ã€ŠMistaken by the Billionaire Marquessã€‹


 Ruined Vacation

    CHAPTER 1: Ruined Vacation

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    AS I LOST my posture and calmness, I started hitting the door so that I could escape.

    ¡°I said, stop the car!¡± I shouted from the top of my lungs.

    The driver, for the first time, turned to me and looked. ¡°Shut up, conniving woman. You¡¯re gonna pay for what you did to the family,¡± he said with a cold voice before turning his head to focus on the road.

    Confused and still panicking, I screamed, ¡°What the hell are you saying? Stop this goddamn car! Now!¡±

    Of course, he didn¡¯t stop the car. He pretended not to hear my screams.

    I continued hitting and kicking the door and the window with anything that I could use. I also started kicking the driver. I scratched his face, thinking that I can stop him from driving.

    How did everythinge down to this? I was just having my rxing time earlier.

    Rxing in a sandy shore under the gentle light of the sun made my body filled with contentment and joy. After months of drowning myself in her profiling job, I finally have a time to spend time with myself and temporarily cut the reality that I still have a lot of work to do after a month of vacation.

    I let out a relieved sigh and proceeded on drinking her fresh ca?a. Wondering my eyes around the ce, I can see a lot of people of different ages ying under the sun and sshing water from the beach.

    ¡°This is life. Running and ying in a beach, not investigating and talking to criminals inside an office,¡± I thought to myself.

    Although I might seem to hate my job, it¡¯s my passion. It¡¯s just there are a lot of times that my job can be draining and toxic that I ended up throwing hate words to it. However, in the end, I will still go back to her profiling job that I love the most.

    After some time of watching the other beachgoers, I suddenly felt like there is a pair of eyes looking at my. I can feel that someone is staring at me from afar. Being a person with a strong gut feeling and curiosity, I looked around to see where those eyes areing from.N?velDrama.Org content.

    From a distance, a set of eyes covered with sunsses caught my attention.

    It was a man. From the built of it, he seems to be in histe 20s or early 30s. He¡¯s tall, maybe a 6-footer. He has a tan skin and blond hair ¨C maybe also a tourist. His blue cargo shorts blended well to his body.

    And his biceps? Oh boy, I want to be headlocked with those.

    My eyes lingered on his half-naked body. He has the body of a model. Although I can¡¯t see his because of the sunsses he is wearing, the half part of his face that is uncovered is enough for me to say that he is a well good-looking man.

    I unconsciously licked my drying lips while staring at him.

    He¡¯s kind of far from where I am sitting. I smiled at him without being sure if he is really staring at me or I¡¯m just being delusional. My smile stayed for a few seconds. I thought he¡¯s going to smile back. However, he turned his back to me and started walking away.

    Before my eye left him, I saw him pulled his phone from his pocket and called someone.

    Disappointed, I stood up and get my things. Maybe it will be better for me to go home now.

    I put on my oversized maroon shirt and my leather shorts. While finishing my drink, I started walking away from the shore, with the unknown hot man still upying my mind.

    ¡°13. 75¡¯s the total, miss,¡± the cashier told me after scanning all of the items that I bought. While getting my purse, I felt like someone stood behind me. I didn¡¯t mind it at first. However, after giving my payment to the cashier, I felt like the person behind me was staring at me.

    I looked at my back, and to my shock, it was the hot man at the beach a while ago!

    Now that he¡¯s much closer, I can see a lot of details in this body. His clean face, maybe a newly shaved one, is perfect. He has a sharp jaw and a pointed nose. Like earlier, he is still wearing sunsses and I can¡¯t take a good look of his eye. I wonder what color they are.

    My eyes dropped down to his body. I was disappointed when I saw that he was not half-naked like before. If ever, I was thinking of taking a closer look of his well-defined abs, and maybe touch them, if he permits. His biceps are bulging from the sleeves of his shirt. They look hot and delicious, like they¡¯re asking me to taste them and¨C

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, here¡¯s your change.¡±

    The voice of the female cashier turned me back to reality. I was almost fantasizing this man over here that I forgot about what I was doing. Oh, God. Am I whipped?

    I extended my arm to the cashier to get my change and receipt. After that, I carried the eco-bag with my things in it.

    For thest time, I looked at the man and smiled at him. I think this will be thest time I will saw him. Spain is a somehow a huge country. Finding him alone here will be difficult. What more if he is also a tourist? The chance of meeting him again goes down to less than 5%.

    I want him to at least smile back at me. I¡¯m sure it will make my day, and the next days that wille.

    But, like earlier, his face didn¡¯t even move an inch.

    My heart dropped at the fact that I won¡¯t be able to see him again, and here we are, not having a decent interaction.

    Pouting, I stopped for a taxi to reach the hotel where I¡¯m currently staying. My bad mood was evident on my face. I¡¯m sure that the taxi driver was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows because my eyebrows are furrowed, too.

    ¡°Where are we going, Se?ora?¡± the driver asked me with a hint of irritation in his voice. His tone added to the bad mood I am feeling today. Can he just ask me nicely and not irritate me more?

    I answered the driver without looking at him. My eyes are looking outside of the taxi. My mind is still thinking about the man I like that doesn¡¯t even smile back at me.

    How hard is it for him to smile back? If smiling is expensive, I will not wonder why he didn¡¯t smile back, but smiling is free!

    At the back of my mind, I¡¯m wishing that destiny will give me another chance to meet him. I will make sure that I will make the most out of that interaction.

    I sighed and looked at the buildings we passed while travelling back to the hotel. However, after some minutes of looking outside, I noticed that the buildings outside are different from what I am usually seeing when I travel from the store to hotel.

    This is a different route!

    Panicking, I turned my face to the taxi drive and asked, ¡°This is a different route, se?or.¡±

    The driver is still looking at the road. He didn¡¯t even bother to look at me from the rearview mirror. ¡°This is the shorter route, Se?ora,¡± he said in a monotone voice.

    Annoyed, I answered him. ¡°I don¡¯t want the shorter route. Drive back now to the normal route to the hotel,¡± I demanded.

    Instead of driving back to the usual route, the driver sped up the taxi. The eleration was so sudden that my back hit the seat at huge force. My panic rose and I started screaming at him.

    ¡°Slow down! You¡¯re gonna get us killed! Just stop this car and I will book another taxi!¡± I shouted, my panic being evident on every word I said.

    The driver is still silent. As I lost my posture and calmness, I started hitting the door so that I could go out.

    ¡°I said, stop the car!¡± I shouted from the top of my lungs.

    The driver, for the first time, turned to me and looked. ¡°Shut up, conniving woman. You¡¯re gonna pay for what you did to the family,¡± he said with a cold voice.

    Confused and still panicking, I screamed, ¡°What the hell are you saying? Stop this goddamn car! Now!¡±

    Of course, he didn¡¯t stop the car. I continued hitting and kicking the door and the window with anything that I could use. I also started kicking the driver. I scratched his face, thinking that I can stop him from driving.

    The driver hurriedly used one of his hands to block my hands. My left hand reached for eyes and I tried to pierce them, while my right hand reach for the steering wheel.

    Forcing myself to control the car, I kicked his crotch. However, the kick was unsessful that my foot ended up striking his belly.

    The driver lost his grip on the steering wheel. I grabbed that opportunity to control the car and make a u-turn while using my elbow to strike his face.

    When I sessfully ced the car on the opposite route, I clicked on auto-pilot and punched the face of the driver while trying to find the button to unlock the door.

    ¡°Damn you!¡± he eximed before covering my mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

    Chloroform!

    Before he could cover everything, I opened my mouth and bit his hand.

    He screamed because of pain. I clicked a certain button while kicking the door of the driver¡¯s seat.

    Seeing the light, I hurriedly ran, not minding the ocean of cars driving in my surroundings.

    On my way to reach the other side of the rode, I felt a hard thing hit my neck and arm. Then, everything went ck.

    My whole body is aching, especially my neck. I can¡¯t open my eyes fully. The light hurts my eyes that I have to keep it close. I tried moving my arms, and then my legs. Thankfully, I can still move.

    After some minutes of trying to open my eyes, I finally was able to see the whole ce I¡¯m in.

    It was a ce new to me ¨C very unfamiliar. The elegant structure of the walls screams wealth. The whole room is huge, and I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s much bigger that my whole house back in my country.

    Even if it is difficult, I managed to stand up. The bed where I was lying earlier is also huge, probably a king size one. The whole room is in neutral colors, mostly ck and white. I walked towards therge drawer and opened it. Surprisingly, there¡¯s nothing inside. It is as if no one is using this room.

    While looking around the room, I suddenly realized that I don¡¯t know where I am right now. I rushed to the door, tried to open it. However, it was locked from the outside. I tried kicking it, thinking that I might be able to destroy it. But knowing the structure of this room, I¡¯m sure that this door is made from a dense and strong material that kicking it with force for multiple times will not do any damage.

    Next, I rushed to the window I saw on the other side of the room. I looked down, thinking that I can escape if I will try to jump down.

    My blood almost stopped circting when I saw how high I am from the ground. Just imagining me jumping from that height makes my whole body hurts. I can already feel how broken my bones will be once I did that.

    I shook my head at the thought. I might be able to escape this room if I will jump, but I¡¯m sure that I will die immediately when I reached the ground.

    I was about to close the window when I heard a clicking sound. I looked at my back and I saw the door slowly opening.

    My hands flew to my mouth when I saw who entered the room.

    ¡°So, my conniving ex-girlfriend is already awake,¡± a deep baritone sound scattered across the whole room.

    My eyes widened when I realized who this person is. It was the man from the beach earlier!

    ¡°Who are you? Why am I here? This kidnapping! I can sue you for this!¡± I shouted at him.

    ¡°Besides, what ex-girlfriend? I don¡¯t even know who you are!¡± I added. I am very upset at him. He kidnapped me, and now, he is saying that I am his ex-girlfriend. Is he insane?

    ¡°Now, you¡¯re denying that you were my ex-girlfriend. Why? Feeling pure just because you married another rich guy?¡± he asked, making me more confused.

    He was not my ex-boyfriend. I didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend in my whole life! I don¡¯t have a husband!

    And I am not feeling pure! I. AM. PURE!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still deny that fact,¡± he said and threw a frame to me.

    My eyes widened when I saw the picture in the frame. In the picture, there was a guy ¨C the man in front of me. But, there was ady beside him. She is wearing an elegant ck dress that I¡¯m sure I will not wear in my whole life.

    And¡­ thisdy. She looks like me!

 Compare

    CHAPTER 2: Compare

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    My eyes were stuck on the photo that the man is holding. I can¡¯t believe it! She really looks like me!

    We have the same eye shape and eye color, both eyes are rounded and ck. We have the same small nose and lips. If I was a different person, I will really think that this woman in the photo is me, or a twin.

    Wait¡­ do I have a twin?

    I shook my head at that thought. That¡¯s not impossible. I don¡¯t know who my parents are. Thisdy might be my twin, without me knowing.

    Thinking that I have a twin, I might meet my true family!

    I want tough at myself because of that thought. Happenings in real life isn¡¯t the same as the happenings in the movie. This man might be making fun of me. Thedy might be a photoshopped one. I might not have a twin.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Let me see this,¡± I said as I grabbed the photo from the bed.

    I tried to look for the ws in the picture. There has to be something here that isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m sure I can find something from this photo that can be an evidence that it is not me.

    I can almost kiss the photo because it is so near to my face. I want to see every little detail that this woman has in the photo.

    I looked at the man in front of me. He is staring at me, with his bloodshot eyes. It looks like he is going to hurt or kill me in any second.

    If this man is the ex-boyfriend of the woman in this picture, that looks like me, why is he so mad? Did this woman do a lot of bad things to this man?

    I want to pity him; however, he is currently thinking that I am his ex-girlfriend, which is not true. I¡¯m sure that he is ready to catch me if ever I will do something bad or wrong, and use it against me. From the looks of his face, I can say that he has his guards up.

    ¡°Do you have any other photos of this woman? The more, the better,¡± I asked him, hiding the nervousness because I am now starting to feel scared of him.

    He smirked at me, as if I said something funny. ¡°Why do you more of those? Isn¡¯t that picture enough to say that you are really that woman?¡±

    ¡°Or you just using it to buy more time to find a better excuse and lie?¡± he added. He is spitting those words as if those are insults.

    I raised my left eyebrow at his question. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Whoever You Are. I¡¯m not asking for more photos just so I can find an excuse.¡±

    I crossed my arms and continue speaking. ¡°I want more photos because I think you¡¯re insane, and this picture is edited. Besides, why would I need think for excuse and lie? I don¡¯t need to lie, because I already told you that I am not your ex-girlfriend. Meaning, I am not this woman in the picture.¡±

    He spat out an insultingugh. Heughs like I am saying the most insane thing in the world, even if he is really the one insane between the two of us.

    He raised his two hands like he wants to surrender. ¡°Okay, okay. I can¡¯t believe you will get to this point just so you can run away from your crimes,¡± he said that made me raise my eyebrow more. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get more pictures. More pictures than you can imagine.¡±

    He walked towards the door. I ran towards him because I want to go out. But he is fast. He sessfully locked me at the room, again, before I can even reach the door.

    I hissed at him because of annoyance.

    Waiting for him toeback from getting the pictures I wanted is so boring, and it increases my anxiety. I walked back and forth from the door to the window while waiting for him and thinking about who the hell is the woman on the photo, and why that woman looks like me.

    I am 100% sure that I am not that woman. It¡¯s impossible. I haven¡¯t met that man in my life. I didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, or a fling, or a husband.

    Base on the photo that the man showed to me earlier, the photo was taken in za de Reina. That is located in Valencia, here in Spain. I haven¡¯t been to Spain. This is my first time to visit this country, so if this is the case, I can say that I am not that woman.

    Also, the picture has a date and time on it. It was taken on November 2023. What was I doing during that date?

    I tried to squeeze my brain, thinking back to what was happening on my life on November 2020.

    November 2020. I was in my senior year in college. I¡¯m sure that during that month, I¡¯m finishing our thesis. Why would I be in Spain, travelling and feeling happy with my ¡°boyfriend¡± if I have a thesis to finish? Also, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m currently on my on-the-job-training at the time. I can remember myself breaking down every night because I have a lot of school requirements to do and thepany that I am working for my OJT doesn¡¯t even follow the work hours given to us!

    I want to curse that woman if she is just in front of me. p her and pin her face to the ground because I am in this mess because of her!

    I was in the middle of being angry at the woman when the door suddenly opened. The man entered with a worn-out book in his hand. He handed it to me. When I already touched the book, he suddenly removed his hand like I have a contagious disease and he doesn¡¯t want to be infected.

    ¡°Open that book and see if you can still deny your identity,¡± he said as he sat on the one-man sofa beside the bed.

    I stared at the book for a long time. It looks old. No¡­ not old, rather, it looks like someone destroyed it and left it in a dirty ce for a long time.

    ¡°Why does it look like this?¡± I asked while flipping through the pages.

    ¡°I already asked the maid to throw that out and burn that together with the other photo albums,¡± he answered with a bored voice.

    Although I want to ask him why this is still in his possession and not burned like the others, I can¡¯t open my mouth to speak. The more I flip through the pages, the more confuse I got. Every photo of the woman is the same; she still looks like me. Even if the photo was taken in a different angle, it still looks like me.

    ¡°You¡¯re quiet. Can¡¯t find an excuse to say?¡± the man asked when he noticed that I have been quiet for some minutes.

    I didn¡¯t answer him, rather, my mind was busy on looking for the very small differences me and that woman has.

    After a couple of minutes, I looked at the man.

    Although this woman looks like me, we still have differences that a normal person cannot see if he will not observe properly.

    ¡°This woman is not me. I am not your ex-girlfriend,¡± I said firmly and threw the book to his face.

    Maybe he has fast reflexes because he was able to catch the album before itnded on his face. Now, he looks more furious than before.

    ¡°Really, Dennise?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows when I heard a name I have never heard before. ¡°Denying the truth even if it¡¯s already in front of your eyes? Did your head hurt somewhere that you forgot who you are?¡±

    I walked closer to him and look at his eyes with full determination.

    ¡°My name is not Dennise. Don¡¯t call me that name. I can tell you a lot of things that will prove that I am not that ex-girlfriend of yours,¡± I told him, starting to get irritated.

    He spat out anotherugh even if his eyes are bloodshot. ¡°Go on. Tell me more of your lies.¡±

    ¡®That woman, in every angle, doesn¡¯t have a mole under her right eye,¡± I told him. I point the mole under my right eye and continue talking, ¡°I have one here. Come and scratch it if you think this is fake.¡±

    ¡°A single mole is not enough to te-¡°, I cut off his word.

    ¡°Shh. I¡¯m not done,¡± I told him. I pout my lips, as if I am going to kiss him, making him move back a little.

    ¡°I also have a mole on my upper lips. Again, you can scratch it if you think it is fake,¡± I challenged him. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure you know how that Dennise¡¯s lips looks like. I¡¯m sure you had kissed her a lot of times and you will know that she doesn¡¯t have a mole on her lips.¡±

    He was quiet for some moment, staring at my lips. I continue saying more proofs.

    ¡°That woman, although her hair was curly like mine, it is not as frizzy as my hair. Her canine teeth are not as sharp as mine,¡± I said as I showed him my canine teeth.

    He was about to answer me when we heard a knock on the door. He threw the album on the bed and he walked towards the door. When he opened it, a woman wearing a maid outfit greet us.

    ¡°Don, se?or y se?ora estan aqui. Te estan buscando,¡± the maid told the man. I can understand a little Spanish, but not this one!

    ¡°Bueno. Los conocere,¡± the man replied. All I understand on what he said is ¡°well¡±.

    As the maid left, the man looked back at me. His eyes are still bloodshot as ever, with another emotion that I can¡¯t figure out.

    ¡°My parents are already here. You don¡¯t know what they can do to you. So, if you still love your life, better tell the truth, and tell them where the ne is,¡± he said before leaving and locking me alone in the room.

    I was stunned at his word. He said that I don¡¯t know what they can do to me. Why does that sound like a threat?

    I can¡¯t just wait here for him to return. I¡¯m sure that when hees back, his parents will be here. God knows what will happen to me!

    I need to escape!

    I looked around, again, looking for a way out. I can¡¯t use the door. Even if I¡¯m able to leave the room by the door, I can¡¯t leave immediately because I don¡¯t know the way out of the house.

    I ran towards the window I saw earlier.

    Gulping, my mind is saying that I should jump down so that I can escape. However, there was a small voice inside of me saying that I will get hurt I do that.

    But I will still get hurt even if I don¡¯t jump right? Those people¡­ They will not believe any word I will say even if I have physical proofs that I am not that Dennise. I¡¯m sure they will hurt me, or worse, torture me just so I can tell them the truth that they want to hear, which is not the truth for me.

    I took a deep breath. I will escape this ce no matter what. I will escape even if that means I will break my leg. From the look of that man, I¡¯m sure that his threats earlier are not bluffs.

    As I close my eyes, I can feel my body falling from a great height. When I finally hit something hard, I whole body felt like it¡¯s been electrocuted.

    When I open my eyes, I felt a strong pain on my legs. It hurts so much that even if I want to scream, I can¡¯t do it. The pain was overtaking all of my energy that I don¡¯t have a voice to shout anymore.

    Damn! This is the highest one I¡¯ve jump! I never did this in our operations!

    Touching my leg and my back that also hurts, I tried standing up. Fortunately, I was able to do it. I can walk, but every time I will move it, the pain became worse that I have to stop.

    As I walk towards the small wall, I heard footstepsing to my way. Panicking, I rushed towards the wall I¡¯m sure I can climb. Every step I make adds to the pain my body is feeling.

    I don¡¯t know why, but the footsteps I can hear are so loud even if I can see them. Did I damage my eardrums when I jump?

    When I reach the wall, I started jumping up and down while trying to reach the top of it. Every jump is like a torture to my whole body, adding to the pain I am already experiencing.

    Finally, I was able to reach the top of the wall after several attempts. I pushed my body to the top even if the gravity and the pain was taking over my whole body. When I can already see the road, I jumped down, giving another electric feeling to my backbone. I felt like I touched something grounded.

    When my feet finallynded on the road, I continue running towards a direction I don¡¯t know where will lead me to.

    I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going. All I know is I have to leave and be away from that ce as soon as possible.

 Alike

    CHAPTER 3: Alike

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    Fast moving cars in the road greeted me after minutes of running. I don¡¯t even need a mirror to say that I look like trash. I can feel the eyes of the people walking pass me; maybe they find it weird that I am soaking in my sweat and that my clothes are full of dirt, or they are worried because it looks like something bad happened to me, which is the case.

    I waved my hand to stop for a taxi. After I entered the car, I told the driver to stop at my hotel. The driver was looking at me like he wants to ask a question. However, after moments of staring at me, he decided to shut his mouth and started driving.

    I wish that this time, this is a true taxi.

    My feet felt numb, maybe because I just ran for a couple of minutes, thinking that someone is chasing me. My knee, which hurts a lot earlier, felt fine. I thought my knee joints dislocated when I jumped earlier.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m still alive after jumping suchrge height. It¡¯s an additional for my experiences.

    Iugh at that thought. I can¡¯t really believe that I forced myself to do that. I can¡¯t even jump from the top of five stairs to the bottom, yet I jumped from what I think is the 2nd floor of that house.

    The driver looked at me from the rearview mirror with a confuse face. It looks like he is thinking that I am insane because I wasughing alone, even when there¡¯s nothing funny going on.

    I coughed a little to ease the awkwardness inside the taxi and just focused my eyes on the road. Thankfully, the driver was going for the usual route to my hotel. I let out a sigh of relief when my eyes finally see the hotel I am currently staying.

    The driver stopped the taxi. He looked back at me and said, ¡°13 euros, do?a.¡±

    I touched the side of my pants, looking for my purse. I was stunned when I didn¡¯t feel anything. My wallet is missing!

    The driver coughed a little bit. I looked back at him and gave him an awkward smile. I signaled him to wait.

    Damn it! That man must have stolen my wallet!

    I also realized that the things I have bought earlier are also not with me. Even my sling bag that has my umbre and handkerchief is missing!

    Fortunately, I always have spare money hidden on my scrunchie.

    ¡°Do you have scissors?¡± I asked the driver while I removed my scrunchie on my hair.

    The driver looked at me confused. He didn¡¯t understand what I said, but I don¡¯t know how to say that question in Spanish!

    Instead of answering verbally, I posed my fingers in to a ¡°peace¡± sign and moved the two fingers away and towards each other, like how a scissor works.

    ¡°Aah,¡± the driver nodded, signaling that he understood what I meant. ¡°Si,¡± he replied.

    He opened a smallpartment beside him and got the scissors that I need. He handed it to me. I grabbed it from him and cut a small hole in my scrunchie. I need to have another scrunchie for my money, or maybe I can just stitch this.

    When I got the money and paid him, I left the taxi and hurriedly run towards the hotel. I entered the elevator and picked my floor.

    I sighed heavily. I can¡¯t believe about what happened today. There was this guy who ims that I am his ex-girlfriend, and there was thisdy who looks like me!

    I closed my eyes and take several deep breaths. In the back of my mind, something was telling me that I needed to go to the hospital and have my self checked by doctors. However, another one was telling me that I¡¯m okay because I can¡¯t feel anything wrong with my body. I chose thetter.

    I heard a ¡®ding!¡± and I left the elevator. I walked fast towards my hotel room. I can feel that my body wants me to rest as soon as possible, and I need my soft bed to befortable.

    When I input the code, I locked it and jumped to my bed. So cozy.

    I can feel my body gettingfortable to the warmth that the bed gives to me. However, I can¡¯t sleep. I tried closing my eyes and counting sheep, but nothing is working.

    Laying on the bed, I nced at the table beside me and I saw my phone. Maybe I just need someone to talk to.

    I opened my messenger and I saw that there were a lot of missed calls. Some were from my friends back in my country, while most of them came from my best friend, Althea.

    I clicked the option ¡°video call¡± and waited for her to respond.

    ¡°Ba!¡± she shouted as she answered my call. ¡°Kanina pa kita tinatawagan!¡± (I¡¯ve been calling you since earlier!)

    ¡°Hi, Althea!¡± I greeted her. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to answer your calls. Something happened earlier.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like something really happened. Ang chaka ng mukha mo, girl!¡± (You look messed up, girl!)

    Fromying, I sit on my bed and rest my back on the headboard. ¡°You won¡¯t believe what I¡¯ve gone through today. Para akong mabababaliw.¡± (I feel like I¡¯m going insane.)

    I told Althea about everything that happened. From the man I saw in the beach, to the taxi driver who kidnapped me, to the woman who look exactly like me, to how I escape that house. I didn¡¯t miss any information. I gave her every little detail that I can remember.

    ¡°Oh my goodness! Is that legit?¡± she asked. Her jaw dropped every time I gave her another information about my happened.

    ¡°Yes! Even me, I can¡¯t even believe it!¡± I answered her.

    ¡°You know, I read an article before that a person has seven look-alikes in the world. But not to the point that they really look alike!¡± she added while she wipes her forehead.

    I replied to her. ¡°If you see her photo, you will really think that that girl is me. I swear. I even got chills when I first saw it.¡±

    I opened myptop. I tried searching for that Dennise online. However, I only have her first name. It will be difficult, and it will take a lot of time for me to find her. I even tried uploading my own photo in Google Images, hoping that one link that can lead me to Dennise will pop up. But after minutes of searching, every link always leads to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to say about this, ha? But do you remember the photo that Yvette sent on our GC when they went to Tarragona?¡± she asked.

    I stopped at her question. I do remember that Yvette, one of our friends, went to Tarragonast year. She sent us a lot of photos from her vacation that I can¡¯t pinpoint what photo Althea is talking about.

    ¡°What photo?¡± I asked her.

    Althea wrinkled her nose. ¡°Ulyanin ka na!¡± (You¡¯re forgetful!)

    ¡°Open our GC. The one named sinigang na fries, then search the word Tarragona in the conversation. Yvette sent a picture of a woman who looks like you! Don¡¯t you remember? Or you weren¡¯t able to read her message?¡± she added.

    I immediately opened the group chat and searched for the conversation Althea is talking about. I can¡¯t remember Yvette sending a photo like that, so I must have skipped that part when reading messages.

    After some moments of backreading in our group¡¯s conversation, I finally saw the picture.

    My jaw dropped. I was the woman named Dennise in the photo. He is still with a man in the photo. However, this time, it was a different man. The man looks way older than Dennise. They were outside a Gi shop. Dennise was carrying her purse while the man was just standing beside her. There are also men in suits, which looks like their bodyguards, carrying several paper bags from different luxury brands.

    ¡°Did you already find it? The man looks old, right?¡± Althea asked. ¡°Mukhang sugar daddy ni ate girl ¡®yan.¡± (He looks like thedy¡¯s sugar daddy.)

    ¡°Yeah,¡± that¡¯s all that I can say since I was busy reading the messages.

    *Yvette sent a photo*

    Yvette: Mahal @Maria Mahalia, nandito ka p sa Spain, ¡®di ka manng nagsabi. (You didn¡¯t even tell me you¡¯re in Spain.)

    Jhoan: Si Lia ba ¡®yan? E¡¯di ba naghohost siya ng workshop ngayon? (Is that Lia? I thought she was hosting a workshop right now?)

    Jerome: Parang hindi naman si Lia ¡®yan. Baka kamukhang. (I think that¡¯s not Lia. Maybe just a look-alike.)

    Celsi: Gaga @Yvette. Kasama ko ngayon si Lia. Nasa Tagaytay kami ngayon for workshop. (Stupid @Yvette. I¡¯m with Lia right now. We¡¯re in Tagaytay for the workshop.)

    Yvette: H, hindi nga si Mahal. Tinawag na Dennise ¡®yung babae, eh. (Oh, it¡¯s not really Mahal [Lia]. Someone called thedy by the name Dennise.)

    Celsi: Gurang na ¡®yunglaki HAHAHAHA. Mukhang sugar daddeh. (The man looks so old HAHAHAHA. He looks like a sugar daddy.)

    Jhoan: Swerte ni ate girl, may taga-bayad ng luho. (Girl¡¯s so lucky, she has someone to pay for her luxuries.)

    Yvette: Nakakairita naman ¡®yung boses nung Dennise. Parang naipit na itik HAHAHA. (That Dennise¡¯s voice is so irritating. It sounds like a squashed duck.)

    Jerome: Ang weird, parang si Lia tga ¡®yung babae. (It¡¯s weird, thedy really looks like Lia.)

    More messages went on after that. Yvette also sent a video of Dennise and the other man walking towards a car.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    If I can find who that man is, I¡¯m sure that I can also find that Dennise. I need to talk to Yvette about it. Maybe, she can also help me with this problem. Her family has lots of connection in Spain. I¡¯m sure they can find information about the old man or Dennise.

    I have a lot of questions. First, why does that Dennise looks like me? Second, why does that man is so eager to find Dennise? Lastly, why does that man is so angry at his ex-girlfriend?

 Chase

    CHAPTER 4: Chase

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    After I cut the call with Althea, I put my attention back to myptop and continued on searching more about that Dennise.

    Almost all of the pictures in the inte that has my photo link to my social media ounts or to my friends¡¯. There are some photos that I know weren¡¯t took here in the Philippines, but those photos have no link to go to.

    I saw some pictures of me in front of the Eiffel Tower. There was also another one took at the Venice Grand Canal in Italy. There is also a photo of me inside a bar. But there was one photo that caught my attention.

    It was Dennise and the man who kidnapped me, her ex-boyfriend. They are inside a fine dining restaurant. Both of them are smiling happily and the man was holding Dennise¡¯s hand.

