I couldn’t move from where I stood because of Zekiel’s presence in front of me. Yes, I had prepared myself to see him—but not this soon, and not in this situation. Why were they here already?! I glanced at Hero, who was also wide-eyed upon seeing me. I shut my eyes briefly, overwhelmed. My heart was pounding so hard I didn’t know what to say or do. It was as if I had been glued in place—even my tongue refused to work. “Mr. Gray, long time no see. Who would’ve thought we’d run into each other here in Paris? What a small world.” I heard Louise’s voice beside me. I wanted to stop her from speaking—her tone was dripping with teasing, and I feared what Zekiel might do to her—but I couldn’t move! “I’m not happy to see you, Hunt. You stole someone precious from me.” My eyes widened at Zekiel’s words. I saw the two of them locked in a tense stare, electricity crackling between them from the intensity of their gazes. “As I remember, I didn’t steal her, Mr. Gray. You fired her.” I
The two were shocked by Claire’s sudden fainting spell, but thankfully, Zekiel acted quickly and caught the young woman. “Call some help, Hero! Bring them to our room!” Zekiel immediately instructed, swiftly carrying the woman back to their room. Zekiel and Hero had just arrived from the Philippines when Zekiel discovered Claire’s whereabouts in Paris—and the fact that she had become Louise’s secretary. Enraged, the young man nearly destroyed his office in a fit of fury, leaving it looking like a storm had passed through. Hero didn’t Intervene, having expected such a reaction. He wasn’t even surprised when Zekiel ordered him to book a flight to Paris. Hero hadn’t had the chance to call Claire to warn her, as he had been too busy handling their documents and ensuring their safety, so she remained unaware. Now, Claire was inside Zekiel’s room, laid gently on the bed like a sleeping princess. Zekiel was worried about her, yet he couldn’t help but stare. Sitting beside her, he b
It felt like Zekiel’s world stopped when he heard what the doctor said. Even Hero’s eyes widened in disbelief at the doctor’s words. “Pregnant?!” he asked in shock, to which the doctor nodded. “Yes, and regaining her memory may cause her stress, which could lead to losing the baby. So please help keep her in a good mood every day.” Zekiel’s hands turned cold at the doctor’s words, and his heart raced uncontrollably. “H-How many months or weeks is she pregnant?” Hero glanced at Zekiel when he asked this, especially since he could clearly see the shock on his face. “Five weeks, which means one month and one week.” Zekiel couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. He was right—his suspicion was correct. He was the father of her child. Hero grew worried seeing Zekiel cry, especially since he knew how much Zekiel loved Claire. How much more must he be feeling now that she was pregnant? “I’ll take my leave now,” Hero nodded at the doctor and immediately approached Zekiel. “Ki
“Let me be the one to talk to Zayne, sir, please?” Zekiel glanced at Claire when she spoke. The young man was about to leave to follow Zayne. “But Venice, I don’t want you to get hurt—“ “Sir, I can handle myself. Besides, would I really let my own child come to harm?” Zekiel fell silent at her words, then slowly nodded, making Claire smile faintly. She knew Zayne was angry because of how she had deceived him a month ago, so she wanted to be the one to fix the mess she had made. She stood up, and Zekiel steadied her, making her feel slightly awkward. She wasn’t used to his attentiveness, but she let it pass for now. She stepped out of the room, and Zekiel pointed to Zayne’s door. She immediately headed there. When she opened it, she saw the window was shut, making the room dim, but she could still see Zayne curled under a blanket. She took a deep breath and knocked. “Zayne?” she called, but there was no response. “I’m coming in,” she announced before entering and clos
“SORRY,” Claire said as they stood in the kitchen, her hands busy chopping potatoes. After her conversation with Zayne, Zekiel had taken her to her room to calm down. Once she felt better, hunger set in, so she told him she would cook. However, there was no chicken left, so Zekiel sent Hero out to buy what Claire needed—he didn’t want to leave her alone. “Sorry for causing trouble between you and Zayne because of me,” Claire added, her voice soft. The kitchen had an island-style layout, allowing her and Zekiel to face each other freely as they talked. A table stood in the center, doubling as a sink area, while the stove was placed against the wall. “Why did you leave? Do you know how much my son cried when he couldn’t reach you? He said it was impossible for you to be gone because he just saw you at the mall—but then you disappeared.” Claire glanced at Zekiel when he spoke, his tone serious. The intensity of his gaze made her feel like she was melting, so she quickly looked
“If only I had known that thing back then, I wouldn’t have let Tita-Mommy leave,” She said regretfully to herself. She had been too blinded by pain at the time that she failed to notice Claire’s actions. Zayne was filled with even more regret, especially after saying hurtful words to the young woman. He opened the door again and saw her talking to Hero, which solidified the plan in his mind. Without hesitation, he left the room. Meanwhile, Claire felt a wave of weakness as Zekiel walked away. Thankfully, she managed to hold onto the sink for support. “Claire, are you okay?” Hero whispered softly, making Claire glance at him. “Stop calling me by that name, Hero. It might just make things worse. Both father and son are angry at me,” Claire said tearfully. “This is your fault, Claire. I thought you were smart? But why are you so stupid when it comes to love? They really weren’t lying when they said love makes even the smartest people foolish,” Claire was taken aback by Hero’s
