I quietly watched from the car window the grassy roadside we were passing through. Since earlier, we had only passed a few vehicles, and the road ahead seemed endless, as if it led to nowhere. This is the kind of place I liked—far from the dusty air of the city. Peaceful, and it truly lightens the mood. I could feel the cold breeze brushing against my skin even though it was already noon and the sun was blazing. Maybe it was because of the abundance of trees surrounding the area. A typical scene in an isolated place. This is what I need right now—far from my stressful family and the prying, judgmental eyes of people.“We’ll stop at some local store to buy food,” Sebastian said.I nodded without looking at him. I just kept my eyes fixed outside the window. I wasn’t in the mood to talk, not even to him.I didn’t force him to come with me here. In fact, I insisted on going alone, but he was more stubborn than I am. I just wanted to be alone, to think clearly. I wanted an exit. An esc
I let out a heavy breath as I stared at the woman hopelessly looking back at me in the mirror. The thick makeup designed for this occasion and the crystal beads adorning my hair weren’t enough to hide the sadness in my eyes. If my sister were still alive, I wouldn’t be the one in this situation. It should be her sitting in this hotel room. She should be the one dressed up for this occasion—not me. But what can I do?Another sigh escaped my lips. I signed up for this, and I should take responsibility. I forced a smile even though my head ached from all the thinking. My practiced smile, the one I always wear in front of a crowd, was now reflected back at me. The smile everyone believed was real—but it was anything but. I can do this.My gaze shifted to the door when someone knocked, and one of my cousins, Evany, entered. She gave me an unsure smile.“Are you okay? Auntie’s asking if you’re ready,” she asked.Her eyes spoke a thousand unspoken words. She walked over, fixed the tiara rest
I stared blankly into space while twirling the pen in my hand. I’d been out of it for a while now, replaying everything that happened earlier this morning while I was preparing breakfast. As usual, my husband was on another out-of-town business trip and wouldn’t be home until next week.Being the wife of the CEO of one of the wealthiest companies, I expected all of this. I had no problem with him constantly being busy with work—I understood it, and I had my own business, so I didn’t get bored easily. I was used to being alone at home with just the maids, and I was fine with it—until yesterday. Sebastian suddenly showed up at our doorstep last night, grinning like a Cheshire cat, and announced that he’d be staying here for an indefinite period—and that Niu couldn’t do anything about it.They were the Altamiranos. They owned several houses in the city—not to mention all the condos and townhouses. They were filthy rich, and I didn’t understand why he had to crash at our place like some h
Flashback“Which do you prefer?” I asked Niu. He was usually the one who picked his ties, but today I made an effort to appear just a little interested in him—even if I was annoyed with him last night. Our relationship was a bit complicated. Being his wife had its pros and cons. As the CEO and successor of the empire, he was expected to sire an heir. He asked for it, his parents did too—but I really couldn’t bring myself to do it. And ever since I refused him, he changed.He looked at the ties I was holding and raised an eyebrow at me. Maybe he was confused why I was suddenly attending to his needs like a devoted wife. I cringed at the thought.“The blue one,” he answered. He went back to his work and I let him be. He said he was going out of town again for a project presentation in Hong Kong and would be gone for a week.“I’ll be in the kitchen,” I said to him before walking off. I glanced at the clock mounted on the wall—it was already past eight in the morning. I remembered Sebasti
I stared at Sebastian’s hand resting on Stanford’s small waist, and for the first time, I felt a slight sting over something that wasn’t even supposed to hurt. This feeling was so new to me—and I hated it. I knew exactly what it was. I was jealous of her.And I shouldn’t be. Not over Niu’s brother, who was practically like a brother to me, too.I looked away and turned my gaze to Stanford’s face. I think this was the first time I ever felt annoyed by her. She was one of our best clients because she was obsessed with fine jewelry. I used to like her because we shared the same passion—a love for jewelry.But now, I wanted to take that back. I hated her. I hated her now that Seb’s arms were around her.I smiled at her and greeted her, deliberately ignoring Sebastian. I didn’t want to look at his face and get distracted again. If I could roll my eyes at him, I would’ve done it ages ago.“Hi,” I said to Stanford with a bright smile. “How are you?” I asked as I led them toward the VIP room
