Marcella Cortez Novels & Stories

“I brought this for you, Lady Lia. For your nausea” Marcel’s attention shifted immediately to me. “Are you okay?” “It’s nothing,” I said lightly. “Just a little off.” His brow furrowed. “Did something happen?” “No.” Kylie moved toward the door again, but Marcel stopped her. “Call for the healer.” He said, making my eyes widen in surprise. “Let her come here to check…” “That’s not necessary,” I said quickly, placing a hand on his arm. “I just need rest. It was a long day, and I just grew a little tired, I believe.”

Isabella and I parted to see Cortez standing with a female doctor. “We need to get Leonardo treated,” he said. The weary look in his eyes betrayed his frayed nerves beside his calm voice. The female doctor who was a 6'8 with blonde hair, finally stepped away from him and bowed her head towards us once. “Who's this?” I asked. Cortez introduced her. “Her name is Henrietta. She's...my friend and she can be trusted.” The slight hesitation in his voice did not go unnoticed but neither Isabella or I were in the mood to interrogate him about it. He seemed slightly disturbed by tonight's events so the last thing I wanted was to push him.

Steadily, the murmurs fade and when it completely hush, the defense attorney doesn’t waste time and assiduously adds, “Mackenzie Cortez was not a victim. She’s aware of what her mission really was. She proactively offered to be experimented on by The Manila Mafia in exchange for ten percent of the $10,000,000 Primo Javier received in his PayMe account. She went to The Manila Mafia’s whereabouts, so the gang’s Boss, known as Alessandro Ocampo, would pay Primo Javier. Once she got the confirmation from Primo Javier that the money was already transferred to his account, her next plan was to annihilate the entire Manila Mafia, but she didn’t do it. Why? Coz she fell in love with the mafia’s olde

I get up now, straighten my gown and grab my purse. "The minute I stepped in here, I could tell I was just prey to your lifestyle. And I'm just realizing that the more I try to convince you I'm just as human as you, the more you step on me. Well, let me just let you insult everything instead. My name is Marcella Jensen and yes, I am a dropout. No, I don't work as Kyle's manager for any of his businesses." I turn to stare pointedly at Kyle now, anger dripping out of every word.

Gods, I just don’t know what to do! But as of the moment, what I needed to focus on was how to survive the charity event without tossing myself into the limelight with my stunning but showy dress. As I said, Aunt Marcella hasn’t said anything to me, but now that I think about it, she had been acting weird since we rode to the charity ball—like matchmaking-mode weird. And I immediately understood why the moment she introduced me to Mr. Enrique Rafael DaisVita, the son of the owner of the DaisVita Corporation, a major benefactor of the charity, American Cancer Society.

Lucien Cortez will wish he was never born. LUCIEN’S POV I sat at the front of the church, tie perfectly knotted, cufflinks gleaming, heart cold as steel. The air buzzed with murmurs. She was late. Of course, she was. I should’ve expected it. The infamous Zara Moretti, known for crashing underground auctions, threatening politicians, and setting a rival’s mansion on fire just for fun. Now she was my bride. My punishment. This wasn’t a union. It was war wrapped in lace and forged by blood deals.

And suddenly every trace of tiredness in me vanished. Because the name beneath the photograph read: Carissa De Ville. The article continued below. Speculation surrounding a future engagement between Mario Incorporated CEO Marcello Hayes and socialite Carissa De Ville has continued to grow following their joint appearance at Saturday’s charity gala… I stopped reading, My heart had started beating faster. Slowly, I looked back at the photograph. At Marcello and then at the woman standing beside him. Carissa De Ville. The same surname. The same name that had followed me through bathroom conversations and executive meetings.

Was she stalking me? "You seem surprised, Mrs. West. That is River Cortez, Marcel's fiancee. You know, he just needed to move on..." the old man introduced, but I was dead to the words being said around me as I stared back at the woman whose gaze never left mine. Was this her new family? The new family she had asked us not to destroy? What role does she play here? She really doesn't look like a nanny or a maid. "Are you okay?" Marcel's hand came to my lower back, patting me slightly, and I nodded, bringing my attention back to him... no matter who she turns out to be, we were strangers.

“I know you still care about her. Maybe it’s time you stop sulking and start protecting her. The words rang a slap in my ears. He wasn't wrong. I ground my teeth. "What can I do for you?" Marcel went into his bag, and brought out a piece of paper folded. “This is the name of a person related to the witch. A student. Quiet. Always in the shadows. She has a grudge, or at least that’s what my source says.” I unfolded the note. Selena Graves. The name didn’t ring any bells. But something about it gave me a chill I couldn’t shake. I looked up. “Why tell me this and not Azaria?”

“New allegations suggest that powerful businessman Severiano Cortez may have been directly involved in the young woman’s tragic death.” My body went still. “What?” I whispered. The screen changed to a photograph. A young blonde woman smiled brightly at the camera. She was beautiful, with soft eyes. The reporter kept talking. “Sources claim that Lilith Wager had a strange and personal relationship with Mr Cortez shortly before her death, and people close to the situation believe her involvement with him led to the tragedy.” My chest felt cold, not because I didn't know about Lilith, but because going public with her death tied to Severiano meant trouble.