“READ the rules and please understand them because I don’t want my child to get hurt,” Because of what Zekiel said, Claire was puzzled and immediately read the written rules. “Rule number one: You can’t leave my side unless you ask for my permission. Is this necessary?” Claire asked him, but the man just stared at her, making her roll her eyes in annoyance. She was growing more irritated with him, especially because of his controlling behavior. “Rule number two: You won’t talk to any other men unless I know about it. Rule number three: You won’t attend any events without me. Rule number four: Your only job is to eat healthily for my child. Rule number five: No stressing yourself. Rule number six: Don’t forget your vitamins. Rule number seven: No working—just stay by my side. Rule number eight: No getting angry. Rule number nine: You’ll live in my house until you give birth. Rule number ten—Wait, why is there no rule number ten?” she asked in confusion,
“Why?” came the cold question, making the young woman swallow hard. “W-what else for? You just made me a surrogate, didn’t you? Once I give birth to this child, I’ll cut all ties with you. The only thing that matters to you is this baby, so take it!” Claire’s words shocked everyone, even Hero, who could only rub his temples in frustration because her outburst only made things worse. Suddenly, Zayne stood up and left them there, running straight to his room. Zekiel immediately rose as well, making Claire glance at him. “Hero, go with them and make sure my child is safe,” Zekiel said coldly, emphasizing the word child before walking away and locking himself in his room. Claire was left behind, filled with regret over what she had said. “Why did you say that? You just made everything worse, Claire.” Claire sighed at Hero’s words. “I let my emotions take over, Hero. I didn’t mean to—I was just hurting too much,” Claire said weakly, making Hero shake his head. The two of th
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
Claire glanced at her trembling hands, the pain and fear of losing the child in her womb overwhelming her. Then, she saw the crown in front of her, picked it up, and placed it on her head before aiming the gun at them again. “A p-princess fears nothing.” Claire moved swiftly and pulled the trigger, but the two dodged. Camille quickly grabbed another gun and fired at Claire, hitting her shoulder, making Zayne cry even harder. “Mommy!!!” He desperately wanted to escape but couldn’t. The noise woke Zoey, and as her mind processed what was happening, she began to cry, drawing Zayne’s attention. “Z-Zoey, close your eyes!” No matter how much Zayne pleaded, the twin couldn’t stop crying. He looked at his mom, now lying unconscious on the floor with blood on her leg, and shut his eyes—he couldn’t bear to see her like that. He prayed that someone would save them when, moments later, he heard gunshots. His eyes snapped open, and he saw tall men in palace guard uniforms swiftly surroun
Her body and hands were tied to the chair, so she couldn’t move. She tried to turn her face away, but Camille grabbed it again, gripping even tighter than before. “Look at me!” Camille shouted angrily, leaving her no choice but to obey. “Do you see this scar?!” Camille hissed. “Yeah, it makes you even uglier.” Claire’s words only infuriated Camille further, who then slapped her hard, forcing her face to the side. “Btch! When someone talks to you properly, answer properly! I’ll make you feel what I went through! I’ll ruin your face because you don’t deserve this!” Camille snatched the crown Claire was wearing, making Claire’s eyes widen in shock—that crown was sacred, and their laws forbade anyone else from touching it. “This suits me better.” “Give that back! It doesn’t belong to you!” But Camille ignored her, placing it on her own head while Claire could only watch helplessly. “See? It looks better on me.” Camille admired herself in a mirror. “Wow, this must be expe
When I said no, it’s a no. No buts, Timothy—take her to the room and don’t let her out. Timothy nodded at the man’s command and grabbed Claire, who immediately tried to pull away. “No! You can’t do this, Zekiel! My child is in there! I won’t rest until they’re safe! Zekiel!” Zekiel ignored Claire’s screams as Timothy dragged her away, continuing with their planning. “Why did you send Claire away? She could’ve helped us too,” Zekiel shot Hero a sharp look for his remark. “Oh, so you’d be fine if I included your wife in this?” Hero fell silent at that and they resumed their planning. Meanwhile, Claire, furious, struggled against Timothy as he forced her toward their room. She was already thinking of ways to escape and save the children. “Don’t even try. I won’t take my eyes off you,” Timothy said flatly, which only made Claire glare harder. But her anger turned to shock when a man suddenly appeared in front of Timothy, holding a baton. “Behind you!” Her warning came to
”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
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