Ang malakas na pagtunog ng cellphone ni Charlie ang nagpagising sa kanya bandang alas-dos ng hapon. She opened her eyes and looked at her son who was still sleeping beside her. She gave a faint smile and gently caressed Levi's cherub cheeks. Her son stirred a little, subalit muli ring bumalik sa pagtulog. Patamad niyang inabot ang kanyang cellphone sa bedside drawer. She huffed when Maria's name registered on her phone's screen."Yes, Maria--""M-Ma'am, nasaan po kayo? M-may problema po kasi dito sa cruise line. A-ano po kasi..." Her brows furrowed. Hindi niya kasi masyadong maintindihan ang sinasabi ng sekretarya, there were too many noises on the background.Maingat na siyang tumayo mula sa kama at naglakad patungo sa bathroom. "Can you repeat that, Maria? I didn't hear you the first time," sabi niya. Subalit hindi sumagot si Maria. Ilang sandali pa, she heard a crushing sound on the phone, followed by Maria's scream. "Maria, what's happennig? Maria are you still there?" nagmamad

Kumurap si Charlie. Hindi niya alam kung epekto pa rin ng nangyari kanina sa kanya or sa iba pa mang dahilan, but she's sure that for a while her logic had failed her and she was tossed instantly into the sea confusion with Gael's words. What did he mean he know now? Did he mean..."Naaalala ko na ang lahat, Charlie. N-Nakakaalala na 'ko," he continued in a pained voice before taking another step forward. Agad siyang nag-panic. "N-no!" she protested. "D-don't dare to take another step,, Gael." She cannot afford to be near him. Not when her heart was racing... overwhelmed by his presence yet again. Indulging Gael this time would mean failing her family again one more damn time. At pagod na pagod na siyang saktan ang pamilya niya dahil lang sa pagmamahal niya kay Gael.She knew now, Gael's hunger for revenge is raging and it burns anyone who comes near him. That's why she is where she's at now--burned and breaking. But she cannot blame anyone. She was a willing victim.She took in a s

Alaric grinned as he stared at the picture of the rally he staged at SSL Cruises. He just ordered a commotion but he got a full blown rally instead-- injuring the Sandejas girl in the process.He puffed the smoke from his cigar into the morning air with great satisfaction-- mentally noting that he should give Remus and Alphonse, his men currently in Manila, the raise they deserved for exceeding his expectations. He sent them there to be his hands in working on the plan to force Gael to leave to the Sandejas girl.It has to be his men this time because he cannot trust his weakling of a daughter anymore. Lena cannot keep a man by her side. How can she make it to the end of his plans against the Bernsteins?He pushed his cigar on the ashtray-- annoyed by events of the past few weeks.Truth be told, he's a little disappointed of himself for not acting earlier. He should've forced his pathetic weakling of a daughter Lena to stand her ground the minute Gael raised his unexpected plan to st

“Who are these people, Hugo? I do not know any of these people!” Aksel Bernstein irritably asked the loyal assistant of his grandson Gael. He just arrived from Manila a few minutes ago. He did everything as Gael instructed him when he left Germany. He left without his guards. He did not notify any of his servants in the mansion about his plan of leaving. He did not even told Alaric where he’s going. He flew via the chartered flight Gael had arranged for him. Inside it were people he didn’t trust but Gael does. And now, he’s being met by another group of men instead of his grandson? Now he’s flustered. All these strangers surrounding him is making uncomfortable. If it weren’t for the fact that Gael was rushing for him to leave Germany so that they could talk about this ‘traitor’ in their midst, he wouldn’t have flown half-way around the world just to be subjected in this confusion. “They are the people whom Sir Gael had worked with before, Sir,” Hugo replied as the assistant opened t

Malakas ang pagkabog ng dibdib ni Charlie habang paroo’t parito siya sa library kung saan niya hinihintay si Gael. Her grandmother suggested that they’d talk there privately. Noong una, ayaw niya sana itong kausapin. Tutol ang daddy niya na kausapin niya si Gael. Maging ang mga tiyuhin niya ganoon din ang pasya.But her grandmother insisted that they should talk, dahil tama ito, marami silang dapat pag-usapan na dalawa ni Gael. Pero kung siya ang tatanungin, hindi pa siya sana talaga handang kausapin ito. She was still reeling from the events of yesterday. Truth be told, all she wanted and needed to do was to cuddle in bed with her son.She doesn’t need confrontations right now. She doesn’t need to be questioned. She doesn’t need to be pushed to the wall nor make decisions. She had been a crying mess last night. But given the urgency of the situation, she doesn’t have any other choice but to deal with all of it head-on, like the way had been living all her life. Ilang sandali pa, tu