    If they are this happy before, I wonder what kind of thing happened to them for that man to be so angry at Dennise. Just one look at the photo and I can say that he is very in love with her, if not in love, then whipped. That kind of love is difficult to surpass, or change in the future.

    I closed my eyes. Suddenly, the view of that man earlier went back to my mind. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked at me earlier like I was some kind of criminal who killed lots of people.

    I¡¯m sure that something bad happened that made him look at Dennise that way.

    I grabbed my phone and checked if Yvette is online on her ount. However, she has no activity status listed. I sent her a message.

    Me: Hi, Yvette! I want to have a video call with you if you¡¯re avable. Hindi ko kasi ¡®to madidiscuss through chat eh. Very important matter kasi. Thank you! (I can¡¯t discuss it through chat. It is a very important matter.)

    I ced my phone back in the table and continue on searching more photos of Dennise. Like earlier, every photo of her does not have a link or ount to go to. Every time I click the link of the photo, an ¡°unavable¡± or ¡°removed¡± text pops up.

    Scrolling in myptop, I already reached the bottom of the page but I still haven¡¯t got any leads about her.

    I let out a loud sighed. I didn¡¯t think that finding information about her will be this difficult.

    Perhaps, thatdy is really good at hiding. If the man earlier wasn¡¯t able to find her, I don¡¯t think I can do it. Besides, the old man with her in the photo Yvette sent to the group chat looks like someone who you will not choose to mess with. I¡¯m sure that old man is protecting her.

    My deep thoughts were interrupted when I heard that someone is calling me on my phone. I grabbed it and saw Yvette¡¯s name on the screen. I immediately clicked answer.

    ¡°Hi, Yvette!¡± I greeted her.

    Yvette smiled at me. ¡°Hi, Mahal! It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m sorry, hindi ko agad nakita ¡®yung chat mo. I was busy decluttering my room.¡± (I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to see your chat.)

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just have a question,¡± I said while putting my earphones and connecting it to my phone. ¡°Nag-usap kami ni Althea kanina. She told me about the photo you sent to the GC when you were in Tarragona. (I talked to Althea earlier.)

    Her mouth formed an ¡°o¡± shape. ¡°Oh, what photo is that though? Nakalimutan ko na kasi ang dami kong si-nend nun.¡± (I forgot what it is since I sent a lot of photos.)

    We both chuckled at what she said. Yvette really loves taking photos wherever she go.

    ¡°The photo of thedy who looks like me. Do you remember that?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Of course!¡± she responded. ¡°I can¡¯t forget that. I still get chills whenever I remember that woman.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Why do you get such chills?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just so weird that you two are look-alike. I almost approached, thinking she was you,¡± she said while raising her eyebrows as if she was telling a horror story.

    ¡°Thank, God. I didn¡¯t approach her. She¡¯s such a bitch,¡± she added that made me raise my eyebrows, too.

    ¡°How can you say that? Did she do something to you?¡±

    I am very curious why Yvette told me that Dennise is a ¡®bitch¡¯. My friend is not the type of person who will describe someone like that, unless they¡¯re a real bitch.

    ¡°Oh my goodness! Hindi mo m kung gaano ka-basura ang ugali niya. I didn¡¯t even have a direct interaction with her but her actions towards other people say a lot about her real colors.¡± (You don¡¯t know how trash her attitude is.)

    She started telling me about what happened on that day.

    ¡°My family and I were just walking inside the mall when I saw this woman who looks like you,¡± she started. ¡°Actually, it was not me who first noticed her but my mom. My mom said ¡®oh, is that Lia?¡¯ And I looked on the woman she was pointing to, then I saw you!¡± she pointed her whole hand at me as if we were talking face to face.

    ¡°I took a picture, sent it to the group chat, and I was already walking towards you when this woman suddenly shouted ¡®Idiota!¡¯. You can¡¯t imagine how shock I am when I heard thating from you,¡± Yvette moved her head sideways.

    ¡°I know what ¡®idiota¡¯ means, and from our years of friendship, I haven¡¯t heard you say that,¡± she moves her pointing fingers sideways as if she was saying ¡®no¡¯. ¡°Not even a single time.¡±

    She continued moving her pointing fingers, this time, her head followed the movement of her hand. ¡°So I said, nah-ah. This isn¡¯t Lia. And I backed off.¡±

    ¡°I even saw her hit a child just because the child is running, and it bumped into her.¡±

    My eyes almost left their eyeballs when I heard that. She hit a child?

    ¡°You heard it right, girl! Not only that, when she left the store, she just ¡®woosh¡¯ like throw those paper bags to her bodyguards and get angry when they weren¡¯t able to catch it,¡± her hands were doing certain actions.

    She continued speaking. ¡°I was like, girl? If you don¡¯t want your things fell on the floor, then hand it to your bodyguard properly!¡± she is pping her hands loudly while saying those words.

    My jaw is still dropped as I listened to her. ¡°Oh, my god. I didn¡¯t expect to hear that.¡± I was actually loss for words.

    ¡°The old man beside her is just as bitch as well!¡± She is still not finished telling the story.

    Yvette made her eyes bigger. ¡°He also treated their bodyguards like shit, and I mean, like a damn shit creature! Bagay sng dwa. Parehong anak ni Satanas.¡± (They reallyplement each other. Both are children of Satan.)

    ¡°Did you hear the name of the man?¡± I asked her.

    Maybe, I can get leads if I know the name of the man. I¡¯m sure that there will be information about him and Dennise somewhere. I just need to find it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but is it Sandro? Mando?¡± she said. She started flicking her fingers repeatedly, which signals that she is thinking of something.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Aha!¡± she suddenly eximed. ¡°Alejandro! The man¡¯s named Alejandro!¡±

    I wrote the name Alejandro under the name of Dennise in my notebook. ¡°Do you know his full name?¡± This sound like a dumb question.

    ¡°I just listened to them from afar. I didn¡¯t hear anyone call him by his full name,¡± she answered.

    I nodded at her and wrote series of nks in the page.

    ¡°Why did you ask about it, by the way? It¡¯s been a year since they vacation,¡± she asked me. Knowing Yvette, she will not end this call without knowing why I am curious about that after a year.

    ¡°Something happened today and I think that those two people are the reason why,¡± I told her.

    Yvette moved closer to her phone and squinted her eyes. I started telling her about what happened to me. Every word I said, her mouth opens wider than before.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane! You don¡¯t even have an ex-boyfriend!¡± she eximed.

    ¡°Right? That¡¯s what I told him, but he didn¡¯t believe me! He said I was just making things up so I can run away from the bad thing I did, which I never did!¡±

    Yvette sighed. ¡°I will try to ask my Abuelo and Abu and if they know something about the old man. But I don¡¯t think I can get information about, what was her name again? Dennise?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The fact that my grandparents knew about you and didn¡¯t tell me a thing about a woman who looks like you, means that they don¡¯t know that Dennise exists. That woman must have been living a life away from media and other people to be hidden like that,¡± she exined to me.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. It will still help me a lot if I can get information about the old man. I can find something about him that can lead me to Dennise.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will inform you as soon as I got answers from my grandparents. I will also try to ask some of my friends¡¯ parents in Spain,¡± she assured me.

    I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you, Yvette.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    The call ended after some minutes of catching up with each other. I stretched my back and was about toy down again when I heard a knock on the door.

    I stood up and walked towards it while scratching my nape. I was about to open the door when a small voice behind told me to check the peephole.

    My blood turned cold when I saw unfamiliar men outside my hotel room, one of them is the taxi driver who kidnapped me!

    How did they find me that fast? Did they follow me? Did someone tell them that I am staying here?

    Lots of questions together with my confusion and panicking almost take over my whole body.

    ¡°Calm down. Calm down. I need to calm down,¡± I told myself repeatedly.

    The knocks on the door became louder. I put myself back together and started getting my things. I put my gadgets, money, cards, clothes, and other essential items in one backpack. If I want to escape, bringing a lot of things will make me slower.

    The knocks on the door became loud banging, and then I heard that they were hitting the door with something. I climbed on the window and used the emergency exit behind the hotel.

    My steps were making a loud noise as my feet touched the metal stairs. From the stairs, I heard a loud bang from my hotel room. I almost jumped from one set of stair to another just so I can reach the ground faster.

    When I saw that I am already near the ground, I jumped down to it.

    I got up and was about to run when I heard a cold voice from my back.

    ¡°Escaping again, Dennise?¡±

    I slowly looked back. There, I saw the man earlier, but now, he is with two other men. All of them are wearing suits like they just came from a business meeting.

    ¡°Seize her,¡± the man said and the two other men ran towards me.

    Desperate to escape, I knocked down therge trash bin beside me towards then and ran away. I can hear several footsteps following me. I didn¡¯t look back and just continue on running. I need to go to a ce with a lot of people.

    Thankfully, I reached the main road. It is already nearing dusk, and a lot of people are walking. I blended with the people and walked faster.

    On the alley near me, several men on the same type of clothes appeared. I¡¯m not dumb. I know that they are also looking for me. I know that I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I also know that they won¡¯t believe in me.

    I crossed the street and ran towards the train station. I heard the personnel announcing that the train would leave soon, so I ran faster. I got my ticket in the machine and because I was in a hurry, I didn¡¯t even check if I had a change.

    I ran towards the train. My bag was almost squeezed by the door because it is already closing. When I look back, I saw the men who are chasing me on the train tform ¨C in the middle of them is Dennise¡¯s ex-boyfriend.

    As the train started to ran, I stick out my tongue at him and made a ¡®loser¡¯ sign on my forehead.

 Escape

    CHAPTER 5: Escape

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    It didn¡¯t take long for the train to reach the next station. I immediately got out of the train when the doors opened and ran towards a mall.

    This may sound dumb, but I think it is a good decision, especially when I heard various men in uniform telling others to secure every station on a walkie-talkie. I didn¡¯t even bother looking back at the exit of the station. I walked normally and blended with the other passengers.

    Maybe I am lucky right now, because as I left the station together with the other passengers, the station suddenly closed. I heard someone talking over a megaphone saying that no one is allowed to go in and out of the train station. They said that a criminal rode the train and they¡¯re trying to seize that criminal.

    Me? A criminal? No, but I guess Dennise is.

    I went to a nearby mall and walked around as if no one was chasing me. I don¡¯t think they will search on a mall just to find me. Maybe they will think that I am hiding somewhere where no one can see me.

    Although I¡¯m not sure with my decision, I still push it through. While walking around, I try to formte a n on how I can leave Spain without getting caught. I entered different stores, trying several clothes that I will never buy. I even went inside a fast-food restaurant and just stared at the people eating because I don¡¯t have any more money to spend.

    I actually still have money, but I don¡¯t want to spend more right now.

    I left the restaurant because the customers were giving me a judging look. They must have felt ufortable because I was staring at them as if I am going to snatch their food.

    I walked around, eating the biscuit I have just so I can ease the hunger I¡¯m feeling. Even if I have walked far from the restaurant, I can still smell the aroma of the fried chicken.

    ¡°Huhu, I want to eat fried chicken,¡± I cried while munching the biscuit.

    I was thinking of my hunger and what to do next when I remember what happened in the train station.

    The fact that the man earlier was able to close all of the train stations means that he has more power than what I imagined earlier.

    What if he tried closing the borders of the whole country?

    A part of me was screaming that question, saying that I should book a flight and leave today before he can close the borders. The other side of my brain was saying that I am being dramatic and that I¡¯m overthinking again. It is saying that the man might not be that powerful to close Spain¡¯s borders, that maybe he only has influence over Barcelona, or maybe he owns the trains here.

    I chose to listen to my panicking side.

    Minutester, I find myself walking in the airport. Like I was in a hurry, I went to the receptionist to book a flight home.

    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. How may I help you?¡± thedy asked me with a huge smile.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said while catching my breath. ¡°I would like to book a flight to Philippines.¡± My stomach hurts, aah.

    Thedy typed something on herputer. ¡°May I know the departure date, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Tonight, or early tomorrow,¡± I answered. I put my passport and valid IDs on her table.

    ¡°Let me see the avability of slots, ma¡¯am. Please give me a minute.¡±

    I nodded at her. I was still catching my breath from walking such a long distance from the mall to the airport. As much as I wanted to ride a taxi or bus, I didn¡¯t do it. I was thinking that another driver will kidnap me, and when that happen, I don¡¯t think I can escape again!

    After answering the necessary forms and going through a lot of process and questioning, my schedule was already set. I¡¯m bound to take a flight back to the Philippines, tomorrow at 3:00 AM.

    It¡¯s just 7:20 in the evening. There¡¯s still almost 7 hours before my flight.

    I decided to stay in the airport and wait for my schedule. I didn¡¯t stay in the waiting area, thinking that someone might recognize me as Dennise. I walked towards the area where there are only few people. There arerge circr sofa bed, and when I saidrge, it is reallyrge. I think more or less 15 people will fit if they sit here.

    Iy down on therge sofa. I put my backpack in front, just above my belly and secure the straps on my shoulders. I ced my handkerchief on my face. I closed my eyes, not caring about the other noises of the people around me.

    Suddenly, I woke up since the noises became louder. I opened my eyes slowly as I remove the handkerchief.

    I¡¯m not sure how many hours have passed since I fell asleep. But when I look at therge calendar, I saw that I¡¯m still in the same day.

    I looked around and saw that there are more people in the area than before. Thinking that there are still some people looking for me, I left the area and went to the nearbyfort room.

    When I entered the cubicle, I grabbed my phone from the bag to check the time. There is only 8 minutes before midnight. I decided to spend the next hour in the cubicle, listening to my favorite music, ¡°Come Back Home¡± by 2ne1.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    I¡¯m reallying back home, and I¡¯m wishing that there will be no hindrances in my flight.

    ¡°Come back home, can youe back home?¡± I sang quietly in the cubicle while swaying my body from left to right.

    I put that song on repeat. I¡¯m not sure how many times the same song yed that hour, all I know is that I find it peaceful and calming even though the real meaning of the song is devastating.

    In the middle of listening to it, my rm suddenly goes off.

    I sighed heavily. It¡¯s time to leave Spain.

    My vacation days are still not over, but because of what happened earlier, I don¡¯t think it is still safe for me to stay here in Spain. I will just spend the rest of my vacation in the Philippines, hopefully.

    I walked outside thefort room and went through a security check. They scanned me and my backpack. Since my bag only have clothes and other essential items inside, the process became fast. I went through the immigration, answered their questions, and went to the boarding gate.

    While waiting for the flight personnels to go to the departure gate, my hands became very sweaty. I¡¯m very nervous. I tried to calm down by taking deep breaths but it¡¯s not working.

    My mind is in chaos. What if they suddenly find me here? What if they close the borders before the ne can take-off? What if ¨C

    A voice saying that we can now go to the departure gate and enter the ne stopped me from panicking. I got up and walked fast. Every second is important. In every second that passed, I¡¯m sure that the people who are chasing me are also doing something.

    I entered the ne. When the flight attendant pointed my seat, I didn¡¯t waste any second. I sat down immediately. I was hugging my bag. My heart is palpitating and I¡¯m stopping myself from telling the flight attendant to fly the ne off.

    After some minutes that feels like forever, the captain finally announced that the ne is taking off.

    When I heard that, my lips formed a smile.

    I¡¯m finallying back home.

    ¨C Kelleon ¨C

    ¡°How can you not find her? It¡¯s impossible for her to get lost! Search for her! Don¡¯t stop until you find her!¡±

    I massaged my temple after giving orders to my men. That Dennise; she¡¯s gonna escape again. I can¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°Mi hijo, don¡¯t stress yourself on her,¡± my mom¡¯s voice soothed my ears. I looked at her and saw her giving me the sweetest smile she has.

    ¡°We will use every connection we have so that we can find her,¡± she assured me. ¡°Now, go and take a rest. Let Mama handle this for now.¡±

    I smiled at her. I¡¯m very lucky to have a mom like her in my life.

    ¡°Gracias, Mama.¡±

    She caressed my face, just like what she¡¯s doing when I was still a little child that¡¯s innocent from the dangers of the world.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re not blinded by love anymore, mi hijo.¡±

    Because of what she said, my mind suddenly shbacked to the past. It went back to the time where I¡¯m still deeply in love with Dennise; the time where I¡¯m always giving her everything that she wants and follow her like a good dog.

    I gave her everything. From her material needs to her emotional needs. I gave her all my love that I almost lose myself.

    In our years of rtionship, there¡¯s only two things that I wasn¡¯t able to give her: marriage and intimacy.

    As a man of principles, I want to marry a sessful woman. I want Dennise to achieve something in life. That¡¯s the only thing I asked her, but she can¡¯t give it.

    My request is not just for me, but for her. However, she looked at that like I was telling her that she¡¯s useless.

    I¡¯m thankfully that I didn¡¯t marry her right away. Like the other women who wants to be with me, she¡¯s only after my money. I¡¯m after her presence, but she¡¯s after my pockets. I¡¯m after her love and attention, but she¡¯s only after my connections.

    After she left me to marry another wealthy man, I finally realized that she doesn¡¯t really love me. She only loves my money.

    My mind went back to our encounter earlier in her old bedroom. After two years, my heart beats again. When I looked at her, the memory of her younger self shed on my eyes. It felt like I went back to the first I saw her.

    She was eating a burger while sitting on a bench. She was talking about random stuff with her friend. She has the loudestughter I heard in my entire life. But for some reason, herughter sounds like a music to my ears. She was pping as sheughs. It was weird, but I find it attractive.

    She has the brightest smile I¡¯ve ever seen, and that smile brought light to my previously dark world.

    I shook my head. No, I¡¯m not blinded by emotions anymore. I can¡¯t let her use my love for her to manipte me again. Trusting her was a mistake, and I¡¯m here to make her pay for breaking the trust I gave her.

    ¡°I will get the ne back, Mama. I promise.¡±

 Pretend

    CHAPTER 6: Pretend

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    The ne started going up in the sky. When I turned my attention to the window, several clouds greeted my eyesight.

    I let out a sigh of relief. After some hours, I will finally leave Spain¡¯s territory. I¡¯m just wishing that they will not search for me anymore. Although I think it is impossible to happen, I¡¯m still believing just for the sake of my peace.

    ¡°Oh, my goodness!¡± A loud squeak from ady disturbed my thoughts. ¡°Dennise?¡±

    Hearing that name, my eyes widened, and my heart started palpitating. It¡¯s the same feeling I had when those men were chasing me.

    Are those people in the flight? Did they follow me here?

    What should I do? In this ne, I¡¯m sure that I have nowhere to go! I can¡¯t ask for help! They might seed in seizing me! They might torture me even if I didn¡¯t do anything!

    ¡°Dennise! Yoohoo! I know it¡¯s you,¡± thedy added when I didn¡¯t respond to her.

    Slowly, I turned my head to the owner of the voice. That¡¯s where I saw ady, maybe the same age as mine. She was wearing a ck halter top. Her hair was done in a messy bun while her face was glowing with makeup.

    ¡°Hi?¡± I answered her. I actually don¡¯t know how to respond. First of all, I am not Dennise. Second, I don¡¯t know who this woman is. Lastly, I don¡¯t know how Dennise acts!

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long! I haven¡¯t heard anything about you after you got married,¡± she said while smiling at me, as if we were close friends. ¡°How¡¯s it going between you and Alejandro?¡±

    Alejandro? I think I have already heard that name before.

    My memories sh backed to the talk I had with Yvette.

    ¡°The old man beside her is just as bitch as well!¡±

    ¡°He also treated their bodyguards like shit, and I mean, like a damn shit creature! Bagay sng dwa. Parehong anak ni Satanas.¡± (They reallyplement each other. Both are children of Satan.)

    ¡°Did you hear the name of the man?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but is it Sandro? Mando?¡±

    ¡°Aha! Alejandro! The man¡¯s named Alejandro!¡±

    I quickly opened my notebook to check. I know that I wrote the man¡¯s name here.

    When I finally confirmed that it was the same name, an idea popped into my mind.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Everything¡¯s going well between me and my husband,¡± I answered.

    This woman know who Dennise is. Not just that, she also know about the rtionship between Dennise and Alejandro. If there¡¯s someone who can answer my question and give more information about them, this woman in front of me is the answer.

    She pped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s good! I¡¯m sure you still have him wrapped around your fingers,¡± she said and followed it with an amusedugh.

    I alsough with her. I tried to make it as natural as possible. If I want to get more information, I should act like Dennise and squeeze details in a way that thisdy will not notice.

    Strategy number one: Act like Dennise.

    Alejandro¡¯s wrapped around Dennise¡¯s fingers, huh? From that sentence alone, I can say that Dennise might be a dominant kind of woman. If not dominant, then she is maniptive, unless that Alejandro loves her so much and he is dumb as hell.

    ¡°Of course! As if I will let him escape my hands.¡± I made my voice slightly feminine, but with a hint of authority.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. As long as you have him under your control, then you can do anything with his money!¡± she eximed while making a money-sign on her left hand. Her voice was loud that the people from other seats turned their heads to us.

    I made a hush-sign on her. She put both of her hands on her mouth, as if she looks embarrassed. However, one look from her, I can say that she is not embarrassed at all.

    This woman, like Dennise, I¡¯m sure is attracted to money. I¡¯m not saying that being attracted to money is a bad thing. We all need money to survive. But the fact that they¡¯re using other people, specifically men and husbands, is hical for me. They¡¯re using the love and feelings of those who love them to get the material things that they want.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going on you?¡± I asked her, trying to look friendly and close to her as I can.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine! I¡¯m actually going to the Philippines for a vacation. How about you? Are you on a vacation, too?¡± she asked me while getting a juice from the attendant.

    Wait. I should think about my answer very well. If I¡¯m going to say that I¡¯m going to my country for a vacation, I¡¯m sure that she will insist toe with me. I can¡¯t do that!

    Or maybe, I can say that I already have my etinerary and I have to stick with it? Nah, what if she will say that we can follow my etinerary instead of hers?

    I gulped. ¡°Just meeting someone,¡± I answered briefly.

    Her mouth formed an ¡°o¡± shaped. ¡°I see. It might be for your business.¡±

    I just smiled at her. I can¡¯t say yes since I¡¯m not aware if thisdy here knows what kind of business Dennise have. I need to be very careful. One wring information and she will grow suspicious of me.

    ¡°By the way, Alejandro¡¯s not with you?¡± she asked again.

    I¡¯m starting to get irritated because she has a lot of questions. Because of that, I need to squeeze ny brain heavily in order toe up with the best response.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ busy fixing some things in Spain,¡± I answered her, not going deep into details.

    ¡°Oh, I just find it weird that he¡¯s not with you. I mean, the Gonzales¡¯ House is still looking for you,¡± she replied. ¡°Your husband is too careful not too show you to the Gonzales.¡±

    Who¡±s that? Gonzales? It¡¯s a prettymon surname in the Philippines, but I don¡¯t know anyone in Spain who has that surname.

    Could it be the surname of the man who kidnapped me? This woman said that the Gonzales¡¯ House is looking for Dennise. Does it mean that there are a lot of them who are hunting me?

    Having that thought made me ufortable again. I started to feel that there are a lot of eyes watching me.

    ¡°Alejandro made sure that I wille out of the country undetected. He will follow me after some days to make sure I¡¯m safe,¡± I answered her.

    ¡°Wow! He really made sure that the Gonzales¡¯ will not discover your steps,¡± she responded, and her tone says that she is amazed.

    ¡°I bet that the Gonzales¡¯ will never find you. It¡¯s been almost two years since you left your ex-boyfriend, Kelleon Gonzales. Look, you can even go to another country without them knowing, even if they have the control over Spain¡¯s borders!¡± she eximed and followed it with a shortughN?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Kelleon Gonzales? I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the name of the man earlier.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not surprised that you¡¯re still free. Alejandro knows every movement that the Gonzales¡¯ do.¡±

    Her statements made me shook. First, she said that the Gonzales has the control over the country¡¯s border. I think that I¡¯m just lucky that I was able to fly home before they close or monitor the borders.

    Second, she said that Alejandro knows every movement of the Gonzales. It only means one thing: there is a mole inside the Gonzales House. It might be Alejandro himself or another person who has the connection with the Gonzales.

    Hearing those things, it made me wonder how cunning and influencial that Alejandro is. The fact that he was able to hide Dennise for several years, even when they¡¯re going public, takes a lot of power to conduct.

    These people are no joke. One wrong move and they might be able to find me.

    Throughout the whole flight, thisdy and I talked, more like she was sharing a lot while I was trying to extract information without getting suspicious.

    At first, we were only talking about myself and my married life. Some of her questions are too personal, like when was thest time Dennise and Alejandro had sex. I¡¯m ufortable not because it was about sex, but because we were not really close.

    My friends and I like to talk everything about sex. Even when we were talking about it in public ce and we were talking so loud, I never get ufortable. This is because I am close to them.

    But thisdy? I don¡¯t know her! I don¡¯t even know her name even when we were already talking for ours!

    Fortunately, I was able to slowly divert the topic to herself. She was talking about her ns for her vacation for hours, nonstop. I was only right there, listening to her talk.

    I admit that she is fun to talk to, except that she talks too bluntly. I like her humor; it reminded me of my friends.

    Slowly, the ne wasnding on the Philippine soil. I was just looking at the window, but I can already feel the heat in this country.

    ¡°Denn,¡± thedy called me by Dennise¡¯s nickname. ¡°I¡¯m sure were going to be busy here. Can I have your number? So we can meet some other time.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I nodded. She handed me her phone. I typed Dennise¡¯s name and my extra phone number that I don¡¯t use often.

    I also handed her my phone. ¡°Here. Put yours, too.¡¯

    She typed something on my phone and handed it back to me after. We walked out of the ne, then out of the airport. I waited until she was able to ride a taxi.

    ¡°Bye, Denn! See you soon!¡± she shouted while waving her hand.

    I waved my hand back at her with a smile. ¡°Bye!¡±

    The taxi started driving away. My smile slowly faded when the taxi was already out of my sight. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and opened it.

    ¡°Chynna,¡± I read the name of the new contact.

    Chynna. So, that is her name.

    Although a little bit hical, I will use you to get the information I needed about that Dennise.

    I¡¯m excited for the ¡°tea¡± you can provide.

 Investigation

    CHAPTER 7: Investigation

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    It¡¯s been almost two werks since I went back in the Philippines. I can say that my life has been somehow peaceful when I arrived. There were no one following me, or someone calling me by the name ¡°Dennise¡±.

    Thedy I met in the ne, Chynna, talked to me sometimes over the phone. There are times where she insisting to know my address. Of course, I didn¡¯t gave it to her! When I told her that I can¡¯t for my safety and because Alejenadro said so, which is I made up, she stopped nagging me about it.

    I discovered that Chynna is staying in Cebu. That province is far from Man, the ce where I¡¯m staying, so I don¡¯t have to worry about us meeting face to face. However, prior to that, I always go outside with face mask amd shades. I even wore oversize clothes and changed my fashion so she, or other people who know Dennise, will not recognize me!

    It was tiring, hiding from someone you don¡¯t know everyday. I didn¡¯t even get to enjoy the remaining days of my vacation because of that.

    Now, I¡¯m going back on chasing criminals and deal with them until the next vacation.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s mood¡¯s sour today,¡± a baritone voice rings in my ear. I don¡¯t even need to look at him to know who¡¯s talking.

    ¡°Shut up, Nick. Or I¡¯ll shoot your head,¡± I annoyingly said as a give him a sharp look.

    He just chuckled at me and he went on to his table.

    ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± a cheerful voice greeted us. I turned my head to the door of our office and I saw our cheerful, yet somehowzy, detective.

    ¡°Hi, Darwin,¡± I greeted him as friendly as I can, although my bad mood is still visible.

    Darwin walked towards me and scrutinized my face. ¡°What¡¯s with that face? Mukha kang namatayan.¡± (You look like someone just died.)

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask about it. I don¡¯t even want to remember why,¡± I responded with a bored face.

    He was about to reply when someone entered the Office. It is our Senior Detective, our team leader, Detective Gisselle Javier. From the look on her face, I¡¯m sure that we have another case to solve.

    I am sure that I¡¯ll be busy. I think it¡¯s better because I won¡¯t think about my ruined vacation everytime.

    ¡°We have a new case,¡± she said as if it is her substitute for good morning. ¡°A kidnap for ransom case.¡±

    She gave each of us a folder. I immediately opened it and read the details of the case.

    ¡°The victim is Alexa Ramirez. Surname sounds familiar? She is the daughter of the Man Mayor, Mayor Xavion Ramirez,¡± she started exining as we read the files. ¡°She was kidnapped on her way home. Patay ang driver ng sasakyan na ln siya. May tama ng baril sa ulo.¡± (The driver of car she¡¯s on was dead. He was shot in the head.)

    Ramirez. That surname is well-known here in Man, not just because it is the name of the Mayor, but also almost all of the establishments andpanies here are owned by them. They¡¯re main business is creating various colognes and perfume. It was a sess. They were able to build branches of their perfumepany in Japan, Singapore, Spain, and United States.

    They¡¯re a wealthy family. It is not a shock for me that the daughter of the Ramirez family was kidnapped for ransom.

    Usually, kidnappers choose to kidnap those people who came from wealthy family. The wealthier the family, the huge the ransom is. But that is not just the strategy of those kidnappers. They will also study every member of their target family, and they will choose the one they deemed to be the weakest and most fragile.

    In this case, Alexa Ramirez was chosen by the kidnappers. They could¡¯ve chosen the youngest Ramirez who is still 7 years old, however, the child was heavily guarded and goes out of their house very seldom.

    Alexa was the weakest in the kidnapper¡¯s eyes. Maybe it was because she is not physically fit. If I remember it right, Alexa has asthma and was hospitalized a lot when she was still young. She is also an introvert and has a very few friends because of her low social skills.

    She cannot fight physically once she was abducted. She will be easily defeated by the kidnapper.

