress, making
(Claire’s Past) “Mama! Kuya!” The high-pitched voice of young Claire echoed throughout the palace as she ran down their grand staircase. The two siblings shared a room, and every time Clark, Claire’s older brother, woke her up, he would tickle her until she ran out. “Run, Claire! If I catch you, I’ll tickle you again!” “Mama! Papa!” The couple couldn’t help but laugh at their playful antics. They had grown used to this scene every morning. They watched as Claire rushed toward them and hid behind them. This was the usual morning scene in the palace—even the servants adored the siblings, always seeing them laughing and playing together. “Kuya Clark, don’t we have the same birthmark?” Claire asked her brother one afternoon as they lay in bed, resting. “Yes, look at this.” Clark raised his wrist and showed it to her. “Why is that so unfair? Mine’s on my shoulder!” Claire pouted, making her brother laugh. “Because you’re special! So never question your birthmark.” Clai
The battle began, and Claire managed to defeat them all. But once she got inside, she struggled and had to use guns taken from the enemies. She managed to take down half of them, but it wasn’t enough—she was exhausted. “Claire!” She turned around and saw her mother holding a gun. She smiled at this and fought again. “I-I’m not weak, Mom. I can save my brother!” Claire said as they stood close. “Have you lost your mind?! You could die here!” Amanda shouted, her eyes wide with fury, making the girl flinch. Claire had no other desire but to prove to her mother that she was just as important as her brother. Tears streamed down the child’s face as she pulled away from her mother to keep fighting. She quickened her pace, rushing to the very top where her brother’s captors were. “Claire!” her mother screamed when she saw her reach the top, but she couldn’t follow—too many enemies surrounded her. When Claire arrived, she kicked the door open, and the remaining guards turned to sta
“How is she, Doc?” Timothy asked the doctor he had called when Claire fainted. “I can see that she has recovered her memories now, but it may cause her some headaches since it’s been years since she lost them. These are her childhood memories, right?” The man nodded in response to the doctor’s question. “She’ll have a lot of questions, especially if her memories aren’t pleasant, so if possible, please guide her.” “Yes, Doc, I’ll take care of her,” the doctor said as he gathered his things. “I still advise bringing her to the hospital to check if any brain functions were affected by the sudden return of her memories.” “Alright, Doc.” After the doctor left, Timothy let out a deep sigh and sat beside Claire. “Claire, I hope you can accept everything. I know what happened in the past wasn’t good, but you’ll always be our princess—remember that.” Just as he finished speaking, he was startled when Claire suddenly woke up, sitting up in tears. “Kuya Clark!” “Claire! Clair
“I’m always by your side, Claire. Once a month, I come here to the Philippines to visit you and Mama,” The siblings sat side by side in front of their mother’s grave. After their reunion, they decided to talk in front of their mother while Timothy kept watch nearby—after all, he was accompanying two nobles, especially since the future King was present. “Always? Did Mama know about this?” Claire asked in surprise, to which Clark nodded. “She knew, Claire. I was the first to find you, and I kept it a secret from everyone, just as Mama instructed. You’re not at fault, Claire. Mama didn’t leave us without a reason—she had a purpose.” Claire frowned at her brother’s words while fidgeting with her hands. “A reason? What reason, Kuya Clark?” At her question, Clark turned to face her, his expression serious. “Your life was in danger, Claire. Remember those who kidnapped me? They were hunting you. And Mama… Mama didn’t die in a car accident." Claire froze at his words, a sudden fear
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
“Now, I know what you’ve done for my sibling, and I accept you into our family,” Zekiel smiled at Clark’s words, and Clark hugged him briefly, patting his back. “I thought something had happened to you, my child! I was so scared that we rushed here without a proper plan,” Claire said tearfully. “That was the plan, Mommy—to completely defeat the enemy,” Zayne explained, furrowing his brows. “I let myself get captured on purpose, while I sent Zoey here to rescue you. There are no more enemies, Mommy. They’re all gone because Daddy made it up here, which means they’ve been defeated.” Claire couldn’t believe what Zayne was saying, her mind struggling to process it. “Your child is right, my love,” Claire turned to Zekiel at his words. “Zayne planned everything, which is why we were able to save you successfully.” Claire teared up and looked at her son. “Z-Zayne, thank you so much! You’re such a smart child!” She hugged Zayne, and the child hugged her back. “Daddy trusted me
“ON my cue,” Clark said seriously to their companions, as they were now scattered in the same place where he had been kidnapped before. They had discovered the enemy’s hideout thanks to Zoey. The child had mentioned that Zekiel found out its location, which was why he took her sibling. Zayne was right—they didn’t hesitate to storm the place, but the King and Zoey were left behind in the palace. “Go!” Clark shouted, and the sound of gunfire soon dominated the forest. Claire was fiercely exchanging fire with a group of enemies she encountered. The place had changed, and she was disoriented, but as soon as they entered, she and her brother were shocked when a net suddenly fell over them. “I’ve seen this before with Camille!” Claire yelled at her brother, recognizing it from the CCTV footage when Zekiel had captured them. “Louise and the rival Mafia are working together, so this must be their doing!” Clark replied, trying to break free, but the net was too strong. Moments la
“Oh my God, Zoey, it’s really you! I miss you, my daughter. Mommy misses you so much!” Claire showered her daughter’s cheeks with kisses, overwhelmed with longing. It had been almost two months since she had last held her child under Zekiel’s care. “I miss you too, Mommy!” “Zoey? Is this my grandchild?” The mother and daughter turned at the voice, and Zoey saw an elderly man wearing a crown—someone she recognized from TV, where she had seen him with her mother. “Grandpa!” Zoey immediately ran toward the King, who smiled warmly and scooped her up into his arms. In return, Zoey covered her grandfather’s face with kisses. “Wow, Grandpa, I can’t believe it’s really you! You’re the King? That’s so amazing!” Claire laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks as she watched them. “Haha, my dear, Grandpa’s getting tickled. That’s enough,” the King chuckled as the child finally stopped covering him in kisses and beamed up at him. “You’re so beautiful, my grandchild. You look just