TEASER: In Chapter 8… When the pieces of a deadly puzzle finally start to fit together, will Leo's ruthless hunt for the traitor bring justice—or only more blood? As secrets unravel and old wounds reopen, a chilling message arrives that could change everything: the girl from his past was finally found by his men. But is he willing to let go of Trinity?
“You guys go ahead. Your boss and I still have somewhere to be.” Nicole looped her arm through Leo’s with a sweet smile that made my stomach twist. I couldn’t even respond—my eyes were glued to her hand wrapped so tightly around his arm, like she was staking her claim. “So do we.” I turned quickly to my side when I suddenly felt an arm wrap firmly around my waist. Joshua. He stared straight at Leo, the same way Leo stared right back at him. Their eyes locked in that unspoken, territorial showdown. Dark. Intense. Neither of them are willing to blink first. And yeah, I’m pretty sure the Market Research team felt the tension too. They looked like they wanted to disappear. “U-uh, actually, we also have somewhere to go,” Vince suddenly piped up, awkwardly laughing. “Why don’t we all just go together? Seems like everyone’s got something to handle anyway.” Vince—the poor head of the Market Research team—was trying hard to save the awkward scene. Joshua and I started walking ahe
The flight lasted for about two hours and thirty-nine minutes. By the time we landed at the airport in Palawan, a private vehicle was already waiting to pick us up. As we settled into the car, a quiet tension hung between us. Then, out of nowhere, he asked— "Are you and Joshua... really dating?" I turned to him, a bit amused. Of all the things to ask, why that? Why now? “I have standards, Sir,” I replied lightly, though I knew my voice was a little tight. “We never even talked about courtship or anything romantic like that. Joshua and I are just old friends. That’s all.” He nodded, slowly, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t convinced—or maybe he was hoping for a different answer. “What are your standards then?” he asked, more serious now. Even the driver glanced at us through the rearview mirror. Maybe he was curious too, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. I took a slow breath before answering, eyes fixed outside the window. “Someone I met fourteen years ago.” He l
AFTER my three-day leave, our tour project in Palawan was finally kicking off. I was packing my suitcase, folding clothes and checking off my list. Joshua had called earlier and said he'd be the one to pick me up, so I was expecting him any minute now. It was already 5:20 AM when Joshua and I arrived at the Manila International Airport. None of our other companions had arrived yet—except for Sir Sky and Aisha. Joshua and I were in the middle of a conversation when Sir Khiro suddenly approached us. I raised a brow as he came closer. Was he going to ask again how much a one-night stand with me would cost? "Trinity, do you have any extra sandals I can borrow? Luna twisted her ankle. I asked Aisha but she said she only brought heels," he said, clearly worried. "I'm a size 37." "Perfect. Luna's a 37 too." I quickly reached for my backpack, took out my nude doll shoes (still in plastic), and handed them to Sir Khiro. "Thanks so much," he said as he rushed back to the woman he'd been
I was in the middle of brushing my hair while riding a tricycle. It was already 11:00 a.m. when I left the house, my boss and I were supposed to meet at around 10:50. "Manong, this is my stop!" I said to the driver and handed him 40 pesos. "It's about time, Ms. Gomez." I lowered my head in embarrassment and saw Joshua chuckling nearby. "As usual, you're late again," he said. Well, he looks cheerful today. Something good must've happened. "You may sit down, so we could properly discuss our terms and agreement for the second time." He made sure to emphasize the last two words, clearly frustrated with my tardiness. My boss started explaining the updated Terms & Agreement between our company and Joshua for the resort project they plan to build in Palawan. One key part was that Joshua would receive 28% of the profits the company makes from that resort. Leo nodded at Joshua. "Trinity, have you already finalized everything? The hotel, activities, and whatever else for ou