    Despite of Alexa¡¯s weak body, she was titled as the ¡°Ace of the Ramirez¡±. She was an honor student and a business tycoon. Almost half of the business deals that their family sealed was because of Alexa. It will be a huge disadvantage for the Ramirez if they will lose her. I¡¯m sure that the kidnapper knows about this. He chose Alexa as his victim because he knows that the Ramirez are willing to do anything to keep Alexa alive.

    ¡°The kidnapper is Sylvester Alejo. It¡¯s not the first time he kidnapped someone. The first kidnapping incident he caused was 25 years ago. The first victim is the youngest son of the owner of Quezada¡¯s Enterprise. I think you knew what happened on that case,¡± Detective Javier said. The room suddenly became gloomy because of that statement.

    Although I¡¯m still a toddler that time, I read and study that kidnapping case when I was still studying as a forensic psychologist. The victim was just a 12-year-old boy. The ransom was worth 50 million pesos. Everyone was talking about the case that time.

    The problem is, they were not careful. The family was too blinded by their emotions that they can¡¯t think clearly. They gave the money first to Alejo. However, Alejo didn¡¯t follow what they had agreed on. He run away with the child after getting the money using a car. They lost them while the police was following the kidnapper and the victim. Hourster, they found the car that Alejo used in a cliff.

    The car exploded together with the child inside.

    Alejo wasn¡¯t captured by the police. He was still wanted and the police are still searching for him. Not until now.

    ¡°We have a meeting with the chief. Study the files. Let¡¯s go,¡± our senior said and all of us proceeded to the meeting room.

    The meeting started immediately after we entered. The chief gave the deeper and specific details of the case. He also assigned different teams to do specific task. Our team was assigned to talk to the family of the victim. However, I wasn¡¯t able to join them because I was assigned to make the profile of the suspect.

    I wrote everything on the report. From his job to his family, until to his characteristics. I added that there is a huge chance that he is not just after the money, but also after the suffering of the family. He likes it when he saw the despair of the family once one of their member died. I told the chief that it is important for them not to repeat the mistake of the police on the previous kidnapping case.

    After submitting the profile, I immediately went to the house of the Ramirez family. On the way, I saw Chynna calling me.

    ¡°Hi, Chynn!¡± I called her by her nickname.

    Weeks of talking to Chynna, I grasp a lot of information about Dennise. I became better on pretending to be her. As of now, I can say that Chynna is still not suspicious of me.

    ¡°Thank goodness! I thought something already happened to you!¡± she eximed. I can hear her catching her breath on the other end of the line. ¡°I was calling you since noon!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± that was my initial reaction. ¡°I was busy. I didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    One thing I discovered about Dennise is that she never said ¡°sorry¡±. Chynna voluntarily gave that information in one of our ¡°talk sessions¡±. I can still remember what she said back then.

    ¡°That woman bumped me!¡± she was telling me about what happened in the beach. ¡°Because of that, my ice cream fell down on her bikini.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t say sorry. Duh? It was her fault it happened. Besides, you told me not to say sorry because apologizing is for peasants.¡±

    I can still hear Chynna catching her breath, like she ran a thousand miles before calling me.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked her while looking around outside the taxi I¡¯m on. The tone of her voice brought me back to observing my surroundings like someone is watching me.

    ¡°I saw Clint when I was shopping!¡± she shouted. I have no idea who that Clint is, but from the tone of her voice, I¡¯m sure that that Clint is someone she doesn¡¯t want to meet.

    ¡°Clint?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah! Clint is here! And if he¡¯s here, I¡¯m sure Kelleon is here, too!¡±

    That made my blood turned cold. Kelleon¡­ that is the name of Dennise¡¯s ex-boyfriend and the person who kidnapped me. Did he found out that I¡¯m here?T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you sure that you saw him?¡± I asked, nervousness is evident in my voice.

    ¡°100% sure! You better hide or tell Alejandro about it!¡± she responded to me. I can hear that she is very concerned.

    ¡°I will. Thank you, Chynn. Take care.¡±

    The call ended after that. If that Clint is with Kelleon, then they¡¯re in Cebu like Chynna. By riding a ne, it will just take a few hours for them to reach Man.

    I can¡¯t wait for them here, but I don¡¯t want to hide. I have a job and my family in Iloilo is dependent on me. I don¡¯t even know why I need to hide even if I¡¯m not doing anything!

    I texted Detective Javier.

    Me: Senior, I won¡¯t be able to go to the Ramirez¡¯s House. Something came up, sorry.

    After some seconds, she replied.

    Senior: It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re done with your job. I¡¯ll inform you about the progress of the case.

    I closed my phone and started thinking on what I¡¯ll do.

    I was in the middle of thinking a solution when my phone beeped again. It was a message in our group chat.

    Althea: @Maria Mahalia, punta kami sa bahay mo. Sleepover tayo. (We¡¯re going to your house. Let¡¯s have a ssleepover.)

    Smiling, I replied to her message.

    Me: Sige. D kayo maraming foods. (Sure. Bring lots of foods.)

    I released a sigh of relief. Knowing that my friends will be with me tonight makes me feel safe. If I could just tell them to live with me so that I will feel safe everyday, I will do it.

    SEVERAL KNOCKS on the door stopped me from cleaning the floor. I walked towards the door to open it. I¡¯m still far from the door but I can already hear the voices of my friends on the other side.

    ¡°Lia!!!¡± they eximed and attacked me with several hugs.

    ¡°Kain na tayo. Gutom na gutom na ako,¡± Jerome said while putting the foods they brought on the table. (Let¡¯s it. I¡¯m very hungry.)

    We started eating. They really brought a lot. There were barbecue, chicken, pizza, and many more. It looks like there is a feast inside the house.

    ¡°Tell us the tea about what happened in Spain,¡± Jerome said while getting a piece of the pizza even though there are already a lot of food on his te.

    ¡°Yeah! Why did you go home early? I thought you have a month of vacation?¡¯ Celsi asked me.

    I looked at Althea. She also looked at me meaningly. I gave her a fake smile, and she widened her eyes at me as a respond.

    I looked at my friends one by one before telling them what happened.

    ¡°Wait. So this Kelleon, had an ex-girlfriend that looks like you? And he kidnapped you because he though you¡¯re that Dennise?¡± Jhoan rified after I finished telling them the story of my ruined vacation.

    I nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s so bad. If he is really determined to find that Dennise, then he will go after you!¡± Celsi eximed.

    They exchanged their opinions and theories about what happened. From why Kelleon is so mad at Dennise, to why Dennise looks like me.

    While they were debating, Celsi got up and open the television, together with the videoke. She grabbed the mic and speak on it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about our problems! Magwalwn na tayo! Whoo!¡± (Let¡±s party! Whoo!)

    With that, everyone started to go crazy. Most of us entered songs on the videoke, while other were just talking about random stuff as they eat. There were no liquors involved here, but we all look drunk.

    ¡°Bakitte siya kumanta?¡± (Why does he singte to the song?)

    ¡°Naka-red ping ata signal niya.¡± (His signal must be red ping.)

    We were allughing, singing, and eating. Some of the voices sounds hoarse and bad but we don¡¯t care. We were just having fun. I¡¯m sure that ny neighbors are disturbed by our noise, but I do not want to stop my friends. It¡¯s our party after a long time and I do not want to stop the fun. I¡¯ll just apologize to my neigjbors tomorrow.

    We stopped the party when it was alreadyte at night. We were stillughing like crazy while cleaning our mess. We were so tired that we didn¡¯ even get to my room to sleep. We all sleep on the living room.

    There was silence, but it is not a silence of sadness. It is the silence of happiness¡­ and contentment. How I wish this will go one forever.

    I didn¡¯t notice what time I fell asleep. I just woke up because of the continous knocking on the door. I still feel tired so instead of getting up, I hide myself under theforter.

    I felt someone got up and opened the door.

    ¡°Sino po s?¡± (Who are you?) It was Jhoan¡¯s voice. I slowly rise up my nket to get a small view on what¡¯s happening.

    ¡°Is this woman here?¡±

    I was stuck in ce when I heard that voice. If I remember it right, that is the voice of the driver who kidnapped me in Spain!

    Jhoan didn¡¯t answer him. He repeated his question.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you know this woman? Is she living here?¡±

 Help

    CHAPTER 8: Help

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    ¡°SHE already moved to another ce,¡± Jhoan answered the man on the door. Her fingers started on slowly hitting the side of the door, signaling that she is nervous.

    ¡°Do you have any idea where she is currently living?¡± the man asked her while he was trying to see a better look of what is inside the house. However, Jhoan is a huge woman. The man can¡¯t see us on the floor.

    Jhoan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just new here,¡± she answered.

    The man looked at Jhoan for a few seconds before nodding, but I can see that he is not convinced on Jhoan¡¯s response at all.

    ¡°If you have any information about this woman, contact me,¡± the man said while handing a small card to my friend.

    ¡°I will,¡± Jhoan responded as she grabbed the card from the man¡¯s hand.

    Slowly, the man turned his back. But before that, his eyes drifted for some seconds on the inside of the house. He walked away and Jhoan hurriedly closed the door.

    Instead of walking towards us, Jhoan walked to the window and pushed the curtain a little to the side. I am sure that she is watching the man go. I can see her looking to the left and to the right.

    After some moments, I heard the sound of a car driving away from the house. Jhoan hurriedly ran towards us and shook everyone sleeping on the floor.

    ¡°Gising, guys! Dali!¡± (Wake up, guys! Hurry!) she eximed while shaking everyone and slightly tapping our bodies.

    ¡°Ano ba ¡®yan? Natutulog pa ¡®yung tao, oh,¡± (What? I¡¯m still sleeping.) Althea groaned while pping Jhoan¡¯s hands away from her.

    ¡°Dali! May naghanap kay Lia kanina!¡± (Hurry up! Someone looked for Lia earlier!) Jhoan shouted, making everyone stood up from sleeping.

    ¡°Ano?¡± (What?)

    ¡°Anyare?¡± (What happened?)

    ¡°Sinabi mo bang nandito?¡± (Did you tell them she¡¯s here?)

    ¡°Pinaalis mo na ba?¡± (Did you send them away?)

    Jhoan was bombarded with several questions. All of them are asking and are looking for answers. Some of them started shaking Jhoan¡¯s body so that they will answer. Their voices mixed with the sound they¡¯re making, making it unpleasant to hear.

    ¡°Stop! One question only, okay?!¡± Jhoan shouted, annoyance evident on her voice.

    Jhoan stood up and sighed. ¡°A man, he looks like a foreigner. He showed me Lia¡¯ photo and asked me if she is living here.¡± she started exining. My friends moved closer to Jhoan and looked at her intently.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t tell him the truth!¡± she eximed. ¡°Sinabi ko na lumipat siya ng bahay.¡± (I told him that she move to another ce.)

    ¡°He even gave me his contact information,¡± she added as she showed us the card the man gave her. My friends started to be chaotic again while grabbing the card.

    They read the information of the man. I also take a look on the card.

    Cloud Oquendo. That¡¯s his name. Below his name is his contact nunber.

    My friend grabbed their phones and started typing something. Knowing them, I¡¯m sure that they are going to search the name of the man to find out more about him.

    ¡°He¡¯s from Spain,¡± Jerome said while reading something on his phone. ¡°It says on the international news that he was one of the donors for a certain foundation for orphans.¡±

    ¡°Yah, nakita ko rin,¡± (I also read it here.) Celsi added. ¡°He donated almost 20 million Euros on that foundation.¡±

    20 million Euros? That¡¯s¡­ a lot of money. I thought that he is just a driver for Kelleon, but it turns out that he is living on the same circle like him.

    ¡°Yaman!¡± (Rich!) Althea eximed. ¡°May sinabi pa ba sayo?¡± (Did he tell you more?)

    Jhona shook her head. ¡°W na.¡± (Nothing.)

    ¡°He just handed that and walked away. But he was looking inside the house, maybe he¡¯s curious that there are people sleeping on the floor,¡± she added while extending her neck to look at the window.

    Althea turned her head to me. ¡°Does that man look familiar to you?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s the taxi driver who kidnapped me.¡±

    All of them gasped because of my answer. Their eyes widened together with their mouth and were stunned for a few seconds.

    Celsi was the one who came back to her senses first. ¡°Buti hindi ka niya nakita.¡± (It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯t see you.)

    ¡°Lia was under the nket when he arrived. Thank goodness,¡± Althea said and followed it with a sigh of relief.

    Jerome stood up, making us turn our attention to him. ¡°We have to leave. Now!¡± he eximed while signaling as to stand up, too. ¡°He found out where Lia is living. I¡¯m sure he wille here again!¡±

    We hurriedly stood up. Jerome and Jhona went to the second floor, while Celsi went to the kitchen. Althea and I were left in the living room and we cleaned the remaining mess.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look nervous or something,¡± Altheamented while sweeping the floor. I turned my head to her and I saw her looking at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he might abduct you again?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, so afraid. I know I shouldn¡¯t be feeling this because I didn¡¯t do anything bad to them, but I can¡¯t help it,¡± I told her.

    ¡°My insides are crumbling. Everywhere I am, I have this feeling that someone is watching every movement I do. I feel like if I do just one wrong move, someone will get and punish me. I hate this feeling. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do,¡± I added.

    ¡°You can tell us what you¡¯re feeling. Don¡¯t pent those inside of you. We¡¯re your friends. We have been each other¡¯s emotional support for a long time,¡± she said while carressing my back.

    I understand what she is saying. Althea wants me to show my real emotion, and not to force myself to look tough in front of them.

    ¡°I want to, but I can¡¯t,¡± I answered her. ¡°Look, they¡¯re panicking more than me. If I show them that I am also afraid and panicking, I¡¯m sure that there will be chaos.¡±

    Althea nodded. ¡°I understand. They¡¯re kind of over reacting someimes.¡±

    We both chuckled at her statement. We both know that it¡¯s true. Our friends are one of the most over reacting people we know.

    ¡°I will let you do that,¡± she referred to me hiding my emotions. ¡°But remember that when it became too heavy to carry, you always count on us to carry it with you.¡±

    I gave her a sweet smile, and I thought to myself, what will happen to me if my friends aren¡¯t here? Maybe I will go insane.

    She right when she said that we have been each other¡¯s emotional support for a long time. Since senior high school, we have been on each other¡¯s back. We cried and brokedown tigether for years, but look at us now. We¡¯re still strong and alive.

    We continue on cleaning the living room. After some moments, Jerome went down from the second floor. His hair was wet and he was wearing a different set of clothes. It looks like he took a bath.

    ¡°Nakiligo ako, Lia ah?¡¯ (I take a bath on your house, Lia ah?) he said as if he was asking for permission.

    Althea snorted. ¡°Naligo muna bago magpam.¡± (He took a bath first before asking for permission.)

    I let out a smallugh. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Where¡¯s Jhoan?¡±

    ¡°She took a bath on the other room,¡± he answered. ¡°m mo naman ¡®yon. Matagal maligo.¡± (You know her. She takes a bath for a long time.)N?velDrama.Org content.

    We were busy chatting when Celsi shouted from the kitchen that the breakfast is ready. As if a cue, Jhoan went down from the bathroom.

    We ate our breakfast and continue our morning routine. I just took a bath, and wear a oversized shirt paired with a leggings and a rubber shoes. When I came out of the room, I saw them having their finishing touch. I grabbed my sling bag that contains my phone, purse, and other essentials.

    ¡°Are you all ready to go?¡± Celsi asked and we responded with a nod and thumbs up.

    I made sure that everything are turned off before locking the house. Like before, I wore a sunsses. I have to at least hide my whole face from the crowd.

    While waiting for a jeepney, Althea asked me. ¡°Dideretso ka ba sa police station, Lia?¡± (Will you go straight to the police station, Lia?¡±

    I answered her. ¡°Oo, titingnan ko ¡®yung progress ng case kahapon.¡± (Yes, I will check the progress of the case yesterday.)

    ¡°Is that the kidnapping case? I heard it in the news. I haven¡¯t read what happened after that, tho,¡± Jhona said while munching a bag of green peas.

    Jerome grabbed some green peas from Jhona¡¯s bag as he speaks. ¡°That¡¯s such a huge issue and a big responsibility on the side of the police. They can¡¯t mess it up.¡±

    We agreed on his statement. A mistake happening once is a mistake, but making it twice is a choice. I¡¯m sure that the police learned on the first case.

    A jeepney arrived on the terminal and we ride on it. The whole travel was quiet. I was almost lost in my thoughts when someone poked my side.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked when I realized that it was Althea who did that.

    She answered me. ¡°Doon ka nng muna sa bahay ko after ng work mo. Baka bing pumunta doon ulit ¡®yunglaki.¡± (Stay on my house after your work. The man earlier mighte to your house again.)

    I nodded and leaned on her shoulder. After some minutes, I knocked on the jeepney¡¯s roof as a sign that I have arrived on my destination. I waved my friends goodbye before leaving the jeepney. I take a final look at them inside the jeepney before heading to the police station.

    ¡°Morning,¡± I greeted them. ¡°What happened to the kidnapping case of Alexa Ramirez?¡± I asked while sitting on my desk and organizing some misced files.

    ¡°Alejo was arrested. Thanks to the profile you made,¡± Detective Javier replied to my question.

    I looked at her with a confused face. ¡°Huh? How did the profile helped in solving the case?¡±

    ¡°You said that he might be also after the despair of the family. The chief nned to create a fake shooting incident near the meeting area that Alejo said to the family,¡± she started exining while waiting for the paper to finish printing.

    Darwin continued Detective Javier¡¯s exnation. ¡°We made it look like that Mrs. Ramirez died. I can¡¯t believe that Alejobit that trap! He goes out of his hiding ce while pping andughing. He looks amused while watching Mayor Ramirez cried on his wife¡¯s dead body,¡± he exined, qouting the word ¡®dead¡¯ in the air.

    ¡°Alexa Ramirez was saved by Team 2 while the Team 1 pinned and arrested Alejo. Everything happened very fast,¡± Nick added to the story.

    I nodded, shocked that the profile I made helped them a lot. I turned my attention to Detective Javier.

    ¡°Senior, do we have a new case today?¡± I asked.

    She looked at me, surprised. Maybe because I don¡¯t ask that kind of question to her.

    ¡°As of now, none. Why do you ask?¡± she responded as she walked towards my table. She squinted her eyes a bit, signifying that she is trying to read what¡¯s on my mind.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re not busy?¡± I asked her back.

    She looked at me for some moments. I can see Darwin¡¯s and Nick¡¯s eyes watching us, waiting for what will happen next.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± she repeated her question after some moments of silence.

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t back down, unless she answered my question. ¡°I am asking if you¡¯re not busy.¡±

    She sighed and a small smile escape her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not busy. Why?¡±

    I smirked at her. ¡°I have a case to consult to you.¡±

    Nick disrupt our conversation. ¡°Wait! Why do you have to consult only to Detective Javier? I¡¯m a Detective, too!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s our senior and I¡¯m sure that she has the capabilities to solve this case,¡± I answered him while raising my left eyebrow.

    Nick became quiet and just sat down like a good boy.

    ¡°No need to sweet-talk me. What are the details?¡± she asked me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere secluded,¡± I answered her and stood up.

    We both walk outside our office. Before we left, Detective Javier gave reminders to the two men to call her immediately when a new case was given by the chief. Although they want to ask more questions, they weren¡¯t able to do so because we already closed the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s the case all about?¡± my senior asked when we reached the rooftop.

    I sighed before answering. ¡°It¡¯s about a woman who looks exactly like me.¡±

    Her eyes widened and squinted afterwards.

    ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±

 Followed

    CHAPTER 9: Followed

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    MY SENIOR listened carefully to every word that I said. I told her the same I told to my friends. I made sure not to skip anything, even the tiniest details that I¡¯m not sure will help us in this case. I also told her about Chynna

    ¡°The information I know about her is that she¡¯s named Dennise. She¡¯s on the same age range as mine.¡±

    After I finished talking, Detective Javier closed her eyes¡­ like she was trying to remember something. I think that my case is not that importantpared to the other cases that our team is handling. However, I can¡¯t waste anytime regarding this. Now that Kelleon and his men are here in the Philippines, and the fact that Cloud was able to find my found, I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing. I need to convince them about the truth I¡¯m saying and save myself.

    ¡°Three months ago, I went to Valencia with the other detectives in other departments. The main reason was to meet the current Superintendent of their branch but we also solved a few cases back then,¡± she started talking.

    Valencia is a part of Spain. The only thing that makes sense now is that she was in the same country were I was kidnapped. However, the other parts were unclear and those made me confuse.

    ¡°There was a certain case I handled there. Someone stole a huge amount of money and some jewelries in a Viscount¡¯s mansion,¡± she said and after a moment of silence, she looked at me.

    ¡°I was able to retrieve only one CCTV camera from a moving truck that passed the Viscount¡¯s house at the time of the crime. And¡­,¡± she stopped talking as if she doesn¡¯t want to tell me what happened next.

    She let out a heavy sighed. I was almost getting impatient while waiting for her to speak again.

    ¡°I saw you¡­ in the CCTV footage. Walking out of the Viscount¡¯s mansion while having ck bags in your hand at the time of the crime. You were with another two people.¡±

    My breathing stopped for a moment. I can¡¯t even process what she was saying even if her words echoed a lot of times in my head.

    ¡°Me? Why-,¡± my stuttering words were cut short when my senior spoke again.

    ¡°At first, I thought it was really you,¡± she said. ¡°The woman in the CCTV footage is like a carbon copy of yours.¡±

    I can¡¯t speak that all I can do is to shook my head at her statement. It¡¯s not me! I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s not me!

    ¡°But¡­¡± she trailed off. A small ray of hope seep through my system. I was hoping that she will say that the woman in the CCTV footage is not me, and that she believes in what I told her!

    ¡°I called Nick. I asked him where you are that time,¡± she continue. ¡°Nick said that you¡¯re with our chief, making the profile of the suspect in the San Carlos Murder Case.¡±

    I felt relieved on what she said. Finally, there are some people who can vouch for me. There are people who can defend me if ever something bad happens, but I hope something bad won¡¯t happen.

    ¡°I investigated about the woman, but I can¡¯t find anything about her. Everythings leads to you. I can¡¯t ask for help to other police in Spain because I¡¯m afraid that they might mistook you as her. And now, I¡¯m sure I made that right decision,¡± she said with a small smile.

    I gave her a small smile as well. ¡°What happened to the case? How about the footage?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°I dropped the case and gave it to another spanish police. Those two people were already caught by the police, but not you. I had to edit the evidence so that you will be removed from that video. I hid the original CCTV footage. Only you and I know about it,¡± she answered.

    I felt another sense of relief. In my whole life working under her, there is no time that Detective Javier broke my trust. I can easily say something confidential to her without being worried that another person will know it.

    Whenever we are handling a very serious case, all of the leads and evidences I gathered will be given to Detective Javier. Never in our career that a certain evidence was exposed. She hid everything very well as if they are our greatest secret.

    ¡°I want to help you, Lia. Sooner orter, someone might find out about you looking the same as that Dennise and we don¡¯t know what might happen to you. It is essential for us to find several and strong evidences that can prove that you and Dennise are not the same person,¡± she exined.

    ¡°What can I do? I can¡¯t find anymore information about her,¡± I asked my senior.

    ¡°You¡¯re a criminal profiller, then make a profile about her. If you can find her full name, it will be much better,¡± she started exining our n. ¡°Once you have find out her full name and you¡¯re done with her profile, give me a copy and I¡¯ll pull some strings. I¡¯ll ask help to my acquaintances in Spain.¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you so much, senior!¡± I can¡¯t hide the gratitude that I¡¯m feeling right now. At first, I thought that I already bumped to a dead-end when all of my investigations led to me and not to Dennise.

    But now, hearing that my senior will help me in the best way she can gives me more confidence that we can solve this case together.

    ¡°Save your thanks when we already solved this,¡± she chuckled, but it was cut short when her phone rang.

    My senior excused herself before answering the ringing phone. She was not that far from me so I can still hear what they are talking about. Her side is also facing me.

    ¡°Good morning, chief,¡± Detective Javier greeted the person in the other line.

    So the caller is the chief. I¡¯m sure that there is a new case for us to solve. The chief will not call us just to say ¡®hi¡¯ or ask about our well-being; he calls because of work.

    ¡°Yes, chief,¡± then there was a moment of silence before my senior spoke again. ¡°We¡¯ll look into that.¡±

    After a while, Detective Javier bid a good bye to the chief before dropping the call. She turned her head to me before speaking.

    ¡°The chief wants us to investigate about the body they discovered near the Laguna de Bay. I¡¯ll get the files from the other office,¡± she said. ¡°For now, go back to our office and tell Nick and Darwin about it while waiting for me.¡±

    I nodded and them we started walking away. We parted ways when we reach the ground floor. I walked towards our office.

    When I entered, I saw Nick and Darwin sipping coffee with their feet on the table like they were rxing. However, they put their feet down to the ground when they saw me.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Nick asked me.

    I continue walking towards my table. ¡°There¡¯s a new case. A dead body was found near Laguna de Bay. Details will be given once Senior is here.¡±

    Hearing that, they fixed themselves and started getting the things that they think are essential in solving the case.

    After some minutes, Detective Javier entered. She started exining the details and giving us files, including the photos of the victim and the crime scene. She gave us orders. As usual, she assigned me in making the profile of the victim and the potential suspect. She told me to add the usual routes of the victim together with the people the victim knew, and other information.

    Before they left, she told me that after I gave her the copy of the profile, I must go home and focus on the case about Dennise.

    HOURSter, I went to a nearby fast food restaurant. I don¡¯t have the energy to cook my own food so I decided to have a take-out. While waiting for my food to get ready, I suddenly remembered that Detective Javier told me to find out Dennise¡¯s full name.

    I thought of Chynna, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to get Dennise¡¯s full name without getting suspicious.

    I closed my eyes to think clearly. However, no matter how much I try to squeeze my brain, no useful ideaes.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the poster of the restaurant in front. It says ¡®ming Rock Lava Grilled Burger¡±.

    That¡¯s right¡­ FLAMES!

    I grabbed my phone from my sling bag and texted Chynna¡¯s number.

    Me: Hi, Chynn! I came up with this type of game. It¡¯s called ¡°FLAMES¡±. Are you familiar with it?

    It¡¯s random, but Chynna is a woman who like random things, so I took my shot.

    After some moments, which is quite fast by the way, Chynna replied.

    Chynna: Oh, yes! I know that. I used to to that when I was a teenager.

    Me: Can you teach me how to do it? It¡¯s quite interesting. I saw some girls here do that.

    Chynna: Sure! I¡¯ll make a video since it¡¯s difficult to teach it via text or call.

    Chynna: Who¡¯s names am I going to use? I need two.

    This is it. I smiled when I can already see that my n is working.

    Me: Mine and Alejandro¡¯s.

    Chynna sent an ¡°ok¡± emoji. I waited impatiently for the video she¡¯s going to send.

    In the middle of waiting, my order number was called and I walked to get my food. I left the restaurant while checking if Chynna had already sent the video, but there was none.

    I walked towards the nearby jeepney terminal. I almost forgot that I will stay on Althea¡¯s house for the mean time. Good thing I remembered it before I could walk to the opposite direction.

    While walking, I noticed that there was a police car near me. I didn¡¯t mind it at first, though. It is normal to find a police car in the streets at this hour. It¡¯s rush hour and the police are in-charged on making sure that there will be no chaos in the street.

    I walked very slowly. When I was in the intersection and waiting for the street light to turn red, I noticed that the police car started moving. After some moments, it stopped¡­ just beside me.

    Because of that, I was able to take a closer look of the car. One look from the stickers of it and I already the truth.

    This police car is fake.

    When the lights turned red, I mixed myself with the crowd crossing the same street. After that, I walked with the group of women walking towards a mall.

    I immediately went to an arcade inside and ced myself to the game whete there are a lot of people. I grabbed my phone and was about to text Althea to fetch me when I saw a video message from Chynna.

    I don¡¯t even need to y the video. The thumbnail already has their full name.

    Dennise Lopez.

    Alejandro Mariano Estrada.

 Meet-up

    CHAPTER 10: Meet-up

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    FORTUNATELY, Althea was able to fetch me in the mall after some minutes of walking without thinking of where will I go. Waiting for her felt like eternity and it made my feet hurt because I didn¡¯t stop walking, thinking that the person inside the fake police car will follow me.

    Althea sent a message to me. She said that she will meet me at the entrance of the parking lot that connects to the second floor of the mall. I hurriedly, somehow acting cool, walk towards that destination.

    When I can already see her wearing a nude tight shirt and jogging pants, I waved at her and shouted her name. She looked at my direction and ran towards me.

    ¡°Are there any suspicious person behind me?¡± I asked her while locking our arms.

    She simply looked at my back. ¡°No one on your 1 meter radius. Beyond that? Huh, I can¡¯t see them clearly.¡±

    I turned my head to her and realized something. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing your sses?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking the obvious,¡± she responded while furrowing her eyes.

    ¡°How about contact lenses?¡± I asked again, moving my head near to her so I can see if there are changes on her eye color.

    ¡°None. I was in a hurry,¡± she answered as she opened her car door on the passenger seat.

    Igot in of the car immediately and fasten my seat belt while waiting for her to get in.

    ¡°Are you sure you can drive? You can¡¯t see well without sses or contact lenses,¡± I asked her nervously.

    She just chuckled. Here I am, nervous that we might meet an ident. She has blurry eyesight! The road is somehow dark! I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t see well.

    ¡°I will drive,¡± I said while trying to touch the steering wheel. Instead of letting me drive, she pped my hand!

