“ZOEY! ZAYNE!” The twins stopped chatting in the living room, where they had been eagerly waiting for Claire’s arrival despite the late hour. When they looked to see who had called them, they saw Claire on the verge of tears, running toward them, with a serious-looking Zekiel and a worried Timothy behind her. Claire immediately hugged both twins at once, unable to hold back her tears. “I’m glad you’re okay! I was so worried about both of you!” Hearing Claire’s words, Zoey couldn’t stop herself from crying either—especially since their mother had nearly been hurt because of her. “I-I’m sorry, Mommy! I’m so sorry! Because of me, you almost got hurt!” Claire pulled away from the hug and cupped her daughter’s face, shaking her head. “No, you don’t have to apologize, my child. I should be the one apologizing—me and your daddy. It’s just… I felt how much you mean to me, so I didn’t hesitate to save you.” Zoey cried even harder at her mother’s words and hugged her tightly. Me
“You two did what?! Do you even know what you’ve gotten yourselves into?! Sht! Have you both lost your minds?!” Clark paced back and forth, unable to stay seated after hearing what the twins had done. “That was the only way we could think of to find you, Uncle!” Zoey replied, which only made Clark panic even more. Because of him, the twins had entered the mafia world. Because of him, they had run away from their parents. Because of him, their lives were now in danger! All of this was because of his plan! Why hadn’t he realized how reckless the twins could be?! “Uncle, stop!” Zayne suddenly shouted, making Clark freeze mid-step. Even the others were startled by the boy’s outburst. Zayne stood up and walked toward Clark. Clark couldn’t believe what he was seeing—his nephew had changed so much in just a year. He looked like a perfect blend of his mother and father now. “Don’t think this is your fault. You did what you had to for your family. If I were in your shoes, I’d do
Clark immediately located his son’s whereabouts thanks to the tracker he had placed on the earring his child was wearing. Francine wasn’t wrong—her husband knew exactly what to do, and now they were on their way to where their son was. But Clark suddenly froze when he saw who was with their son. A woman and a man—a blonde girl and a dark-haired boy. “Who are you?!” he shouted, rushing toward his son and pulling him away from Zoey. “C-Clarence! Are you okay, baby?! Did they hurt you?!” Francine asked anxiously, hugging her son tightly as tears streamed down her face. She had been terrified of losing him. Zoey and Zayne stepped back, glaring at their uncle, who was now staring at them with hostility. “I said, who are you two?! What did you do to my son?!” Clark could feel it—the people in front of him belonged to the mafia world. He didn’t dare lower his guard because they might take his wife and child. “Mommy, don’t cry, I’m okay. And they saved me, Daddy! They’re not bad
Note: Tito – tagalog word of Uncle Because of what Zekiel said, Claire suddenly stopped and let go of Timothy’s hair. “Damn it, Claire! That hurt—arghh!” Timothy abruptly stopped speaking when someone punched him. “That’s for hiding Clark’s whereabouts,” said Zekiel, the one who punched him. He grabbed Timothy by his shirt and punched him again, sending him crashing to the floor. “And that’s for the twins leaving to look for their uncle.” “Why is that my fault too?!” Timothy snapped immediately upon hearing the reason for Zekiel’s second punch. His friend’s wife shot him a sharp glare, making him gulp. “If you hadn’t hidden Clark, the twins wouldn’t have left.” “You’re the ones to blame for them leaving! You forgot about your own child!” Zekiel fell silent for a moment at his words. Timothy stood up and spat out blood from the punch. “We’re all at fault here, but at least I have a reason. You two? None. You really did forget about your kid.” Hearing this, Zeki
