Claire woke up to the sunlight streaming through the window. The open window greeted her, the rays of the sun pulling her from sleep. She stretched, savoring the comfort of her slumber, but then suddenly froze when she noticed something strange. Her hands Immediately clutched the blanket covering her as she realized she wasn’t wearing a single piece of clothing. “You’re awake.” She flinched at the voice beside her and quickly turned her head—only to see Zekiel. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, panic setting in. Especially as memories of last night flooded her mind. ‘N-no… this can’t be happening.’ She whispered to herself, tears welling in her eyes. Zekiel noticed and immediately grew concerned. “Hey, why are you crying?” He reached for her arms, but Claire jerked away, startling him. “No! Don’t touch me. This is wrong. What happened between us shouldn’t have happened, Zekiel.” The man fell silent at her words. He hadn’t expected her to say that after what had
“Tita-Mommy!” Zayne hugged her as soon as she arrived at their spot near the door, leaving her no choice but to hug him back. She wanted to draw strength from her child. Her gaze drifted to Zekiel, who was staring at her seriously, making her quickly look away. “I’ve been looking for you earlier, Tita-Mommy. Daddy and I went to your room, but you weren’t there because you didn’t open the door.” Her attention shifted to her son because of what he said. He was looking at her, so she smiled and ruffled his hair. “Tita wasn’t there earlier. I went out.” Zekiel frowned at that. Now he was sure—the girl was avoiding him. He didn’t understand why. He knew he would take responsibility if Claire got pregnant, but every time he thought about it, Zayne’s mother crossed his mind. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her behind. He couldn’t let go of the past. “Oh? Then stay here for dinner and sleep over, Tita! We’re going home tomorrow anyway, so we can all go together!” Claire’s s
Claire’s eyes widened as she was met with the faces of Zekiel and Zayne, both looking at her with concern. “Tita-Mommy, are you okay now?” Claire immediately sat up from where she had been lying in the living room, with Zekiel quickly assisting her. “I’m okay. What happened?” Claire spoke weakly, making the father and son exchange glances. Zayne was the one who answered, knowing his father had no intention of speaking. He had been there ever since Zekiel intervened after Claire’s call. Zayne had been curious about why the two were taking so long to return, so he followed them—only to overhear the adults’ conversation. Though he knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, he couldn’t help himself, especially since it was about Claire. “You passed out again, Tita-Mommy.” Claire frowned at Zayne’s words, then her eyes widened before she glanced at the two and quickly looked away. They already knew about Zayne’s twin—the only difference was that they thought the child was hers with someone
Claire could no longer hold back her tears because of it. She covered her mouth, not wanting the two to hear her crying. It felt like her heart was being crushed—like she wanted to hurt herself for the mistake she had made. She wished she could just disappear so she wouldn’t have to feel this pain. When her sobs wouldn’t stop, making it hard for her to breathe from holding back too much, she quickly grabbed her cellphone and ran straight to the beach. Many of Bea’s employees noticed her, but she ignored them and kept going. When she reached the shore, she finally let out all the pain she had been holding in, the tears she had been fighting back. Slowly, her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground. “Ahhh!!!” She screamed from the overwhelming pain. All she had wanted was to get closer to her child—she never intended for things to turn out this way. What happened in Zekiel’s room felt like it had torn her in two. Claire cried and cried, with no intention of leaving the be
The next day, Claire woke up early and arrived at work ahead of time. She was hoping Zayne or even Zekiel would notice her and reinstate her. She busied herself with the paperwork until Zekiel arrived with his son. She immediately smiled and stood up to greet them. “Good morning, Sir! Good morning, Zayne!” She beamed at them, but they acted as if they were deaf, walking straight past her toward the office without a word. Weakly, Claire sank back into her chair, her smile vanishing as tears rolled down her cheeks. She quickly bowed her head, understanding that they were still angry with her. She would give them more time. But the time she gave them stretched to nearly a week. Every day, they passed by her as if she were nothing but air. She couldn’t take it anymore—it was breaking her. Each time they ignored her, especially Zayne, she grew weaker, like a candle slowly burning out. Sometimes, she just wanted to disappear. She kept smiling at them, but they never even glance
CLAIRE I couldn’t believe I was staring at the handsome man in front of me. Just one look at him, and you could immediately tell he was also a businessman, just like Zekiel—especially since they were both wearing business attire. But Zekiel was more handsome, though his attitude was terrible, unlike the man I was facing now. Still, why did the last name Hunt sound so familiar to me? “Yes, it was me. Sorry I didn’t show myself to you that time—I was shy. But I kept watch over you until your friend arrived.” My eyes widened at his words. So all that time, someone was watching over me?! No wonder I felt like someone was staring at me. “You watched over me? Wait! Don’t apologize—I should be the one thanking you! But you didn’t have to do that.” He smiled at my words, and I noticed his perfectly aligned, fair lips. His smile suited him so well. “How could I leave? You looked depressed and were crying that time.” I fell silent at his words and forced another awkward smile. T
I did nothing but stare at my child for hours. I couldn’t take my eyes off him because it was my last chance. Zayne and I spent the whole day together after that, and Zekiel allowed it—probably because he knew it was my last day. It was almost time to go home, and we were just sitting at my table playing online games. I didn’t even finish my work; Hero could handle it tomorrow since he’d be back anyway. “Tita-Mommy, we’re about to take you home!” He was grinning widely at me, but I could only manage a sad smile in return. “I’d love to, but your dad would never allow it. So I’ll have to go ahead without you.” I saw his face fall at my words. “But I want you to stay, Tita-Mommy! Why are you taking all your things?! I don’t want you to leave!” He started crying again, so I immediately knelt to his level. Seeing him cry hurt me twice as much. “Zayne, stop crying. Listen to me. I won’t be coming back tomorrow—I got a text saying your Tito Hero is returning. But that doesn’t
I’m now walking down the street. I’ve already thrown away the things I was carrying—they were just props anyway. I decided to walk to clear my mind. I texted Quinn that I’d be home tomorrow and that we’d return to Paris the next day. Knowing she’d question me, I turned off my phone. The sun had set by the time I reached a park, so I sat down to gaze at the sky. The stars were bright, and the moon was a half-crescent. What does it feel like to have no worries? No problems? I wish I could be like that. I wish my children and I were whole. I couldn’t stop crying. I’d been crying earlier, and now, tears still fell. I still couldn’t accept what was happening. Amid my sobbing, I suddenly sensed other people nearby. My eyes snapped open—I wasn’t mistaken. Six men in leather jackets surrounded me. How did I even sense them? My instincts had sharpened inexplicably. “Who are you?!” I asked nervously, standing up. Their menacing looks screamed danger. “Who we are doesn’t matter. Wh
“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
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