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t touch my baby,¡± she said while wiping the part that I touched, as if I spread an infectious disease on it. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can drive this beauty.¡±

    I was dumbfounded. Wow. She will really prioritize the matter about who will drive her car over our safety.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your driving skills, but I¡¯m doubting your eyesight. We¡¯re gonna die if you¡¯ll drive this car,¡± I said while widening my eyes because she already started driving away from the parking space.

    She just swayed her head to the side and answered without looking at me. ¡°I got here safe, so we can also get home safe. If we met a crash, then it¡¯s your fault,¡± she replied and followed it with an uglyugh.

    ¡°How it became my fault? I¡¯m not the one driving?¡¯ I eximed at her face.

    ¡°Maybe because you¡¯re unlucky,¡± she answered and stuck tongue out at me.

    I squinted my eyes at her. ¡°Oh, really? How did I be unlucky, Ms. Althea? Mind exining?¡±

    She focused her eyes on the road. ¡°First, you were kidnapped during your vacation,¡± she started exining. Oh, I know where this is going.

    ¡°Second, someone is hunting you. Third, that person already knows where you lived. And another one, a fake police car followed you,¡± she stopped for a moment before continuing her speech. ¡°Now, tell me if that¡¯s not unlucky.¡±

    I frowned at her. ¡°Okay, fine. You won.¡±

    ¨C KELLEON ¨C

    My steps were calcted as I walk towards the basement of our vacation house. With me are my butler and my right-hand, which is also my best friend.

    ¡°Did she already tell you something?¡± I asked Clint, my butler.

    I heard him sighed from my back. ¡°Nothing, my lord.¡± he answered, making me massage my temple. ¡°She keeps her mouth shut. It looks like Dennise trained her to be her dog.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Not even a single info?¡± I asked him again while turning my head to his direction.

    He shook his head. ¡°None. She¡¯s silent even if I already threatened her,¡± he replied. ¡°I was about to use my lovely knife on her if you didn¡¯t call.¡±

    I took a deep breath. It will be difficult to make that woman talk. If she won¡¯t cooperate, then I need to have another n.

    Seeing one of our maids opening the entrance to the basement from afar, I slowed down and slightly looked to my right side where my right-hand, Cloud, was standing.

    ¡°How about the house that the intel told us? Did you check it?¡± I asked him, hoping to get a positive response, or a lead.

    ¡°Yes, my lord. I visited the house yesterday. However, a woman said that Dennise is not living there anymore,¡± he answered and handed me a paper. ¡°I conducted an investigation about the woman whom I talked to. These are her information, including the address and contact number.¡±

    ¡°I also searched for the people she is close to. As of now, I haven¡¯t seen a lead about Dennise,¡± he added.

    I handed back the paper to him after I read the information. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Dennise is still in that house. They¡¯re just hiding her,¡± I thought of a n to find her if ever that this hostage will not speak. ¡°Put some of our people to watch Dennise¡¯s house and the house of this other woman. Find other people who are close to the woman and investigate them, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Cloud replied.

    Silence covered all of us when we finally entered the basement. Dirt covered the floor while the walls and the ceiling were full of piled dust. It¡¯s been almost a decade since thest time I used this house, and it¡¯s not surprising that the basement is this dirty.

    In the middle of this room, a woman is tied up in a rusty chair. Both of her hands are tied behind her, while her mouth has a tape. Her head was bowed, and I can¡¯t see her face. However, I know that she is conscious.

    I grabbed her chin tightly and raised her head. Her eyes slowly opened, then it widened when she was able to see my full face.

    ¡°Chynna, right?¡± I asked her.

    She made muffled noise, like she wants to scream but couldn¡¯t because of the tape on her mouth. She also started to struggle in her seat, trying to remove the tie on her.

    ¡°Poor thing. I can see that you can¡¯t speak,¡± I smirked afterwards. ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    I grabbed one of the ends of the tape and in one fast movement, I removed it.

    Her screams of pain filled the whole basement. Tears started falling down on her cheeks and onto the reddish part of her face that was covered by tape earlier.

    ¡°That must¡¯ve hurt,¡± Imented as I walk around her. She still doesn¡¯t stop on screaming and crying. It¡¯s getting annoying.

    ¡°What do you want from me?!¡± she shouted, as if she doesn¡¯t know the reason. ¡°Let me go!¡±

    My feet stopped in front of her. Her eyes are full of fear when our eyes met. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re asking me¡­the reason why you¡¯re here?¡± I spat out an insultingugh. ¡°You must¡¯ve hit your head somewhere like Dennise.¡±

    She remained silent afterwards. She just stared at the floor while taking fast and deep breaths.

    ¡°Where is Dennise?¡± I asked while staring at her trembling body. ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask twice, Chynna.¡±

    Cloud intervened. ¡°You should tell us where she is to avoid more conflicts.¡±

    After some moments of silence, she raised her head and spoke. ¡°I will never tell you.¡±

    As fast as a lightning, a small knife flew through the air. It grazed Chynna¡¯s face, making her scream in pain that¡¯s much louder than before.

    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong answer,¡± I told her and walked towards the wall that the knife hit. I threw it back to Clint.

    Clint walked towards Chynna and touch her grazed cheek. ¡°Be thankful that I didn¡¯t target your head. You should be dead by now.¡±

    ¡°Let me go. Please,¡± she said with a very low volume that it became a whisper.

    ¡°Nah, babe. If you want to have the freedom, then better answer my lord¡¯s question truthfully,¡± Clint said as he spreads the grazed part of Chynna¡¯s cheek. That made her scream louder. More blood fell from her cheeks because Clint made the wound open more.

    ¡°Stop that, Clint,¡± Cloud firmly said while looking away from the bloody scene.

    Clint turned his head to his brother. ¡°I only listen to my lord.¡± With that, he scratched Chynna¡¯s grazed cheek. That gives more wound to her and destroyed her face more.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Clint,¡± I ordered him. I walked towards the door of the basement.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that I can find another way to discover where Dennise is hiding,¡± I said. For thest time, before leaving, I took a nce to Chynna.

    ¡°You seem to be so protective of your friend. Too bad, she doesn¡¯t consider you as one.¡±

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I STRETCHED my back while yawning. I looked at my side and I saw that Althea is still asleep. I stood up to see where the rm sound ising from.

    When I opened the cab, I saw that it was Althea¡¯s phone that is making the sound. I turned it off and turned my head to sleeping Althea.

    ¡°You set the rm, but you weren¡¯t even awake by it,¡± Iined.

    Instead of going back to sleep and take more rest because it¡¯s weekend, I grabbed my phone and left the bedroom. I started doing my morning routine and cooked pancake as our breakfast. Because I was extra hungry, I air fried some chicken nuggets.

    While waiting for it to cook, I opened my phone and a text message from Chynna was the first thing I saw.

    Chynna: Hi, Denn! Can we meet? I just want the two of us to bond before I go back to Spain

    She wants us to meet?

    Well, I guess there¡¯s no harm in that. I can extract more information from her.

    I typed my reply to her.

    Me: Good morning, Chynn! Sure, I would love to. Do you already have a meeting ce in mind?

    I though it will take a long time before she replies, but it has only been less than a minute when I received a reply from her.

    Chynna: I am thinking of Brown¡¯s Restaurant. Today at 7 PM.

    Brown¡¯s Restaurant? That has a lot of branches here in the Philippines. I can¡¯t say if she¡¯s talking about the branch here in Man or in Cebu.

    Me: Are you talking about the branch in Man or Cebu?

    Surprisingly, she replied fast. Again.

    Chynna: Man. I¡¯m already here in the city.

    My eyebrows rose up at her reply. She was just in Cebu yesterday. I guess she took a flight to here when she saw that Clint.

    Me: Okay. Sure. I¡¯lle. Thanks!

    After that, I didn¡¯t receive any reply from her. It was weird, though. Chynna is also the one who sent thest chat whenever we are talking. But I guess, it¡¯s not a big deal.

 Drugged

    CHAPTER 11: Drugged

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    BEFORE leaving Althea¡¯s house, she told me number of reminders. It includes calling her whenever I notice something weird or if something happened again. I gave her the exact address of the restaurant and the name of the person I¡¯m meeting. She also reminded me that she will call my number every 30 minutes to check.

    At first, she really wanted to go with me. I agreed, however, her boss called her that she is needed for an emergency meeting in theirpany. She almost told her boss to fuck off but I told her that it¡¯s okay. I assured her that I will text her when I arrived at the restaurant and will update her every now and then.

    ¡°Remember what I told you, okay?¡± Althea said as we looked for a jeepney. ¡°Open your phone at all times. If there¡¯s something suspicious, contact me immediately.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± I smiles at her. ¡°I won¡¯t forget your reminders.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she responded while raising her hand to stop the jeepney.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restaurant right after our meeting, okay?¡± she said while we walked to towards the entrance of the jeepney.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± I replied. ¡°Bye! See youter!¡±

    She waved good bye to me. Even if the jeepney is already far from her house, I can still see her looking at my direction.

    I just cut my gaze to her when the jeepney turned right and my sight can¡¯t reach her anymore.

    ¡°Bayad po,¡± (Here¡¯s my fare.) I said while handing my jeepney fare to the passengers in front of me so that it will reach the driver. ¡°Sa City Centerng po.¡± (My stop¡¯s on the City Center.)

    I grabbed my phone from my sling bag and texted Chynna that I¡¯m already on the way.

    Me: Hi, Chynn! I¡¯m already on the way. How about you?

    I grabbed my earphones and inserted it to the phone. The travel time to the city center will take almost 30 minutes, that is, if the traffic is not heavy. It will usually take 45 minutes to an hour if there¡¯s a heavy traffic.

    I scrolled on my Spotify to look for a ylist that I¡¯m in the mood to y. While scrolling, my phone beeped and I saw that it was because Chynna replied.

    Chynna: Hi! I¡¯m on my way, too. Text me if you¡¯ve arrived.

    I looked at the clock. It is still early. It¡¯s just quarter to 6 PM. I didn¡¯t expect that Chynna will be already on her. Maybe she¡¯s from a far, too.

    Fortunately, the travel time was short. I was able to reach the city center before 6:15 PM. I actually nned to take a tricycle to the restaurant but since I arrived early, I decided to just walk.

    It was not surprising that the sun is still up at this hour. It¡¯s summer time afterall. Although the moon isn¡¯t still visible, I can see a lot of people having their dinner on different restaurants and stalls in the city center.

    It took me 15 minutes to reach the restaurant. Actually, I should¡¯ve arrived earlier if I didn¡¯t stop on a stall where several people are singing on a videoke. I almost forgot that I still have a dinner to attend. I was enjoying their songs so much.

    A security guard opened the door for me. When I entered, I noticed that there are only a few people inside the restaurant. And when I say few, I mean, very few.

    There are only two customers, a woman in her mid-50s and a man on histe 50s or early 60s. I think their married to each since they upied the same table.

    When I entered, I saw the woman looked at my direction but she immediately looked back to her husband. She said something I didn¡¯t catch up before his husband looked at me. It didn¡¯t took long, though. They went back talking to each other, ignoring my presence.

    One of the female servers approached me.

    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am! Wee to Brown¡¯s restaurant. How may we help you?¡± she greeted.

    I turned my head to her. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m waiting for a friend. Can I just order once she arrived?¡±

    ¡°Sure, ma¡¯am. Please choose a table and call a waiter or waitress if you¡¯re ready to have your order.¡±

    I upied a table just beside the window, near the door. Althea told me to do it so that if ever something happens, I¡¯m just near the exit. I just hope that the windows are not tinted, and that the people from the outside can see me.

    I texted Chynna, telling her that I¡¯m already at the restaurant.

    Me: Hi, Chynn! I¡¯m already the restaurant you told me.

    I waited for her reply, but nothing came.

    While waiting for her to arrive, one of the servers approached me.

    He was smiling from ear to ear, but for some reason, a part of me says that it¡¯s fake. We¡¯ll most of the servers and restaurant crews have a fake smile, although it looked genuine for others. If I¡¯m working in such busy and toxic environment, I will fake a smile too, or maybe I will not smile at all.

    He ced a tray of bread and a pitcher on the table.

    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. Here¡¯s a free meal while waiting for your friend,¡± the server told me after he ced the food on the table.

    I was surpised, actually. I didn¡¯t expect them to give something like this. Thest time I received free food is from a carinderia near our police station. It was a sunny side-up egg stuffed between two breads. It was given to me while I was eating the meal I bought.

    They¡¯re generous when ites to giving free foods to their customers. Or maybe, it¡¯s because I¡¯m a new customer and that they want to leave a good impression.

    Too bad I don¡¯t really want to eat here. The prices of their meals are expensive as hell.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled back at him. When he left the table, I grabbed one of the doughnut bread and eat it.

    My whole body was awaken when I tasted the doughnut. It was so good! I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t tasted it until now!

    Maybe I could consider eating here.

    I was enjoying eating the breads. I also drank the pineapple juice from the pitcher, which was actually too sweet for me. But I like it anyway.

    I grabbed my phone to check if Chynna has already replied. It was already 7:02 in the evening but she¡¯s still isn¡¯t here.

    My phone won¡¯t open. I¡¯m sure that it was fully charged before I left Althea¡¯s house. I tried clicking the power button several times but it¡¯s still not opening. I even tried to charge it using my powerbank, but it also doesn¡¯t work. Is my phone already destroyed?

    I was opening my phone when someone sat on the chair in front of me.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    When I turned my head to that person, my widened and my whole body turned cold.

    ¡°Your friend won¡¯t make it here. I went on her behalf,¡± Kelleon said as he raise his hand to call the waiter.

    I was dumb founded. I was stunned. Of all people, he is thest one that I would want to see.

    He was saying something to the waiter, but my ears became deaf and my body won¡¯t move even if I want to escape. After talking to the waiter, he looked at my direction.

    ¡°How about you? What¡¯s your order?¡± he asked me while his fingers are busy tapping on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±

    I want to scream. I want to stand up and run from here. I want to punch him the face. I want to call Althea or my senior. I want to ask for help. I want to do a lot of things to save myself, but I was just right there, stunned and quiet.

    ¡°Cat got your tongue, darling?¡± he chuckled before turning his head to the waiter. ¡°She¡¯ll have the same order as mine.¡±

    I heard the waiter left us. Kelleon looked back the me. He leaned nearer to my direction and smirked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked, as if he was teasing me that he was able to find me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Chynna?¡± That¡¯s the first thing I said when I was able topose myself a little bit.

    His mouth opened a little, as if he was somehow he shocked from what I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about her?¡± he spat out an insultingugh, like my question is an insane one.

    One waitress went to our table and poured a wine to his ss.

    I red at him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Where¡¯s Chynna?¡±

    He sipped a drink from his ss and gave me a boring sigh.

    ¡°At my basement,¡± he answered briefly while carressing the rim of the ss.

    My eyes widened. As a criminal profiler, I have handled a lot of cases where suspects put their victims in a basement. I¡¯m not dumb. I know what he wants to imply to me when he said that.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± I asked even if I already have an idead on what he did.

    Did he tortured her so that Chynna will speak? If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t me Chynna if she told him where I am.

    I suddenly felt guilty. Chynna will not experience that if not because of me.

    Instead of answering my question, he just chuckled at me. My eyebrows furrowed.

    The meals arrived. He was just watching the waiter as he served our meal. I¡¯m starting to lose my patience because he is not answering my question!

    ¡°What did you do to Chynna?¡± I asked him again, with much firmer voice this time.

    Like earlier, he just chuckled and didn¡¯t give me an answer. He started cutting the steak he ordered, minding his own business like I didn¡¯t asked him a question.

    ¡°What did you do to her?!¡± I eximed as I hit the table with my two palms.

    Because of the intensity of my force, the tes and other things on the table were shaken. Others even jumped a little bit because of that force. One of those is his wine ss. It fell on the floor and broke. That made a loud breaking sound. I even felt that some debris flew to my feet.

    He stopped eating. He ced his fork and knife on his te before looking at me.

    ¡°What I did to her is none of your business,¡± he replied. He grabbed his fork once again and continued eating like nothing happened.

    He gave me a useless answer. None of my business? Really?

    I was really furious. I know that he did something to her. He just doesn¡¯t want to admit it, or maybe he¡¯s enjoying seeing me mad at him.

    I grabbed the knife. I stood up and ready to stab him when I felt that the surroundings moved around. My eyesight became blurry and I felt sleepy. The knife slipped on my hand and it fell on the floor.

    I touched the edge of the table for support. I tried grabbing my phone to ask Althea for help when Kelleon spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use calling someone,¡± he said. ¡°Your phone won¡¯t work anyway. I have a phone jammer with me.¡±

    So that¡¯s why. That¡¯s the reason why my phone suddenly stopped working when he entered. Wow, he really nned all of this. He really wouldn¡¯t let me escape from him.

    Hearing that, I tried reaching for the door. It was just behind me. I¡¯m sure that I can leave this ce and ask for help on the people outside.

    However, when I was trying to reach the door, a huge body blocked my way. I tried punching it, but my force were all gone. My ears started ringing so loud that it hurts. I tried blocking my ears, thinking that it will stop. However, the pain worsens as I try to cover my ears more.

    My knees lose their strength. I felt myself falling down. I was ready to feel the cold, hard, concrete floor. However, I felt that something warm caught me. And then I head Kelleon¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You¡¯ve drank a lot of those drugs. Well, pineapple is your favorite afterall.¡±

    When I lose my hearing, everything went ck.

 Abducted

    CHAPTER 12: Abducted

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    DARKNESS. That was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. Though, I¡¯m not really if I opened my eyes since I can¡¯t see anything. At first, I thought I became blind. I can feel my eyes blinking but the scenery is still the same. It was dark.

    Coldness. That was the first thing I felt when I tried to move my body. I though I was paralyzed, but I felt my body suffocating from something that hugged to so tight. My feet felt something cold and my hands can¡¯t move freely. I tried to touch something with any part of my body, but it was still the same. It was cold.

    ¡°Hello?¡± It was the first thing I said when I opened my mouth. I had a difficult time separating my upper and lower lip. I felt dehydrated. My throat hurts and it felt dry that even whispering one word will scratch it until it bleeds.

    No one answered me. Silence covered the whole ce I¡¯m in. I tried focusing my hearing to something. I tried imagining that there are a lot of people around me. I closed my eyes, thinking that my friends are just right there and they¡¯re walking towards me to remove me from this darkness.

    I can hear them talking. I can hear their voice. I can hear them calling my name even if I don¡¯t see anything, even in my imagination. But I don¡¯t care, at least I can hear them.

    I thought that those voices and sounds are real, but when I opened my eyes, I heard nothing but my own breath. My friends¡¯ voices are gone. Instead, I was greeted by the quietness of the whole ce. The silence was so loud that I thought I was already deaf.

    Cold. Dark. Empty.

    If I can¡¯t feel my heart beating, I would think that I¡¯m already dead and that I¡¯m in the middle of a verdict whether I will enter the heaven or not. I even tried moving my head to see something, hoping that there will be even a small dot of light. However, in every way I turn my head to, darkness wees me.

    I squeeze my brain to remember what happened before I got here, but it doesn¡¯t work. My memories prior to this are blurry. Thest thing I remember is when I was watching those people singine in the city center.

    What was I doing there, anyway?

    Noticing that I breath so heavily, I tried to make my breathing calm. Deep breaths followed slow exhaling, then repeat. I did that a lot of times until I felt that my body is slowly transitioning towards rxation state.

    When I finally have a calm mood, I tried guessing where I am. I can¡¯t see anything, but I can feel that I¡¯m tied up ¨C maybe in a chair. My feet felt the cold metal while my hands touched the rope that was tied to it.

    I tried finding the other end of the rope, trying to remove it from my hand. When I realize that it wouldn¡¯t work, I started moving my hands up and down to the side of the chair, hoping that the metal can cut the rope. However, after series of doing that and getting exhausted, nothing happened.

    I started moving my body, trying to remove the rope that was tied to my stomach and attached to the chair when I suddenly heard a clicking sound.

    With that, light started entering the area. It hurted my eyes. I felt like I was staring directly at the sun. If I thought I¡¯m dead, I will think that¡¯s the gates to heaven.

    Or maybe¡­ it¡¯s really heaven.

    A beautiful woman entered the ce I¡¯m in. I can say that she kind of old, but her beauty remain. She¡¯s wearing a dark green semi-formal dress and a few jewelries in her body. Is she an angel?

    She started walking towards me. I felt that my mouth is still open because of the admiration I felt towards the woman, but my body chose not to close it.

    When she was already near me, she slowly sat down and didn¡¯t remove her stare at me.

    That¡¯s when I realize that there is a table right in front of me.

    The woman flick her hand, and as if a cue, more light scattered inside the ce. I have to close my eyes since it hurted me and I felt my eyes burning.

    After some seconds, I slowly blinked my eyes while adjusting my sight to it. When I finally opened my eyes fully, I looked around.

    I was in a small room, tied up in a chair with a table in front of me. There was no any other things inside. Just me, the chair, the table, and the woman.

    I looked at her, not knowing what to say. Should I say that I find her beautiful? Should I ask her where am I? Should I ask her what happened to me?

    My mind is still not recovering and my memories prior to this are still hidden somewhere in my brain. I¡¯m trying my best to dig it up but my effort¡¯s not working.

    ¡°We meet again,¡± the woman talked. ¡°Dennise.¡±

    Her voice soothed my ear. Her voice is so angelic that it didn¡¯t suit her age. If I¡¯m going to close my eyes and listen to her talk, I will think that it was some sort of luby helping me to get some sleep.

    But, wait. Dennise? Did she call me Dennise?

    Hearing that name, my memories started shing through my eyes. It shed to fast that I have to blink so hard.

    I remember it now. I was drugged! That Kelleon drugged me! He did something to Chynna!

    Remembering my memories, I started feeling furious. I was about to let my madness out when the woman spoke.

    ¡°You know why we looked for you, Dennise. You can¡¯t just escape after what you did.¡±

    Surprisingly, my madness was gone. Her voice is like a switch that can make me calm. My other self¡¯s telling me that she¡¯s really an angel.

    I tried opening my mouth to speak, but it still hurts like earlier that I have to stop talking after every word.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡­ Dennise,¡± I talked very slowly. It just took me three words but my throat is already exhausted.

    The woman closed her eyes and sighed deeply, as if she was making herself calm.

    ¡°I thought my son mistook it when he said that you denied your identity, but now I know that he was right,¡± she said with a firm voice while staring at me intently.

    She steepled her fingers and leaned forward. ¡°Dennise, if you will tell the truth right now, your punishment will be lessened.¡±

    I blinked a couple of times. I don¡¯t want to get mad at her. She seems really kind. If that Kelleon is the one in front of me, asking me to confess that I¡¯m Dennise, I would have shouted at his face while showing him my middle finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Dennise,¡± I repeat, a little bit faster this time.

    The woman didn¡¯t move. If I heard her right, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s Kelleon¡¯s mother. I just noticed that they have the same eye color.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not Dennise, then who are you?¡± she asked while looking at my eyes.

    I blinked before speaking. ¡°Maria¡­ Mahalia¡­ Mendoza.¡±

    Her eyes widened for a short time, but her eyebrows furrowed afterwards. She remained like that for a couple of seconds before resting her back on the chair.

    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ giving us a hard time. So, I will get straight to the point,¡± she crossed her arms in front of her. ¡°Dennise, where is the ne?¡±

    I stared at her. I don¡¯t have any idea on what¡¯s she¡¯s saying. I don¡¯t know what ne is that.

    ¡°What¡­ ne?¡± I asked and cleared my throat afterwards.

    ¡°The Blue Pearl of the Sea,¡± she answered. ¡°I know that you know it. My son showed it to you the first time he brought you to our house.¡±

    I tried to dig up that memory, or something simry to that. But then I realized that the memory of that event is not on my mind, but on Dennise¡¯s. She¡¯s talking about her son¡¯s ex-girlfriend, and I¡¯m not that person.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ anything about¡­ the ne,¡± I responded, getting a much deeper sigh this time.

    She closed her eyes and then she stood up. She raised both of her hands and shook her head slowly, as if she was epting defeat.

    ¡°We know that you¡¯re the one who did that, but we can¡¯t find any evidence,¡± she said and she started walking towards the door.

    ¡°You made a clean job. I¡¯m impressed,¡± she held the doorknob and turned her head to me.

    She was about to say something when I interrupted because of a certain memory that surfaced on my mind.

    ¡°Alejandro¡­ Mariano¡­ Estrada,¡± I spoke slowly, making sure that I¡¯m saying the correct name.

    The woman furrowed her eyebrows after she heard me. I saw her hold on the doorknob tightened.

    ¡°That man¡­ is married¡­ to Dennise. Ask¡­ Chynna,¡± I said, slowly feeling asleep. Am I drugged again? But, I didn¡¯t eat nor drink anything.

    Before my eyelids lose their strengths, I saw her opened her mouth to talk. But my hearing was gone even before I close my eyes to sleep.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Hidden Wife

    CHAPTER 13: Hidden Wife

    ¨C KELLEON ¨C

    I sip my ck coffee after sitting down on the sofa. While feeling the warmth it gave to my throat, I stare at the metallic door where my mom entered a few minutes ago.

    Behind that, I¡¯m sure that mom is already talking to Dennise. Knowing my mother, she will take her time interrogating Dennise until she confess the truth.

    But I also know Dennise. She¡¯s a cunning and maniptive woman. I think mom will have a hard time making her confess to the things she did.

    I let out a deep sigh. If I only used my brain at that time and not let my heart to blind me, things wouldn¡¯t go this way. Maybe¡­ if I listened to my parents about their hunch about Dennise, we would not experience this kind of pain. If I only let myself know her more together with her perfection and ws, I wouldn¡¯t have to be stuck in this situation.

    I was in the middle of deep thinking when I heard my best friend called my name.

    ¡°My lord,¡± Cloud spoke while bowing his head. I saw him carrying bunches of papers and some folders. I think those are the investigation files that I asked him.

    I nodded and motioned him to sit on the sofa across me. He immediately sat down and put the papers and folders on the table between the two of us.

    ¡°These contain the information I found out about the woman I saw on Dennise¡¯s house,¡± he started talking white pushing the ck folder foward using his pointing and middle finger. ¡°Her name¡¯s Jhoanlyn Doromal.¡±

    ¡°I stalked all of her social media ounts, and even the ounts of her close friends. However, I didn¡¯t see anyone named Dennise in the list,¡± he added.

    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°I can hear a but,¡± I said. His tone sounds like he is not going to say a bad news.

    ¡°But, I found photos of a woman that looks like Dennise,¡± he motioned me to open the ck folder.

    I opened it. At the first page was all texts of the detailed information about that Jhoanlyn. It was almostplete. It contains her recent and previous addresses, universities she went to, current and previous jobs, and more.

    I flip through the second page. My eyes almost widened when I saw a photo of group of people. They were inside a certain restaurant. There were six of them.

    But the thing that caught my attention is the woman wearing a gray hoodie. She looks tired and sleepy at the picture but she did her best to smile at the camera. She posed her hand to a ¡®thumbs up¡¯ sign.

    That woman was Dennise.

    The fact the she was in the photo wasn¡¯t the reason I was somehow shocked. It was because of the outfit she has.

    In our years of rtionship, I never saw Dennise wore a hoodie. She¡¯s more of a dress girl. There was a time I remember that I put my coat over her because of the cold temperature in Spain. However, she removed it saying that it will ruin her look.

    I flip to another page. On the next one, I saw Dennise again. She¡¯s wearing a white tube topped with a ck zer. Her bottoms is a ck re-cut pants that also covers her shoes. There¡¯s two other woman in the photo that I don¡¯t recognize.

    The next page is also a picture of Denisse. She¡¯s wearing a ck graduation suit with a green hood. She¡¯s carrying a rolled paper with red ribbon in her one hand while the other one has the graduation cap.

    My eyebrows wrinkled. Dennise told me that she wasn¡¯t able to finished college.

    ¡°Most of the photos we¡¯re uploaded from 2020 onwards. It looks like her ount was just made on that year,¡± Cloud exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s the year where Dennise left me. I think it¡¯s too much to be a coincidence,¡± I said, remembering what happened during that year. ¡°How about the other close friends she has?¡±

    Cloud pushed another folder. This time, it¡¯s dark blue and slightly thicker that the first one.

    ¡°This contains the information about Jhoanlyn¡¯s close friends. I also stalked their ounts, however, all of them set their ounts to private,¡± Cloud responded.

    ¡°I found the ount of the woman who looks like Dennise,¡± he pushed another folder. ¡°Her name is Maria Mahalia Mendoza.¡±

    I stared at him, waiting for the other information he has aside from her name.

    ¡°I checked her ount, but it¡¯s also set to private. I ran a short background check on her and I found out that she is a criminal profiler for almost two years,¡± he added. ¡°I asked Clint to investigate on Ms. Mendoza¡¯s whereabouts from 2018 to 2020.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Aside from her job, did you find more info?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± he responded. ¡°I checked her flight and travel records, thinking if she has records on going in and out of Spain. However, she never left this country since birth.¡±

    I sighed. Those kind of information can be easily deleted if you have the power to do that. We can¡¯t rely on that information. I need more.

    I was about to ask more when the door from the room where Dennise is suddenly opened. It revealed my mother, massaging her temple.

    ¡°Mama,¡± I called her. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    I walked towards her and gently grabbed her arm. I assisted her in sitting on the sofa and ask Cloud to get some water for my mother.

    ¡°She said that she¡¯s not Dennise,¡± my mother said when she already sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°That¡¯s what she also said to me, Mama,¡± I replied.

    My mother sighed. ¡°She said that she¡¯s not Dennise,¡± she repeated. She stopped for a little bit before speaking again. ¡°But she looks like Dennise.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s lying, Mama. That¡¯s what she¡¯s been doing since I met her,¡± I replied and clenched my jaw as I remember how she sessfully got away from the lies she told me¡­ us.