“HOW can you be so sure that Kai and Lili are the twins? This is unbelievable!” Claire asked her husband while they were in the car. Hazel was driving, while the two of them sat in the back since it was Hazel’s car. “My life, isn’t it obvious? The Emperor mentioned them, and when we went to the Black Organization, they were already gone. If the twins were there before, there are only two possible reasons—first, they were captured, or second, they found something out. And don’t you remember? That time when we choked Lili, after you healed her, she kept apologizing to her mommy—which is you!” Claire couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Tears welled up in her eyes. If what Zekiel was saying was true, she wanted to slap herself for not recognizing her own children. “We’re here.” Their conversation—and Claire’s thoughts—were cut off when Hazel spoke. They were about to get out of the car when Claire’s phone suddenly rang. “It’s Lili!” Zekiel and Hazel turned sharply at Clai
Fearing that she might lose him, she refused to let him go by getting pregnant with his child. She didn’t fail—Francine did get pregnant, but the problem arose when they discovered the father was a mafia member. Afraid for the safety of the woman he loved and their child, he secretly brought her back to the Philippines. At that time, he was only keeping an eye on his sister, so there was no issue. From then on, whenever he returned to the Philippines, he would visit and take care of Francine, especially since she was pregnant. He wasn’t by her side when she gave birth, but when he saw their son, Clarence, he couldn’t help but cry. He loved his family deeply and was willing to risk his life for them. “I already talked to the Emperor. I have his word—I trust him. At the very least, he can still restrain Francine’s father. But the moment they discover what you’re hiding, chaos will erupt. So prepare yourself, Timothy.” Clark turned back to his friend. “Protect the royal family
Timothy and the former King, Stefan, paused their conversation when the door to the former king’s chamber suddenly burst open. Timothy was about to get angry at the intrusion, but when they recognized the two people who had now lowered their hoods, their eyes widened in shock. “Twins?!” Timothy exclaimed in surprise. “Grandchildren!” The former king immediately approached his grandchildren and embraced them tightly. “Where have you been?! You made all of us worried! Wait—where are your parents?” The king pulled away and looked at the twins in confusion, but his eyes widened when he noticed that Zoey’s hair was now a different color. “You dyed your hair, Zoey! It suits you, my dear!” Zoey couldn’t help but smile at her grandfather’s words and was about to speak, but her twin beat her to it. “We’re here to talk to Uncle Timothy, Grandpa.” “Timothy?” Stefan asked in confusion, glancing at Timothy, who was now staring seriously at the three of them. “Answer me, Uncle
BECAUSE of the two men who pointed their guns at Zayne, he smirked. In one swift move, he disarmed them, turning the tables. Now, it was Zayne who had their guns aimed at them. “Back off.” Zayne’s serious tone made them step back. This was the second time they had retreated out of fear of the person in front of them. The first? Of course, their emperor. “You are really something, Zayne.” They turned when the emperor spoke, and he signaled his men to stand down. Zayne tossed the guns onto the table and glared at the emperor again. “I don’t have patience for someone who lies to me. I don’t care if you’re the emperor or the king. Now tell me, where is Tito Clark?” Zoey silently observed, knowing her twin could handle this. The emperor nodded, stood from his seat, and looked at Zayne more seriously. “I don’t lie, Zayne. It’s true that I gave you the same mission as your parents, but you two share the same goal—to find the king. I know where he is, but do you really think no
“My life, are you awake?” Zekiel murmured to his wife, feeling her stir. He quickly stood up to support her. “I just need to use the restroom, my life,” Claire said with a smile, so Zekiel didn’t hesitate to help her to the bathroom. When they finished, they finally noticed the time—it was already 6 in the morning. “Should I cook? It’s morning anyway,” Zekiel said, raising an eyebrow at his wife. “You just got treated for your wound, have you forgotten?” Claire chuckled lightly at her husband’s actions. “Just watch me cook then,” Zekiel guided Claire out but suddenly stopped when she hesitated. “Are you in pain, my life?” “No. I was just thinking… How is Lili? What happened must have left a mark on her,” Claire said sadly, making Zekiel sigh. He knew it was likely—he had seen Lili trembling as she repeatedly apologized to Claire. “Do you want to wake them up?” Zekiel asked with a smile, brightening Claire’s face as she nodded eagerly. Zekiel shook his head, amuse