Zekiel followed Claire’s wishes, and they returned to the Philippines. As soon as they stepped off their private jet, Hero was already waiting for them, nervous about the news he had to deliver. “Uncle Hero!” Zayne greeted him cheerfully, running over and hugging the man. “Did you know, Uncle? Mommy and Daddy are together now!” the boy announced excitedly. Hero already knew about that—it was all over the world after so many people had seen them at the Eiffel Tower. He barely acknowledged Zayne, immediately turning his attention to Zekiel instead. “Sir, there’s big trouble! The board members are in an uproar. They already know about you and Ms. Venice!” Zekiel was shocked by the news and glanced at Claire, who looked just as stunned. “Let’s go to the company first,” Claire said decisively. Zekiel nodded, took her hand, and they immediately got into the car headed for Gray’s Company. Claire felt uneasy for no clear reason. She wanted to visit her friend’s burial site, but th
CLAIRE I’m here now at the place where Melodie was buried. I found out where it was because I asked Quinn. I tried to contact Louise, but I couldn’t reach her anymore. I think she’s upset because I wasn’t able to attend Melodie’s funeral. “Melody, I’m sorry I’m late.” I couldn’t hold back my tears because the three of us were really close friends. “You know, I told you that once my problems were settled, I’d bring you here so you could meet my family—especially Zekiel.” I wiped my tears and sat on the grass, then lit the candle I brought with me. I also placed the flowers I bought beside it. “Melodie, I just want to say I miss you so much. And then I find out you’re gone… why? Why did you leave us so suddenly? I can’t accept it." More tears streamed down my face, and I could barely hold them back, so I just let them fall. “Y-You know… I’m pregnant.” I bit my lip after saying it. I remember how she once said she wanted to see my future children. “It’s been a month—I’m a
“Let’s hurry, guards. Don’t let my child follow me,” The guards nodded at me, and the car started moving. I saw Zayne running after me, struggling against the bodyguards’ grip, but he couldn’t come with us. My chest tightened with anxiety as I clutched it. Zekiel was fast asleep, shirtless. Fear crept in—what if Zekiel had lied to me? What if his overtime excuse was just a cover? But I believe in Zekiel. I believe in his love, so I’ll hold onto his promise that he’ll never leave me. When we arrived at the company, I immediately took the elevator—there were hardly any people left. As soon as I reached his office floor, I saw Hero sitting there, working on his computer. “Where’s Zekiel, Hero?” He looked up at me, his eyes widening before he quickly stood. “H-He’s still in a meeting, Claire.” My brows furrowed at his nervous stutter. “What meeting? I just need to give him this.” Hero rushed from behind his desk and tried to push me away. “Sir is still busy—“ I
ZEKIEL received powerful punches from Hero, which knocked him to the floor. “Oh my God, Hero, what the hell?!” Camille screamed, grabbing a blanket to cover her naked body. Hero ignored Zekiel’s state of undress and just kept punching him relentlessly. “Kiel, wake the hell up!” Hero shouted, but the man beneath him only smiled deliriously, as if in a daze. “What did you do to her, you bastard?! You’re gonna pay for this!” Camille’s eyes widened at Hero’s words. She quickly grabbed her clothes, hurriedly dressed, and ran out. “I-I didn’t do anything!” she stammered before bolting from the room. “Zekiel, wake up! Sht, what the hell did that woman give you?!” Hero growled, storming into the bathroom to grab cold water. He splashed it on Zekiel’s face, jolting him awake. The moment Zekiel’s eyes snapped open, Hero pinned him down and started punching him again. But then, Hero was suddenly thrown back when Zekiel retaliated with a punch of his own. “W-What the hll, Hero?!
