She bowed her head to me and hugged me tightly. “I know this is hard for you, but you have to face it. You can’t stay and fight here. You’re the Princess of Spain, Claire. Your brother’s future—our country’s future—depends on you.” My arms tightened around her, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I really need to do this. Days passed, and Zekiel finally returned home. Several days had also gone by since I last spoke to my brother Timothy and since I last saw him. After our conversation that night, he suddenly vanished without a trace. Even Quinn was worried about him, so I just told her that he texted me, saying he had something important to do and went back home—especially since Aunt Kaithy had also disappeared. As more days went by, I started to worry too. Zekiel had recovered, and Timothy had promised he’d be with me when we returned to Spain. But until now, he still hadn’t shown up. Am I going back alone? “You’re spacing out again.” I flinched when someone hugged me from behi
We also walked for several minutes until we reached the circle at the very center of the mall, where you could see all four floors rising to the top of the circular space. “Where’s your dad? Isn’t this the circle?” I asked the twins, who just shrugged and let go of my hand. “He’s probably here somewhere, Mommy. We’ll find him soon,” Zoey said, glancing around. I did the same, but even after scanning the area, I still couldn’t spot him. “He’s not—Zoey? Zayne?!” I shouted when I realized the twins were no longer behind me. Strangely, even our bodyguards were gone. What was even weirder was that the crowd around us had disappeared. “Ah!” I shrieked when something suddenly burst above me. I looked up and was stunned to see rose petals raining down, filling the air with their sweet scent. What was happening? Another burst followed, startling me again. I instinctively closed my eyes, but when I opened them, I gasped at the sight of a small, flying object emitting blue and pink smo
“K-Kuya, I can’t accept this because we’re leaving soon, right? You’re here now because you’ve come to take me back, aren’t you?” I pulled away from his embrace and looked into his sorrowful eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Claire,” I shook my head at him. “You don’t have to apologize, Kuya Timothy. I know my duty. I know what I must do.” After saying that, I went to my room, walking lifelessly from the pain I felt. As much as I wanted to say yes to Zekiel earlier, there were still things I needed to finish. When I entered the room, I saw a box inside, so I approached it and opened it. “That’s what you’ll wear, Claire. When you return to the palace, you must be ready and show them all that you are their princess.” I heard Kuya Timothy’s words and saw a princess dress and a royal princess cloak—something I had only ever seen in shows before, but now, I was the one who would wear it. Both were pink—a soft baby pink—while the main dress was long-sleeved with beads on the front and a r
REMINDER!I didn’t add the monarchy to the plot to make it unique or to play around with the royal family of Spain. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, guys! Whatever I wrote about Claire being a princess is purely my own creation, especially the way they rule in Spain! DON’T CANCEL ME, PLEASE! THIS IS NOT BASED ON A TRUE STORY!
Note: -Kuya (Tagalog for “older brother ”) ____ “WHAT? W-What else are you hiding from me in my life that I don’t know about?” Claire let out a sigh at the man’s words. “Guards!” Everyone was startled when Claire shouted loudly—loud enough for the twins’ bodyguards to hear. Moments later, the bodyguards rushed in from outside and bowed before her. “Yes, Your Highness,” the leader of the guards said respectfully. “Take my children and bring them to their room.” “W-What? Mommy, no! Please, no!” Zayne screamed as one of the bodyguards approached and immediately carried him away, while Zoey only snapped out of her daze when another guard lifted her. “M-Mommy!” Claire forced herself to ignore her children’s pleas because she also didn’t want them to hear the truth. “B-Bad guys...” Zoey whispered weakly, but no one heard her as the door was already closing. “Why did you have to send the twins away?” Quinn asked, making Claire glare at her. The young woman swallowed
“I-I just wanted to know something before you leave.” They froze at Zekiel’s words and turned to look at him. “W-When will you come back for me and the kids?” Claire felt as if she’d been struck by an arrow at the man’s question, biting her tongue as she struggled to answer. “I-I don’t know… The moment I wore the crown, I could no longer turn away from my duty.” The women cried even harder at Claire’s words, and even Zekiel’s mother began to sob. In the short time they had spent with the young woman, they had seen how kind-hearted she was and how deeply she loved their son. So when she needed help, they didn’t hesitate to support her. “R-Right… Okay, thank you for answering.” Zekiel could no longer hold back his tears and nearly collapsed where he stood—luckily, his father acted quickly and steadied him. “I-I’m okay, Dad… I’m fine,” he told his father, though it was obvious he wasn’t, as he still clung tightly to his arm. Claire didn’t miss his tears and quickly wiped her
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
”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
“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
“She’s terrifying!” Hero said. “That doesn’t seem like Zayne! He’s possessed by his father’s spirit!” Dylan exclaimed, earning a smack from Hero. “Damn! Bloodline really makes a difference! Look at him—Gray lineage, the sharpest in business, while Claire’s lineage carries noble blood and excels in combat!” The two fell silent when Zekiel shot them a glare, so they quietly followed him to the hideout. When they arrived, the child reached up to his father. “Daddy, can you trust me?” “Of course I trust you, son,” Zekiel said with a smile, pinching his nose. “Thank you, Dad. Now, here’s the plan...” “WE NEED to act now,” Clark said seriously. “Why does Claire have to come? Just your brother and I should go. Claire, you’re pregnant—you can’t,” the King insisted. They were in the main room, a day after the chaos had unfolded. They had released a statement claiming that a Mafia group had attempted to assassinate the princess and that they would fight back, urging the publ
“Are you okay, Claire?” Clark asked his sister worriedly as she drank something to calm herself. “I-I’m fine now, Kuya. I was just shocked by the sudden gunshot—I didn’t expect that,” Claire said, making Clark nod in response. “Me neither. It’s your day, Claire. But they did this on purpose to kill you. Thankfully, the shooter had bad aim and missed,” Clark replied. If this were any other situation and not so serious, Claire might have laughed at the thought of the shooter missing. But right now, her life was on the line. “What are you two talking about? What’s really going on?! I thought the Mafia was gone, Clark?!” They both turned to their father, having forgotten he was there—and that he had heard everything. “I-I’m sorry, Papa. I lied. I needed to keep your mind at ease after what happened to Mama, but the truth is… the Mafia isn’t gone. They’ve been lying low for a month, waiting for today—this is when they’re starting their war.” The King still couldn’t process wh
“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