LOGINClause 7 : on no account should children be brought into this contract, the result of which would have dire consequences. Guess what Vivian Cross did? Vivian Cross was once at the top of the society's scale until unfortunate events took place and she lost all that she had except one. Desperate and in need of help, she lunges herself into an unexpected contractual loveless marriage with a man she once had the hots for but does true love really die? And when things go awry and she is forced to pick between a life of luxury and a forbidden baby, what does she do when she realizes that the man she thought was just distant actually doesn't want her and to prove it, brings his first love back into the picture knowing fully well that it would hurt her beyond reasoning. This game of cat and mouse, will it go on forever or will Nate Stuart finally realize that he had all that mattered in his home?
View More“Sir Xavier, delikado pa ang lugar ng aksidente. Hindi po kayo puwedeng pumasok! Nakipag-ugnayan na po kami sa rescue team. Darating na ang ambulansya anumang sandali.”
“Sir Xavier…” “Umalis kayo sa harapan ko! Kapag may nangyari sa kanya dahil sa pagkaantala, sisiguraduhin kong mananagot kayong lahat!” ***** Sa gitna ng nag-uumapaw na ingay, isang galit na sigaw ang dahan-dahang gumigising kay Mayumi Santillan mula sa kawalan ng malay dulot ng car accident na kanyang kinasasangkutan. Pinilit niyang imulat ang mga mata at nakita ang isang pamilyar na pigura na tumatakbo palapit sa kanya, para itong diyos na bumababa mula sa kalangitan. Napuno ng luha ang kanyang mga mata dahil sa galak. Naipit siya sa nakataob na sasakyan, hindi niya alam kung ilang minuto o oras na siyang naroon. Akala niya ay hindi na darating si Xavier. Bago ang aksidente, nagkaroon sila ng pagtatalo. May plano sana silang magkita sa kumpanya noong gabing iyon, pero biglang kinansela iyon ni Xavier matapos makatanggap ng tawag sa telepono kinaumagahan, at simula noon ay hindi na nito sinasagot ang lahat ng tawag niya. Nang mangyari ang aksidente, ginamit niya ang huling natitirang baterya ng kanyang cellphone upang ipaalam kay Xavier ang nangyari sa kanya. Inakala niya, gaya ng dati, na babalewalain na naman nito ang message niya… but he is here now, ready to save him. “Hang on, baby. Daddy is here…” sabi niya habang hinihimas ang umbok sa kanyang tiyan. Napatingin siya sa dugong patuloy na umaagos sa mga binti niya. She is scared, of course, pero konting panahon na lang ay mare-rescue na siya. Nahihilo na siya sa pagkawala ng maraming dugo sa kanyang katawan, pero konting minuto na lang ang hihintayin niya. Gusto niyang sumigaw at tawagin ang pangalan ni Xavier, pero natuyot na ang kanyang lalamunan kaya’t walang tunog na lumalabas.Pero hindi na iyon mahalaga, ang importante ay natagpuan na siya ni Xavier. Marahan niyang inangat ang braso at pilit na kumaway… Ngunit sa kanyang pagkabigla ay nilampasan siya ni Xavier. Ni hindi man lang ito huminto at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Naguluhan siya, napagkamalan ba ni Xavier na ibang tao siya? Hindi niya kasi minamaneho ang kotseng pag-aari ng pamilyang Valerio sa araw na iyon. Ginamit iyon ng hipag niya. Ang kotseng dala niya ay regalo ng kanyang ina. Bihira niya iyong gamitin kaya normal lang na hindi ito nakilala ni Xavier. Wala na siyang oras para mag-isip ng kung ano-ano. She tried calling his name to get his attention… pero wala. At dahil sa tuloy-tuloy na pag-agos ng dugo sa kanyang binti, naubos na ang kanyang lakas. Maging ang pagsasalita ay hindi na niya magawa. Hindi siya narinig ni Xavier. Nagpatuloy ito sa paglalakad hanggang sa marating ang puting kotse na naging sanhi ng aksidente. Bago pa man siya makapag-react, binuksan nito ang pinto at kinarga ang isang nanginginig na babae. Ang babae ay nakasuot ng mahabang coat, payat at sopistikada, may nakakabighaning ganda na agad na makukuha ang atensyon