Shackled By Her Embrace

Serenity’s laugh echoed across the van, something that made the tension even more palpable than it already is. “Fuck, how are you awake?!” The boss tapped on the chair to get their attention. “Hush! Let her be. She has nowhere else to go anyway.” “You should tell yourself that.” Their gazes shifted to Serenity as she relaxed in her seat, unbothered by the creepy atmosphere that had engulfed the van. Despite being in such a dangerous situation, she had the guts to be as laid back as she is at the moment. She was calm even as she was carried out of the van, almost getting dragged towards the mansion. he could grab her. “Damn, you’re fast…” It was a voice that was annoyingly familiar to him. And just before he could put his guard up again, he’d already lost the treasure he had dug for himself. Now, he’s fallen into the pit that the treasure was supposed to be in, almost enough to bury him alive. They were all spiteful towards each other, yet none of them desired to celebrate thei

“Aiana Serenity—”“Sephiro, calm down.”The tension was palpable in the air within the office of the Lopez family’s head, Sephiro Lopez. Everyone in the room feigns familiarity with the situation, as if today would be the first time Serenity has to be forced into seclusion.Every member of the Lopez family has to live in the shadows, occasionally going out of their offices to attend conferences and meetings across different countries. And whenever they walk out of their very own doors, there’d also be people who are out for their heads.This definitely isn’t the first time Serenity has faced such grave danger, but for some reason, things have gotten out of control. The majority of the threats have shifted to her rather than to Sephiro, along with the sudden rise of marriage proposals.Nothing new, really.And yet Sephiro began to act strangely…“Dad, I’m sorry. I swear I was careful—”“Serene, you weren’t careful. I don’t know whatever the hell was going on in your head, but I won’t b

Equilibrium.Serenity, despite her name meaning the state of being calm and at peace, has never had a taste of being in the said state. Not once was she able to live without crippling anxiety.Vince’s presence? It does give her a sense of safety, but never peace. That’s contrary to the nature of their relationship.A sigh escaped from Serenity’s lips as she threw her shades at the pearly sands of the island her father had always loved. An extremely breathtaking view, with the lovely sands and the calm waves.Tranquil. If a single word could be chosen to name the entirety of the island, it’d be tranquil.And so does her system obtain a state of equilibrium, as she finally has nothing to fear. Serenity has taken refuge, at long last.“Hey, Vince…” she muttered as she sat on the sand, not minding the sand that stuck to her bare skin. “Do you think I’ll forever be safe here?”“Only time will tell, ma’am.”She sighed as she tapped the space beside her. “Drop that. We’re the only ones here.

Vince noticed how cold she was after doing it once, and decided to take her back to her bedroom. Both of them felt cold from the night breeze, yet their skins burned as they came into contact.Serenity’s fingers gently ran across Vince’s now-shoulder-length hair, smiling as he hovered over her. She doesn’t understand how she can yearn for someone so hard that her heart seems to beat in an irregular way, almost similar to a bonfire that crackles at a beat that’s far too unique.She aches for him. And so does he ache for her.Every single time. It still never ceases to make them both feel like it’s a first. As if after being pulled back once again, everything reverts back to the very start.

It was that night. The first time they came to the Lopez manor in the Philippines, with Serenity drunk out of her mind after being thrown halfway across the globe to hide from their pursuers. “Hey! You’re leaving me here, seriously?” Serenity whined as she tugged on Vince’s jacket. “Serene, let go. I can’t stay here.” Instead of letting his jacket go, she pulled him in closer and forced him to sit with her on the couch. As usual, the two of them are left by themselves inside Serenity’s room. The only person that’s ever been allowed to be that close to the heiress of the Lopez clown is him, Vincentius Salvador. Sighing deeply, Vince tried to gently get her hands off his chest. Except a drunk-out-of-her-mind Serenity would never give up. Is she really drunk, though? Or is it a mere excuse to get someone to stay with her on a cold, cold night? Vince doesn’t know, but how could he leave such a vulnerable Serenity, her emotions laid bare, all alone? That would make him an unreliable ch