“So, you want to stay here with me tonight?” Seth’s smile was so wide, it almost reached his ears as he asked the question. Izzy immediately looked away, trying her best not to glare at him. “If you don’t want to, I can leave... It’s already pretty late,” she replied, making sure to avoid eye contact. “Come on, you just said earlier that you didn’t want to leave, Isabel.” “Well, since you already heard that, why ask again?” “I just wanted to hear you say it out loud again... Took you some time to realize how much you want to be with me... Admit it... You want me too.” Izzy knew he was still smiling, even though she wasn’t looking at him. The more she avoided his gaze, the harder it became to hold her composure. “You happy now? What, do you think it’s your birthday or something? And I didn’t say I want you too, I just said I don’t want to go back to my room... They’re two different things…” Izzy felt her cheeks heat up, biting her lip tightly, hoping it would somehow ease the a
"Isabel Vergara, are you sure you're okay?"Carl, her best friend, asked with furrowed brows while staring at her intently.Izzy forced a smile and quickly nodded."Of course! Why wouldn't I be okay?""Izzy, do you even look in the mirror? Can you still see yourself? You look like a corpse with how pale you are."Carl said with a pout, making Izzy laugh."Wow, a corpse? That's a bit much! I'm really fine, promise! By the way, thanks for the free coffee. That's why you're my favorite best friend!"She joked with a teasing grin, making Carl roll his eyes before pushing a plate of muffins toward her."You're such a freeloader. As if you have another best friend besides me—I'm the only one who puts up with your stubbornness."Izzy pouted at his grumpy tone but still accepted the snack he offered.It was just past 3 PM, and they were at the coffee shop where Izzy worked as a waitress. Fortunately, Carl arrived just as she was on her break."Why are you so grumpy today? Are you on your peri
“Tiyong, how is Nanay doing? Have you spoken to a doctor? Is someone looking after her?”Izzy fired off one question after another to her uncle, Oscar, her mother's younger brother, as she found him standing in front of the hospital ward where her mother was.“The doctors haven’t said anything yet, Izzy. They’re still inside treating your mom—”Izzy didn’t let her uncle finish speaking. Instead, she hurriedly tried to enter the room, but before she could, her Uncle Oscar quickly stopped her.“You know we’re not allowed inside, Izzy. It’s the usual protocol, right? We have to wait out here.”His voice was gentle as he reminded her. Feeling defeated, Izzy just sat down on the hospital's marble floor.“M-my mom is going to be okay… right, Uncle?”Izzy asked, her eyes brimming with tears. Her uncle forced a reassuring smile before replying.“Of course, Izzy... I’m sure Ate Hilda will be fine. Didn’t your mother promise you that she would be there for your college graduation?She may be we
Izzy was almost about to pee from nervousness as she sat waiting inside the taxi she had taken. She had been staring at the message from Seth Santiago for so long that she might have memorized every letter after reading it multiple times.“K-kuya, are we still far?”Izzy asked the taxi driver. She winced slightly when she heard him sigh. She couldn't blame him, though—she had asked the same question barely two minutes ago.“Just five more minutes, ma’am. The traffic is heavy, so the trip is taking longer. It looks like you're visiting someone very important.”Izzy winced again at the driver’s nosiness. Because of her extreme nervousness, she couldn't help but be irritable. She shot him a sharp glare, making him immediately look away.“You’re not a gossip, are you, sir?”“Sorry, ma’am. I just couldn't help but ask. You look like you're about to meet someone very important. Just a reminder to be careful—things aren't as safe as they used to be.”The driver said seriously, and Izzy gave
"Take off your clothes." The words were sharp. Unfeeling. Like a blade slicing through the tense silence of the dimly lit room. Izzy’s heart slammed against her ribs. She felt the air leave her lungs as her entire body stiffened. Had she heard him correctly? Her fingers curled into the fabric of her shirt, gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white. “P-Pardon?” Her voice was barely a whisper. Seth’s jaw clenched. His broad frame was still, but there was something in his stance—something dangerous, something unreadable—that sent a chill up her spine. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and his dark eyes pinned her in place. “Are you deaf?” His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. Her stomach twisted into knots. “No, sir…” she whispered, her pulse pounding so hard it roared in her ears. His expression didn’t change. If anything, it hardened. “Then why the hell aren’t you doing what I told you to do?” A violent shudder tore through her, and for a second,
Izzy felt as if the heavens and earth had collapsed upon her as she walked out of Seth Santiago’s condo building in defeat.Lost in thought, her eyes red and swollen, she walked aimlessly, searching for another way."Izzy, okay? If you ever need financial help, no matter what it is, as long as I can, don’t hesitate to come to me."A bitter smile formed on Izzy’s lips as Carl’s worried voice echoed in her mind—her best friend.She wanted to ask for his help, but she felt she had no right to. Carl had already done so much for her and her mother, to the point that she felt nothing but overwhelming shame.Izzy let out a deep sigh as she finally reached the road. Despite the thick smoke from the vehicles and the pollution in Metro Manila, she still couldn’t breathe easily. The air filled with pollution seemed more bearable than the fragrant and cold atmosphere of Seth Santiago’s living room."I still can’t believe you did that, Isabel Vergara…"She murmured sadly to herself.Deep in though