    Mom shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s what made me confuse. Mi hijo, when we were talking earlier, I can sense that she¡¯s not lying.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed at what my mother said. I didn¡¯t expect her to say that.

    ¡°You know me, mi hijo. I can easily say that a person is lying just by looking at them. But earlier,¡± she stopped, as if she was reminiscing what happened inside the room. ¡°I can sense that she¡¯s telling the truth. Even if the effect of the drug is still evident, her words are true as I listened to them.¡±

    Cloud arrived with the water in his hand. He extended his hand and gave the water to my mother. Mom received it and took a small sip.

    ¡°Before I left her, she told me something,¡± she said, catching my attention.

    ¡°What is it, Mama?¡± I asked.

    Every word that came from that woman must be analyze thoroughly. It can be a lie or a real information that can help us.

    ¡°She said that Dennise is already married to someone.¡±

    I was not that shocked on what I heard. I can still remember the letter that Dennise wrote before she left me.

    She went for another man who¡¯s willing to marry her regardless of her sess in life. A man who is willing to make her a trophy wife.

    ¡°How did she know that? It¡¯s suspicious, Mama,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We can¡¯t even find Dennise or any information about her. It¡¯s impossible that other people will know that, unless they¡¯re connected to her.¡±

    Mama closed her eyes for a couple of seconds. When she opened it, she spoke. ¡°I know. But she told me to ask Chynna about it. I¡¯m thinking that she got that information from Chynna.¡±

    ¡°And you believe her?¡± I asked. ¡°Mama, of all the people, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s difficult to manipte. Please, think of it again.¡±

    My mother faced me. ¡°I know, mi hijo. But she told me that Dennise is married to Count Alejandro Estrada.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    My eyes widened. I suddenly can¡¯t process what she said.

    In the middle of thinking of what my mother said, Cloud spoke.

    ¡°There was a rumor in the Grande of Spain that Count Estrada is already married, but the wife is hidden,¡± he stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is a coincidence, but that rumor started months after Dennise disappeared.¡±

    I stared at Cloud. That¡¯s right. I remember that rumor, but I didn¡¯t think of it that much.

    ¡°Her statement is supported by that rumor. You know the Grande of Spain, most of the rumors that started there is true,¡± Mama said. ¡°It will not harm us if we will look on it, too.¡±

    Hearing that, I nodded. Mama¡¯s right. If we want to solve this as soon as possible, then we have to look at every possibilities that we can discover. We can¡¯t miss any little information, any detail. We have to look deeper at everthing, even if it¡¯s just a rumor.

    I turned my head to Cloud. As if my stare is enough for him to know what I am going to say, he nodded. He received my message as if we have a wireless connection between our brains.

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± he said. ¡°I will investigate Count Estrada and his hidden wife.¡±

 Stare

    CHAPTER 14: Stare

    ¨C KELLEON ¨C

    Cloud left after I gave him the instructions. Those were a lot, though themon denominator of those tasks is to investigate about Count Estrada and his hidden wife.

    ¡°Mi hijo, I will talk to you father about that matter,¡± Mama said after we talked about the information that ¡®Dennise¡¯ gave to us.

    I nodded. ¡°Si, Mama.¡± I gave her a reassuring smile.

    ¡°By the way, did she tell you more?¡± I asked, pertaining ¡®she¡¯ as the Dennise inside the interrogation room.

    My mom blinked for a few times and moved her head, as if thinking again of what happened inside the room.

    ¡°Well, she told me that she¡¯s not Dennise,¡± she started talking. ¡°She told me her name.¡±

    I leaned my upper body closer to my mother, waiting for her to say the name of the woman.

    Cloud said earlier that the name of the woman who looked like Dennise is Maria Mahalia Mendoza. If the name is matched, it will somehow strengthen her narrative.

    However, I can¡¯t just base everything on her words. There are a lot of possibilities that can happen. She can change her name and create a new identity just to run away from us.

    But I can¡¯t also erase the fact that the woman in the interrogation room, that we suspected as Dennise, is a victim, too.

    ¡°If I remember it right, she told me that her name is Maria Mendoza,¡± she answered, looking at her left. ¡°I think she has a second name. I just can¡¯t remember it quickly. My mind is too clouded that time.¡±

    I nodded at her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mama.¡± I grabbed the folders from the table and handed it to her. ¡°Here are the information that Cloud got from his investigation. You can use this while talking to Papa.¡±

    She received the folders and we stood up together. I walked with her until to the gate of the house.

    ¡°Call me if anything happens, okay?¡± Mama reminded me before going inside her car.

    ¡°Yes, Mama,¡± I responded. ¡°Please text if you already arrived at Papa¡¯s office.¡±

    She hummed a yes and nodded. She kissed my check before heading inside.

    The car started driving away and I stood at the gate, waiting for them to slowly lose from my sight.

    When I can¡¯t see her car anymore, I headed inside the house with a deep thought.

    The name that Mama said is matched from what Cloud discovered. I just need to know more about the Maria. It¡¯s just suspicious that her social media ount was made on the year the Dennise disappeared. That fact makes me think that she just changed her identity.

    If I can see just only one photo or evidence that can prove that she was existing before Dennise came into the picture, then I will believe her.

    Right now, I have to ask someone for information.N?velDrama.Org content.

    OPENING the basement¡¯s door, I saw Clint sitting across the bloody woman. He¡¯s throwing his knife up, catch it with his right hand, and throw it again up in the air.

    ¡°Did you do something, again?¡± I asked Clint when I stopped behind him.

    He stopped throwing his knife and titled his head up to look at me.

    ¡°Nothing, my lord!¡± he answered while smiling widely. ¡°You told me not to hurt her anymore. Who am I to disobey yourmand?¡±

    I nodded at him. ¡°Good,¡± I answered and walked beside Chynna.

    ¡°Yes, my lord. I¡¯m a very good butler,¡± he stated arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m you best butler.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my only butler, Clint.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t correct what I said, my lord.¡±

    I turned my head to Chynna. The wound Clint gave her stopped bleeding and it was already covered with a huge band-aid. Did Clint do this? I didn¡¯t know he could be this caring.

    ¡°Let¡­ me¡­ go¡­,¡± Chynna said slowly with a weak voice. ¡°Please.¡±

    I grabbed a chair and sat beside her. Not so close that our bodies will touch, but not too far that I can¡¯t hear her whispers.

    ¡°I will, but you have to answer my questions first,¡± I responded to her.

    Hearing that, she looked at me. I can see from her eyes that she¡¯s very tired. Maybe because of being tied up for too long, or maybe because she lost a lot of blood from yesterday.

    Honestly, I don¡¯t want to resort on this kind of things. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I need information, and I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to get them.

    ¡°Is Dennise now married to Count Estrada?¡± I asked her.

    Her eyebrows furrowed a little bit. She didn¡¯t answer me right away. She just stared at me andter on, looked at her left side.

    She¡¯s thinking. However, I can¡¯t say if she is thinking of what is the right answer, or if she is thinking of a lie that can cover the truth.

    ¡°I¡­,¡± she started talking, her voice is slightly louder than earlier. ¡°don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡±

    I sighed heavily at her answer. She is Dennise¡¯s only friend, base on our investigation. This Chynna was never introduced to me when Dennise and I are still in a rtionship, but she knows me and that Dennise is my ex-girlfriend.

    The possibilities are Dennise didn¡¯t tell her about Count Estrada, or she¡¯s just lying about it.

    ¡°Who is¡­ Count¡­ Estrada,¡± she continued her words.

    I looked at her. ¡°You don¡¯t know who he is?¡±

    She nodded slowly. I squinted my eyes on her, scrutinizing if she¡¯s lying or not. But from her situation and look, it¡¯s difficult to tell. Tiredness covers her whole body that I can¡¯t see any other emotion.

    ¡°But Dennise is now married, right?¡± I asked her again, trying to improve my question.

    She nodded again. So it¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure that whoever Dennise is married to is someone who has influence and connection, like my family. That¡¯s why he was able to hide her.

    ¡°She¡¯s married to who?¡± I questioned Chynna.

    She breathed heavily. Clint was just watching us, but from his posture, I¡¯m sure that he is itching to hurt this woman if ever she didn¡¯t cooperate.

    ¡°Alejandro,¡± she answered. ¡°The surname¡­ is also Estrada¡­ but I don¡¯t know¡­ if he is¡­ a count.¡±

    Her statement confirmed my suspicions. I don¡¯t need to investage and find who this Alejandro Estrada is. Just by thinking of influencial people in Spain with that name, I am already a hundred percent sure that it is Count Estrada.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± I stood up and walked towards Clint.

    ¡°What is it, my lord?¡± he asked.

    I leaned closer to him and whispered. ¡°Treat her and fix her up. After that, send her back to Spain.¡±

    Clint looked at me, surpised at what I said. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re gonna let that woman go and be free?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, and no,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯ll let her go. I don¡¯t need more information from ger. But she¡¯s not going to be free.¡±

    Clint looked at me with focused eyes waiting for what I will say.

    ¡°My lord, I know that look you¡¯re giving,¡± he said.

    ¡°Follow her. Check every ce she will go and every person she will talk to. Report it to me,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Can I torture her if she did something that¡¯s gonna hurt us?¡±

    ¡°Abduct her first and give her to me. Then I¡¯ll decide after that.¡±

    ¡°Aww, bummer,¡± he pouted. ¡°Okay, my lord. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    I nodded at him and left the room. I thought of resting for now, however, I still need to talk to thatdy Mendoza.

    When I opened the door of the interrogation room, a small snore greeted me. There¡¯s only one person inside, and I¡¯m sure that the snore ising from her.

    Looking back, I never heard Dennise snore when sleeping. She¡¯s very quiet and never even moved a little when asleep.

    I sighed and walked towards this woman. When I am already close to her, I observed her face.

    When I kidnapped her in Spain, she told me various differences of her and Dennise. I didn¡¯t believe her. I was blinded by anger. My mind is so focus on punishing her for what she did that her words didn¡¯t register in my head.

    I stared at the mole under her right eye. I¡¯m sure that Dennise doesn¡¯t have this kind of mole in her face. Dennise¡¯s face is clean from moles, wounds, or scars.

    I extended my fingers to her face and gently touched the mole under her eyes. It is small and you can¡¯t even feel it.

    I scratched it a little bit. It made her groaned and she moved her head as if she wants to remove my fingers from touching her.

    I chuckled. I remember her challenging me to scratch her mole just to make sure that it¡¯s real. That¡¯s funny. I mean, who will ask another person to do that? It¡¯s insane.

    My eyes lingered on her curly hair. I touched her head and slowly caressed it until the tip. Her hair is ck on the top half while the lower half is brown. Now that I observed it much closer, I noticed that her hair is much thicker than Dennise¡¯s.

    I bent a little bit to see more of her face. This is the face of the woman I loved for years, but it¡¯s also the face of the woman who wrecked me for her own good.

    I want to get angry at her, but my heart can¡¯t. Instead, it is beating fast and loud that I can hear its beat in my ears.

    I noticed the little mole on her upper lip. She also told me about this difference. I wasn¡¯t able to see this that time, but now, it¡¯s very clear to me.

    The mole is cute. It suits her.

    I chuckled at my thought. I ced my finger over the mole to feel it. It is soft, and like the mole under her eye, you can¡¯t even feel it.

    She unconsciously pouted her lips, like she was trying to push my finger away.

    I was in dazed. My eyes focused on her pouting lips. Something was pulling me towards it. It was enchanting. It was seductive. It was beautiful.

    A loud screech from the outside woke me up. When I was back on my senses, I noticed that our faces are just a few centimeters from each other.

    Just one wrong move and our lips will touch.

    A part of me wants that to happen. This part was sad by the fact that I wasn¡¯t able to flinched towards her lips when the I heard the loud sound.

    I cleared my throat and removed that thought from my head. I stood up. I want to wake her up and ask her now, but I don¡¯t have the heart to do it.

    She¡¯s sleeping so peacefully.

    Sighing, I walked behind her and removed the ropes from her body. This might make you a lotfortable while sleeping.

 Laugh

    CHAPTER 15: Laugh

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    Gentle light greeted me when I opened my eyes. I feel well rested. I feel like I have slept for several hours under my favorite duvet.

    Smiling widely, I stretched my arms and legs. I even heard some of my joints cracking and if possible, felt my bones lengthen. I moved my body a little bit to have a good spot on the soft and warm thing underneath me.

    It feels sofortable that I want to sleep again.

    I was in the middle of yawning when I suddenly realize something.

    I was kidnapped!

    Realizing that, I hurriedly sat down and looked around me. I calmed down a little bit when I noticed that I am not in the same dark room earlier.

    I¡¯m currently in a bedroom. The room was huge, much bigger than the whole first floor of my house. I looked at my back and noticed that I¡¯m in a huge bed.

    Did someone put me here?

    I want tough at my question. Of course, it¡¯s obvious that someone put me here. Unless I sleep walked all the way here.

    Did that person carry me? Maybe. I would have felt if that person drag me from that dark room up to here.

    I looked around the room. The whole room screams manliness. From the ck walls, to the ck and white furnitures. I can say that a man is using this room.

    Wait¡­ could it be that this room is Kelleon¡¯s?

    I want to p myself for thinking that. That man thinks I¡¯m Dennise, his ex-girlfriend who left him for some reason, and he¡¯s mad at me. If he is in the right mind, he would not put his enemy in his bedroom.

    Getting bored, I stood up and walked around the room. I want to open the closets and see what¡¯s inside, but they might use me of stealing if ever something happens so I chose to keep my hands to myself.

    A huge window greeted me when I opened the curtains right across the bed.

    My eyes widened and my lips formed an ¡®o¡¯ shape when I saw how beautiful is the scenery behind those curtains.

    The buildings of the city are seen from where I¡¯m currently standing. It looks like the buildings are having apetition on who is the tallest.

    The view of the sun also adds to the prettiness of the scenery. The rising sun slowly scatters its light to the whole city, covering its whole domain.

    I was touching the ss window and staring at the sun when I heard something saying ¡®grr¡¯.

    It was my stomach.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± I said to myself. I felt my stomach rumbling and I started to have series for warm burps, signaling that my tummy needs to be filled with a lot of food.

    While touching my stomach, I walked around the room and looked for something to eat. I tried looking in the mini drawers but most of them have man¡¯s rings and other jewelries.

    I can¡¯t eat those.

    I walked towards the door and tried to open it. However, it was locked. I was devastated because I can¡¯t get any food and I am starting to feel my head hurts because of starvation.

    Did that Kelleon n to starve me to death?

    I was horrified at my thoughts. No! Of all reasons of death, dying because of starvation is the worst! For me!

    I punched the door several times, creating sounds that get louder and louder each time.

    ¡°Hey! Give me food!¡± I shouted to the other side of the door. ¡°I¡¯m hungry! I want to eat!¡±

    I continue on doing that for several minutes until I felt my arms getting numb. No one¡¯sing. No one¡¯s answering my screams.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you know that I get hungry easily? Give me food!¡±

    A few minutes passed and no one answered me. I started to feel devastated, not because I was locked up, but because I have nothing to eat.

    I walked away from the door and sat down on the bed. With my palms on my chin, I pouted.

    ¡°I hate this,¡± I said like a child having a tantrum. My stomach is still growling. My tongue wants to taste something savory and my nose wants to smell something good.

    Iy down on the bed, thinking that sleeping again will ease the hungriness I am feeling. However, my back haven¡¯t even touched the foam when I felt the urge to pee.

    Stomping my feet, I walked towards the other door inside the room. There are two identical doors inside. Both are ck and gray in color. The door to the outside is much bigger and in color gold and ck.

    I opened the first door. Instead of afort room, a terrace greeted me. There are pots of different nts and flowers and a single chair, too.

    When I closed the first door, and I walked towards the another one. I¡¯m sure this is thefort room.

    Feeling the urge to pee getting stronger, I hurriedly opened the door and stepped my foot inside.

    ¡°Aah!¡± I shouted and turned my back while closing my eyes.

    There is a man, taking a bath, naked!

    ¡°You should learn how to knock,¡± Kelleon¡¯s voice lingered to my ears.

    I¡¯m so embarrassed that I want the floor to open and eat me up!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± I eximed.

    Well, I did see something. I saw his butt, and his naked back, of course. It was unintentional though. His butt looked firm, and soft at the same time. I want to grab it and p it. His back looks sexy. His biceps looked firm and strong. His whole back screams dominancy.

    If that kind of body will fuck me in bed, I will dy ept every hard thrust he will give to me.

    I shook my head at my own thoughts. Eww, I don¡¯t want to feel attracted at this guy.

    I took a deep breath and is ready to left the bathroom when Kelleon spoke.

    ¡°Are you gonna use the toilet?¡± he asked. I didn¡¯t answer, though. My mind is still focused on the sight of his butt and naked back that I saw earlier.

    ¡°You can use it. It is a closed room so you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± he said.

    I looked at my right side and saw another door. It ck and brown. I think this is the door to the toilet.

    With my eyes closed, I walked towards that door. I have just taken three steps when he spoke again.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to close your eyes. You¡¯re free to look at my body if you want.¡±

    I don¡¯t even need to look at his face to say that he¡¯s mocking and teasing me at the same time. I don¡¯t want to look at him! I¡¯m sure that my face is red as hell! I don¡¯t want him to see it!

    I hurriedly ran to the door and entered the toilet without ncing at him.

    Oh, my god! I can¡¯t believe what happened!N?velDrama.Org content.

    So, I¡¯m really inside Kelleon¡¯s room. But, he thinks that I¡¯m Dennise so why would he put me in his room? Unless, he already believed that I am not that woman.

    Or maybe, he put me here to punish me.

    A sensitive part of me tingled just by thinking on the ways he will punish me. I mean, if he throw me to bed and my head will hit the board, I won¡¯t get angry at him. I would even say sorry.

    If he tries to choke me with his huge, muscr, and veiny hands, I will not push his hands away. Instead, I will push it closer to my neck until I lose my breathe or until my neck breaks.

    I was almost lost in my thoughts when I realized that I have been sitting in the toilet for too long. I got up and flushed it. I was about to open the door when I heard a ssh of water from the outside.

    I¡¯m sure that Kelleon is still inside! I think I can¡¯t help myself anymore if I saw him again in that state. I might ran to him, pin him to the wall, and lick his body until my tongue¡¯s all dried up.

    Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the toilet¡¯s door. I closed my eyes and ran towards the exit. I even bumped to the side of the door because I can¡¯t see where I¡¯m going!

    Thankfully, I was able to leave the bathroom without trying to ravish Kelleon.

    Iy down on the bed, staring at the ceiling while thinking of my life choices. I gently touched my tummy because I felt it rumbling again.

    Some momentster, I heard footstepsing inside the room. I know that it¡¯s Kelleon, but I didn¡¯t bother looking at him.

    When the footsteps stopped near me, I spoke. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    It waste when I realized that I demanded to him. But a part of me was saying that it¡¯s okay. He kidnapped me so he must feed me!

    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±

    My eyes widened and I immediately got up to sit and look at him. I didn¡¯t expect him to say that! I was thinking that he might get annoyed or angry. Did I hear him right?

    ¡°Come again?¡± I asked while tilting my head to my right side. I looked at him with furrowed eyes.

    He raised his left eyebrow at me and spoke. ¡°I am asking you, what do you want to eat,¡± he answered.

    My lips formed an ¡®o¡¯ shape. I¡¯m really shook.

    Well, I¡¯m really hungry. I looked down to think of the foods that I want to eat, but I can¡¯t think of a certain food. I want to eat a lot!

    I was in the middle of my thoughts when I realized that Kelleon is already too near to me. When I looked straight ahead, his well defined body greeted me.

    His v-line is evident because of the shorts that¡¯s ced on his lower waist. Some part of his abs has little drops of water in it that a desire for me to touch and wipe it.

    My face is also near to his crotch. One wrong move and I might kiss it.

    I think I found my breakfast.

    I shook my head and cleared my throat. I should think of my growling tummy instead of my growing desire. I must think of the food to fill my stomach before thinking of another thing that can fill me up, too.

    ¡°I want Jollibee. Chicken, fries, and peach mango pie. I want coke float as my drink,¡± I responded to his question while looking up at him.

    He¡¯s stading in front of me and I¡¯m sitting at the edge of the bed. Because of our position, he¡¯s looking down at me. His shadow is covering my body and it felt like his dominating me.

    ¡°And please, move a little further away,¡± I said. ¡°It makes me ufortable.¡±

    Silly me. I said that but I really wanted him to get closer and stick to me! I want to feel his warmth in my body!

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask a maid to buy your food,¡± he said, clenching his fists. ¡°Stay right there and don¡¯t leave.¡±

    He put on his shirt and walked towards the door. Before he left, he nced at me for thest time and looked at me like he is warning me not to go anywhere.

    I felt a lump on my throat and tried to swallow it. The way he looks at me is somehow ufortable, but I like it and I don¡¯t know why.

    MINUTES passed and a poker faced Kelleon entered his bedroom. On his hand is a stic with the logo of my favorite fast food restaurant.

    When he entered, the smell of the food covered the whole room that I immediately licked my lips, excited to have a taste of it.

    I jumped from the bed and ran to him, hurriedly. When I was already in front of him, I grabbed the food from his hand and ran to the table on the other side of the room.

    I excitedly got out the food out of the stic. I was smiling from ear to ear when I opened the container.

    ¡°Oh, my god,¡± I eximed. ¡°This smells so good.¡±

    I smelled the vour of the chicken. My smile grew bigger when I saw a burger even if I didn¡¯t order it!

    Because I am very hungry, I immediately started eating. I didn¡¯t mind Kelleon seeing me like a hungry animal eating her first food after months of starving. I was munching the food, bite after bite.

    ¡°Slow down,¡± a baritone and firm voice talked on my ear. His breathe touching my ear and neck, giving a tingling sensation to my body. ¡°The foods are all yours. No need to hurry.¡±

    I turned my head to him. He¡¯s so close to me that a few centimeters is the only space between the two of us. If I tried to pout, I¡¯m sure that our lips will touched.

    I turned my head back to my food before answering. ¡°Okay.¡±

    With that I really slowed down, taking time on munching my food before swallowing it. Kelleon sat on the chair across me and watched me while eating.

    I was embarrassed. Not because I looked like shit while eating, but because there are a lot of food in the table and I¡¯m the only one eating, even if he¡¯s the one who paid for it.

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± I offered him the fries that I haven¡¯t touched. Actually, there are threerges fries but I already finished eating the other two.

    He smiled at me, and it looked genuine, for the first time. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re gonna give me that?¡± he asked. ¡°It looks like all these foods are still not enough for you.¡±

    I pouted and red at him. ¡°Hindi naman ako patay-gutom!¡± (I¡¯m not glutton!)

    Heughed for a little bit because of my answer. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± he replied even if I know that that¡¯s what he really meant.

    ¡°Alright, I want this one,¡± he said and grabbed the fries from my hand.

    Now, both of us are eating. I was eating two chickens with rice, a burger, three mango pies, two tuna pies, and a coke float while all he¡¯s eating is arge fries.

    We were just quiet, or I can say that I¡¯m minding my own business while eating as he watched me. He looked amused while staring at me, though. I don¡¯t know why.

    I turned my eyes to the fries he¡¯s holding. I suddenly want to eat a part of it, but I¡¯m shy to ask for more since that is his only food.

    Kelleon might have known what¡¯s on my mind for he extended his arm to offer the fried to me.

    ¡°Come on. Get some,¡± he said while biting on the single strand of fries he¡¯s holding.

    My lips formed a smile and I didn¡¯t think twice when I put my whole fist to the fries and grabbed a lot.

    I grabbed a lot of it that the whole container of fries was now only half full. Kelleon looked at me, shocked on what I did, but his shocked turned into amusement as heughed because of it.

    Hisugh covers the whole room. I know that I¡¯m now staring at him with no shame, but I don¡¯t care.

    Right now, I feel like hisughter is the only important thing that¡¯s happening. He looked so happy, and I didn¡¯t know that watching someoneugh could be this good.

 Call

    CHAPTER 16: Call

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I BURPED minutes after I finished eating. I touched my stomach, which is now bloated because I ate a lot of food. I am just sitting here for several minutes because I can¡¯t even stand!

    Kelleon is just looking at me ridiculously. I feel like he really wants tough at me because of my situation and just help himself not tough. He keeps on taking deep breathes and a small smile escapes from his lips from time to time.

    ¡°If you want tough at me, feel free to do so,¡± I said while ring at him.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He raised his eyebrows to me, feeling innocent on what I¡¯m saying. ¡°What do you mean? I will notugh because there¡¯s nothing tough about.¡±

    I tilted my head to my right side and red at him more. ¡°You look like you¡¯re gonna fart from holding back yourugh.¡±

    His lips formed a smile. He looks amused even though there¡¯s nothing to be amused of! Is he on drugs?

    I didn¡¯t wait for his answer. I stood up and started cleaning the table. I was about to put the empty containers on the stic bag when I noticed that he is just watching me.

    I raised my eyebrow to him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to move?¡± I asked him. I saw Kelleon looked at me, then to the stic I am holding, then back at me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Actually, that is the dumbest question I heard in my entire life.

    ¡°Cleaning the table, duh?¡± I even showed him the stic I¡¯m holding and the pointed the dirty parts of the table that was soiled by the gravy and ketchup.

    I put my other hand to my waist. ¡°If you¡¯re just gonna watch me clean, better stand up now and don¡¯t block my way. Or else, I¡¯ll throw you outside like this stic bag.¡±

    He stood up even though he looks a little bit shocked on what I said, or maybe on what I am doing. Is there something to be shocked at about cleaning?

    ¡°Get me some wipes, tissue, or old cloth,¡± I told him while putting the containers and pouches inside the stic bag.

    ¡°For what?¡± he asked.

    I turned my head to him with my furrowed eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m going to wipe this dirt. Want do you want me to do with it? Wipe it in your face?¡± I asked sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he responded. ¡°Okay,¡± he added then walked towards somewhere inside the room.

    It didn¡¯t take him long toe back and give me the wipes that I am asking for. I grabbed a piece and wiped it in the table. I continue doing that until I was already satisfied with its look and smell.

    When I finished cleaning, I extended my arms and give him the stic that contains our trash. Well, most of these are my trash, but he also has a trash here so technically, it¡¯s our trash.

    He grabbed the stic and didn¡¯t say anything. He left the room and I don¡¯t know where he went to. It¡¯s either he will put the trash outside the house, or he will ask a maid to do it for him. However, base on my observations, I think that he will do thetter.

    While waiting for him toe back, I sat on the edge of the bed. I feel bored. I want to go outside but I¡¯m sure that Kelleon will not permit it.

    I want to escape, but I realize that soonee orter, he will still find me. He may not be too forgiving the next time. Besides, I still want to talk to him seriously.

    He opened the door and walked inside his bedroom, but I didn¡¯t bother looking at him. Instead, I asked the question that I should have asked earlier.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Chynna?¡±

    His step stopped beside me. He¡¯s standing tall and I can feel his stare, as if he is judging my whole identity.

    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± he asked as he sat down beside me. I felt the foam moved because of that. There¡¯s a few inches between our arms but I can still feel his warmth.

    I was about to answer when he spoke.

    ¡°You told us that you¡¯re not Dennise. So, if that¡¯s true, then you have no rtionship with Chynna,¡± he stated. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you worried about her being?¡±

    He¡¯s right. Chynna knows me as Dennise, and not Lia. If that¡¯s the case, they will really think that I am Dennise and I¡¯m just lying to them!

    I take a deep breath before staring at his amber eyes. These eyes, I felt like I have seen them before. They look familiar.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried because she has nothing to do with this!¡± I eximed. ¡°She¡¯s just a victim, too! Like me! You don¡¯t have to put her in this situation!¡±

    ¡°If you want to find Dennise, then do it in the right and legal way!¡± I added, shouting my lungs.

    He red at me while he clenched his jaw. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing for the past year, but nothing happened.¡±

    I was taken aback by his response. I didn¡¯t expect that he will say that. I thought that he¡¯s the kind of man who¡¯s used on getting things he wants by doing illegal things.

    I think I judged him so quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of followingws and policies. The process is so fucked up that we can¡¯t get any single lead. That¡¯s why I have to resort to this,¡± he said as he stares to my eyes. He stares so intently that I feel like I was being hypnotized, or my soul being sucked by it.

    ¡°I can help you,¡± I said, not cutting our stares. ¡°Chynna told me a few things about Dennise. My senior is helping me to investigate about her.¡±

    Hesitating, I gently hold his hand. It made him take his breaths deep. I leaned a little more closer to him and stared at his eyes.

    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t trust me. I know that you¡¯re thinking that I¡¯m Dennise. But please, let me prove myself to all of you. I will help you find her. I can think of ways on how we can get her out. You just have to put a little trust in me,¡± I exined genuinely. ¡°If ever that you felt that I was ying you, or if I betrayed you, feel free to punish me.¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. We looked at each others eyes as if it¡¯s our only mode ofmunication.

    Slowly, his hands travelled to my arms. It send shivers to my body. It is the first time I felt something like this. His touch was firm, but gentle at the same time.

    His hand found my nape. He grabbed it with his palm. The touch of his fingers made my body tingled. It made me excited. My mind is already making up of scenarios of what might happen after this.

    I didn¡¯t even notice that our faces are so close. We just got back to our right minds when we felt a little part of our lips touched. We felt like a huge amount of electricity stroke our body that we both moved away from each other.

    We were silent after that. It was Kelleon who broke the tension.

    ¡°I sent Chynna back to Spain. He¡¯s being guarded by a friend.¡±

    His answer waste. It¡¯s obvious that he said that so we can forget about what happened, but I can¡¯t forget that easily!

