Lahat ng Kabanata ng FORBIDDEN INTIMACY [SPG]: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Sebastian’s I closed my eyes and took a deep, long breath. This headache was killing me, and I had a meeting in just a few minutes. That bastard Andrei, mixing all those different liquors at his bar. Such an idiot. I scanned the papers in front of me. This was the first meeting I’d be attending since my arrival. We usually had our monthly meetings via video call. I’d let Marcus handle everything here while I was in the U.S., and I was pretty impressed with his performance—except for these reports. I continued to review them. Those bastards thought they could get away with what they did. Just because I was out of the country didn’t mean they could steal from my company. I’d get to the bottom of this and send those fools straight to hell. “Sir, the meeting is in ten minutes. I’ve got everything you asked for,” Cherry said, placing the files on my desk. As much as I wanted to go home, I didn’t have much time. I still needed to

Claire’s Pathetic. If there was one word to describe how I was feeling right now, it was pathetic. Growing up surrounded by people who showed me care, support, and appreciation, it was so ironic that Claire dela Fuerte was jealous of some woman she didn’t even know personally. Because that woman was Sebastian’s girlfriend! And her boobs were way bigger than yours, that’s why! I groaned in annoyance and threw the crumpled paper into the trash can. I’d been trying to come up with a beautiful design for hours, and to my frustration, I couldn’t create one. I glared at the overflowing trash can. I sighed heavily and grabbed a fresh sheet of bond paper. Frustrated, I started drawing random things, letting out all the anger and frustration I was feeling. I didn’t think this would work. I was stuck here all day, but all I could think about was what I’d witnessed last night.

Claire’s I stood outside Niu’s study for a few minutes, debating whether to talk to him about last night. I wanted to apologize, but I was scared he'd be even more upset. I was so embarrassed about my behavior. I regretted the whole impulsive thing so much. Now I was paying the price. Niu had been distant all day. He’d left before I woke up and skipped dinner. He’d shut himself in his study ever since. He’s really mad at me. It made me feel even worse. He doesn’t want to talk to you, Claire! I took a deep breath and knocked. No answer. I knocked again and tried the handle. The door opened, revealing the dim light of a desk lamp. The room was quiet, empty. I went inside. Niu wasn’t at his desk, or on the couch. Where was he? Manang said he’d come straight here after dinner. “Niu?” I called, closing the door behind me. Silence. Just the

Claire’s His warm hands covered my mouth while the other settled on my waist. His masculine cologne mixed with the scent of his aftershave invaded my senses, making my head spin. His dark eyes looked drowsy as he stared at me intensely. His body pressed against mine as he pushed me toward the edge of the sink. The cold tile dug into my skin. I quickly brushed off the hand covering my mouth and widened my eyes at him. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, nervous that someone might catch the two of us inside. He just stared at me intently, saying nothing. Annoyed, I pushed his hand off my waist and stepped back slightly—but stopped when I realized there was nowhere else to go. His presence was overwhelming, especially in such a confined space. He was a big man, and it felt suffocating having him so close. It’s illegal to be this close to him—he’s my brother-in-law, for God’s sake!

Claire’s Thinking about how my parents would react if they knew what happened in the Altamirano's mansion, they would probably scold me to death, and in the worst-case scenario, they would disown me. What I did was reckless and not like me at all. I’ve never done anything like that since. I was always the good daughter that the media adored. If I don’t confront Sebastian about what he did, I’m sure it won’t be the last time. His eyes were full of admiration and lust, I must say. The way his gaze lingered on me, and how they darkened whenever I wore provocative dresses—he clearly had something going on in his mind. I could feel his attraction to me, and I’ll admit I enjoyed it. The thing about infidelity is you don’t really feel the regret and guilt—because you enjoyed it. You enjoyed the thrill of not being caught. Unable to sleep, I decided to swim to clear my mind. It’s always been very effective at calming my nerves and