Verity Extra Chapter

Dahil lang kumain ako ng isa pang extra na paa ng manok kaysa sa kapatid kong lalaki, pinalayas ako ng tatay ko mula sa bahay sa gitna ng isang snowstorm. Noong tumagal, ang tatay ko na isang archeologist ay nahukay ang aking katawan. Dahil sa nawawalang ulo ko, hindi niya ako nakilala. Kahit na noong nakita niya ang katawan ay may parehong mga peklat na meron ako, wala siyang pakialam. Pagkatapos, ang nanay ko ay kinuha ang aking puso at pinakita ito sa kanyang mga estudyante. “Ngayong araw, pag aralan natin ang puso ng isang taong may congenital heart disease.” Minsan niyang sinabi na makikilala niya ako kahit na anuman ang itsura ko. Mama, ngayon at ang tanging natitira sa akin ay ang puso ko, nakikilala niyo pa rin ba ako?

Alina Lauraine Santiago is finally beginning a new chapter—college life in the city, away from the shadows of her painful past. But freedom doesn’t erase trauma, and the emotional scars of her father’s abuse and her family’s struggles still cling tightly. Determined to make it on her own, Alina juggles part-time jobs and photography gigs to support herself and help her siblings. Then she meets Harold—charming, kind, and seemingly perfect. But behind his smile lies a truth that leaves Alina shaken and betrayed. After a devastating encounter, she runs from everything. It’s only through the love of her best friends that she finds the strength to return to university and face the pieces of her broken life. That’s when Grayson enters the picture. They’ve crossed paths before, but never like this. A simple deal brings them together, and what starts as casual quickly turns into something more. But when Alina discovers she’s pregnant, fear and uncertainty force her to make an impossible decision: leave Grayson behind without telling him the truth. Years later, fate brings them back together—and Grayson still doesn’t know he’s a father. As they reconnect and old feelings resurface, Alina must confront the secret she’s kept for so long. When Grayson finally learns the truth, their fragile reunion is put to the ultimate test. Just as they begin to rebuild, a new threat rises from the past—one that could destroy everything they’ve fought to protect. Can love be made from pain and second chances? Or are some wounds too deep to ever truly heal?