    ¡°I¡¯ll just call my parents and tell them about what we talked about,¡± he said while walking towards the door.

    Before he stepped outside, he spoke again. ¡°Your things are on the uppermost pary of that drawer. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    After he closed the door, I hurriedly opened the drawer and found my sling bag inside. I opened it and grabbed my phone.

    Thankfully, my phone is now working. I opened it and I was not shocked when I saw a lot of messages and calls from my friends, mostly from Althea.

    To ease their worries, I sent a voice message to our group chat.

    ¡°Hi, guys! Sorry for making you all worried. I¡¯m fine. Something just came up and I¡¯ll exin it once I came up. Love you all!¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to see my message. The group chat became more chaotic. They demanded me to have a video call, which I was about to agree to when I saw my senior calling me.

    I typed a message to our group chat.

    Me: Sorry, guys. My senior is calling. Brb

    After I sent it, I immediately answered Detective Javier¡¯s call.

    ¡°Hello, sen¨C,¡± my sentence was cut short when she shouted at me.

    ¡°Lia!¡± she eximed my name. ¡°Where are you?! What happened?! Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls?!¡±

    She started asking a lot of questions that I wasn¡¯t able to understand any of them. I can even hear Darwin¡¯s and Nick¡¯s voice from the background, but those were inaudible.

    ¡°Senior, rx. I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured her. ¡°Something just came up so I wasn¡¯t able to answer your calls yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Better exin to me what came up that you weren¡¯t able to contact us! Your friends and our team are so worried about you! We thought you were kidnapped!¡± she shouted. I just replied with a ¡®hehe¡¯ because I was really kidnapped.

    ¡°And what do you mean yesterday? You haven¡¯t contacted us for like two days!¡±

    My eyes widened at her statement. Two days? That¡¯s impossible. Does that mean that I was asleep for two days?

    I removed my phone from my ear to check the date. My eyes almost left my head when I saw that what my senior said is true!

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, senior,¡± I said. ¡°I promise, I¡¯m not hurt or anything. I just need to finish something.¡±

    I heard my senior sigh on the other line. ¡°Alright. I actually called because of the case you asked me.¡±

    I got up from sitting because of what she said. ¡°Do you already have a lead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really say for sure but, this information I have here is kind of suspicious,¡± she responded.

    I squinted my eyes. When Detective Javier found something suspicious, then I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s something wrong with it. She may said that she¡¯s not sure if that¡¯s a lead, but I¡¯m sure that it is.

    ¡°Tell me. What did you found out?¡± I asked, getting impatient on her answer.

    I heard the sound of flipping pages on the other side. ¡°You said that the woman¡¯s name is Dennise Lopez, right? And that she came from the Philippines before going to Spain?¡±

    I nodded even though she can¡¯t see me. ¡°Yes, senior. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Well, I searched on the database of PSA,¡± she said. ¡°And there was no Dennise Lopez on the record.¡±

 Guard Up

    CHAPTER 17: Guard Up

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    ¡°WHAT do you mean? Her name¡¯s not in the record?¡± I asked my senior.

    That¡¯s impossible! I have a strong feeling we missed something. Chynna even unconsciously told me about that information.

    I felt that I¡¯m starting to overthink things again, so I take series of deep breaths to calm myself.

    They will find that name in the records, unless Dennise used a different name. I almost forgot that she can do that. Maybe she used a different name when she went to Spain.

    ¡°Maybe, she had a different name. Did you try searching for other women who named Dennise or any women have a Lopez as their surname?¡± I asked Detective Javier.

    Although I think that Dennise won¡¯t stick to any part of her old name, I want to check the possibilities. Sometimes, when we try to overanalyze things, we tend to miss the bigger picture. Sometimes, the answer you are looking for is just in front of you. The answer might bite you in any minute, but you still can¡¯t see it.

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± my senior answered. ¡°We also removed those women who are not qualified to the information you gave me like the age, and those who have records of legitimate idents.¡±

    ¡°I also included those who are missing up to this date, but still no to avail,¡± she added.

    I opened my sling bag and grabbed my pen together with my small notebook. I used my teeth to remove the ballpen cap and put my right hand on the page.

    ¡°Did you discover something? I¡¯m sure you did. You wouldn¡¯t call if not,¡± I asked while flipping the pages, looking for the page where I wrote down Dennise¡¯s information.

    ¡°Yes. I checked their travel records and there are only two Dennise who left the country. However, they did notnd in Spain,¡± she responded. I was aching for her to continue on talking while I¡¯m hearing flipping pages on the other side.

    ¡°The first one, Dennise Mae Montenegro, is currently living with her Turkish husband in Turkey. They have been married for 5 years,¡± she said.

    I tapped the ballpen on the page of the notebook. If that Montenegro is already married 5 years ago, then it¡¯s impossible that she¡¯s the one we are looking for. Kelleon and Dennise are still in a rtionship 3 years ago.

    ¡°The second one, Princess Dennise Grande, went to Canada two years ago. She¡¯s currently on monitoring and medication because of her illness,¡± she continued, still not giving me the information that I want.

    ¡°I can hear a but hidden in you statement,¡± I said, getting a little bit impatient. She might have sensed it.

    ¡°Rx, Lia.¡± my senior said. ¡°What you heard right now is just the surface of the information I got.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed at her statement. ¡°What do you mean? You found out more?¡± I asked. I mean, filtering the PSA database is too much work. Considering that there are only three of them working.

    But then I remember, Darwin is a part our team. If there¡¯s someone who can find a missing person in the crowd of eight billion people, it¡¯s him.

    ¡°Yesterday, I received a call from Darwin. I asked him to help me with the records,¡± she said. ¡°Darwin told me that there was one Dennise Lopez who went to Spain, in the same year that the Dennise we¡¯re looking had a rtionship with that Kelleon. It¡¯s 2020, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± I remember the photo that Kelleon showed me. It has a caption of ¡®6th monthsarry, 11/08/20¡¯. That means that their rtionship started on May 2020.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that, there were no records of any Dennise Lopez in the PSA. That means that she wasn¡¯t born here and she just went to Philippines from a foreign country. However, there were no records of any Dennise Lopez entering our borders prior to that date,¡± she exined.

    My eyes widened because of what I heard. My mind is telling me to write that information down but my body won¡¯t coorperate. I felt like I was paralyzed by it.

    ¡°Darwin found more,¡± she continued talking while I heard someone typing on a keyboard from the other end of the line.

    ¡°A year before Dennise Lopez left the Philippines and flew to Spain, there was one other Dennise who travelled from Spain to our country,¡± she said.

    ¡°However, the spelling of the name is different from what you gave me. Instead of D-E-N-N-I-S-E, her name is spelt as D-E-N-I-S-S-E,¡± she added. ¡°She has double s instead of double n.¡±

    I wrote that information down on my notebook. ¡°Is her surname also Lopez?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. Her name is Denisse Cantos. 26 years old. She¡¯s just months older than you,¡± she answered. ¡°Denisse Cantos travelled from Zaragoza, Spain to Philippines, based on the records.¡±

    ¡°Then it must be her! She might have changed a little bit of her name!¡± I eximed.

    ¡°Lia,¡± she called me. ¡°Rx.¡±

    I take deep breathes and when I felt myself calming down, I started writing the information that I wasn¡¯t able to take note.

    My mind was in chaos because of that. If Denisse Cantos is the one we are really looking for, then the information I got from Chynna must be fake.

    Did Chynna purposely do that? Or Dennise also lied to her?

    I don¡¯t know what to do. Staring at the list of information that I got from Chynna, it makes me think twice of believing it.

    ¡°What else?¡± Those were the only words I can say after getting myselft back together.

    ¡°Denisse Cantos arrived in the Philippinesst 2019. During the months after that, there were records of her reservations at different restaurants. However, after seven months, there were no traces of her,¡± she exined.

    As if a cue, after Detective Javier paused, the bedroom door opened. I know that it was Kelleon who entered, but I didn¡¯t even bother looking at him. I was so focused on the conversation with my senior.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t leave the Philippines after that. There were no records of her travelling again abroad. But there were also no records of her existence here. No credit card transactions, no grocery shopping, no reservations, nothing. We¡¯ve looked at everything, even on the insurance, but there was nothing,¡± she exined.

    I slowly opened my mouth to speak. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ she disappeared all of a sudden.¡±

    Kelleon stopped in front of me. I don¡¯t even need to turned my head to him to say that he wants to ask me questions about who I am talking to. I can already feel it at his stares.

    ¡°Which is suspicious. Because months after she disappeared, Dennise Lopez emerged from nothing and flew to Spain afterwards,¡± she added to what I said.

    From the other end, I heard someone call my senior¡¯s name.

    ¡°Lia, right now, Nick is trying to get the footages of the arrival of Denisse Cantos and the departure of Dennise Lopez. I¡¯ll give you a call once I got an update,¡± she said. ¡°Darwin is also looking for thest traces of Denisse Cantos before she went missing, while I will do a background search about her.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s my job to do the profile,¡± I argued. I saw Kelleon straighthen his back.

    ¡°I know, but it will be easier if I will do it since I have connections in Spain,¡± she answered, which make a lot of sense.

    ¡°Lia, all you have to do now is to assist us and try to talk to her ex-boyfriend regarding this matter. But you have to be very careful,¡± she reminded me. ¡°They think that you are Dennise, and they won¡¯t believe everything you will say. Put trust on them, but don¡¯t put it all. Leave a room for doubts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior,¡± I answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll end this call now. Take care, okay?¡±

    ¡°I will. Take care, too¡­ and thank you.¡±

    She chuckled on the other line. ¡°Thank me once we finished solving this case.¡±

    With that, the phone call ended. I was still staring at my phone and registering the details in my head when I heard Kelleon spoke.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± he asked while staring at me.

    ¡°My senior from the police department where I¡¯m currently working,¡± I answered him.

    He asked me again. ¡°Is it a man or a woman?¡±

    My left eyebrow raised because of his question. Is the gender of my senior important?

    I guess¡­ it is.

    ¡°Woman. Why? You will investigate about her, too?¡± I asked him back.

    He didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, he walked to my side and stared at the notebook that I¡¯m holding. He bent his back a little bit to touch the notebook, and then grabbed it from my hand.

    He was reading the contents quietly. I¡¯m not sure if he can understand it, though. My handwriting is somehow looks like random scribbles. My original handwriting is not ugly. It just looks like that because I¡¯m writing fast.

    When he finished reading the contents, he puts it back to my hand. Instead of just putting it down to my palm, he also grabbed my other hand and gently ced it on the top of my notebook. Does he really need to do that?

    ¡°Is your senior the one who gave you this information?¡± he asked while putting his hands on his pockets.

    I nodded at him. ¡°Yes, but our whole team investigated and extracted those info.¡±

    He didn¡¯t reply to me after that. He just walks towards his walk-in closet. I followed him there and asked him.

    ¡°Do you want me to give you a copy?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No need. I already memorized that.¡±

    My mouth opened a little bit because of amusement. Wow. Having the ability to memorize something in just one reading is so amazing.

    He must be so smart. It suits him, though. He looked hotter because of that.

    ¡°Here,¡± he said while giving me a brown paper bag. The bag came from one of his closets.

    I grabbed the bag and opened it. ¡°What¡¯s with this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Clothes. For you,¡± he answered.

    I thought he was joking. But when I opened the bag, there were really clothes inside. Not just a shirt and pants, but also a panty and bra!

    I put the undies outside and scritinize it.

    ¡°How did you know my size?¡± I asked him when I noticed that the bra size is the same as mine.

    He looked away. ¡°From your own bra,¡± he answered.

    I red at him and was about to argue when he spoke.

    ¡°The maid told me when they finished changing your clothes.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I will believe what he said. Somehow, a little part of me was relieved that he was not the one who did it. However, there was also a huge part of me who is disappointed because it¡¯s not him who removed my clothes.

    Maybe, if I¡¯m conscious at that time, I would have told him that I want him to be the one to dress me up.

    I decided to just let his excuse slide away. I turned my attention to the shirt and smiled when I noticed that it was the fabric that I always wear.

    I want to ask him more but he spoke again.

    ¡°I already talked to my parents. They agreed to let you go, for now,¡± he said, which made me feel relieved.

    ¡°However, we¡¯ll send a bodyguard to be with you at all times. She will be monitoring all of your movements,¡± he added.

    I pouted, but I realized that by doing that, their suspicions of me might decrease.

    ¡°Okay. Fine by me,¡± I said.

    He now started walking and motioned me to also walked outside of the walk-in closet. When I turned by back to him, I felt his hand touched my back, as if he is guiding me to walk towards the exit.

    I won¡¯t deny. I like the feeling of him touching me. It makes me feel like he¡¯s possessive of me, even though all he did was to touch my back.

    Yeah, I was that delusional.

    When we are already near the bed, he spoke again.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Take a bath. Your bodyguard and I will be waiting for you at the living room,¡± he said.

    I smiled at him and responded with an ¡®okay¡¯ and walked towards the bathroom.

    When I locked the door, I let out a sigh of relief.

    I realized, Kelleon is not that scary at all.

 Amor

    CHAPTER 18: Amor

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    WHEN I left Kelleon¡¯s bedroom, I slowly walked towards the living room. I thought at first that I might get lost since I don¡¯t know where it is located. Thankfully, the stairs to the lower floor is just near Kelleon¡¯s bedroom.

    I was just walking down the stairs but I can already see Kelleon sitting in one long sofa. On one end of it, ady, maybe a few years older than me, is standing.

    Just from one look at her, I can say that she¡¯s from the military, or somewhere rted to that. Her posture says it all. She¡¯s wearing a long sleeve polo shirt and a ck pants. Her hair is tied up to a clean bun. Her eyes are staring straight while her hands are put on her sides.

    She looks so cool. I¡¯ll add her to my girl crushes list.

    When Kelleon noticed me, he motioned me to sit beside him. He even tapped the space near him while looking at me.

    Oh? He wants me to be near him, huh? Unlucky for him, I¡¯m in the mood to tease me today.

    Instead of sitting in the space he pointed, I continued walking towards the other sofa in front of him. I sat down, open my legs, put my elbows on each legs of mine, and steepled my fingers.

    I smirked at him when his eyebrows furrowed at me. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. While he was doing that, I was busy staring at his beauty. I have a very good view of his face from where I¡¯m sitting right now.

    When he opened his eyes, his stares stayed at me for a moment before motioning his hand to thedy.

    ¡°This is Danica. She will be guarding you from now on, until we find the true Dennise,¡± Kelleon exined.

    ¡°We already gave your background information to her. She will be with you 24/7. She will also report to me everything,¡± he added, giving an emphasis on the word ¡®everything¡¯.

    I raised my eyebrow at him. ¡°I have a job, and my job contains gathering confidential informations,¡± I said. ¡°Will she still be with me while I¡¯m at work?¡±

    He straighthen his back and leaned on the sofa. ¡°No, but she will be near,¡± he answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Danica won¡¯t interfere with your job and personal life. She¡¯s just there to monitor you.¡±

    ¡°Will she also stay at my house?¡± I asked. If she will be with me 24/7, then I guess it makes sense that she will also live with me.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. She will guard you from a far. She will be near enough to be get to you whenever something happens, but not too near that it will cross your boundaries,¡± Kelleon responded.

    I nodded at his response. It¡¯s good for me, I think. But it¡¯s just that it will be difficult for me to talk to her if she¡¯s guarding me from a far.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m fine with it,¡± I answered and turned my head to Danica. I smiled and waved at her. I also whispered a ¡®hi¡¯ that¡¯s enough for her to hear.

    She bowed at me as a response. ¡°At your service, mydy,¡± she greeted me formally.

    I was about to respond when Kelleon stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to your house,¡± he said and proceeded to walk towards the huge door, which I think is the main one.

    I followed him. ¡°Just take me to my best friend¡¯s house,¡± I said. ¡°You can drop me off my house and I¡¯ll just ride a jeepney to hers.¡±

    He stopped walking and looked at me. ¡°Then just tell me the way to that house.¡±

    With that he started walking again, but after a few steps, he stopped.

    ¡°What do other people call you?¡± Kelleon asked out of nowhere. My head turned to him.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I already know your full name. However, I¡¯m not sure how to call you,¡± he added while looking down at me, literally.

    ¡°Most people call me Lia,¡± I answered him.

    ¡°But there¡¯s one special person who¡¯s calling me ¡®Mahal¡¯,¡± I said, referring to Yvette. I saw his jaw clenched at what I said.

    I want tough at his reaction. I actually nned this, as a part of teasing him. Because of his reaction, I¡¯m now sure that he can understand Filipino, or maybe a little bit of it. He knows that ¡®mahal¡¯ means ¡®love¡¯.

    He didn¡¯t speak after that. I slowly walked and stopped beside him. From my view, I can see his sharp jaw and him gulping.

    Gently, I touched his biceps. I felt him twitched a little because of that. I squeezed it a little and carressed it using my thumb. I felt his breath deepen. I want tough at his reaction but I stopped myself.

    ¡°You can call me in any way you want,¡± I said, slightly making my voice feminine. ¡°Though I will prefer if you will call me ¡®amor¡¯, cari?o.¡±

    I smiled sweetly at him before walking towards the door. When I was already outside, my hands covered my mouth and my smile grew wider.

    I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m blushing on my own flirtation!

    Few seconds passed and I saw Danica left through the door. I turned my head to her and smiled. She also did the same thing, although her smile is more formal.

    ¡°His highness will be out in a few moments. Let me take you to his car,¡± she said while motioning me to walk.

    We reached a huge area with several cars parked in it. Danica walked towards a ck sleek car. I don¡¯t know the brand of this car. I don¡¯t care, anyways.

    Danica opened the passenger seat for me. I smiled. She¡¯s so thoughtful and a gentlewoman. If Danica is a man, I would have fallen for her.

    ¡°Please wait for his highness here,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now, mydy.¡±

    She bowed and I waved goodbye to her. While waiting for Kelleon to arrived, I opened my phone and took several selfies. Some of the photos are taken while I was sitting on the driver¡¯s seat. There are also rear-view photos of the steering wheel and other parts of the car.

    My photo session was interrupted when someone opened the door. Kelleon sat down in the driver¡¯s seat and turned his head to me.

    He was looking from my head to toe, as if he is judging my whole identity. After some moments, he leaned towards me.

    I stopped breathing when our bodies got so close. It looks like he was hugging me, and I can feel hid breath on my neck. It was warm and it sent tingling sensations to my body.

    After a moment, I felt something hugged certain parts of my body as Kelleon fixed himself to his seat. I looked down and realized that I already have my seatbelt on.

    A small smile escaped my lips. He could have told me to wear my seatbelt on and let me do it by myself. However, he chose to put it in for me.

    Hmm, Kelleon. You don¡¯t have to say anything. I know that you like me.

    I want to chuckle at myself, but it was cut whem I suddenly thought of something that changes my mood.

    What if¡­ he is just doing this because I look like his ex-girlfriend? What if¡­ he still loves Dennise?

    I was immediately saddened because of that thought. It has a possibility. It¡¯s impossible for him to like me in just a short span of time.

    I sighed heavily. I saw Kelleon, from my peripheral vision, turned his head to me while he was driving.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± he asked while stepping on the brake. I looked at the windshield and saw that the street light is on red.

    I didn¡¯t answer him. My whole mood is down because of that thought earlier!

    It caught me off guard when he ced his hand above mine.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Do you need anything? Hmm?¡± he asked.

    And just like that, I smiled like an idiot. My mood immediately rise because of his questions and his sweet voice.

    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing. I just¡­ remembered something,¡± I answered, but he looks like he doesn¡¯t buy it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m okay now. Thanks to you,¡± I smiled sweetly at him and ced my other hand on top of him.

    WE FINALLY arrived outside Althea¡¯s house. I saw Althea waiting on the outside, wearing her signature ck shirt and ck above the knee skirt, paired with ck boots. She looks like she just went somewhere, maybe to a mall or something.

    Kelleon left the car first and walked to my side. I saw Althea furrowed her eyebrows when she saw Kelleon.

    I stepped outside the car and thanked him. I thought he will leave immediately, but I was surprised when he touched my back and walked with me.

    Althea gave me a questioning and using look.

    When we stopped in front of my best friend, I turned my head to Kelleon. ¡°Thank you so much, Kelleon.¡±

    He nodded at me and gave me a smile. ¡°No worries,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡±

    ¡°Take care, and see you soon,¡± I told him.

    His smiled grew wider. ¡°Take care of yourself, too, mi amor.¡±

    I was dumbfounded when I heard that. My brain stopped functioning. I was just pulled back to reality when Althea slightly pinched my side.

    ¡°Hoy! Sino ¡®yon?¡± (Hey! Who¡¯s that?)

    She made her eyes wider at me and is impatient in waiting for my answer.

    She eximed at me. ¡°Tinawag ka pang amor! Boyfriend mo?¡± (He called you ¡®amor¡¯! Is he your boyfriend?)

    I smiled at her while trying to hide my blushing face.

    ¡°I wish he is.¡±

 Normal Life

    CHAPTER 19: Normal Life

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    ALTHEA bombarded me with questions when we entered her house. She just wouldn¡¯t stop talking and interrogating me about who the man is.

    When we reached her dining area, she started getting tes and utensils for the both of us. However, she is still eager to squeezec information, or gossip, about earlier and what happened to me on thest two days.

    ¡°Come on, Lia!¡± she eximed while putting rice and chicken adobo on our tes. ¡°Is he a suitor of yours?¡±

    I yfully rolled my eyes at her while trying to hide myself. ¡°He¡¯s not my suitor, okay? He¡¯s just¡­¡± I stopped talking when I realize that I don¡¯t know what my rtionship to Kelleon is.

    Is he a friend? Nah, he¡¯s not on my definition of friends.

    Colleague? But we don¡¯t have amon denominator to call him like that.

    Do we have a mutual understanding? But he never told me that he likes me, and I didn¡¯t tell me that, either.

    My flirt? He flirts with me and I flirt with him, too.

    Kidnapper? I guess this choice makes sense. He kidnapped me twice, though.

    ¡°He¡¯s just you¡¯re what?!¡± Althea asked me impatiently. Her eyes are widened at me, as if she was telling me not to mess up my answer.

    I pursed my lips. ¡°Do you remember that man I told you about when I was in Spain?¡± I asked her back.

    Her eyes furrowed and she finally sat down in front of me. ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered as she scoop a spoonful of rice. ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡±

    I take a deep breath before answering. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±

    Her spoon stopped mid-air and she just stared at me. It took her a moment to register what I said.

    ¡°Is he the driver or the hot man?¡± she asked, not blinking.

    I smiled a little and blushed. ¡°The hot man.¡±

    Her mouth widened and the loud sound of her spoon dropping to the te covered the whole dining area.

    ¡°What?!¡± she eximed. ¡°It¡¯s him?!¡±

    I nodded while stopping myself from smiling. Althea is still looking at me with her mouth opened.

    A few secondster, sheposed herself and sat properly. I raised my eyebrows went she grabbed her phone and started typing something.

    After a while, I felt my phone vibrated. I took it out and I shouted at Althea.

    ¡°What did you just send?!¡±

    She turned up her head to me and looked at me like she was innocent. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I saw your message in the group chat!¡± I eximed. ¡°Lia¡¯s having a rtionship with her kidnapper. Really?!¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s true,¡± she said, making me almost lose my mind.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± I shouted, losing myposture.

    ¡°But you just confirmed it!¡± Althea started to give off the same energy I¡¯m giving her.

    ¡°I just confirmed that he is my kidnapper, but we don¡¯t have a rtionship!¡± I answered her. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rtionship!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said mockingly. ¡°Your kidnapper, who you don¡¯t have a rtionship with, drove you to my house, reminded you to take care of yourself, and called you ¡®mi amor¡¯. Yeah, you two are not really in a rtionship!¡±

    She rolled her eyes on me. I stared at her, can¡¯t believe on what she said. I mean, it makes sense but those are just spections! She misunderstood it!

    I took a deep breath to calm myself. I¡¯m sure that we¡¯re not angry at each other. We¡¯re just having a simple misunderstading. I tried to put my shoes on Althea. I know that she¡¯s just worried of me.

    ¡°Listen to me first, okay?¡± I asked her calmly. She nodded and leaned on her chair. She even crossed her legs as if she was interviewing me.

    ¡°Kelleon and I are not in a rtionship,¡± I started. She was about to say something when I shushed her my putting my pointing finger on her lips.

    ¡°First of all, he drove me here to make sure that I won¡¯t escape. Aside from that, he also gave me a bodyguard who will monitor my movements 24/7. She just out there and watching me,¡± I continued. ¡°Second, he told me to take care because I also told him the same. Basic manners, duh?¡±

    ¡°And the mi amor part? Hmm?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s just teasing me, okay? I teased him a lot earlier in his house and he¡¯s trying to get even,¡± I responded.

    Althea wasn¡¯t pleased to hear my exnation. It looks like she is trying to find some holes in it. However, after a few moments, she didn¡¯t argue with me anymore.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°If that¡¯s what you said. I¡¯ll buy it.¡±

    Even though I¡¯m sure that she don¡¯t really believe, I just shut my mouth and continue on eating.

    We were in the middle of eating our lunch when we heard several knocks on the door. I was about to stand up but Althea insisted.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Ako na magbubukas,¡± (I¡¯ll open it.) she said. ¡°Baka mamaya ¡®yung kidnapper mo ¡®yan.¡± (It might be your kidnapper.)

    I rolled my eyes on her, but a part of me is happy if that¡¯s really Kelleon. However, that hope was crushed when I heard my friends¡¯ voices as Althea opened the door.

    ¡°Hoy! Ano ¡®yong chat mo ha?¡± (Hey! What¡¯s with your chat, huh?)

    ¡°Pinatn mo ¡®yung kidnapper mo, Lia?!¡± (You agreed to be with your kidnapper, Lia?!)

    ¡°Dapat kasuhan ¡®yon ng kidnapping!¡± (He must be sued for kidnapping!)

    I massaged my temple as I bit the thigh part of my chicken adobo.

    This is gonna be a long day.

    ALMOST A WEEK passed since I talked to Kelleon. As was said by him, Danica really guarded me. There are times when I was in a public spaces like the city square or mall and I spotted her, blending with the crowd. Once she saw me looking at her, she bow and smile formally.

    Danica really respected my personal space as she guarded me at the same time. I¡¯m just worried if she¡¯s having her sleep. She can¡¯t be guarding me the whole day! She also needs to rest.

    During this week, I went back to my usual routine. I also went back to my house since I convinced Althea that no one will kidnapped me anymore. Thankfully, she agreed, on the condition that I will update her thrice a day.

    Today, I¡¯m going to work since we have a new case to investigate. The investigation about Denisse Cantos or Dennise Cruz was postponed because of the big cases that was assigned to us. I didn¡¯t mind it since I know that Kelleon is also looking into it. Although, he hasn¡¯t contacted me for these past days, which made me sad.

    But who am I to demand?

    While locking my door, I noticed a box on the side. I almost stepped on it.

    It was the third time that someone put a box in front of my house. The first one is a very durable notebook. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called but the pages cannot be ripped, unless you use a scissor. It also doesn¡¯t get wet even if you soak it in water.

    The second one is a ck Louis Vuitton Montsouris PM backpack. It looks so beautiful and it suits my tastes. I can also put a lot of my everyday stuffs inside. I¡¯m not sure if the bag is a real LV or a duplicate, but I don¡¯t care anyway.

    On the third day, a sling bag came. It¡¯s a Michael Kors one. It¡¯s brown, made with leather, with a gold metallic strap. Good thing that my phone, earphones, and wallet fitted inside, or else I¡¯m gonna give it to Althea.

    I bent my knee and pick the box from the ground. I carefully opened it. The thing inside made my eyes widened.

    It has three ck Parker ssic pens. These are the pens that I want to buy for so long! It¡¯s just, they¡¯re too expensive and I¡¯m afraid that they will be emptied easily since I write a lot of things.

    I grabbed one of the pens and kissed it. If the person who gave me these pens are also here, I will also kiss him or her.

    I put the pens in my bag and walked away. I looked at the house besides mine. It¡¯s currently under renovation. I heard that there will be a new person in our neighborhood.

    I just home that he/she is a fan of videoke, though. I¡¯m doing that every night.

    A LONG DAY passed and I was stretching my back while walking towards my house. I was happy that we were able to solve the serial murder case that we have been solving this week.

    I looked at my right arm that was wounded by the suspect earlier. He¡¯s trying to escape and even hostaged an old woman. I jumped on him from the second floor of his apartment. Thankfully, the old woman wasn¡¯t hurt by my impulsive decision. The suspect was arrested after a short while and was unconscious since his head hit the ground. His knife touched my arm when Inded on him so it was cut.

    The wound isn¡¯t that deep but it hurts a little, especially when I try to rotate my wrist. It was covered with a huge bandage. I¡¯m lucky that I didn¡¯t lose a lot of blood because of that.

    Suddenly, I stopped walking when I saw a familiar man standing in front of my house.

    ¡°Kelleon?¡± I called him. I blinked a lot of times to check if it¡¯s really him, or if I¡¯m just hallucinating.

    He smiled at me and waited for me to stop in front of him.

    ¡°Buenas noches, mi amor. Do you mind joining me for a dinner?¡±

 Movie

    CHAPTER 20: Movie

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    MY JAW dropped after that. Did I hear him right? Is he really asking me for a dinner?

    Is he just joking, or did he hit his head somewhere? Or maybe someone told him to do this?

    ¡°Earth to mi amor,¡± Kelleon said while snapping his finger in front of me. I didn¡¯t even realize that I am already staring at him while being lost in the waves of my thoughts.

    ¡°Ha?¡± I asked like a dumb girl. My mind is still on loading mode and that¡¯s all that I can say to him. I didn¡¯t even thought earlier that I can answer him.