Izzy felt like her own lips were about to bleed from how hard she was biting them.The reason?She didn’t know how to answer her best friend’s question.Did you do something illegal?Could what she did really be considered illegal? With the large amount of money she got from Seth Santiago—money he willingly gave her before throwing her out of his grand mansion—she wasn’t sure.She didn’t even know if it should be considered a debt, knowing full well what he might ask for in return if given the chance.Izzy let out a deep sigh, and as she lifted her gaze, she was immediately met with Carl’s scrutinizing eyes."Don't try to look away again. It will only convince me that you did something bad—so bad that it’s making me worry, Isabel."His voice was serious, and he didn’t break eye contact with her.Without realizing it, Izzy bit her lower lip again before forcing herself to meet his gaze.She chose to ignore how her lips parted slightly—only for her to press them shut again when she real
Shit…Izzy cursed under her breath after reading the short text message sent by the man who, despite helping her mother, she knew had a bad attitude.Seth Santiago…Of all the days, why did he have to invite her for lunch at his house today? And at a time when she had no excuse to refuse.Izzy let out a deep sigh and shifted her gaze to her smiling mother.She returned the smile before slowly approaching her while discreetly slipping her phone into her pocket."Is there a problem, dear?"Her mother’s voice still sounded weak."N-no, Mom… Are you feeling better now?""A little better. My wound still hurts a bit, but I can breathe much easier now…""T-that’s good to hear. Don’t worry, when you get out of here, I’m sure you won’t feel any more pain. I know you’re going to make a full recovery, Mom…"She forced a smile, but for some reason, guilt immediately consumed her as she saw the happiness in her mother’s eyes.It was guilt that she tried to hide behind her smile, which only intensi
“So, you want to stay here with me tonight?” Seth’s smile was so wide, it almost reached his ears as he asked the question. Izzy immediately looked away, trying her best not to glare at him. “If you don’t want to, I can leave... It’s already pretty late,” she replied, making sure to avoid eye contact. “Come on, you just said earlier that you didn’t want to leave, Isabel.” “Well, since you already heard that, why ask again?” “I just wanted to hear you say it out loud again... Took you some time to realize how much you want to be with me... Admit it... You want me too.” Izzy knew he was still smiling, even though she wasn’t looking at him. The more she avoided his gaze, the harder it became to hold her composure. “You happy now? What, do you think it’s your birthday or something? And I didn’t say I want you too, I just said I don’t want to go back to my room... They’re two different things…” Izzy felt her cheeks heat up, biting her lip tightly, hoping it would somehow ease the a
Izzy couldn’t understand how she ended up looking for Seth Santiago at this hour, but she probably had some doubts about why she was searching for him at such a late time. “He’s inside. Who are you? What do you need?” The woman asked, her brows almost meeting in a frown as she stared at Izzy intently. Izzy wanted to ask who she was and what she was doing there, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She knew she had no right to ask. “I-I just need to talk to him… But never mind, I’ll come back another time—” “Leila, who is that?” Izzy almost wished the ground would swallow her in embarrassment when she heard the voice of a man from inside. “Some woman looking for Seth,” the woman named Leila replied. “Well, why don’t you invite her in? Maybe Seth was expecting her. I’ll go get him.” The man said with a big smile as he approached them. “Hi!” He greeted her, and Izzy forced a smile in return. “H-hello, good evening…” “How come Seth would be expecting someone this late?” “Don’t
It was already past midnight when the party finally ended. With everything that had happened that night, Izzy lost track of time and couldn’t even remember how she had ended up agreeing to have coffee with Carl at a nearby coffee shop after initially rejecting the invitation. Aside from being exhausted, the gown she was wearing was starting to irritate her. It was comfortable enough, but she wasn’t used to wearing such things. She’d much rather be in an old oversized T-shirt and sweatpants than in a dress. Izzy also didn’t know how she managed to avoid Seth Santiago all night after she had suddenly distanced herself from him earlier when someone approached him to talk. "But how long are you planning to keep avoiding him, Izzy? I feel like I can't keep doing that, especially now that Margaux knows about my connection with him... She’ll probably keep asking me about it." She muttered to herself as she stood in front of the large bathroom mirror in her hotel room. She had just finish