I’ve lost count of how many times I sighed today. It’s becoming a habit ever since Sebastian started living here. I asked Niu about it, but he would just shrug and say he didn’t know. It’s frustrating because I don’t know what to do around the house anymore. Every time he’s around, I get so self-conscious—and it’s stressing me out. I notice his every move, and I get conscious of myself, how I look, how I smell when he’s nearby.“Claire, Mom’s here!” Niu called out.I developed this habit of locking myself in the bathroom whenever I need to think. It’s become my personal space ever since I married Niu. In here, I can be honest with myself—I don’t have to pretend I’m happy in front of everyone. Here, I can talk to myself in the mirror and pour my heart out.I heaved a deep sigh and turned to the door.“Go ahead, I’ll be out in a few,” I said, cracking the door open just slightly to let Niu know he should go down first.I quickly took off my nightgown and stepped into the shower. My moth
I cleared my throat, adjusted my seat, and continued scanning through the catalog, but I became conscious of how his hand was caressing my waist. He was drawing tiny circles on the fabric of my dress, and I couldn’t help but compare it to how it felt when Sebastian touched me. I didn’t feel the same electric surge when Sebastian caressed my lips. Every stroke from him tickled, and it had a strong effect on my body.Just remembering those times when his body accidentally touched mine made my body burn with desire. I couldn’t understand it, but my brain knew why I felt this way about Seb. I was completely attracted to him. My body sent signals, but my mind refused to accept the truth. Society condemned situations like this. It was taboo.“Hey, are you okay?” Niu asked. He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. I didn’t feel anything when his lips brushed against my earlobe. It wasn’t the same tingling sensation as when Sebastian whispered to me—no electric surge that awakened every n
Sebastian’sThey say a real man chooses to honor, love, and stay faithful to one woman.I say feelings are fleeting—just temporary emotions, easily altered by circumstances you never expected.I smirked as I stared at the red liquid swirling in my glass. It reminded me of someone obsessed with red lipstick. Red—the color of love, passion, and strong emotion. But it can also mean anger, rage. Humans always see things from different angles. What might be beautiful to one could be destructive to another.I quickly downed the remaining liquor in my glass. This thing’s been stressing me out lately. I’m not really a drinker, but lately, alcohol has become my go-to just to calm the fuck down. I poured myself another drink.I looked at my laptop screen. Her strawberry blonde hair matched her porcelain skin so perfectly. And that sad little smile she always gives—like she’s trying to be friendly but her eyes betray her. I know that smile isn’t real. I want to see what a real smile looks like o
Claire'sSeb fixed my dress before pulling me off the dancefloor. The crowd was still hyped, jumping to the beat, the place thick with the smell of alcohol, smoke, and sex. It was dark, the only light coming from the flashing disco lights.I scanned the crowd, trying to spot Kate. Ever since we came to the center of the dancefloor, I hadn’t seen her again.People parted as Seb led the way through the crowd. With his commanding presence and aura that practically screamed power and wealth, no one dared block his path. It was like an unspoken rule—move, or get out of his way.I let him pull me without protest. It’s funny how I suddenly felt calm just from him holding my hand—when a while ago, I was bawling my eyes out after seeing him with that woman. It hurt, seeing them together at that restaurant. Even if it didn’t mean anything, my mind jumped to conclusions. I didn’t even ask him. But did I even have the right to ask? He’s just my brother-in-law. It’s not like there’s anything betwe
Claire’s POV I giggled as I felt a pair of strong hands grab my waist while I danced to the beat of the loud music. I swayed my hips in rhythm with the man behind me, his hard arousal pressing right against my backside. My head was spinning, and I couldn't stop laughing. This was all so new to me. I'd never let loose like this before. Now I finally understood why some people were so obsessed with parties and booze. I raised my arms and bounced to the rhythm, feeling a kind of freedom I’d never experienced. This was the first time I truly let myself go. Kate practically dragged me to the bar tonight. She said I needed to forget what I saw at the restaurant—and this, apparently, was the only way to do it. And because I’m weak when it comes to her, I said yes. But honestly? I wasn't regretting it. Not even a little. I was having the time of my life. When I told Niu I was going out with Kate, he didn’t ask questions. He just reminded me to be responsible. Responsible? Definitely not.