    He smirked as if there¡¯s something that amused him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you¡¯re up for a dinner,¡± he said.

    Thankfully, my mind is on a hundred percent working mode right now.

    ¡°Oh, of course!¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m up for a dinner¡­ with myself.¡±

    Myst sentence wiped the smirk on his face. Instead, that smirk transfered to my face because I sesfully teased him again.

    ¡°Why are you here, anyway?¡± I asked, trying to shift the topic. I walked towards him and gave him a ¡®step aside¡¯ look because I will open the door. I don¡¯t know why, but his face must be made of concrete because instead of giving way, really ced himself in the middle of the my path.

    He showed me a paperbag, as if he was pping it on my face. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you for a dinner, but you said that you¡¯re only up for a dinner with yourself,¡± he made a fake sad face that makes me want to p him more. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just eat these steak by myself.¡±

    He¡¯s about to walk away when I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me with much force. It made him go back to his original position, but his back hit the door that made a loud sound.

    ¡°Woah. I didn¡¯t know that you like it rough, mi amor,¡± he teasingly said whileughing.

    ¡°Ha ha. So funny,¡± I sarcastically said. ¡°You have a steak?¡±

    Heposed himself and looked straight at me again. He nodded at me as an answer.

    ¡°Do you have rice?¡± I asked him again. He shook his head.

    ¡°You want to eat dinner with me but you didn¡¯t bring a rice?!¡± I eximed. ¡°You¡¯re entering an asian household, mister!¡±

    He pursed his lips as if he¡¯s stopping himself fromughing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you eat rice, though.¡±

    I raise my eyebrows at him and put my two hands on my waist. ¡°Hello? Of course, I eat rice!¡± I answered him. ¡°In this country, rice is our life!¡±

    He shook his head. I was about to say more when he shushed me. He put his finger on my lips and told me to shut up.

    ¡°Chill, okay?¡± he said. He handed me the paper bag. ¡°I¡¯ll buy some rice and cook it in your house. Is that fine with you?¡±

    I grabbed the paper bag and opened it. There¡¯s a huge tupperware inside that looks like been bought minutes ago because the price tag sticker is still there. Inside of it is the steak that he¡¯s saying to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± I answered. ¡°Buy two kilos. I want to eat lots of rice.¡±

    His mouth formed an ¡®o¡¯ shape as if he was amazed that I can eat a lot of food. I saw that he¡¯s about to ask something but decided to keep his mouth shut about that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back with the rice,¡± he said as he walked away from my house.

    I shouted at him at myngauge. ¡°Pagbalik mo, ubos na ¡®tong steak!¡± (When youe back, the steak¡¯s already gone!)

    He looked back at me before answering. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy more steak.¡±

    I was stunned by his answer. Really? He is willing to buy more steak?

    I felt like he was spoiling me with foods, and I like it! If this will go on for days, I¡¯m gonna marry him!

    I want tough at myself while watching him walk away. I saw him grabbed his phone and call someone. I¡¯m just confused why he walked to the left path instead of the right path. The store is on the right.

    I shrugged and didn¡¯t think about it anymore. He¡¯s already grown-up. I¡¯m sure he can handle himself.

    Right now, my focused should be on the delicious steak.

    I entered my house and changed my clothes to my pajamas. It¡¯s a routine of mine since I want to sleep immediately after eating. Not healthy, though, I like it and my body seems fine with it.

    After changing, I put the steak on different te and get two other tes and utensils for Kelleon and I.

    I didn¡¯t wait for him anymore. I was so hungry that I started eating the steak after I sat on the table. However, I haven¡¯t finished eating half of one piece of it when Kelleon walked inside my house like he owns it.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t locked the door?¡± he asked while looking at me and the steak.

    I nodded at him. I swallowed my food first before speaking. ¡°Where¡¯s the rice?¡±

    He motioned his hand towards the door. As if a cue, two bulky men entered with sacks of rice on their back.

    Slowly, I turned my heads towards Kelleon and looked at him with a surprised face.

    ¡°I told you to buy two kilos, not two sacks of rice,¡± I said, hiding my happiness. Of course! I¡¯m happy! I have stocks of rice for maybe two to four months! And it¡¯s free!

    He walked towards me and put threerges tupperwares on my table. I pulled it towards me and realized that the two are full with rice while the other one has steaks. All of them are still hot.

    The two men left after putting the sacks down. Kelleon sat on the chair in front of me and started eating, too.

    I thought he will tease me again or ask me a lot of questions, but it was one of the most silent dinner I ever had.

    It¡¯s not silent in a bad way. Instead, the silence gave mefort. I even ate a lot than what I usually ate. I want to be embarrassed because there are total of ten steak slices and I ate eight of those.

    After eating, I cleaned the table and washed the dishes. Kelleon was left on the living room. I didn¡¯t know what he was doing, though.

    Maybe feeling himself like a king while I¡¯m he¡¯s maid.

    After I washed the dishes, I went to the living room to look for Kelleon. However, I was surprised when he¡¯s not there.

    I walked towards the main door and locked it. My heart fell down when I thought that he came back home without even saying goodbye to me.

    Is he angry because I ate almost all of the steaks?

    Pouting, I walked up to the second floor to sleep. I am still in the highest part of the stairs when I heard the television in my room ying something. Did I left it open in the morning?

    I hurriedly ran to the bedroom. And to my surprise, Kelleon was there. He¡¯sying on my bed while watching a movie.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked him when I was already on the edge of the bed.

    He turned his head to me. ¡°Watching a movie, obviously.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Of course. I can see that,¡± I responded. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to ask you is why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°Am I not wee?¡± he asked.

    I was suddenly taken back by the tone of his voice. He doesn¡¯t look sad but¡­ his voice is.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I defended. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering. You know¡­ your house is kind of far from here.¡±

    He smiled at me. Instead of answering, he patted the space on the bed beside him.

    And like a good pet, I followed him. Iy down beside him. He slightly turned his body to face me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t live far anymore,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m staying on the next door.¡±

    My eye furrowed at him. ¡°Is the newly renovated house yours?¡± I asked.

    He nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± He slowly ced his arms above my head. Now, my head is near to his chest.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Is this because you want to monitor me?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think,¡± he answered. He didn¡¯t give me a direct response. Instead, he gave me a more confusing one.

    We both fell silent and focused our attention on the movie. It was an action-romance movie between a senator and a policewoman. The storyline was good and their lines really hit me in the heart.

    ¡°Will you marry someone like the senator, mi amor?¡± Kelleon broke the silence that covered us.

    I felt his stares at me. Instead of turning my head to him, I sticked my sight to the movie.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°I want a man who will let me do things that I want because he trusts me. I want a man who¡¯s willing to wait for me, even for years.¡± I stopped for a moment before I talked again.

    ¡°I want to marry a man who¡¯s willing to burn the whole world for me.¡±

    It sounds selfish. But all my life, I¡¯m dreaming of having a husband who¡¯s angry to everyone but soft at me. I dreamt of a husband who¡¯s willing to catch a bullet for me, because I will also do the same for him. I want a husband who will never put anyone else above me, because I will also prioritize him.

    I looked up at Kelleon. ¡°How about you, cari?o? Will you marry someone like the police woman?¡± I asked him.

    It didn¡¯t took him long to answer. ¡°Yes. I want a woman who will be faithful to me no matter what happens. I want a woman who will be with me despite of my status in life. I want a woman who can be sesful without my help.¡±

    His hand slowly caressed my face. ¡°I want to have a wife who will love me more than anyone, because I will love her more than myself.¡±

    Our eyes were locked. Silence covered the whole room. The television is still ying but the only thing I can hear is my heartbeat.

    I didn¡¯t even noticed that are lips touched. The same flow of electricity entered my body. But unlike before, we didn¡¯t let our lips separate again.

    He pulled my head closer to him as he deepen our kiss. His lips are moving in ways that I can¡¯t follow. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing anymore. I¡¯m just moving my lips in any way that I want.

    His tongue entered my mouth and I epted it willingly. I tasted him and felt like heaven. My sensitive parts tingled when our tongue touched.

    We were breathing heavily. Our salivas mixing each other and I felt some of it dropped from my mouth. He was ravishing me, sucking my tongue, and biting my lips a little before licking it again.

    His hand slowly find its way to my breast. It fits his whole hand. I¡¯m still wearing my shirt and my bra, but my skin can still fell the warmth of his hand.

    He groped my right boob from my covers and slowly massaged it. I can help but to moan in his mouth and ept his tongue again.

    His hand entered my shirt and travelled to my back. In one swift move, he unhooked my bra and freed my breasts who¡¯s been aching for his direct touch.

    And he didn¡¯t disappoint. His hand went back on my breast, squeezing my nipple between his pointing and middle finger.

    I feel hot. I feel wet. I want more.

    He yed with my nipples for some moments before travelling his hand to the garter of my pajama. I was almost aching for him to touch me down there.

    He slide his fingers to my thigh and squeezed it a bit. I can tell that he wants to y more, but I can¡¯t wait for him to y with my pussy.

    I touched his hand and led it towards my feminity. I felt him smile on my lips because of what I did.

    His hand entered my underwear. When his fingers reached my clit, I can help but moan and push my hips closer to it.

    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking wet, mi amor,¡± he whispered on my ear before licking it.

    ¡°Tell me, mi amor. Do you want fingers in your wet cunt?¡± he asked while moving his finger on my clit. He ced his legs on top of mine and pinned it to the bed, unallowing me to move my hips further.

    ¡°Please,¡± that¡¯s all that I can say to him.

    ¡°Please what?¡± he said while nting kisses on my chin and cheeks. ¡°Tell me, mi amor.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡± I trailed off my words while looking at him.

    He leaned his head a little further from me and used his other hand to lock my head to him.

    ¡°Look at my eyes and tell me what you want me to do with you, mi amor.¡±

    I was lost in my thoughts. The only thing I could think of is his touches and kisses.

    ¡°Fingerfuck me, cari?o,¡± I finally said. ¡°Make me cum with your hands.¡±

    That fueled his desire more. He roughly grabbed my nape and kissed me again. His fingers roughly rubbed my clit, making wet noises in the room.

    ¡°Ahh, more, cari?o,¡± I moaned when our lips separated.

    One of his fingers entered my pussy. I was very wet that it entered without hindrances. His moved it in and out of my feminity with force, his palm pping my clit with every in.

    His mouth found my nipples. He sucked it, bit it a little bit before licking it again. It gave pain and pleasure that made me hornier.

    ¡°More, cari?o. Mess me up.¡±

    And he really did. His fingers moved faster that my whole body moved because of it. He stopped sucking my breast. Both of his hands are now focused on my pussy. One¡¯s going in and out of it, while the other one¡¯s rubbing my clit.

    ¡°I¡¯m cumming, cari?o,¡± I moaned while moving my hips to match the rhythm of his hand.

    He kissed me again and sucked my tongue. We exchanged our saliva. I deepened our kiss as I grabbed his head towards mine.

    I pulled his hair when I felt my orgasm ripping through my whole body. It was intense that I became blind and deaf in that moment.

    When the pleasure came off, I opened my eyes, meeting Kelleon¡¯s. He slowly removed his finger on my pussy and licked it.

    ¡°You taste sweet, mi amor,¡± he said while nting kisses in my face.

    I¡¯m very sleepy that I don¡¯t have the energy to reply back. My eyelids are too heavy and my body¡¯s already tired.

    ¡°Sleep well, mi amor. Let me take care of you.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

 Found

    CHAPTER 21: Found

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I SLOWLY open my eyes when I felt the warmth of the sun hitting my face. The ceiling of my room greeted me together with the cold feelinging from my air conditioner.

    I pulled my nket to my shoulder when I suddenly felt the warmth above my tummy move. It was heavy and I had a hard time pulling my nket.

    My eyes travelled from my chest to my stomach. It was covered with the nket, but an arm is pinning it to my body. When I looked to my left side, I saw a very handsome man, staring at me.

    My eyes widened when I realized that I live alone! I pushed him with all the force I got that made him fell down from the bed.

    ¡°Oh god, that hurts,¡± Kelleon said. He kneeled on the floor while touching his nape.

    ¡°Oh, my god. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I apologized to him when I realized what I did. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to up. I was stunned when I noticed that he¡¯s half naked.

    My eyes were glued to his abs. One, two, three, four, five, six. Six pack, and they all look delicious. I suddenly have the urge to lean closer, touch them, and lick them as my breakfast.

    ¡°Stop licking your lips, mi amor. I might ravish you like what I did yesterday,¡± Kelleon¡¯s voice disrupt my imagination which made me stop from licking my lips.

    He sat down on the bed, just few spaces beside me. ¡°I was about to greet you a good morning, but you seemed surprise that I¡¯m the first thing you saw in the morning.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be shocked! A man is in my bed, staring me while I¡¯m asleep, and I don¡¯t even know why he¡¯s here!¡± I eximed at his face.

    ¡°What are you doing here anyway? How did you enter my room?¡± I asked him.

    His mouth opened a bit, he smiled, until his smile turned into a loudughter. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, confused on why he¡¯sughing. Did I say something funny?

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember what happenedst night, mi amor?¡± he said as he moved closer to me. I felt his hand touched the part of the nket near my legs that made my body twitch a bit.

    ¡°Should I make you remember it, then?¡± he whispered in my ear. The warmth of his breath sent chills to my body. As I listen to his voice more, the memories of yesterday came to my mind.

    My hands flew to my mouth when I realized what happened. Did I remember it right? Did we really did that?

    ¡°You¡¯re blushing, mi amor. You¡¯re also like thatst night, plus you moans and beg¨C¡± I couldn¡¯t finish hearing what he is saying as I ran to left my bedroom while wearing my clothes. I jumped to my living room and hid my face on the sofa.

    I can¡¯t believe I let him do that to me! I¡¯m so weak!

    I want to punch and kick myself for being so weak at him. We aren¡¯t even in a rtionship, a decent rtionship, yet I let him fingerfuck me!

    I threw tantrums on the sofa, but it was cut short when I heard knocks on the door.

    My head turned to the wall clock, and noticed that it¡¯s just almot seven in the morning. Izily walked towards the door and opened it.

    ¡°Lia!¡± the voice greeted me. ¡°G ka ba, magmall tayo mamaya after work? Kasama tropa.¡± (Are you game to go to mallter, after work? With our other friends.)

    I tried to open the door with little space as possible. Kelleon might follow me here and Althea will see him! This will be an another issue!

    ¡°Uhm, yeah,¡± I answered while trying to act normally. ¡°Sure.¡±

    However, Althea noticed the change in me. She squinted her eyes and pushed the door a little. Uh, oh.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, huh?¡± she asked. ¡°Open the door, Lia.¡±

    I was to answer her when I felt a presence behind me. I kicked him, signaling that he should hide, but he didn¡¯t listen! He even moved closer!

    I want to punch Kelleon in the face and ruin his well-defined nose but I need to respond to Althea.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve texted me. Your house kind of far from here,¡± I said, trying to swerve the topic.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was doing for thest hour but you didn¡¯t reply,¡± she said while showing me her texts from her phone.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, oh. Now, open the door and let me in!¡± she eximed while trying to push the door harder.

    I tried to push it too and prevent her from entering, but Kelleon pulled the door towards us, causing it to open widely. The force from Althea pushing and the strength of Kelleon pulling the door made my feet stumble, causing me to fell on Kelleon¡¯s chest while Kelleon also fell down on the edge of the sofa.

    When the door finally opens, Althea caught us in such a weird position!

    ¡°Your friend is telling you to open the door. Why won¡¯t you let her in?¡± Kelleon said while smirking.

    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s smirking to; ifit is because Althea caught us or because I was sitting on hisp!

    He turned his head to Althea, not minding our position. ¡°Sorry about that. I don¡¯t know why Lia won¡¯t open the door.¡±

    You know why I won¡¯t open it. It was because of you, dumbass!

    Althea was stunned, but she collected herself immediately.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± she said while looking at us. ¡°I think I disturb the both of you, so I¡¯m gonna go.¡±

    I hurriedly stood up while stomping on Kelleon¡¯s hand. ¡°Althea! No, you¡¯re not disturbing any¨C¡±

    ¡°She is.¡±

    I red at Kelleon who just pursed his lips, as if he did nothing wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch you from work, Lia. Okay? Then we¡¯ll go to the mall,¡± Althea said, smiling at me. I can¡¯t say if her smile is a genuine one or the smile that says ¡®you better exinter or you won¡¯t fall asleep at night¡¯.

    We bid our goodbye to each other. While Althea was walking away, Kelleon put his hand on my shoulder and waved to Althea as if they were close friends.

    I turned my head to him.

    ¡°You better go home now or I¡¯ll drag you to the nearest and dirtiest canal,¡± I warned him. Thankfully, he took it seriously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you againter, mi amor,¡± he said and gave me a kiss on my forehead. It was gentle and soft. I didn¡¯t even want him to let go.

    I watched his back as he walked back to his house. When I closed the door, I started getting ready for work while a big smile on my face.

    IT WAS NOT a stressful day at work. Mainly because we have no case to solve and all we did is to update our database. Most of my time today was spent on reading unsolved crime mysteries around the world.

    Detective Javier and Darwin is not around. They texted me, saying that they¡¯re going to the airline for a follow up about the records and footages. I told my senior about Kelleon and she told me that Kelleon can help in collecting records and evidences about Dennise Lopez or Denisse Cantos in Spain. I¡¯ll talk to him about itter.

    Speaking of Kelleon, I was surprised when I received a packed lunch from him. Like the steak yesterday, it was also inside a tupperwear. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s the one who cooked it or a maid, but if it¡¯s him, then it¡¯s another husband point for him!

    Like what Althea said earlier, she really fetched me from work. I rode her car and I can already feel the questionsing.

    ¡°Anong ginagawa niya sa bahay mo?¡± (What is he doing in your house?) she asked while driving.

    I didn¡¯t lie to her. I told her that Kelleon had dinner in my house and he slept there. I just didn¡¯t add the intimate part.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with what he¡¯s currently doing. But remember, once he do something wrong to you, ce yourself away from him. Okay?¡± she said. I nodded at her and cling onto her arm.

    Jhoan, Celsi, Jerome, together with Yvette is already there when we arrived. We just had a quick dinner. Thankfully, Althea didn¡¯t talk about what she saw on my house earlier. Our talk revolved on our rants on our own jobs and catching up on each other.

    ¡°Bloated ako, mhie,¡± (I¡¯m so bloated) Jhoan said as she touched her tummy.

    Celsi answered her. ¡°Dami mo kasing nakain! Baka magsuka ka sa byahe mamaya.¡± (You ate a lot! You might vomit duringmuteter.)

    ¡°Let¡¯s just explore the mall a little longer to digest,¡± Yvettee suggested to us. We all nodded at her.

    ¡°Maybe, let¡¯s just leave at 7:30?¡± I asked. It¡¯s still early and we have almost thirty minutes before that time.

    We walked around the mall while looking to the different stores. We entered Fully Booked, looked at the books inside, take a picture of those that we want to buy, and left without buying anything. We even entered an Apple Store, used the disys for a little bit, then left when we saw the personnel trying to approach us and ask us question about purchasing.

    Suddenly, before we turn left to the intersection of the mall, Yvette grabbed me and hid me behind her.

    ¡°Itago niyo si Lia! Dali!¡± (Hide Lia. Hurry up!) she eximed while whispering to my friends.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but my friends started to surround me. I am the smallest in our group so it was easy for the to hide me. Yvette grabbed her phone and started scrolling like there¡¯s nothing suspicious happening. My other friends also did the same, aside from Jerome who pretended to be talking to someone over the phone.

    After a few moments, Yvette spoke.

    ¡°Alejandro¡¯s here. We better go home now, especially Lia.¡±

    Her words stunned me. Alejandro? That¡¯s Dennise¡¯s husband, right? What is he doing here?

    ¡°Let¡¯s all walk to the exit while hiding Lia between all of us, okay? On the count of three.¡±

    After Althea finished counting to three, we all walked normally. We haven¡¯t even reached ten steps when Yvette spoke again.

    ¡°He¡¯s looking at this way. Act normally but walk a little bit faster.¡±

    We followed her. I was squeezed between them but I didn¡¯t mind. I will prefer being squeezed like this instead of being seen by Alejandro.

    We reached the first floor and Yvette told us that she can¡¯t see Alejandro anymore. They gave me space but Yvette and Althea held my hand and the six of us run towards the exit to the parking lot.

    We haven¡¯t even reached the halfway to the exit when I saw Kelleon entering the mall, running.

    ¡°Kelleon!¡± I shouted his name. His head turned to my direction and he ran towards me.

    I was about to tell him about Alejandro when Yvette suddenly bowed down and spoke.

    ¡°Greetings, your highness,¡± she said with all formality.

    Kelleon looked at her. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re from the Palma House.¡± He didn¡¯t ask her. It was a statement.

    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±

    When Kelleon didn¡¯t reply and Yvette kept her head low, I spoke.

    ¡°We saw Alejandro. He¡¯s here,¡± I told him.

    He didn¡¯t look shock when I said that. Instead, I saw Yvette¡¯s head snapped towards me. ¡°That¡¯s why I went here. You need to go home.¡±

    Althea, noticing the questioning stares of my friends, spoke, too.

    ¡°He¡¯s the kidnapper I was telling you in our GC,¡± she whispered to our friends, but it didn¡¯t escaped Kelleon¡¯s ears.

    Yvette¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, she grabbed my shoulders and slightly pushed me towards Kelleon.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be leaving her to your care, your highness,¡± she said. ¡°Please don¡¯t let her be seen by Alejandro.¡±

    Kelleon nodded at her. ¡°I will keep her safe.¡± With that, he intertwined our fingers and looked at me, saying that we have to leave.

    Before we go, Yvette touched my hand, so as my other friends. Althea even grabbed it as if she doesn¡¯t want to let go. ¡°Mahal, tell us whenever something happens, okay? Call us if you need help.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I nodded. ¡°I will. Thank you and please take care.¡±

    When my friends let go of my hand, Kelleon and I walked towards the exit. I didn¡¯t look back, for I don¡¯t want to meet any other more person who will mistook me as Dennise.

 Doctor

    CHAPTER 22: Doctor

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    Kelleon didn¡¯t let go of my hand even if we¡¯re already inside his car. He was driving back to my house using his left hand while his right hand is intertwined with mine. I even tried to remove my hand from him, but he would just hold on tighter.

    ¡°Kelleon,¡± I called him. His eyes are still focused on the road. ¡°I think it will be better if you will be focused on the road instead of,¡± I stopped for a moment and looked at our hands. ¡°Holding my hand.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ focused on the road,¡± he said without looking at me.

    I sighed and used my right hand to remove his. Like earlier, he held on tighter to my hand. He turned his head and red at me.

    ¡°Kelleon, we¡¯re inside the car. I won¡¯t leave,¡± I told him while still trying to remove his hand from me.

    ¡°You won¡¯t leave, and I know that,¡± he responded. ¡°But mi amor, someone can open that door while we¡¯re moving and get you out of this vehicle.¡±

    I want to tell him that he¡¯s being paranoid. However, I know that he¡¯s right. Being in the police service for several years, I know that someone can do that.

    A long silence covered the whole ride. When we were stuck between the traffic, Kelleon broke the silence.

    ¡°Alejandro is here with his butler,¡± he said, making me turn my head to him.

    ¡°Do you know the reason why he¡¯s here?¡± I asked him. Of course, there has to be a reason why Alejandro is here. Maybe a vacation? Business meeting? I want to think of the lightest reason why.

    ¡°Cloud said that he¡¯s here to check the hotel he¡¯s constructing,¡± Kelleon answered.

    I nodded at him. It¡¯s about business, and not about me or Dennise.

    With that thought, something crossed on my mind.

    ¡°How about Dennise? Did he bring her here?¡± I asked. The car moved forward as Kelleon moved the steering wheel.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Base on our investigations, no. That¡¯s why I sent some of my men to check Alejandro¡¯s mansion in Spain,¡± he said.

    I understand what he¡¯s nning to do. ¡°He won¡¯t be there to supervise his wife. It¡¯s a good time to infiltrate his house.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± he replied to me as he turned the car towards the opposite direction to my house. ¡°Infiltrating his house and having someone to spy on him will be a long process.¡±

    ¡°Alejandro is too cautious on everyone he meet. There are only few servers on his mansion but there are a lot of guards inside and outside,¡± he added.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you send a spy guard?¡± I asked as if that was the simplest answer.

    He shook his head. ¡°Base on Cloud¡¯s report, the guards who are allowed inside their mansion are those who already worked for him for more than five years. Those who are not are assigned on the outside perimeters,¡± he answered.

    My jaw dropped on his exnation. Because I can¡¯t think of an answer, I leaned my back to the seat and started thinking of ways on how we can maximize the investigation. It¡¯s the best time they have!

    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted but it didn¡¯t even move Kelleon a little bit. ¡°This is not the way to my house!¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we going here?¡± I asked, giving him a sharp look.

    He swerved the car to the right as it entered the skyway. ¡°You will be staying in my rest house, mi amor.¡±

    I looked at him tly. ¡°Why would I? I have my own house.¡±

    He removed his hand from the steering wheel, turning the car to automatic mode. ¡°He might find you there. It will be safer if you¡¯ll stay with me,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Besides, your friends told me to take care of you and keep you safe,¡± he smirked at me as if he was so amused with that idea.

    ¡°Am I still going to work? Can I still meet up with my friends? Go outside?¡± I asked several questions continously.

    His thumb carressed my hand. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to hide you, I have to. You won¡¯t go outside for a while. And if you will, I have to be with you.¡±

    I was sad and happy at the same time. Sad, because I won¡¯t be able to solve cases and meet my friends. Happy, because I will be with Kelleon at any time.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I¡¯ll just inform my senior. I¡¯m sure she will understand,¡± I said and was about to grab my phone when Kelleon spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. I already talked to your senior. Also, I gave her some of the files that contain our investigation,¡± he said. ¡°Detective Javier was more than willing to help so I assigned her to investigate deeper on the hotels that Denisse Cantos use when she was still here.¡±

    I put my phone back to the bag. I didn¡¯t even know that he did that. Maybe that¡¯s why my senior told me to just hide from everyone who know Denisse as much as I can and let her do the rest.

    After some minutes of driving and talking about random stuff, we arrived in a secluded ce. It¡¯s kind of far from the main highway and the surroundings is full of trees.

    Two guards opened the huge metallic gate in front of us. Kelleon continued to drive and all that I can see are trees. It was a long, wide path. On the end of it was a huge open space with arge fountain in the middle.

    Behind the fountain is a two-storey house, which is so big that I canpare it to a mansion of pce.

    I stepped outside of the car when Kelleon opened it for me. He touched my back and guided me while walking towards the huge ck door of the house.

    As Kelleon opened it, he spoke. ¡°Wee to my rest house, mi amor.¡±

    Grand and morous. That is how I describe the interior of the house. A huge open living space greeted me. Kelleon motioned me to sit in a sofa. He told me to just wait there.

    While I was waiting for him, my eyes explored the whole ce. On the right side of the living room is the kitchen and dining area. On the other side is another living area that is more closed. There are various doors on the hallway.

    What caught my attention is the view behind the ss sliding doors in front of the open living space. It has the view of the ocean and mountains from a far. I also noticed therge infinity pool outside.

    ¡°This is your rest house?¡± I asked Kelleon when he arrived with a pitcher full of juice and some light snacks.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered as he sat beside me. ¡°Did you like it?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°This is too beautiful. I haven¡¯t seen the other parts of the house but I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re grand like this,¡± I answered him. ¡°This is too beautiful for a rest house. This is too huge for one person. Is there another person living here?¡±

    He smiled at me. ¡°Yes. You.¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t live here. I¡¯ll just stay here until this problem about Dennise is solved,¡± I answered.

    ¡°But you like this house, right?¡± he asked the second time.

    ¡°Yes. Very much.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll live here.¡±

    I want to ask him more and rify that but he got up and walked to the second floor. I just focused my attention to the snacks while waiting for him.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him toe down. He was carrying a folder. He sat down again beside me and handed over the folder.

    ¡°That folder is the original report that Cloud gave to me,¡± he exined.

    ¡°He found out that before Denisse Cantos disappeared, she went to International Christian Hospital in Taguig for several times within eight months,¡± he added.

    I read the files. The ICH is one of thergest private hospital in the country. They offered a lot of services. May it be dental, neurogical, cardial, or any other type of hospital services. Their fees are just too expensive, though.

    But, why would Denisse Cantos go to that hospital? There are a lot of much effective and cheaper hospitals in Spains.

    ¡°The only record she has in the hospital is when he visited Doctor Adrian Andres for an eye check up,¡± he said. I raised my eyebrows because there¡¯s something wrong on the record.

    ¡°I though she went there several times? Why is there only one record of her?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That record is the only one that has a doctor¡¯s or nurse¡¯s name with it. Her other entries are just written in the hospitals log book,¡± he answered, which made me question more.

    ¡°Why would she go to the same hospital, several times if she would only have a transction to a doctor once?¡± I asked. ¡°The only reason I can see here is she¡¯s visiting someone there.¡±

    Kelleon sighed. ¡°I also thought of that, but there was no record of her visiting someone. It¡¯s like she entered the hospital and done nothing.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe, she did something. But someone erased those traces,¡± I murmured.

    ¡°That can be true,¡± he responded.

    I turned my head to him after I saw the Doctor Andres¡¯ face on the file. ¡°Did you already talk to this doctor?¡± I asked.

    He shooked his head. ¡°When Cloud went to the hospital, he found out that Doctor Andres already left. However, no one knows his whereabouts,¡± he answered. ¡°Until we bumped into this.¡±

    He flipped the next pages and stopped on a missing person report. My eyes widened more as I read the file.