ninuman. Nang makita niya ang mukha nito, pakiramdam niya ay nahulog sya sa isang nagyeyelong bangin. The girl is no other than Xavier’s first love… Ysabel Cortez! Bigla niyang naalala kung paano biglang lumiko ang kotseng sakay nito kanina. Hinahabol siya na parang baliw. Ni hindi man lang siya binigyan ng pagkakataong makaiwas. Ang kotse nito ay nasa gilid ng kalsada, samantalang ang sa kanya ay nakataob. Pero bakit parang ito pa ang mukhang kawawa? At ang sarili niyang asawa ay yakap-yakap ang ibang babae, samantalang siya ay halos nag-aagaw-buhay na! Hindi nya lubos maisip kung bakit biglang umuwi ng bansa si Ysabel, ang alam niya ay nasa abroad ang dalaga. At bakit tila nagkataon naman na si Ysabel pa ang bumangga sa sasakyan niya? Iwinaksi niya ang mga naisip. Ang mahalaga ngayon ay ma-rescue siya at ang kanyang anak. Habang pilit niyang kinakatok ang bintana, napansin ng isa sa mga bodyguard ni Xavier ang paggalaw sa loob ng sasakyan niya. Mukhang nakilala nito ang kotseng gamit niya. Muli siyang sumigaw, pero wala pa ring boses na lumalabas sa bibig niya. “Sir, may tao pa po sa loob ng sasakyang iyon!” narinig niyang sigaw ng bodyguard ni Xavier. ***** Napalingon si Xavier Luis Valerio sa kotse na itinuro ng kanyang bodyguard. Ang babaeng nasa loob ay puno ng dugo at patuloy pa sa pagdurugo. Pero sa kabila ng dugong bumabalot sa mukha nito ay tila pamilyar ang babae sa kanya. Natigilan siya, akmang lalapitan ang kabilang kotse, nang biglang umungol sa sakit ang babaeng hawak-hawak niya… si Ysabel Cortez. Bigla siyang nataranta. “Nasugatan si Ysabel! Dalhin natin siya sa ospital!” sigaw niya sa kanyang mga bodyguard. “Pero, sir… paano ang babae sa kabilang kotse?” Hindi na nito tinuloy ang sasabihin dahil sa takot sa kanyang mga titig. Wala itong nagawa kundi sumunod sa utos nya. “Sige po, sir… tara na po sa ospital…” sambit nito. **** Walang habas na tumutulo ang mga luha ni Mayumi. Wala siyang nagawa kundi panoorin si Xavier na sinulyapan lang siya bago muling naglakad pabalik sa kotse nito at buhat-buhat si Ysabel. “Xavier! Iligtas mo ako! Iligtas mo ang anak natin!…” Inubos niya ang buong lakas sa pagsigaw, pero hindi pa rin iyon sapat. Walang kahit sinong pumansin sa kanya. Mabilis na umarangkada ang sasakyan ni Xavier, karga si Ysabel sa loob. Wala na siyang nagawa kundi panoorin habang unti-unting naglalaho ang kotse papunta sa malayo. Pilit niyang nilalabanan ang pag-pikit ng mga mata kahit pa matinding sakit at kirot na ang nararamdaman sa buo niyang katawan. Nang hindi na niya nakayanan, dumilim ang lahat sa paligid at muli siyang nawalan ng malay.Her hands trembled slightly. She was staring out the window of her office at the academy but her mind was somewhere else entirely. She had been transported back in time to the fateful day two weeks ago when the doctor had made the announcement with a wide grin on her face. "Congratulations, Miss Vivian. You're ten weeks pregnant." She had said, flashing Vivian a genuine smile that reached her crinkling eyes. At that moment, a cold sweat had broken out on Vivian’s forehead as the doctor’s words hit her like a bomb. The words had been so unprecedented, so out of left field that it took her a long time to understand the gravity of the doctor’s pronouncement. When she had finally digested her words, fear caused a knot to form in her stomach."The baby is in perfect condition." The doctor had said and Vivian had smiled at her, happy but at the same time, uncertain. "Your husband must be so proud." She had said. But would he? Nate had been so vehemently against a child and even though