When Zekiel and the others arrived at the scene where Claire’s car had crashed, they found the vehicle being pulled up—a car he immediately recognized as hers. “Where is my girlfriend?! How is she?!” he shouted, drawing the attention of the police officers nearby. “Sir, are you Zekiel?” one officer asked. Zekiel nodded in response. “These are her belongings. So far, her body hasn’t been found—we’re still searching,” the officer said. Zekiel’s anger flared at the officer’s words. “What body?! Venice isn’t dead yet!” he yelled, struggling against Hero’s hold as he nearly lunged at the officer. “Sir, no one could survive a fall from that steep a cliff,” another officer remarked, only fueling Zekiel’s fury. “Get out of my face! I want to speak to your superior! My girlfriend isn’t dead!” Zekiel screamed, tears streaming down his face. Another officer approached the two and whispered, “Don’t you know who he is? That’s Zekiel Gray—he could have you both fired.” The two officers
Meanwhile, Zayne was crying uncontrollably in his room after what he had learned from his father. He couldn’t accept the truth, but his sobs suddenly stopped when he remembered something. He quickly stood up, grabbed his cellphone, and opened the tracking device. “Mommy’s alive! Mommy’s alive!” His tears immediately dried up, and he jumped for joy when he saw a red dot on the screen—indicating his mother’s location. He was sure it wasn’t the ravine where they claimed she had disappeared. “Mommy isn’t dead! She’s somewhere, and I need to go to her so I can bring her home. Daddy’s already worried.” The child hastily grabbed a bag, packed some of his things, and took cash for his journey. He rushed down the stairs and hid in a corner when he saw someone approaching. He planned to pass through the maids’ quarters since that was always the open exit. The servants had a separate pathway from the main house. Once he confirmed no one was around, he sprinted toward the maids’ qua
“JUST A MOMENT!” Claire shouted from inside as she had been hearing the knocks on the door for a while now. At first, she thought nothing of it since they were faint, but as the sound persisted, she was sure someone was there. “Z-Zayne?” Claire gasped as she opened the door and was met by her child, who immediately clung tightly to her leg. “I-I told you not to leave me, Mommy!” Claire froze at the child’s words, feeling him tremble with sobs. She quickly knelt to his level. “Zayne, shh, stop crying. Don’t cry anymore, Mommy’s here,” she said, embracing him again. --- THE NEXT DAY, Zayne woke up early and immediately left his room to look for Claire, but she wasn’t there. He went outside and saw his mother preparing breakfast. “Mommy!” Claire turned to the voice and smiled when she saw him. “Come here, Zayne, let’s eat.” At her words, Zayne rushed down and hugged her again. Last night, the child had fainted, terrifying Claire, so she immediately called for Faith
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and events are products of the author’s imagination and are not intended to represent real individuals, particularly the respected royalty of Spain.~B.NICOLAY/Ms.Ash
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
“No, YOU are being rude.” The man suddenly sat back down at her words, and the room fell silent. “May I remind all of you? We hired you to be the BALANCERS of this country, not the RULERS. WE are the rulers, and YOU are the balancers. So you have NO right to decide whether to accept me or my late mother as Princess and Queen of this country!” Claire held her head high as she spoke, leaving them speechless. Timothy grinned widely, almost clapping at his friend’s words. “I, the Princess of Spain, declare that the current council will be REPLACED with a new one!” Everyone stood up in protest, but Timothy acted swiftly, slamming his long gun on the table, silencing them. “The princess has given an order, so you MUST obey. Royal blood can make decisions without consulting the king.” Claire smiled as she saw the defeated looks on the men’s faces, then glanced at Timothy, who nodded back. Finally, she had avenged her mother. ’Mama, I know this is what you wanted. We miss you so
Breaking News: After a decade and a half of searching for the Queen and Princess of Spain, they have finally been found. Unfortunately, the Queen has passed away, and only the Princess, Princess Claire, has survived. Reports have also spread that the two royals had been staying in the Philippines, where they lived as ordinary citizens. --- Zekiel turned off the TV after seeing the news. A few days had passed since Timothy went with him to retrieve the body of the late Queen. He desperately wanted to see Claire, but he couldn’t—he had no right to ask about her. Especially now that she was known worldwide, with the strange circumstances surrounding her and her mother spreading everywhere. “Daddy!” He turned to the door and saw the twins running toward him. “Is there any news about Mommy yet?” Zoey asked with a hopeful smile. “Not yet, sweetheart,” Zekiel replied sadly. “Don’t worry, Daddy! Mommy will come back! Uncle Clark promised us!” Zoey said cheerfully. “Zoey’s ri