جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

MEANWHILE, Janus was still leaning against the hood of his car in the amusement park parking lot, burning with a rage so hot it made his split lip throb. He’d wanted to march back through those gates, grab Alas by the collar, and punch him over and over until his own knuckles split— but he’d held back. He couldn’t. Yna had finally looked at him without hatred in her eyes, had finally said the words he’d begged to hear for months: I forgive you. He wouldn’t throw that second chance away over one fight… but that didn’t mean he had to accept losing her. The drive back to Manila was a blur of rain lashing the windshield and wipers slapping a frantic rhythm. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, replaying the scene on loop: Yna’s arms around Alas’s neck, the way she’d laughed at something he’d whispered, the cold punch that had sent him stumbling back. He’d done everything right, hadn’t he? He’d returned the company, he’d apologized, he’d bowed his head and accepte

BRENDA knocked on the office door, and heard Alas call out for her to come in. She stepped inside and smiled brightly at him, acting as if nothing had happened between them. That was the part of her that bothered Alas most—she always pretended everything was fine, putting on a perfect act when she was anything but. “Good morning, Alas. It’s so nice to see you here.” Alas looked up from his work and gave her a polite, brief smile. “Good morning too.” “Are you very busy today?” she asked, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness. “Quite a bit, yes,” he said simply, nodding toward the towering stacks of papers on his desk. He’d been splitting his time between supervising the construction site and keeping watch over Yna, so work had piled up fast. “I need to talk to you about something—if you’ll let me.” “Of course. Please, sit down. Is there a problem? Is it important?” “Very important,” she said, grinning. “Though it’s not my problem, that’s for sure.” Alas frowned, waiting

THE familiar sound of Alas’s car horn made Yna’s heart leap with joy—he was finally home, and she wouldn’t be alone anymore. She hurried out of the cottage to meet him, and couldn’t help laughing when she saw him nearly bent double under the sheer amount of things he’d brought. “Why did you buy so much? Wait, let me help you carry some of those,” she said, stepping forward to lighten his load so they could get everything inside faster. Alas smiled and winked at her. “No, absolutely not. I’ll carry all of this myself. I don’t want you straining yourself. Just watch me, my Maria,” he said, winking again. “Hey, I can handle it,” she insisted gently. “I’ll only take the light ones. You know I’m not used to being fussed over—I’ve always been independent.” “Let me do this for you,” he said firmly, lifting the rest of the bags from the car with ease. Yna just smiled, her heart swelling. No one had ever cared for her this way before. Even though she’d always had everything provided for h

IT was barely six in the morning when Alas arrived at the Cortes mansion. Jonathan welcomed him warmly, and the two men chatted happily about the Malaya Village project. They were both so grateful to him—Yna was finally growing into a better, stronger version of herself. Alas then told them he planned to take Yna away for a while, to their family’s resort and ranch in Tagaytay. “Really? You’re taking her to Tagaytay?” Marie asked, her face lighting up with excitement. “Yes, Auntie. I want her to enjoy herself for once—we’ve both been working nonstop, and she deserves a break. It’s time to rest and recover from all the long, tiring days.” Jonathan smiled knowingly, and Marie noticed at once. “Honey? Why are you smiling like that? What are you thinking?” “I was just thinking… wouldn’t it be wonderful if you courted Yna while you’re there?” Jonathan turned to Alas, who didn’t look surprised at all—he’d already been planning exactly that. But he wanted to take things slowly. He didn’

YNA couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed, her mind swirling with endless “what ifs.” Even though she knew Alas loved her, doubt still lingered in her heart. She didn’t know if she should rejoice—now officially with the man she loved more than anything—or grieve the fact that he wasn’t the father of her child. How could she be certain he would love her baby too? What if he only wanted her, and couldn’t bring himself to care for the little one growing inside her? Alas returned with snacks for both of them, and was confused to find her crying. “Maria… what’s wrong? Is something wrong happened?” he asked, deeply worried. She didn’t answer, just kept weeping. He gently rubbed her back, his heart aching at the sight of her tears—he had no idea what had upset her so much. He turned her to face him. “Yna, please stop crying. Tell me what’s troubling you. Just earlier we were so happy… and now you look so terrified. I can’t bear seeing you like this. Please, talk to me.” “I can’t…” Her breat