Mag-log inMy lips parted in shock, but no words escaped. I stood frozen, staring at Genevieve Salvacion as though seeing her for the first time. The weight of her words pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket.“There is nothing wrong with it?” I repeated with trembling voice. “He is not the first man to beat his wife? He is not the only man in this whole country who beats his wife?”Genevieve nodded calmly, as if she had just delivered the most reasonable statement in the world.“Exactly, Miss Preston! Marj is not the only man who beats his wife. He is not the first, and he certainly won’t be the last. So why are you making such a big deal out of it?”I stared directly into her face, disbelief hardening into anger. “Did you say you were the first Beauty Queen this country ever produced?”She smoothed her dress with a boastful flourish. “Yes! 2002. After the country had failed over thirty-five beauty contests. A world contest!”“And you’re certain of that?” I asked.She nodded again, conf
[Mia]Everyone around us turned to stare, their attention completely fixed on me.For a brief moment, I felt afraid—not for myself, but for the woman standing beside me. The man she called her husband was nothing short of a monster.As Marj and I locked eyes in tense silence, murmurs began spreading through the crowd behind us."Oh, I know that woman! I heard she ran away from her husband's house.""They say her mother-in-law calls her a witch. Seven years of marriage and still no child. Eww!""Maybe the rumors about her husband beating her are true. He just proved it in front of all of us."Another person added, "Let's just say she's cursed. She doesn't even have a home anymore. I've heard she's been sleeping in this mall for weeks."The whispers continued from every direction.As the voices grew louder, I tightened my grip on Ovire's hand and turned to Marj."Can you hear them?" I asked coldly. "Can you hear what everyone here is saying?"He remained silent."It is obvious that this
[Mia]Instead of standing there questioning myself, I gently pushed the door open and peeked inside.The moment I did, I caught sight of two men.But before I could get a clear look at their faces, they stepped out of the room and started walking away.Still, there was one thing I was absolutely certain about—I had seen the face of one of them.The man who had claimed that the woman I didn't know was his wife.However, I never got a good look at the other man—the one who had offered the staggering sum of forty-five million dollars.My heart pounded.There was no way I could simply stand by and let such an illegal transaction happen right under my nose.I had to do something.Anything.Wait...The first thing I should do is call Troy.I'm sure he'll know what to do.Yes. That's it.I'll call Troy.I quickly pulled out my phone and was about to dial his number when, suddenly, his call flashed across my screen.Without wasting a second, I swiped to answer."Hello?""Hello, Mia? Where are
My mouth opened and closed at the same time, but no single word came out from it. I stared at Troy, shaking my head uncontrollably; You can't be serious. You really can't be—"Before I could finish speaking, Claire grabbed my hand and began dragging me toward the entrance."Oh, don't start lecturing him on how to spend his money, Mia!" she said dramatically. "My brother has the money, and he wants to spend it on you. So allow him give you the baby girl treatment?!" PUSH!Claire shoved the grand entrance doors open."Take anything you want, Mia. Anything and my brother will pay! AllowThe moment I stepped inside, I was completely mesmerized.The entire mall sparkled beneath dazzling lights.Luxury brands lined every corner.Exquisite decorations filled the vast space, creating an atmosphere of pure elegance.And everywhere I looked, I saw famous faces.Celebrities.Business tycoons.Influential socialites.This wasn't just a shopping mall.It was a paradise built exclusively for th
[Mia]After saying those words, Claire slammed the door shut, locked it, and walked away.I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.I was too shocked.Completely shocked.Were these two siblings serious right now?Putting me in suspense like this?But honestly, what exactly was this "treat" that I wasn't allowed to see until we got there?Instead of stressing myself with countless questions, I quickly got dressed in a simple yet elegant dress.It was nighttime already—7:25 PM, to be precise—and I didn't see any reason to look overly luxurious. After all, I had no idea where this so-called treat was taking place.So I stuck to my usual rule.Be a simple girl.Dress in a simple style."Taaa-daaa!"I announced dramatically from the staircase, instantly drawing Claire's and Troy's attention.The moment they looked up, their eyes landed on me."She is finally here!" Claire exclaimed as she grabbed her bag.I smiled and continued walking down the stairs.As I descended, I n
[Mia]For the past few minutes, all I had been getting was one lecture after another—from Troy.“You should have known better than to go to that location Mercedes sent you,” he scolded. “It’s no secret that she has been doing everything in her power to tarnish your image.”He barely paused before launching into another lecture.“If you had told me about the invitation earlier, I would have given you my honest advice, which would have been—”“To stay away and never honor her invitation,” I finished before he could.I already knew exactly what he was going to say.Ever since I returned from the restaurant, Troy had done nothing but lecture me. The first thing he had shown me upon my arrival was a video footage of the scene where Mercedes and I had gotten into a fight.After completing his sentence for him, I let out a deep sigh and turned to face him.“Listen, Troy, I know you're worried about me. But I needed to go there. I wanted to hear whatever nonsense she had planned to spew from
The question Troy asked was heavy.Too heavy.It sat in my chest long after he said it, pressing down on me in ways I wasn’t ready to confront.I wanted to answer him honestly. I wanted to give him the response that lived in my heart.But I knew that if I did, I would sound ungrateful—like I was re
{Troy}My lips quivered at the utterance of what Mia just said.Wait. She is truly ready to do all these things in the name of revenge? Risk her own life simply because she wants revenge on Felix and Mercedes?I let out a small, disbelieving chuckle. “You cannot be serious,
~Mia“Plast… plastic surgery?”Troy asked immediately, his lips trembling slightly. He sounded so confused, almost scared. “You mean you’re going to go under the knife?”I nodded, forcing a small, painful smile.I knew this would shake him. This was exactly why I never wanted him to know about my d
~MiaAs I said those words, a surge of rage rushed through my body, hot and uncontrollable. In that moment, I wished I could gather enough strength to cool the fire burning inside me, but something deep within refused to let me calm down. It kept pushing me, urging me not to show even the smallest







