I was running frantically toward my apartment, constantly glancing behind me. My heart was still pounding fast, terrified of what might happen—especially since there were goons who had just tried to kill me. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder how I managed to fight them off—let alone defeat them. How did that even happen? I was nearly at my apartment when I gradually slowed down, spotting a car parked right in front of it. It was red, and I could tell it was expensive. I stopped in front of the house and stared at the car. Suddenly, I remembered what happened earlier at the park. I was about to rush inside when someone called out to me, forcing me to halt. “Claire, it’s you! Claire!” I froze at the name he called me. Claire? How did he know my real name? I turned toward the car and was met by a woman who looked middle-aged but still strikingly beautiful. Her elegance was undeniable, radiating grace. But the question was—who was she? “Claire, it really is you,” I saw t
Like mother and daughter, Claire and her mother, Erin—or rather, her real name, Amanda—were their closest friends, so being separated from them was painful. “Mom, stop crying. Even if Claire doesn’t remember that she was my dearest friend and that she’s a princess, it’s okay. We can remind her of that.” Timothy’s mother couldn’t respond anymore as she broke into tears. He let her cry and comforted her. Shortly after she finished crying, Claire woke up. “Claire!” Claire turned to the person who called her and was shocked to see them—especially since they were inside her room. “W-what are you doing here, Kuya? Tita? How did you find me?” Claire sat up from where she had been lying, and Timothy immediately helped her as she asked. “Are you feeling better now, hija?” Claire looked at Kaithy upon hearing her question and nodded. “I’m fine now, Ms. Kaithy.” Kaithy was startled by how Claire addressed her. “W-what did you just call me?” Claire was confused by her reacti
Claire cried as she said, “Tita, who?! Where are dad and kuya?! Where are they, Tita? I want to see them!” Her voice was filled with excitement, making Kaithy shake her head in response. “You can’t, Claire. That’s all you can know for now. It’s not the right time yet—everything is still too complicated. So if you really want to meet them, stop hiding from us, okay?” Claire suddenly felt saddened by her words. “Why, Tita? I want to meet them already.” Timothy held her hand, making her look at him. “Claire, trust us. We’ll tell you eventually, but now is not the right time, okay?” Claire had no choice but to nod. As much as she wanted to meet her father and brother, she couldn’t—not yet. She had to trust them. “You promise? I’ll wait until you tell me who they are.” The two smiled and nodded at her, easing Claire’s heart. She knew she had to wait for the truth because if she pushed them, they might never tell her. “Let’s go back to talking about your children.” Claire sm
“We’re together? How?” Claire asked Timothy in confusion. “It’s hard to explain. You’ll understand in time. Right now, your body is already reflecting danger—it means you can defend yourself because we were trained for combat.” Claire still couldn’t process it. She wondered how this could have happened when she had no memory of it. She didn’t want to force the issue, fearing it might make things worse. “Okay, I get it. But I don’t like this. What if I hurt someone? I’m scared. What if something happens to me? How?” Seeing her distress, Timothy held her hand and looked into her eyes. “I won’t leave you. We won’t leave you. So stop hiding, especially now that someone’s after your life. You need to stay with us at all times.” “My son is right, Claire. You’re not safe walking alone,” Kaithy added. Claire nodded at their words. “Alright. So, tomorrow, we’re going out—our family, Zoey, Mom, and Quinn. If you want, you can come with us. Then the next day, we’re leaving for
The onlookers were also smiling at the scene between the mother and daughter. Timothy was happy for his friend because he could clearly see the sadness in her eyes as she told her story the night before. Meanwhile, his mother understood the pain of being separated from one’s child, which made her wonder where Claire found the strength to leave her daughter behind. “Mommy, why are you already here?! I mean, I’m happy that you’re here, but why so sudden? You said one month, right?” Claire smiled at her daughter’s words and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Because Mommy missed you so much, so I finished my work early.” Zoey was about to speak when they heard a voice from upstairs. “Claire, my child?” “Mom!” Claire quickly ran up the stairs and hugged her tightly. “What’s wrong with you, Claire? What if you tripped? You’re grown up now, yet you still don’t think straight!” Claire could only laugh at her mother’s words. No matter what, she had always been so careful wi
On one side, as Hero was driving to the mall to accompany Zayne, his thoughts were deep. He still couldn’t believe what he had witnessed last night—he saw firsthand how Claire defeated her enemies. “How did Claire do that?” Hero whispered to himself, replaying the events of last night in his mind. Hero was Zekiel’s primary “eyes” against those who wanted to bring him down—gangsters, mafia, or rival organizations. As Zekiel was the wealthiest businessman in the world, many wanted to take his position and all his money. Countless had tried to outsmart him in business, but none succeeded. The only solution they saw was to eliminate him. They knew Zekiel didn’t belong to any organization or group. What they didn’t know was that behind his massive company and prestigious name, Gray had trained operatives skilled in combat. Zekiel was one of them. Since childhood, his father had trained him to fight, knowing the day would come when enemies would rise against them—and he was ce
Claire couldn’t move from where she stood, her eyes fixed on her child. Hero, however, acted quickly and approached them, knowing there would be trouble—especially since she wasn’t disguised anymore. “Venice! Wow! Why are you dressed like that?! Where are you going?” Hero’s words made Claire glance at her, widening her eyes in disbelief. Claire couldn’t process it yet—she was still in shock. “U-uhh, well—“ “Tita-Mommy, you look so pretty! That outfit suits you!” Zayne said cheerfully, hugging her leg, which made Claire tremble. She had no idea what to do. Hero cursed under her breath again, seeing how lost Claire was. She stepped away for a moment and called Claire. Claire flinched when her phone rang. “J-just a sec, Zayne, I have a call,” she told the child, who nodded as Claire moved slightly away. “H-Hello?” she answered. “Pull yourself together, Claire! I can see your family from here! If they come over, it’s over for you! You need to get them out of here—now!” Hero
“What does this mean, Venice?” Louise asked Claire in confusion as they sat at the same table with Quinn, Timothy, Dylan, and Bea. Meanwhile, their other companions were seated at a different table. Fortunately, they had managed to convince the kids to separate from them, explaining that they had something important to discuss. Besides, Bianca had already returned to her usual self, so she and Zoey were now able to talk freely. “Why do they call you Claire? Why are your eyes gray? Why does Zayne look like the woman who’s supposedly your daughter?” Louise fired off all the questions swirling in his mind. He couldn’t understand how everything had changed so suddenly. Just a while ago, he had seen Claire in Zekiel’s office, and now, he was shocked by her sudden transformation. “Mr. Hunt—” “Shut up, Dylan! This isn’t business anymore,” Dylan fell silent after interrupting their conversation. “Louise, calm down. There’s no need to get mad at Dylan,” Claire said gently, notici
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
“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