Stefani was taken aback by Shaira’s words. She stared at her in shock, unable to move as she processed what had just been said. Meanwhile, Shaira eagerly awaited her response, knowing that she couldn’t refuse. Stefani and Shaira weren’t as close as Shaina, but they had a strong bond. However, Shaira often boasted about how well Jacob treated her, which sometimes made Stefani feel distant. This became one of the reasons she hated Jacob. She believed he was intentionally trying to make her feel insecure while treating her cousin well. She desperately wanted to divorce him, but now that she had a valid reason to remove him from her life, her heart suddenly felt heavy. She was at a loss for how to respond to Shaira. “Stefani, you know, Jacob used to be willing to cancel all our plans whenever you asked him to stay home. I must admit, I used to dislike it when you would suddenly request his presence on our dates...” Shaira’s smile grew as she reminisced about the past. “But now, seeing
Shaira's heart skipped a jealousy as she witnessed Jacob's possessive gesture, his hand firmly clasping Stefani's waist. In that moment, she realized that their bond had transcended mere siblinghood and evolved into something deeper and more profound. Something more...The upcoming days had Shaira filled with anticipation for Sunday. She had a plan in mind - to convince Jacob to stay the night. In order to make that happen, she needed to take action. Shaira grabbed her phone and dialed Stefani's number. After a few rings, Stefani answered the call."Shaira?" Stefani said, confirming her identity."Hey, Stefani! How have you been lately? I went to Aunt Summer's and Uncle Steven's villa, but they mentioned that you no longer live with them. I was wondering where you're staying now," Shaira asked cheerfully.Stefani, feeling a sense of panic on the other end of the line, didn't know how to respond. "Uh... why do you want to know?""What do you mean why? Wouldn't it be great if we could
Stefani's mind was in a state of chaos. She felt annoyed by Shaira's persistence, and as she contemplated her personality, she couldn't help but reflect on the movie she had just watched. In the story, there was a happy ending, but the female protagonist didn't receive the ending she deserved. Instead, the male lead ended up with the second female character. The reason behind this outcome was that the second female character consistently expressed her love for the male lead.... just like what Shaira was doing these past few days.Stefani shook her head and let out a sigh as she returned her phone to her bag. "There's no point in comparing, Stefani. You're not living in some romance novel, you fool!" she scolded herself.Stefani decided to visit her parents.Upon arriving at her parents' villa, she was greeted only by the maids and fortunately, the twins. She immediately sought out Betsy and asked, "Where is mom and dad?"Betsy, the cold and nerdy girl, simply shrugged her shoulder
Summer, Steven, and Shaira's parents had always been close. And when Senior Carter passed away, their bond grew even stronger. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the Miller family, Shaira and Shaina's dad, was not originally from this city, they lost touch before. It was their mother, who was originally from New York and a Carter by birth, that brought them back together.They finally reunited when Stefani turned twelve years old, and that's when she first met Shaira and Shaina. Shaina was the same age as Stefani, while Shaira was nineteen years old, the same age as Jacob. Perhaps one of the reasons the two became so close was because they shared the same mindset, being of similar ages. "Mom, Dad!" Shaira called out, capturing the attention of the elders. "Auntie, Uncle!" Her parents were taken aback as they saw her and asked, "Shaira? Why are you here?" Summer, who was also a little confused, glanced at Stefani, who had fallen silent. When she turned her attention back to Shair
Stefani tugged at her mother's hand, silently pleading with her to stop talking. Summer, however, suddenly felt a pang of guilt for her daughter. She knew Stefani could be stubborn, but just like her, she had a kind heart. She always considered others' feelings before her own."Shaira, you're mistaken," Summer said, her voice dripping with coldness.Shaira felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw the icy glare from Summer. She had heard rumors about how cruel Summer Ramey Carter could be, and now that she was on the receiving end of her wrath, she had no idea how to respond."W-what do you mean, Aunt Summer?" Shaira nervously asked, desperately trying to maintain the smile on her face.Summer was about to speak, but Stefani pulled her hand again, silently pleading with her through her eyes. "Mom... Please, no."Shaira looked between Summer and Stefani, utterly confused about what was happening, until Steven stepped forward."Is something wrong, sweetheart?" he asked Stefani.Stefan
Stefani glared at Jacob with contempt and forcefully pushed him away, her anger boiling over because he had interrupted her. She then shifted her attention to Shaira's parents, her expression filled with remorse. However, the elders only responded with a sad smile and shook their heads, absolving her of any blame."Get away from me!" Stefani forcefully shoved Jacob once again.But Jacob refused to let her go, his gaze shifting towards Summer and Steven, silently conveying that they were leaving. He no longer waited for their response and forcefully dragged Stefani out of the villa.Stefani struggled to break free, but Jacob was growing increasingly irritated by her behavior."I said let me go! Can't you hear me? Look at what you've done! You're ruining everything again!" Stefani shouted.Jacob's grip on her wrist tightened, and he forcefully pushed her into the car, shooting her a cold glance. He then slammed the door shut and took his place in the driver's seat. As Stefani felt his a
Stefani swiftly shut the car door as soon as it came to a halt, eager to escape the confines of the vehicle. Without waiting for Jacob any longer, she made a beeline for their room. Settling herself on the bed, she glanced at her phone screen, hoping to find a message from Shaira. However, instead of Shaira's message, an unfamiliar number appeared.[It's me, Piolo. Sorry for not messaging you much earlier, I've been swamped. How have you been?] the text read.Stefani felt a wave of indifference wash over her upon reading the message. Nevertheless, she knew it would be impolite not to respond. She pondered for a moment before typing a brief reply.[I'm fine! I've been busy too.]Her response felt lacking, as she had no clue what else to say. Just as her phone vibrated again, the door swung open. Paying no attention to the arrival, assuming it was Jacob, she continued to focus on her phone. Little did she know, Jacob's eyes fell upon her device.His fist clenched tightly, he refrained f
Stefani gazed intently at Jacob's injury, deep in thought about the question he had asked. As she contemplated, she couldn't help but yearn to experience a love that was all-encompassing."If that person truly wants me, I want them to witness my flaws from the start. Only then, if they still find those imperfections endearing, will I allow them to remain by my side," Stefani expressed, gently tending to Jacob's wound. "After all, everyone deserves a companion who embraces them wholeheartedly, even during their darkest moments."“And what if the person you've been searching for all along is right in front of you? And what if that person is blind to your imperfections because all they see is your perfection?” Jacob's words hit home, resonating deep within Stefani. "Sometimes, we're so caught up in other things that we fail to notice what's right in front of us."Stefani couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement upon hearing Jacob's words. She scolded herself for entertaining such t