Sebastian’s POVI felt a woman’s hand slowly sliding up my leg toward my groin. I downed the last shot of my beer. Spartan was packed tonight—full of people hyped up and dancing like crazy. It wasn’t even midnight yet, but the place was already wild. Bodies grinding, music blasting, and everyone chasing alcohol, pleasure, and a good lay.A tingling sensation shot through me. The woman was rubbing my half-hard dick now. I quickly caught her hand to stop her. She looked shocked for a second, confused why I stopped her, but then that confusion melted into a wicked smile.“Playing hard to get, big boy?” she teased, biting her dark red lips.Shanara. Damn, she looked hot—tiny tube-top dress, tits nearly spilling out. She used to be one of my regular hook-ups back in college. I was the first guy she ever slept with, and she was more than willing. Served herself up to me like a five-star meal, and I wasn’t about to say no.“I’m not in the mood, Shan,” I said, stopping her hand again as it st
Claire's POV "Try this one, Claire. That color will look amazing on you." Kate handed me a royal blue bodycon dress with lace sleeves. I took it and examined it—yeah, the color and fabric really were beautiful.Kate and I had decided to go shopping. She said I was getting bored staying at home and needed to unwind. That was her reasoning, not mine. Honestly, I think she was the one who wanted to unwind and just dragged me along.It’s been two days since Sebastian texted me, and until now, he still hasn’t shown up. Maybe he hasn’t come home yet. Niu would’ve told me if he had.Are you seriously waiting for him, Claire? Really?I glared at the sarcastic voice in my head that just loves to mess with me. If I could strangle that little nagging part of my brain, I would."Hey, Claire. You keep zoning out. You’re not fun to be with today, huh? All you think about is Papa Seb. Do you still want me as your best friend? And please don’t even try to deny it—it’s all over your face." Kate scold
Claire's POVLife is all about the choices we make. Some choices make us who we are today, some make us regret, and some make us happy. We become who we are through the choices we make. It's part of our life. At the end of the day, those choices define the life that we live."That was an impressive move on your part, my dear," Don Manuelo said with a smile. He was talking about the pictures I posted on my social media account when we went to Palawan with my crew. They garnered almost a thousand likes and positive comments from netizens."Thank you, Dad. I just thought it was the fastest way to erase all the speculations about our marriage. It's easier to reach people if it's posted on social media," I politely replied.Don Manuelo was so glad about the positive feedback. After I posted it on Instagram, it became trending. Many people commented on and liked the photos of Niu and me."Of course. Now that everything's back to normal, we won't have any more problems. Though they're having
Claire's Story"Manang, could you bring this outside please?" I set a tray of marinated pork skewers on the table."Alright, I'll take care of it, Claire. You've been in the kitchen too long—your husband's looking for you," Manang said."Okay, Manang Lucing. If you need any help, I'll be by the pool," I told her, glancing back before leaving the kitchen. I headed upstairs to change.Last week I decided to take a break from work. Together with my crew, we came here to Palawan for a short vacation. We're only staying for two days, just enough time for me to recharge from my hectic schedule. I brought my entire staff from Glamour Gems so they could rest too, and even Niu came along. It was nice of him to agree despite having so much work at the office with all their expansion projects.I laid out all the bikinis I'd brought on the bed. I made sure to come prepared for this. Looking at the swimsuits lined up, I'd deliberately chosen bright colors to be more attractive—yellow, orange, appl
Claire's POVI have never given much thought about marriage and the kind of man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Sure, I have my own standards when it comes to choosing men, but falling for someone out of my league was something that never occurred to me—it was sudden and unexpected.My parents chose the man for me. I let them control my life because I was weak. For as long as I can remember, I've never had my own voice in our family. I was always my parents' puppet, the daughter constantly seeking their approval, especially my father's. It was Clarence who always disobeyed them, yet somehow she was the one who got their approval every time. But I never resented her for it—I love my sister. She never made me feel inferior. She was actually my biggest fan and supporter, always encouraging me to follow my dreams and never let others control me.Now that she's gone, I need to be strong and become the woman I've always wanted to be. I want to be carefree, to have a voice, to la
Claire’s The malicious photos were taken down from the internet with the help of Sebastian and his friend from the cybercrime unit. Niu held a press conference and explained on national television that the photos were edited and the story was false. He said the whole thing was an attempt to damage the company’s reputation. As CEO of Oceanview Hotels and Resorts, Niu was a target for his business rivals. Thankfully, they caught it in time. The media went wild. It was a huge story—Antonius Altamirano having an affair with a famous actress. They swarmed the entrance to the subdivision, but luckily, security kept them at bay. It was trending on Twitter, too, even though they said it was fake and the pictures were edited. Some people commented that it was all true and we were just covering it up. Others expressed their pity, saying I should find someone better. I pressed the stop button on the treadmill. I’d had enough exercise for the day. I’d bee
Claire’s My breath hitched as he pulled me close, his warm breath fanning my face. I could smell a mix of alcohol and cigarettes on his breath, making my stomach churn. The closeness of our bodies sent shivers down my spine. His warm hand on my waist felt incredible. “Have you thought about it?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, fixed on mine. He was asking me to cheat with him, and damn it, I was actually considering it. The idea was incredibly exciting! “Seb,” I whispered, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened. I felt breathless, dizzy from the closeness of our faces. He pulled me closer, settling me on his lap. I was so surprised by his sudden move, I just let him do it. The sensations were too much to resist, and my body was definitely enjoying the closeness. But a part of me was screaming at me. This is so wrong! My mind was screaming at me, but I wanted to follow the ti