“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
“I took a strand of Claire and Zayne’s hair when they briefly fainted in Kiel’s office. Even though I was already sure that Claire was Zayne’s mother based on her reaction upon seeing the child, I still wanted to confirm it.” Claire glanced at Hero upon hearing his words, and at the same time, he looked back at her. “I’m sure behind those black contact lenses are eyes identical to Zayne’s. Can I see, Claire?” Hero spoke directly to the young woman, and Claire didn’t hesitate to show him her eyes. She trusted him because Zekiel and Dylan trusted him. The couple watched as Claire removed her contact lenses. It was the first time they’d seen her real eyes since their meeting. Once the contacts were off, Claire looked straight into Hero’s eyes, leaving him stunned. “Exactly like Zayne’s,” Hero said in awe, making Claire chuckle. “Tell me, Hero—can I trust you?” Claire’s serious tone snapped Hero back to reality. “Of course! Even though Kiel is my friend, I don’t want to
The two walked together toward the exit as if Zekiel wasn’t with them. He simply let them be, happy to see the two together for reasons he couldn’t explain. All he knew was that he felt happier when the two were happy together. When they reached the beach, there were already many people there for a swim. Almost all the guests had gathered. “Let’s go, Daddy, faster!” Zayne said cheerfully because, even from the main building leading to the beach, the sea was already visible. The weather was perfect—summer at its finest. “Easy, son. We’ll get there,” Zekiel said, stepping beside his son and holding his hand with a smile. Claire was also holding Zayne’s other hand, so everyone who saw them couldn’t help but smile at the sight—they looked like a family, especially since they were together at the event. They were about to continue toward the beach when someone called out to Zekiel. “Mr. Gray!” The three of them turned and saw an older man who still carried himself with dignit
They went to Claire’s room. Claire made him wear a male tern outfit she had bought a long time ago, the same time she had bought Zoey’s dress. “It suits you so well, Zayne,” Claire said tearfully, making Zayne smile. “Thank you, Tita-Mommy! You’re so good at picking clothes, it’s so beautiful!” Claire couldn’t stop smiling at that moment. She and Zayne spent the whole day bonding, which made her heart swell with joy because it was the first time she had spent so much time with him—just the two of them. She never expected that handling that event would turn out to be so much fun, so she was overjoyed. The day went on until evening, and they walked around downstairs. There were many people there—guests and employees wandering around, with waiters circulating with trays of wine. Claire took a glass as they walked. “Tita-Mommy, you might get drunk!” Zayne tried to stop her, but she shook her head. “Don’t worry, I can handle this!” Zayne had no choice but to let her. What
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
“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