All Chapters of Heartstrings and Heartbreaks: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Oscar, I had my reasons for leaving back then. I can explain everything to you," Maya pleaded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to suppress the flood of emotion rising in her chest. "Can you just come with me, please?"She was trying—desperately—not to let it all end like this. Not after all these years. Not after growing up together, not after over a decade of feelings that had matured from innocent childhood affection into something deep, unwavering, and impossible to shake. Oscar had long become the one constant in her heart—the man she could never forget, no matter how hard she tried.She held on to one last flicker of hope, the faint idea that maybe—just maybe—Oscar would believe her. Just like he used to. But this time, his voice carried a trace of something new. Something cold. Something impatient."I'm not here to argue about the past," he said flatly. "And I'm not blaming you. But Diana is your sister. She's so weak now—couldn't you show just a little compa

Oscar was practically seething with rage. But with so many guests watching, it would be catastrophic to cause a scene. He swallowed it all down, barely.And right on cue, like a well-rehearsed drama, Diana played her part to perfection. "Maya, don't argue with Oscar anymore, okay? He's really been torn up about all this. While you were gone… he couldn't even sleep some nights because he missed you so much—""Enough," Oscar cut in sharply. He reached out to take her hand with a show of sudden tenderness, subtly signaling the emcee to continue the ceremony. "Let's just move on."Maya, standing a few feet away, saw right through him. She had known Oscar too long, too well—his tells were etched in her memory like lines in stone. He was angry. But unlike the past, she had no energy left to soothe him.Without another glance, she turned and walked out of the venue.Back at what used to be their shared residence, Maya sighed. Her father's health had been declining over the past few years

Maya furrowed her brows, just about to speak, when Charles got to the door before she could even make a sound."Who are you?" he asked casually.Standing there, face like thunder, was Oscar. The moment he saw a strange man answering the door, his expression darkened as if a storm had broken over his head."I'm Maya's boyfriend," Charles said smoothly. "Is there a problem?"Oscar froze for half a beat. Then his face turned the color of bad wine."Boyfriend?" he barked. "What nonsense is this? Maya, come out here and explain this to me right now!"Inside, Maya had heard every word. Of course, she had—Charles's declaration was clearly for her benefit. She stepped forward, her voice calm but warning, "Charles, don't mess around.""I'm not," he replied, turning his head to look at her, his eyes unwavering.Oscar was losing whatever composure he had left. "Maya, what is going on here? Explain it to me!"Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. How could she explain without making eit

By the time Maya and Charles arrived at the bar, a strange anxiety was already gnawing at Maya's chest.She hadn't wanted to come. She shouldn't have come. But Charles's earlier words had planted a seed of suspicion in her mind—what if he was right? What if Oscar was just faking the whole thing? Another calculated performance just to lure her in for a reunion?With a queasy breath, she stepped through the doorway of the private suite.And what greeted her wasn't the sight of a pitiful, drunken ex-lover—no. It was something else entirely.A woman's moan. Breathy, sultry, unmistakable.A muffled gasp.Then came the sound of bodies moving in a way that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.Maya went rigid.In that one second, all the blood drained from her face.She shoved open the door, and the scene lay itself bare—there was Oscar, pressing his entire body down against her half-sister. Oscar's lips locked with Diana's in a passionate, fevered kiss."...Maya..." Oscar's v

Charles had just stepped out of the bedroom. He gently shut the door behind him, careful not to wake the sleeping Maya inside.Maya had cried herself into a fragile slumber, curled up like a wounded kitten beneath the silk sheets. Her eyes, still rimmed red, had left wet streaks across the pristine pillowcase. Charles had sat by her side, watching her with a gaze full of tenderness and aching protectiveness.He had just risen, intending to head into the kitchen and make her some nourishing soup when his phone buzzed suddenly in his pocket.Charles frowned, pulling the phone out with a sigh. The name flashing across the screen made his brows knit tighter.Oscar.He answered the call curtly. "What?"There was irritation in his voice already, the kind that could make a grown man think twice. "Head-to-head? Like a competition? Compete in what?" he scoffed, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. "Sorry, but I don't have time for your pathetic ego trip. Get lost.""Charles, don't push i