Lahat ng Kabanata ng Hey, Stranger!: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

IT WAS a gloomy Sunday morning. Albert and Catherine are still in bed cuddling each other, enjoying the cold, dark, and serene weather. Suddenly, Albert’s phone starts ringing. He grunted and blindly searched for his phone on the bedside table, unwilling to open his eyes and look for it properly. Unaware who it was, he answered the call and held it to his ear. He heard a familiar voice on the other line, the voice of a person he wished would never call him. Without letting her finish speaking, he disconnected the call. He sat on the bed and Catherine could sense his uneasiness. She didn’t hear who it was but had an idea who it might be, as there was only one person who could make him feel like that. She leaned for a hug, but he evaded it and went straight to the bathroom to take a cold shower. He stood still as the cold water drenched his body. Wishing that it was just a dream and that the water could wash away the flare of emotions he had inside. Shortly, he got out and sat in front

THE night is windy but not cold. The only sound they could hear was the waves of seawater colliding with the sand beneath their feet. There's a hard lump in his throat that he wants to get off but unsure how to do it. He wants to scold her for letting Lucius play with her. He wants to yell at the top of his lungs and ask her what Lucius has that he doesn't, but she beats him to it. "It's funny." "Mmmm." He furrowed his brows and glanced at her with a confused look. "Rumors spread like wildfire, but when it comes to the truth no one bothers to spread it." She paused then smiled at him mockingly. "You see Lucius and I ..." Before she could finish her sentence, or he could ask further, a familiar voice called his name. "Lucian!" Both of them stared at the location of the voice, they saw a tall blond woman wearing a red two-piece swimming suit with a white makeshift skirt made of sarong. His eyes widened, he was not expecting to see her there. "Malena," he mumbles. "So this is

LUCIAN tried so hard to fall asleep but sleep became elusive. He kept on tossing and turning in his bed. Agitated, uneasy, and frustrated. He sat on the bed, hands covering his face. He grunts in frustration and starts throwing his pillows on the floor like a child having tantrums when things don't go their way. He had enough, and he needed to clear his mind. Soon, he stood up and went out for a walk. He hadn't gone far from the villa he was staying in when he heard voices in one of the outdoor gazebos. It was the voice of a man and a woman laughing hard, and it seemed like they were enjoying the night too much. He felt envious, wishing he could savor this outing as well as they did. When he got to the corner near the gazebo, the laughter died down. He could hear the man bid the woman goodbye. As he walks closer to the direction of the voices, a silhouette of a man walks in his direction with a phone in his ear talking to someone. Their gazes met and he saw it was Victor. Both ackno

ALICIA woke up early and discreetly got out of bed, tiptoeing out of the room to make sure George would not wake up. She's planning to go to Lucian. She felt that something was not right with him, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. Then she remembers how he stared at Lucius and Latton's table yesterday. The look in his eyes brought a lump in her throat. That's the same gaze he had when he was younger, and it scared her that he might behave like before, and he might hurt someone again. She reached his room and knocked multiple times, but he did not answer. She tried dialing his phone, but the calls were going to voicemail. His heart was pounding and unsure what to do next. Then she saw John go out of his room. She immediately marched towards him. "John!" Her voice startled him, he almost shrieked. "Mrs. Caldwell, good morning. You are up early." He says, his voice cracking as if he is going to puberty again. With a trembling and frantic voice she asks, "Have you seen Lucian?" He

"I HAVE been waiting for you. What did you do after I left you at Miss Ripley’s door?" John asks as he walks around Lucian’s room. "We just talked about an old agreement we had." "What kind of agreement?" He asks as he shoots a suspicious gaze on his friend. "The kind that I enjoy." John gasped then shook his head in shock. He immediately understood what Lucian meant and he didn't like it. "Oh no! Lucian. Are you banging her? —What about her baby, Lucius, Malena, your baby? That’s too much drama." Lucian smiles. "She’s not pregnant and Lucius is her cousin. They treat each other like siblings nothing more nothing less." "So she’s single and ready to mingle but you’re not. It’s unfair to her." He wants to retort John’s words but he is unable to form a concrete reason to justify his actions. He sighs and sits on the chair, his hand covering his face. He seemed to be thinking deeply when John broke the silence. "I don’t want to be this kind of person but…" He stops mid-sentence,