ZEKIEL cradled the baby in his arms, their father-son gaze still locked in silent wonder. His breath caught in his throat as overwhelming joy flooded his heart for reasons he couldn’t explain. When he lifted little Zayne, his chest swelled with even greater happiness.“Z-Zayne…”The name slipped from Zekiel’s lips unbidden, and as if responding, the baby squirmed happily in his arms, tiny hands reaching toward his face.Zekiel couldn’t suppress his smile, especially when he noticed the household staff’s reactions to their uncanny resemblance – even their laughter was identical. The moment was perfectly captured by Manang Cecelia’s camera, its audible click making everyone turn toward her, Zekiel most of all.“I couldn’t let such a precious moment go undocumented!” she chirped, making Zekiel’s smile falter as he cleared his throat.“W-where is his mother?”Zekiel’s voice caught nervously at the thought of the woman being nearby.“Just the baby was left at our doorstep, Kiel,” Manang re
“LOVE, we’ll find Claire eventually,” Dylan reassured his wife with comforting words. Three months had passed since they flew to another country for her to give birth, and three months had also gone by since they last saw Claire and her family. “But I wasn’t by her side. I don’t even know what happened to her. They’re no longer at their house—where did they go?” Bea spoke in confusion to her husband. “Don’t worry, the day will come when we’ll find them. Whatever happened, they must have had a reason for suddenly disappearing, right?” Bea fell silent after hearing her husband’s words. There wasn’t a single hour or day when she didn’t think about her friend, worrying for her. She never expected that upon their return, Claire and her family would be gone. They now had a two-month-old baby girl, Bianca, who slept in a crib in their room. As long as their child was still young, they didn’t want to separate her from them. In the midst of their silence, Dylan’s phone suddenly
WHEN they opened the door, they saw Kiel sitting while playing with his child in the crib. They were amazed at how the room was arranged—it was undeniably masculine and so well-decorated that you could immediately tell it was made with love. Given how big Kiel’s house was, he certainly wouldn’t lack the money to design his child’s room. The couple exchanged glances at what they had just witnessed. Both father and child were laughing, which surprised them. It was the first time they had ever seen Kiel laugh like that. Dylan cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. Zekiel also cleared his throat and immediately stood up. “You’re both here,” Zekiel emphasized the word both, but the couple ignored it, especially Bea, who immediately spotted Zayne. “Zayne!!!” Bea immediately ran toward Zayne as soon as she saw him. Zayne was startled by the sudden call, but he didn’t cry—he recognized the young woman’s voice. “Zayne! Auntie-Ninang is here! OMG! You’ve grown so big!
CLAIRE was stunned once again by Bea’s words. She couldn’t believe her friend would judge her so quickly. “You don’t know anything, Bea! Why are you meddling?” Bea let out a bitter laugh at Claire’s words, her eyes visibly pained. Claire herself was shocked by what she had said and wished she could take it back—but it was too late. “You’re right, who am I to interfere? Who even am I?! Hahaha! Are you ending our friendship, Claire?” “I didn’t say that, Bea,” Claire replied calmly. “But that’s what you meant! I hate you! You disappeared like smoke, gave away your own child, and now this is how you treat me?! I hate you!” With that, Bea stormed off before Claire could even react. Claire felt as if a thousand needles had pierced her heart from Bea’s harsh words. Tears streamed down Claire’s face uncontrollably. She had longed to see Bea—her closest friend—but she never expected things to turn out this way. Earlier, when Bea arrived at her workplace, she had wished time w
“Dear Bea, First of all, I want to apologize for not being by your side when you needed me—when you gave birth and when you returned to the Philippines. Trust me, I didn’t want that, but it just happened. Second, I want you to know the reason why. Only a few days had passed after I gave birth before you left, and then Mom died. That day was so painful for me. I didn’t know what to do—whether I could endure it or if I’d ever move on. And then, when Mom’s burial was still fresh in my mind, another blow hit our lives. Bank representatives came and told us we were bankrupt, and all our properties would be used to pay off our debts. We had no choice but to leave the house. We started over, even if it meant renting, and I found a job—until another unexpected thing happened. Zayne got sick; he had dengue. During that time, I began questioning everything happening to us, especially when my eldest almost died. We survived that crisis, and my son lived, but at the cost of the little m
Quinn was in her second year of college when Claire was just a first-year student, but Claire took an exam that allowed her to skip ahead to the second year. When she passed the exam with a perfect score and no mistakes, all the professors began to take notice of her. She became the go-to person for many whenever there were major events or last-minute dress designs needed. In short, even before she graduated, her professors were already hiring her. Their dean fully supported this, and to her surprise, Quinn’s parents owned the school. Quinn then offered to help Claire with her studies since her family owned the institution. While studying, it was no secret that Claire already had a child because she sometimes brought Zoey to school. Zoey grew up beautiful and intelligent, just like her mother. Many said she would follow in her mother’s footsteps, and Claire believed it—she had seen Zoey’s potential since she was a baby and was proud of it. Now, their lives had returned to th
“WOW, Mommy! It really is beautiful!” A house greeted them, adorned with flowers in every corner. The arrangement of items inside felt familiar, reminiscent of Mommy Lucing’s touch. “It’s just like before,” Claire smiled at her mother’s words. “I made sure of it, Nay. I wanted it to feel exactly like our home when we left,” she said. Claire glanced around, feeling a weight lift off her chest. The joy she and her mother shared was immeasurable. After touring the house, they settled into their respective rooms, while Claire and Zoey shared the same room she once had. “Mommy, was this your room before? It’s so pretty!” Zoey grinned, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking around. Claire smiled and sat beside her daughter, taking in the familiar space. “You know what, my daughter? I have so many memories here—happy ones, and of course, sad ones too. I grew up here, from childhood until Grandma… until your lola passed. I don’t regret buying this house back.” “If I were
CLAIRE couldn’t move the moment Bea hugged her—not because the embrace was too tight, but because she never expected to see her at that exact moment, in that exact place. Of all people, Bea was the one she least expected to be the one standing before her, the one she had once resented for not being there when she needed her most. “How have you been? You’re so beautiful, Claire! You’ve changed so much!” Bea said as she pulled away from the hug. She took a moment to look Claire over, and just like her, she was already crying. “When did you arrive? I waited so long for you, Claire. I’m just so glad you’re finally here.” Overwhelmed with emotion, Claire lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. She cried like that while Bea held both of her hands, but after a moment, Bea let go and instead cupped Claire’s face, tilting it up so their eyes met. Despite her tears, Bea smiled at her. “Your eyes haven’t changed at all—still just as beautiful.” That only made Claire cr
“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
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