Lahat ng Kabanata ng Love Lies and Deceit: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

* Julliane *Today, the Magnolia manor stood at its most magnificent, dressed in ivory silks, garlands of fresh magnolias, and hundreds of twinkling lights that would later dance like fireflies as the sun dipped below the horizon. The grounds were alive with the hum of conversation, the clinking of crystal, and the low murmur of anticipation from the crowd.Guests had come from every corner of the island, their chatter a mix of refined accents and local warmth. There were influential politicians in tailored suits, celebrities wrapped in shimmering fabrics that caught the sunlight, and family friends of the Dankworths whose names I had only just learned today. The sheer scale of it all was overwhelming, a world away from the quiet, simpler life I once knew, and yet... I felt at home, surrounded by faces both familiar and strange, all here to witness this moment.As I stepped onto the flower-strewn aisle, my heart swelled with a mix of joy and nerves. I felt the gentle, steady weight of

* Penny *I was laughing with Jason over his silly jokes, the kind that seemed funnier under the beautiful glow of the moonlight, when a sharp, deep voice broke through the crash of the waves behind us."Jason?! What are all of you doing here?"The suddenness of it cut through our laughter, leaving an uneasy silence in its wake. Jason and I turned, still seated on the soft, carpet-like sand, our heads tilting back to find the source of the voice.He stood a few feet away, a towering silhouette against the blood red moon, his broad shoulders backlit by the fading light. He looked like someone pulled from the pages of a glossy adventure magazine, tall and solid, his tight black T-shirt clinging to the lines of his chest, the muscles of his arms defined even in the dimming glow. His jeans, faded and snug, hung low on his hips, frayed at the edges where they met his bare, sand-dusted feet.My eyes traveled up the long line of his torso, taking in the sharp cut of his jaw, the dark scruff

* Alex Hamilton *My brows furrowed as I watched the people trickle out, their silhouettes fading into the mist of the late afternoon. The air was heavy with salt from the nearby sea, and a faint wind stirred the hem of my coat as I drew in a deep, calming breath. I needed that breath, steady and grounding. The death of my father, Alex Hamilton Sr., was not a surprise. He had been sick for years, slipping in and out of the hospital so often that it became a rhythm in our lives. Still, no amount of preparation can steel your heart for the finality of it.But death, no matter how painful, wasn't the worst of it.What truly made my stomach knot and my jaw clench was what came in its wake, the slow erosion of everything that bore our family name. The Hamilton lands, our sprawling ranch, the wide fields where I learned to ride, the beach where my mother once danced with my father under the moonlight, and even my secluded cabin nestled near the cliffs, were no longer ours. My father, in a d

* Penny *The first few weeks in the U.S. were a blur of newness. New school. New apartment. New people. New expectations.Darren and his wife, Lena, had done everything they could to make the transition easier. Lena even decorated my room in the apartment with soft pastels and string lights, trying to mimic Magnolia Manor's warmth. Darren cleared his schedule to drive me around campus before classes started and made a point to have dinner with me every night, even when he was bone-tired.They meant well. God, they really did. But no amount of kindness could fill the ache I carried like a shadow. I smiled at the right moments. Said thank you. Laughed when I was supposed to. But inside, it was like someone had pulled the plug, and all the color had drained from me.I missed everything. The scent of Jullie's garden. Lawrence's clingy hugs. Mark's terrible pranks. My big brother Lance's quiet, unreadable presence in the corner of a room. The way the sea could muffle everything when the w

* Penny *I arrived at the island just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden hue over the sea and the familiar coast. The air smelled of salt and distant flowers, a mix of nostalgia and freedom. But instead of heading straight for the Magnolia Manor, the place of my childhood and countless memories, I chose a different path this time. I checked into the most luxurious hotel on the island, a towering white structure nestled near the cliffs, with glass balconies that overlooked the endless blue of the ocean. At twenty years old, the trusts that my late father had set aside in my name were finally accessible to me. It felt surreal, this quiet inheritance, untouched for years, now laying itself bare at my feet like a red carpet. Alongside that, I also held a share in the company my older brother, Lance, managed with precision and control. If I really think about it, I don't need to work to support myself. Not now. Maybe not ever. The shipping cost of my sleek,