LOGINARLENE’S POVJust like the past few mornings, I pretended to be asleep the moment I woke up.But today felt different.The space beside me was cold.Empty.Slowly, I opened my eyes just enough to confirm what I already suspected—and annoyingly enough, disappointment immediately settled in my chest.Seriously?Was it that easy for him?After everything that happened last night—after all the crying, the confessions, the emotional drama—he still chose to drink with Dessa and Quinn instead of staying beside me?I clicked my tongue in irritation as I sat up slowly.Well, what exactly did you expect from Mago Concepcion?He wasn’t the type to become cheesy just to make someone feel loved.This was still Mago Concepcion.The same emotionally constipated man who used to think buying expensive things counted as romance.Still…a tiny,
MAGO’S POVI could still hear Dessa and Quinn laughing loudly in the garden.Honestly, I should’ve been there with them. I was the one who invited the two idiots to drink in the first place. But the second Arlene walked away from me, looking like every word I said only hurt her more, I couldn’t stay seated anymore.Not when I finally understood what pushed her into giving up on us.Now that I knew the truth—now that I understood what she saw, what she believed, what shattered her—I had even more reason to fight for her.This wasn’t going to be easy. I knew that.Maybe I deserved every cruel thing she said to me tonight.Maybe I deserved worse.But this wasn’t the time to lose courage.Because for the first time in my life, I was absolutely certain of one thing:I loved Arlene.Not out of obsession.Not because I was angry.Not because I wanted to possess her.I loved her because somewhere along the way, she became my home.And now that I finally understood that…I couldn’t lose her.M
MAGO’S POVI couldn’t stop myself from getting irritated while watching Arlene and Dessa feed each other across the table like some disgustingly sweet couple.I cooked Arlene’s favorite breakfast myself.My wife’s favorite breakfast.And instead of focusing on me, she invited her so-called girlfriend to sit beside her at the dining table.If Dessa had been a man, I would’ve already dealt with her the same way I dealt with every other idiot who tried getting close to Arlene before. But Dessa was a woman—and no matter how irritated she made me, I couldn’t bring myself to handle her the way I handled men. Hurting men was easy. Men understood violence, threats, fear. But women… that was different. I was many things, but I wasn’t the kind of man who raised his hand against a woman just because jealousy was driving me insane.“Dessa, you’re washing the dishes later
ARLENE’S POVI didn’t mean to wake up.But his whisper pulled me out of sleep before I could stop it.“I was such a f*cking idiot for taking out my anger toward your father on you,” he murmured softly, unaware that I was already awake.I kept my eyes closed.Kept pretending.Because somehow, hearing him say things like this hurt more than the silence he used to give me.“I’m so sorry for being such a jerk,” he continued, his voice rough with exhaustion. “Please… just give me one more chance.” I felt the mattress dip slightly as he moved closer. “I swear I’ll do everything I can to make you whole again.”My chest tightened painfully.“If I have to spend the rest of my life serving you, I will,” he whispered shakily. “Just love me again, Arlene. Not only for me… but for our child too.”Tears
ARLENE’S POVI couldn’t stop thinking about what happened yesterday.I had exhausted Mago on purpose, hoping he’d finally give up on this ridiculous deal between us. I made him do one thing after another, fully expecting him to lose patience eventually.But he didn’t.He did everything I asked without complaining.And somehow… that made things worse.When I saw him asleep beside me last night, part of me felt guilty. He hadn’t even managed to wait for me to come upstairs. After showering and fixing the room, he must’ve fallen asleep immediately from exhaustion.The sun was already high when I woke up the next morning, but I kept my eyes closed.This was the first time in months that I had woken up beside him again.And I hated how much my heart noticed it.I wanted to prepare myself first because I couldn’t allow this to become normal again. I could
MAGO’S POVIt was still dark when I opened my eyes.Exhaustion must have knocked me out completely after my shower last night because I hadn’t moved once until now. Arlene had me running around nonstop the entire evening, giving me one task after another. Not that I could complain.I was still trying to earn points with my wife.The thought alone made me smile.I turned towards her slowly—and the sight waiting for me instantly softened something inside my chest.Even without me forcing her…she still ended up sleeping beside me.Carefully, I shifted closer until our faces were only inches apart. Arlene was still deeply asleep, her breathing soft and steady. The faint moonlight slipping through the curtains painted her face gently, making her look calmer than she had been since returning home.Peaceful.Fragile.Mine.No.I stopped myself before the thought could settle too deeply.Still… I couldn’t deny the overwhelming happiness swelling inside me just from having her here beside me,
MAGO’S POVI made sure everything in the house was ready before Arlene arrived—not just arranged, but carefully thought out, as if every detail could somehow convince her to stay.Every single thing.The guest room had already been prepared for De
ARLENE’S POVI saw it.The moment the papers touched his hands—the shock.It flickered across his face like something breaking open inside him.But I didn’t let it affect me.I couldn’t.“I need you to
MAGO’S POVSix long months passed… and I was slowly losing my mind.Six months of not knowing where Arlene was. Six months of wondering if she was safe—if they were safe.Because yes… my wife was pregnant.And that alone was enough to keep me awake at night.I still remember the exact moment I foun
ARLENE'S POVI was halfway through packing when Mesh quietly stepped into the room.She didn’t say anything at first—just stood there, watching me fold my clothes like I could somehow control my life by making everything neat.“Arlene…” she finally said, her voice soft, almost careful. “I’m going to







