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
“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
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