At age 10, Jacob Delrama lost his parents in a hiking accident. Dimitri and Clara took Jacob into their home and raised him as their own sibling. It never occurred to Dim that Mira would be displeased with his constant mention of the countless virtues and talents that replaced her brother,It is unwarranted injustice to despise yourself just for such childish impulses. Mira fell silent. She trembled at the sound of her own footsteps. She was supposed to be sober the day Dimitri died, but she was so shocked she literally stopped functioning. Just five weeks ago, he was hospitalized with a mild heart attack. She was first at his bedside,When she realizes that Clara and Jacob are already en route from the airport, she reluctantly separates from Dim. "Stay—ring the bell with all of them!" Dimitri growled recklessly, already irritated by the nurse's attempt to prevent her from entering his private chamber. "You know you don't mean that. You can't do that to your wife," Mira murmured tig

"It's recent," Jacob said slowly. "But you should have told me," Clara scolded in an uneasy but gentle tone. "How can you believe that I feel angry for your happiness? If only you knew how crazy I was thinking when I came to this door—A taxi was noisily pulling into the driveway." My Taxi," Mira whispered in relief. "You're leaving? But I just met you," protested Clara, surprised and disappointed."I'm afraid Miranda has a flight to catch, and she's already late," Jacob interjected ingeniously, grabbing Mira's suitcase with one hand before Mira reached for it again, and quickly carried it away. Out of the house, probably to allow her to leave faster. "Miranda—that's a very—very beautiful name," Clara mused after a moment of strange hesitation, her eyes quickly clouded, before raising her head again and continuing with palpable warmth. "Forgive me for coming uninvited, but I look forward to spending time with you soon." "I'm sorry but I have to leave I'm in such a hurry," Mira mu

Jacob stood in the doorway of the messy lounge with a poised expression, his chiseled silhouette full of derision. "You're living like a pig!" He turned around again, taking a breath in disgust. "Unwashed—your home is dirty. I would get goosebumps if I entered that room. You need pest control."Shocked, Mira fell into a rare silence, gasping at him as he avoided her and strode quickly back outside. "We'll stay here for some fresh air."Mira, her cheeks burning with rage and humiliation, chased him again. "How dare you?" "Keep quiet." Jacob looked at her coldly and menacingly. "Be quiet and listen carefully. Dim is one of nature's gentlemen but I'm not and I've figured out what your game is. I now understand why Dim wrote that new will. He drafted the document without legal advice, had it witnessed by a servant, and placed it on his desk the day he returned to Manila. He's worried he's going to have another heart attack and is very worried about your future—why?" Her breath caught in

"Jacob is willing to compensate you for your time and trouble. I want to know how many things he plans to put on the table?" Sheldon thought with a slow smile, unaffected by Mira's astonished and reproachful expression. "Your problem is, Mira, you're an idealist. Jacob isn't, and neither am I. You'll insult your face by cutting off your nose." "Then why don't you deal with him when he comes back tomorrow?" snapped Mira, standing up angrily."Do you want me to do this? I'd like to stay and focus on negotiations. If he has the same temper as you—well, we don't want bloodshed, do we?" "What are we going to do with his body?" asked Sheldon cheerfully. "Dead men can't write big, thick checks." "I won't be here tomorrow," Mira told him flatly."Look, it's just a business proposition, that's all. You don't have to live with this guy or like him. If you don't do it for yourself," Sheldon looked into her cold face with shrewd eyes, and whispered, "Think about your brother's employees, what

"Despite its age, the ring does not have much economic value. This stone has flaws."Mira flinched, nausea pressing like lead in her oversensitive stomach. "There must be some other way to work out the will." "Do you really think I would be here asking you to perform such a ceremony with me in secret, if ever?" This question made Mira blush.No, Jacob had no choice. His presence told her that. Nor could she see how deeply and painfully he felt the necessity of being compelled to seek her cooperation. "But Clara seems to like me," she said awkwardly. "She already thought we were engaged. "Do you think she would like you if she knew who you really were?" Jacob gasped sternly. "She'll be angry. As for the engagement—I'll tell her that it's an impulse I'll soon regret. She doesn't have to know about us getting married. I don't want you to see her again." Mira's eyes uneasily move away from him. She might not be Dim's mistress, but even as his sister, she couldn't be a more welcome pr