Izzy could barely resist the urge to kiss and hug Margaux tightly as she suddenly pulled her away from Carl without a word. It was as if she was escaping Carl's probing questions about her and Seth. Izzy knew this moment wouldn’t last long. Later, when Carl had the chance again, he would probably ask her the same questions. Still, she was grateful. At least this gave her a moment to think about what she would say to her best friend, just in case. "How long have you and Uncle Seth known each other, Izzy?" Izzy bit her lip tightly as she remembered Carl's question. She knew she could lie to Carl, but how long would that work? Her thoughts were racing, so much so that she didn't realize Margaux had already led her to a table. A few strangers sat there, likely around her and Margaux's age. Friends or relatives? Izzy asked herself, forcing a smile when Margaux glanced her way. "Come hang out with me for a while. You can get away from Carl even if just for a bit, Izzy..." Margaux said
Even though the guy didn't say anything, Izzy could still feel his intense stare on Seth. Because of that, Izzy wasn’t sure what to do, especially since, even though she hadn’t been looking at Seth, she knew his gaze was just as intense when directed at the man who introduced himself as Mark earlier. “Dude, I know everything here belongs to you, everyone knows that, but I didn’t realize even the guests here are still your property.” Mark said arrogantly, and Izzy felt Seth's grip tighten on her arm, a sign of his growing irritation. Seth hadn’t even spoken yet, but she was already feeling the overwhelming urge to flee in fear and anxiety. “I am not your dude, Marcus. Just get the f*ck out of here.” Seth’s command was nearly a whisper, but firm, and the man managed to smile again before responding. “As you wish…” He said, then turned toward Izzy. “Don’t worry, Izzy, we’ll meet again. By then, you’ll be mine. For now, enjoy your master’s company.” “I said, just get the f*ck out
Izzy could only stare at herself in the large mirror in front of her. She couldn't help but marvel at her own appearance.“See? You’ll be the star of the party later… Whoever gave you these things knew exactly what he was doing… That gown looks amazing on you, Izzy…”Andrea said to her with a big smile. She was the one who styled Izzy, while Margaux did her hair.“I still think straight hair would have been better, we should’ve kept it all natural.”Margaux said with a pout.“Come on, your curls look fantastic, it’s still straight, just curly… ”Andrea laughed.“I don’t know, I still think straight looks better... Ohh, and I kept thinking, I’m sure that the person who gave you the gown and everything else will also be there.”“The party?”Andrea asked, raising an eyebrow. Margaux smirked.“I mean yeah, no sh*t the guy knew about the party, I bet he’d be there later… Do you think he would go through the trouble of giving you such a beautiful gown and jewelry if he wasn’t? The guy will
Izzy didn't know how many minutes she had been staring at the gifts she received from Seth. She didn’t know what else to think, because no matter how hard she tried, there was only one option she knew.To refuse them.But how?She asked herself, unconsciously sighing as she shifted her gaze to the card she was still holding. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she just stuffed it in her pocket along with the phone.Before she could figure out what to do with them, a rapid knocking on her door caught her attention. It opened before she even had the chance to hide the gown and jewelry.“Holy mother of cheese! Where the hell did you get all this stuff, Izzy?”Andrea exclaimed, her eyes wide. She was one of Carl’s sisters. She was a few years older than Izzy, but she was more bubbly and had a bit of a flair.“No sh*t, you got all this… I’ve been looking for this gown forever!”She said, amazed. Izzy didn’t realize that Andrea had already approached the bed where the box was.“Oh God, and the b
"Are you okay? You look weird..."Carl asked Izzy with a furrowed brow as they ate. She pretended to roll her eyes."Weird? What are you talking about? I'm fine. Just thinking."She said, grabbing her glass of orange juice from the table."Are you still thinking about your mom, Hilda?"Carl asked, concerned. Izzy forced a smile and nodded slowly."S-she's never left my mind, Carl."She replied.How could she tell her friend that besides her mother, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man who was hiding in the bathroom earlier.Seth Santiago was probably furious with her, especially since she promised she would talk to Carl quickly."Izzy, stop wasting your energy thinking about that man. He's old enough to take care of himself. He’s probably already gone by now, right?"She mentally berated herself, wincing at the thought.But what if he was still there, waiting?Izzy let out a frustrated sigh, unconsciously shifting her gaze to the road leading to the hotel room they were staying in
Izzy's eyes snapped open at the sound of a rapid knocking on the door. She was about to get up to answer it when she stopped short, noticing the heavy arm draped across her waist.Nervous, she cautiously glanced at the man beside her, momentarily forgetting how they had fallen asleep. Despite her worry about whoever was outside, she couldn’t help but smile as she briefly admired his handsome face. He was sound asleep, his features peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to his usual stoic expression.She spent a few moments gazing at Seth Santiago, only moving when she heard the insistent knocking again. Izzy’s eyes quickly shifted to his strong arm around her waist, her mind racing. Should she wake him up? Or should she try to slip out, knowing that whoever was outside wouldn’t be able to see Seth Santiago in her bed?Izzy let out a frustrated sigh and looked at the door.“It’s too early for the party, Isabel. You still have time to rest… Let him think that you’re still sleeping.”Seth