Leo: >"My plane will be landing in a few minutes. I want my limo ready ten minutes before I arrive. Thank you :)"That message was from Sir Leo. And wow-he actually used an emoji. That's rare.As the elevator doors slid open, I immediately stepped out and walked over to the bench on the rooftop. I sat down while waiting for him, already having called his driver to make sure the limousine was prepped and ready.A few more minutes passed. Out of boredom, I decided to scroll through Instagram on my phone since Boss hadn't arrived yet. While browsing, I accidentally tapped on Nicole's story.My heart stopped for a second.What I saw completely shook me-where she was, and who she was with. My entire body went weak when I read the caption: "With him
WARNING "Khiro, have you ever fallen in love with two women?" "Hell no. That's disgusting." I smirked. That was Khiro for you-heart colder than a corpse. The guy doesn't fall in love; he breaks hearts for sport. "Womanizer alert," I teased. "Fucking gross, man. You might be the boss here, but don't hit me with that kind of cheesy question." He threw the book he was reading at me before walking out. "Sky-" "My apologies, Don. But I don't have any interest in women." His face was blank. Emotionless. That's just how Sky is-calculated and cold. "Anyway," I shifted gears, "any updates on the incident at my company? Any leads at all?" "We're still digging, Don," Sky replied. "But one thing's clear-the enemy is connected to the Rebel Knights again. They're growing bolder. We need to put them down before they get out of hand." I scoffed. "They don't bother me. Not even their associates. Especially when I have you, Alpha, Bullet, Caliber, and the rest of my men behind me
"Tyellian! If I catch you, I'm really gonna give you a spanking!" That's the voice I grew up hearing-like a broken record. Mama always hated it when I played outside under the scorching noon sun. "Uh-oh, here comes your mom again. You're dead meat," Joshua teased while holding a marble in his hand. "You should go home, Trinity. She's probably super mad by now," Nicole said with concern. "I don't want to! Getting hit with a belt hurts, okay? Just come over to our house if you want to hang out," I joked, and we all burst into laughter. It was funny how even if Mama was about to blow a fuse, we still managed to laugh like everything was fine. "You're really not going home yet?" Nicole asked. I just shook my head. I decided I'd wait for Papa and go home with him instead. "Josh, I'll hang out at your place for a while, okay? I wanna watch TV." "Sure! No problem. Anything for you," he said, patting my shoulder. "I'm tagging along!" Nicole chimed in. "Wait a sec, I'll jus
"I met her when I was nine. She said her name was Tyellian-and she used to call me Blue. Funny, really. She mistook my eyes for blue, when they're actually green. But then the day came when I had to return to Manila, and I had to say goodbye. Before I left, she gave me this beaded bracelet, and we made a promise-we'd find each other no matter what. Believe it or not, I'm still looking for her. I've been madly in love with her ever since." I swallowed hard. It's him. He's Blue. The boy I've been searching for all these years. God-we've been looking for each other for nearly fourteen years. I was about to throw my arms around him and tell him I'm Tyellian... but then I remembered Nicole. I knew how badly it would hurt her to find out I had a past with the man she's fallen for too. I don't want to hurt her. She's done so much for me-she's like a sister. And I can't ruin our friendship. I just can't. ... "I'll have the paper bags delivered to your condo," Boss said, his eyes briefly
"Oh? What's the status?" Khiro asked."I need updates. Talk." My voice was sharp, commanding. No time for games.Every damn day, I get closer to justice. Closer to the bastard who ruined my life. But something always gets in the way. Always pulling me back from delivering the revenge I've been dying for."We've locked down five of his possible locations. Our guys are watching each one for any movement. You want to take a point, or should we handle it?""He killed my mother." My fist clenched tight. "This is personal. Leave him to me.""Got it. It's your call, Leo. Just remember-we've only got coordinates. We still don't know who their top man is. And this bastard moves. A lot. We're trying to figure out how he keeps playing the system.""I'll never forget his face. That smug look he gave after taking my mother's life... I see it every night. But when we meet again, the last thing he'll ever see is my face." I ended the call without waiting for a reply.Ten years. Ten long years since