VIVIANI opened my eyes. But I was in an unfamiliar place. The darkness that surrounded me was not only palpable, it was suffocating. I tried to breathe but my lungs seemed to be constricted with something. I stretched forth my hands to guide my path but something seemed to be on my way. I tore at the barrier but it only grew thicker. It was the darkness. Was there any way out of here? How could I fight something I could not even see? I opened my mouth to scream but no sound would come out. I was stuck in this deep, dark pit with nowhere to go but down. Below me, it seemed like there was quicksand and if I did not find a way to get out of here quickly, I would be swallowed whole. I clawed at the space in front of me, beside me and above me but the darkness was too dense, too restricting. Where was help when I needed it the most? My determination had started to wane. My resolve which I thought was stronger than steel bars had become considerably weakened the more it dawned on me t
NATEI felt overwhelmed. I had not felt this way in the longest of times, not even when dealing with Richard's stupidity. Why were things going haywire all of a sudden just when I thought the dust had settled down? I could not pretend not to know why. Gran's announcement yesterday had triggered a lot of suppressed resentment and I just had to deal tactfully with it or everything I held dear would be taken away right before my eyes. I had been called to the company the day before because Aston was making trouble. Word had spread that he had gone around contacting all the members of the board and having a secret meeting with them. I was not sure what the meeting had been about but I could guess. "Let's hurry." I said to my driver as I looked through Vivian's mail for the umpteenth time. I was about to send a message thanking her for her hard work when my phone started to vibrate. It was a call from my personal assistant. "They are holding an emergency extraordinary meeting of the
VIVIANI typed away feverishly. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, fueling my fingers and propelling me to think. What had this not occurred to me before? Why had I glossed over Emily's statement back then like it was nothing at all. Had I been too overwhelmed at the time that I had been unable to put two and two together? Unable to see what was right in front of me? Emily had said three companies. Three companies, but only two were behind bars. So what happened to the last one? It was a question I should have been asking for sometime now. Would I be able to find a connection that would reveal which company was the third? Would I find enough proof? I started by digging into the two companies. Their CEOs had been well known in the business world for taking over small companies after leading them into debt. There were many comments online laying complaints against them and a third name kept popping up. Could it be?... I changed the direction of my research. It w
VIVIAN It all felt awkward. Gran had made the announcement of the century and the room was thrown into chaos. Aston looked like he could combust in anger at any time and stormed off. Gran was unwilling to listen to Nate's protests and Nate's mother just looked surprised. I, on the other hand was uns
NATEI swore internally. How had Ashton found out? But then again, the same idiot that had the temerity to give out company information had probably babbled again. Vivian looked stricken standing there, staring numbly from Ashton to my mother to Gran. She tried to say something but it seemed like the
VIVIANI sighed for the thousandth time. Why on earth couldn't I be allowed to catch a break? Had all the universal forces aligned to ensure I did not have a single moment of peace? The whole situation seemed absurd to me. I did not yet know what Ethan was going on about but it couldn't be anything g
VIVIANI was elated.I flashed a wide smile back at the sea of smiling faces. I had not felt this way in a really long time, had not felt like what I had to say mattered, like I could dispense joy so freely, so abundantly and still have so much of it left to live on. I was not sad or angry or conflict












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