    ¡°The doctor was reported missing, just a month after Denisse Cantos disappeared,¡± he said. ¡°He was never found after that.¡±

    My heart almost fell on what I heard. This case¡­ might not be that shallow as I thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Denisse Cantos has something to do with this! We have to know more about the doctor and the reason why Denisse kept on going to that hospital!¡± I eximed.

    He carressed my face and touched my hand to calm me down. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to that hospital tomorrow and find more information,¡± he said while staring at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mi amor. We¡¯ll solve this together, and I¡¯ll make sure that no one will never hurt you,¡± he lovingly said as he are foreheads touched together. ¡°Never again.¡±

 Shocked

    CHAPTER 23: Shocked

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    KELLEON didn¡¯t let go of my hand when we travelled from his rest house to the International Christian Hospital. When we stepped out of his car, he even used his left hand to hold my left hand, while his right hand held me by the waist.

    People are giving us different looks. Some are looking at us with love and amusement, as if we are their favorite and ideal couple. However, there are also some people who looked at us with disgust on their face, as if our bodynguage irks them.

    I just gave those bitter people a bombastic side eye.

    I removed my shades and cap when we entered the hospital. We went through the visitor¡¯s door and answered their logbook before going in. Kelleon guided me towards the receiving station where several hospital staffs are aodating the visitors.

    While walking towards there, I saw that the hospital is busy. Doctors and nurses are walking back and forth to different rooms and I also saw patients in stretchers. There are also patients who has still there dextrose on sitting on a chair and waiting in line.

    I leaned towards Kelleon. ¡°I think we arrived in a bad time,¡± I whispered to him. ¡°The hospital¡¯s busy.¡±

    He continue guiding me by slightly pushing my back to walk. ¡°It can¡¯t be help. We¡¯re already here. Let¡¯s just finish this quickly,¡± he responded.

    I nodded at him. We stopped in front of a staff with the name ¡°Pia¡± on her tag. She smiled when she noticed us.

    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am and sir!¡± she greeted as she closed her ballpen. ¡°How may I help you today?¡±

    I was about to answer but Kelleon was faster. ¡°We¡¯re here to ask information about Doctor Adrian Andres. It hase to us that he worked here. We want to request some records,¡± he said directly. No introduction, no context. Just direct saying of what he wants.

    The staff slowly nodded at Kelleon. ¡°Uhm, for what reasons, sir?¡± she asked. ¡°We can¡¯t give our staff¡¯s records to others, unless it is really needed or permitted by our head.¡±

    I already so thising, so before Kelleon could pull some excuse, I grabbed my ID from my bag and showed it to the woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Ma. Mahalia Mendoza, registered psychologist and a criminal profiler in NCRPO,¡± I introduced myself to her while showing my work ID and professional ID.

    ¡°We need those records for our investigation. I can request for permit or search warrant if the hospital needs it,¡± I said, even though I¡¯m not sure if we can get a permit. I just said it to get her trust.

    Pia took a closer look to my IDs and nodded afterwards. ¡°I see,¡± she answered and typed something on herputer. ¡°Please give me a moment to check his records here. Do you know the year he started or ended working here?¡± she asked.

    I turned my head to Kelleon, signaling him that he¡¯s the one who needs to answer. He nodded and cleared his throat.

    ¡°He started working here on 2003 and ended on 2019,¡± he answered.

    The staff nodded at him and told us to wait for a few moments. She offered us to sit on the nearby chairs while waiting.

    ¡°What specific details are we looking for, again?¡± I asked him while flipping my notes because I can¡¯t see it in any page.

    ¡°Denisse Cantos¡¯ purpose of visit, workmates of that doctor, and what happened before he disappeared,¡± Kelleon answered as he put his hand on my shoulders and leaned to me to read the things in my notebook.

    I wrote down what he said so I won¡¯t forget itter. I skimmed through my notes and tried to memorize the timeline

    Denisse Cantos went to the Philippinesst July 2019. She disappeared eight months after that, which was March 2020. Doctor Andres was reported missingst March 27, 2020. Detective Javier said that Dennise Lopez left the Philippines on April 1, 2020. Kelleon and Dennise Lopez started their rtionship on May 8, 2020.

    I was about to ask Kelleon a question about Dennise when the staff, Pia, called me.

    ¡°Dr. Mendoza?¡± she said. We walked towards her and she gave us a piece of paper.

    ¡°The records of the former doctors here were deleted from the receiving staff¡¯sputer records,¡± she said, making my heart fell for a second. ¡°But we still have a copy on our records department.¡±

    Her answer made me smile. ¡°Where can we find that department?¡± I asked.

    She pointed a set of stairs on our left. ¡°Go down to the lower ground floor. There are arrows there that will bring you to the records department,¡± she exined. ¡°Enter the door with the signage ¡®Staffs Records Secretaries¡¯ and look for Mr. Ferrer.¡±

    ¡°Give him that paper and show your ID,¡± she added on her instructions. I thanked her while Kelleon grabbed my hand and we walked towards the stairs.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you tell people to call you Doctor Mendoza?¡± Kelleon asked out of nowhere while we¡¯re walking in the hallway. ¡°You have your professional license. It¡¯s just weird for me that you prefer to be call by your name only, without your profession.¡±

    I turned my head to him. ¡°Yes, I am a licensed psychologist. However, I don¡¯t work as a psychologist. My license is like a decoration,¡± I answered him. ¡°I will let them call me Doctor Mendoza if I¡¯m working in that field.¡±

    He nodded and didn¡¯t ask questions after that. It was just the two of us in the hallway so I grabbed the opportunity to ask him.

    ¡°Kelleon,¡± I called him and slightly tap his hand on my waist.

    He turned his head to me with his eyes furrowed. ¡°Why are you not calling me ¡®cari?o¡¯?¡±

    I pped his hand and red at him. He just chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you an important question yet you¡¯re concerned on our call sign,¡± I told him.

    I sighed before speaking again. ¡°How did you meet Dennise?¡±

    I saw his eyes turned cold after I asked him. I¡¯m already ready to apologize because I thought that I asked the wrong question, but he answered me.

    ¡°I met Dennise twice,¡± he responded, making me confused.

    ¡°The first one is here in the Philippines,st 2018,¡± he smiled a little as if he remembered a happy memory.

    ¡°It was love at first sight,¡± he said as he looked at me in the eye.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know her name when I met her that time. Then, I met her again in Spainst 2019.¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak. I let him narrate everything that he remembers. He put his sight back on the hallway again.

    ¡°That time, she entered my building as one of the applicants for the secretary position,¡± he continued. ¡°Seeing my first love so close, I didn¡¯t think twice and hired her.¡±

    Look at what love can do. It can make you hire someone without looking at their credentials and interviewing them.

    ¡°A month after that, I asked her to be my girlfriend. I don¡¯t want to let her go again, so I made a way to keep her near,¡± he sighed after saying that. ¡°My worst decision in my life.¡±

    I somehow felt bad for him. It¡¯s just sad that the first person who made his heart beat is also the one who shattered it into pieces.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t regret loving Dennise, right?¡± I asked him. He looked back at me.

    ¡°Do you know what I realized after she left me for another man?¡± he asked.

    I raised my eyebrows at him. Although we are talking seriously, I can¡¯t help but be sarcastic.

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t know. Unless, I can read your mind,¡± I answered. He just chuckled at my response.

    ¡°I realized¡­ that I didn¡¯t really love Dennise. The one I love is the Dennise I met in the Philippines, five years ago,¡± he told me while looking straight into my eye.

    I tilted my head to the right and asked him. ¡°What do you mean? Aren¡¯t they the same person?¡±

    He just smiled and didn¡¯t answer me. He just continued on walking and looking for the office. I asked him again, a couple of times, but he wouldn¡¯t respond. I got tired of asking him so I shut my mouth up.

    It didn¡¯t take us long to find the office that Pia is saying. When we entered, there¡¯s only one man inside. I walked towards his table.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted him. ¡°Are you Mr. Ferrer?¡±

    He looked up at me and nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. How may I help you?¡±

    I put the paper and my ID on his table. I pushed it towards him.

    ¡°You staff, Pia, told me to give this to you,¡± I said. He grabbed the paper and scrutinize my ID before handing it back to me.

    ¡°What specific records are you looking for, ma¡¯am?¡± he asked.

    I was about to answer but Kelleon¡¯s hand touched my waist again like a possessive boyfriend.

    ¡°Check the records if he had a patient named Denisse Cantos, together with the records of their transaction. We also need the information of those who worked with him, like nurses, anesthesologist, or assistant. We also need information on what he did before he disappeared,¡± Kelleon answered the secretary with his authorative aura surrounding him.

    The man was seem shocked on how Kelleon looked at him. Kelleon looks like he was about to break the man¡¯s neck.

    Mr. Ferrer cleared his throat. ¡°How do you spell Denisse Cantos?¡± he asked.

    I spelled her name as he typed. We waited patiently as he searched through the records.

    ¡°Are you investigating about Doctor Andres¡¯ disappearance?¡± he asked while typing. I nodded at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re opening the case again. The former investigators we¡¯re too ck at their work and didn¡¯t do their job properly,¡± he said as he shook his head.

    Kelleon took a step forward. ¡°Are you close to that doctor?¡± he asked.

    Mr. Ferrer shook his head. ¡°No. I just knew him because he¡¯s one of the best doctor in this hospital. He¡¯s a registered neurologist and a dermatogolist which made a lot of people look up to him.¡±

    ¡°When he went missing, the whole faculty was down. It¡¯s like the ICH lost a limb,¡± he added.

    He stood up after the printing of records was finished. He handed it to us with a smile.

    ¡°Please, if there¡¯s any lead on the investigation, contact us,¡± he gave a calling card. ¡°I¡¯ll also try to talk to other doctors here who know him to ask about what he did before he went missing. Hopefully, I can find a lead.¡±

    Kelleon nodded at him. ¡°We will. Incase you find something, contact us.¡±

    Kelleon handed him his calling card. We bid goodbye and said thanks to him. We walked up to the upper ground floor and told Pia that we already got the records.

    As we walked towards the exit, a nurse identally bumped me from the back. Her things fell on the floor so I bent down to help her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the nurse said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just be careful next time,¡± I asnwered.

    After she got all of her things, we stood up. We met face to face. She was smiling at me when she turned her head up, but it slowly faded. She tried to hide that fading smile by bowing.

    She didn¡¯t say anything. She just walked fast to the exit like nothing happened.

    I walked to follow the nurse but when we got outside, Kelleon grabbed me because I was walking towards the opposite direction of the parking lot.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kelleon asked me. ¡°We¡¯re outside! You don¡¯t even have your cap and shades on!¡±

    I walked fast and he walked faster to caught me. ¡°That nurse is suspicious. I felt like she know something about Denisse,¡± I told him.

    ¡°She was smiling earlier, but her reaction changed when she saw my face. There¡¯s something wrong. We must ask her.¡±

    With that, we both ran after the nurse. She must have seen us, that¡¯s why she also ran.

    However, Kelleon was faster. He has longer legspared to the nurse who I think the height didn¡¯t reached 5¡¯0.

    He cornered her on the side of the building.

    I was about to interrogate her about her reaction earlier, but Kelleon spoke first. He wasn¡¯t patient. He asked her directly.

    ¡°Do you know anything about Doctor Andres¡¯ disappearance?¡± Kelleon asked while pinning the woman using a long stick which I didn¡¯t know where he got from.

    The nurse didn¡¯t even fight back. Instead, she red at me with fury in her eyes.

    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± she said. ¡°Ask that woman with you. She¡¯s the one who shot Doctor Andres. Didn¡¯t you know that?¡±

 Shot

    CHAPTER 24: Shot

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    MY WORLD stopped when I heard what the nurse said. It¡¯s like my brain stopped functioning and all that I hear is her voice echoing in my head. Herst statement keeps on repeating on my head and it started to mess me up.

    Me? I didn¡¯t shot anyone! Never in my job that I shot a person! I don¡¯t even have the license to carry a gun!

    Shot. The loud bang of a gun entered my ears. I looked around but I can¡¯t see anyone. It was dark. I heard screamings. I heard people asking for help. I heard their pleas and their cries.

    My breathing started to get heavy as I try to look where the sound of the gun ising from. I can feel my body shaking and my hands turning cold.

    I heard someone calling my name, but I was stunned in my ce. Suddenly, the surroundings changed, and my eyes can only see the nurse and her furious eyes staring at me. She looked at me as if I was the worst criminal she ever met. Her eyes are full of anger and disgust. Her judging stare went through my body.

    ¡°Lia!¡±

    Kelleon¡¯s voice, together with a strong shake on my body, pulled me back to my consciousness. The first thing that met my eyes were Kelleon¡¯s worried eyes.

    ¡°Are you okay? Answer me,¡± he said while slightly shaking my body and gently pping my cheek.

    I was about to open my mouth to speak when I heard quick footsteps. I turned my head to the nurse and I saw her escaping!

    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted and tried to run to chase the nurse, but strong arms pulled me back and locked me in his ce.

    ¡°Wait! Please!¡± I screamed at the escaping nurse as I extend my arms to reach for her, but I can¡¯t. She was too far away now and I can¡¯t even see her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run, please,¡± I cried. Tears started falling down my face and I don¡¯t even know why. Is it because she escaped? Or there¡¯s something hidden in me, which was triggered, that made me cry?

    ¡°Lia, calm down,¡± I heard Kelleon¡¯s voice whispering in my ear. I even felt his breath on my skin. He was hugging me tight, as if I will disappear if he will loose his hug.

    My eyes are still looking for the nurse. They¡¯re looking around, hoping that she¡¯s still there and she will answer my question, but I can¡¯t see her anymore.

    ¡°Mi amor, look at me.¡±

    Kelleon made me turn my body around to face him. He cupped my face and his right hand carressed it.

    No, he was carressing it as he tries to wipe my tears. But even if he tried to dry the previous one, another tear will fall down.

    I¡¯m crying¡­ but I don¡¯t even know why.

    ¡°Tell me, why are you crying, mi amor? Huh?¡± he asked me. I want to open my mouth to speak and tell him that I don¡¯t know, but everytime I tried to do it, my tears will shut me up.

    I¡¯m just staring at him, my lips slightly parted. He looked hurt. He still keeps on drying my tears and sometimes, kissing them away, as if his kisses will lessen the burden I have.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, mi amor. It¡¯s hurting me,¡± he said as he hugged me tighter. My face touched his chest. As I hid my face, I smelled him.

    Like a potion, I slowly calmed down. His scent lingered in my nose that it calmed my nerves. My cries turned into small whines, until it stoppedpletely.

    Even if my breathing went back to normal, Kelleon didn¡¯t stop on hugging me. He continued on carressing my hair slowly while hushing on me.

    ¡°Are you feeling well now, mi amor?¡± he asked as he slowly loosened his hug. He looked at my eyes, which I¡¯m sure are red by now. He dried the left over tears and smiled at me reassuringly.

    I nodded at him and wiped my face. He helped me to sit in a nearby bench. He also helped me to fix myself since my clothes looked messy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just get something? Will for me here, okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I responded. He gave me a short peck of kiss on my forehead before walking away.

    When I can¡¯t see him anymore, I touched my heart. It hurted earlier, but now, it¡¯s beating so lively again.

    I don¡¯t know what got on me that time. I know that I have phobia on guns, but I don¡¯t even know that even statements about guns can have an effect on me.

    I think I need to see a therapist¡­

    Sighing, I looked at the area where we cornered the nurse. If I haven¡¯t acted like that earlier, we would have squeezed information from her. We could have got leads about the case.

    While thinking on how I can apologize and make up for my ineffectivity, I heard footsteps towards me. I looked at that direction and I saw Kelleon holding something.

    ¡°Here, to cheer you up,¡± he said, while handing an ice cream in a cup.

    My eyes twinkled in excitement and I immediately grabbed it in his hand.

    ¡°Rocky road?¡± I asked. ¡°How did you know that this is my favorite vor?¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Just a hunch,¡± he answered as he sat beside me.

    I squinted my eyes on him because I don¡¯t buy his answer. However, I let it slide and focused on the ice cream.

    I have eaten more than half of the ice cream when I realized that Kelleon is just watching me. He didn¡¯t buy an ice cream for him.

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± I asked him as I hand the ice cream towards him.

    ¡°I want to, but we only have one spoon,¡± he answered while giving a small smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem!¡± I eximed. I pouted my lips to point the ice cream vendor. ¡°You can ask for another one.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t mind using that same spoon,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Nope. Get your own spoon,¡± I responded and get a spoonful of ice cream.

    Kelleon shook his head before walking towards the vendor. Momentster, he came back with a new spoon in his hand.

    ¡°Say ¡®aah¡¯!¡± I said while the spoon, the new one, with ice cream is waiting near his lips.

    He chuckled before opening his mouth. ¡°Aah.¡±

    I fed him the ice cream before scooping using my own and eating it, too. We continued doing that until we both finished the ice cream.

    I stood up to throw the trash in the bin. When I walked back to him, I pouted my lips.

    ¡°Kelleon,¡± I called him. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    His eyebrows furrowed at me. ¡°Sorry for what?¡± he asked.

    I looked down. ¡°The nurse escape because of me. If I just didn¡¯t acted that way, we would¨C¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he said firmly. He stood up and took a step towards me. He touched both of my hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re trembling earlier,¡± he spoke.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Stop apologizing, mi amor. I told you that it¡¯s not your fault,¡± he responded. He touched my chin and made me look up to him. Our eyes met.

    ¡°We could have find more leads if that didn¡¯t happen!¡± I eximed. ¡°I let that nurse escape!¡±

    ¡°Lia,¡± he called me by my name. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize that I¡¯m the one who let her go?¡±

    I was stunned, because he¡¯s right. He¡¯s the one pinning the nurse earlier. Even if I¡¯m trembling, he could have just pin the nurse so she wouldn¡¯t escaped.

    ¡°It¡¯s my choice, Lia. I chose you over that fucking damn information we can get,¡± he said. ¡°I chose you, because you¡¯re more important than this case.¡±

    He carressed me. ¡°Lia, we can still find that nurse. I can use my power to find her immediately. But you,¡± he stopped for a moment. He stared at my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you, not when you¡¯re trembling like that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what have gotten to me,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. What¡¯s important is that you¡¯re now fine,¡± he answered. ¡°Do you wanna go home and take a rest?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°But the case¨C¡±

    He shushed me using his hand. ¡°The case can wait, mi amor.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I eximed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the nurse said? Denisse shot that doctor! It¡¯s something serious!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t even baffled at what I said. He still looked calm, far from the direct and impatient Kelleon that I saw earlier in the hospital.

    ¡°I know, mi amor. But I can use my men to find more about that,¡± he answered.

    I pouted. I really want to continue on investigating and finding that nurse. It¡¯s still early. I know that we only nned to get information in the hospital but now that the witness are near, I can¡¯t just go home and take a rest.

    Kelleon might have read what¡¯s on my mind.

    ¡°For the peace of your mind, we¡¯ll go back to the hospital and request for the information of that nurse. That way, we can have her number and address. After that, we¡¯ll go home and let my men do the rest. Okay?¡± Kelleonpromised while smiling.

    I smiled back at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, cari?o.¡±

    His smile grew wider when he heard me call him like that. ¡°Call me cari?o again, mi amor.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Nope.¡±

    I left him there and walked again towards the hospital. He called my name but I didn¡¯t looked back at him.

    When we entered the hospital, we still went to Pia and asked her about the nurse.

    ¡°Can you describe me the features of tue nurse, Doctor Mendoza?¡± she asked when I told her that I don¡¯t know the name.

    ¡°She¡¯s short, maybe 4 feet and 10 inches. She has a short, ck, straight hair. She has a very thin eyebrows and a full lips,¡± I described the nurse based on what I remembered. I felt Kelleon¡¯s presence on my back.

    ¡°She also wearing an ID with bluece earlier,¡± I added.

    Pia nodded. ¡°Hmm, I think the one you¡¯re looking for is Nurse Cristina Palomas,¡± she said. ¡°Nurses who have bluece are assigned on the orthophedic unit. Nurse Cristina is the only one with short hair there.¡±

    She turned her monitor towards me. ¡°Is this her?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s her. Can we request for her contact details and address? As well as other information that you can provide.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Doc. Please wait for a moment.¡±

    Kelleon and I waited patiently. While I was busy watching Pia as she ready the documents, Kelleon was bothering me. He keeps on asking me to call him cari?o again.

    It didn¡¯t took long for Pia to call us again. She handed the papers. I checked it and thanked her afterwards.

    While we were walking towards the parking lot, I put on my cap and shades. I just removed it when we entered Kelleon¡¯s car.

    Like earlier, he keeps on bothering me about the call sign. I turned my head to him.

    ¡°I already sent the information of the nurse to my senior. She will be interrogating her,¡± I spoke. ¡°Now, tell your men to find the nurse and bring her to our department.¡±

    He looked at me with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    I smiled at him, seductively, while gently carressing his biceps. ¡°I¡¯ll call you cari?o anytime you want.¡±

    With that, he followed me like a very good boy.

 Forgotten

    CHAPTER 25: Forgotten

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    THE SOUND of my phone woke us up in the morning. I was about to get up and grab my phone, but something heavy locked my arms in their ce.

    I looked at my left side and saw Kelleon staring at me. His eyes are still sleepy but he¡¯s smiling for some unknown reasons. He¡¯s been sleeping in the guest room with me since the other day.

    At first, I told him to just sleep in his room since it¡¯s much bigger and he might feel ufortable here. However, he insisted that he wants to sleep in the guest room. So, I told him that he can sleep here and I¡¯ll sleep on his room.

    He was kind of frustrated, but I was just teasing him. He told me that he wants to sleep with me.

    I was hesitant, but I like him sleeping beside me so I let it pass. Thankfully, nothing lewd happened from the day we slept together until now.

    ¡°I have to answer the phone,¡± I told him with my morning voice. ¡°It might be something important.¡±

    Instead of answering, he buried his face on to my neck and let my hands go. I let him stay on that position as I reach for my phone.

    My senior¡¯s name on the phone¡¯s screen greeted me. I hurriedly answered it that Kelleon noticed my urgency. He looked up at me and asked. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My senior,¡± I answered before clicking the green button.

    ¡°Senior?¡± I asked on the other end of the line. From her end, I can hear few people talking and the sound of cars passing by. She must be inside a vehicle.

    ¡°Hi, Lia,¡± she greeted me. ¡°We worked on the files you gave yesterday. Kelleon Gonzales¡¯ men contacted me yesterday in the afternoon. They said that they have already located the nurse¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°We arrived on her house earlier and thankfully, we convinced her to be interrogated. It was tough. She didn¡¯t trust as easily even if we already showed her proof that we¡¯re from the police,¡± she added.

    I put the phone in speaker because Kelleon also wants to hear our conversation. He moved closer to me and I put the phone on my left hand so it will be between the two of us.

    ¡°Is the interrogation going to start?¡± I asked. I want to be there as they ask her. With that, I can also observe her closely.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Detective Javier answered. ¡°There¡¯s only about thirty minutes before the interrogation starts. We¡¯re already on the way to the station. Hurry and go there now.¡±

    ¡°Noted, senior. We¡¯ll go now. Thank you,¡± I said before ending the call.

    Kelleon didn¡¯t need to be told what to do. We both got up from bed and start fixing ourselves. I went straight to the bathroom and took a bath for ten minutes.

    When I walked downstairs, I saw that Kelleon is already dressed. He¡¯s just wearing a ck shirt and a blue faded jeans. His hair is still wet as he do something in the kitchen counter.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a sandwich?¡± I asked him when I¡¯m already near the counter. I watched him put the vored mayonnaise on the bread and I helped him put those food in the ziplock.

    ¡°Yup,¡± he responded. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time to cook, and we need a food we can eat on the way there.¡±

    I smiled at his response. I have only stayed here for two days, but I already learned a lot about him.

    He¡¯s so thoughtful. He always asks me what I want and what I do not want. He also made sure that the food we eat don¡¯t contain something I¡¯m allergic to.

    He¡¯s a great cook. Seeing him wearing nothing on top aside from an apron everyday gives me motivation to live.

    We stepped in his car and started driving towards the police station.

    I sighed. I put my hands together to ease the anxiety that I¡¯m feeling.

    WHEN we arrived at the station, Nick is already waiting for us. He greeted me with a hug, which didn¡¯t escape Kelleon¡¯s sight.

    I heard Kelleon cleared his throat. Nick pulled away from the hug and gave an awkward smile to the man beside me.

    ¡°The witness is already in the room. Detective Javier will start the interrogation after some minutes,¡± he informed us. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The three of us walked together. It didn¡¯t took long for us to reach it. We stopped at the ss window that can see the inside of the room.

    Inside, I saw Detective Javier sitting on the right side of the room. Nurse Cristina is sitting across my senior. She looks nervous and she keeps on tapping her legs repeatedly.

    ¡°Nurse Cristina Palomas, I will ask a couple of questions about Doctor Adrian Andres,¡± Detective Javier started. ¡°Do you remember the exact date of when the crim happened?

    Nurse Cristina nodded. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t forget the date,¡± she answered.

    ¡°That happened on March 25, 2023. The hospital¡¯s anniversary party is the day after that and he was supposed to be the one to give the weing remarks. But, he didn¡¯t show up,¡± the nurse exined.

    I wrote the information on my notebook while observing her. We can confirm her statement by asking the guests on that anniversary party. As of now, the date she said is right based on the date that Doctor Andres was reported missing.

    ¡°You said that you witnessed how he was killed. Could you give the details that you can remember?¡± my senior asked.

    We heard the nurse sighed before speaking.

    ¡°I¡¯m going home and I went to the back of the hospital to dispose my scrub,¡± she started narrating what happened on that day. ¡°That area was under renovation at that time so there are only few people going in. Mostly are construction workers and those people who will use the trash bin.¡±

    ¡°I was about to leave when I heard Doctor Andres¡¯ voice. It was kind of loud because he was shouting. I can¡¯t see him because it was dark in my part, so I started walking towards the noise,¡± she added.

    For some reason, Kelleon ced himself behind me and touched my shoulders. I looked back at him and gave a questioning look, but he just smiled at me. I also noticed Nick giving me, or us, nces from time to time.

    ¡°I heard Doctor Andres shouted, ¡®I don¡¯t care about your money! I will tell the police about this!¡¯ His words where somewhere along that line,¡± she continued.

    Doctor Andres must have been talking to Denisse Cantos at that time. The motive for killing him is because the doctor knew something that can destroy Denisse. That¡¯s why she had to silence the witness by¡­ shooting him.

    My head somehow felt heavy because of myst thought. I almost lose my bnce. Fortunately, Kelleon was there to help me.

    ¡°Are you okay, mi amor?¡± he whispered in my ears. I gave him a nod before looking back at the two people inside the interrogation room.

    ¡°And then, I heard another voice. It was a woman. She said that¡­ she will kill the doctor before he could go to the police.¡±

    Nurse Cristina started sobbing, but that didn¡¯t stop her from talking. ¡°Then¡­ I heard something heavy fell on the ground. When I looked behind the tower of concrete blocks, I saw Doctor Andres¡­ bleeding.¡±

    Tears started falling from her eyes and her body started shaking. Detective Javier stood up to calm her down.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Cristina. You can talk again when you¡¯re ready,¡± my senior said,forting the nurse.

    Nurse Cristina shook her head. ¡°I saw a woman, she was holding a gun.¡±

    My heart started pumping faster that I have to take a deep breath. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. I can¡¯t do another scene again.

    ¡°I thought¡­ I thought she will leave him alone. He was already bleeding!¡± she eximed.

    ¡°Did you see where he was shot?¡± Detective Javier asked while still gently carressing the nurse¡¯s back.

    ¡°Stomach,¡± she answered. ¡°Near the liver part. He was touching that part when I saw him.¡±

    My senior nodded. Drops of sweat started forming on my forehead that I have to wipe them away. Although my eyes can see the people inside the room, my mind is imagining the bloody scene even if I don¡¯t want to.

    ¡°He¡¯s already bleeding to death! But she shot him! Again!¡± she eximed as she pointed her head. ¡°Here! In the head!¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    I held on to Kelleon¡¯s arms tighter. I¡¯m feeling that I¡¯m going to lose bnce in any minute now. He hugged me from behind and whisperedforting words to me.

    Nick moved closer to us. ¡°We should transfer Lia to another room. She doesn¡¯t look well.¡±

    ¡°Lia, we have to leave. You¡¯re starting to tremble again. We can just leave the rest to them,¡± Kelleon whispered in my ear and tried to pull me to the other room.

    ¡°No! We have to finish this. I have to finish this! Maybe she will say more leads!¡± I eximed, losing myposture.

    Kelleon locked me in his arms. I tried to fight back but he was just much stronger.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I can stay here!¡± I shouted when Kelleon started to drag me out.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not!¡± Kelleon shouted, making me stunned. It was the first time I heard him shout that way.

    It was not because of anger. It was because of worriness¡­ and fear.

    I couldn¡¯t talk. I just felt my head getting heavier. And before darkness consumed me, I heard the nurse shouted.

    ¡°I saw the killer yesterday! You have to arrest her!¡±

    ¨C KELLEON ¨C

    Lia passed out while I was carrying her. Iy her down to the sofa and carressed her sleeping face.

    This is the second time it happened. She also trembled and breath heavily like the first time. However, she didn¡¯t cry out loud. Instead, she passed out.

    A hand offered a nket to me. I grabbed it and ce it above Lia who was sleeping peacefully, like she didn¡¯t shouted and made a scene earlier.

    ¡°She¡¯s always like that,¡± her co-worker said. ¡°I¡¯m Nick, by the way. I¡¯m also an investigator but I¡¯m more on the forensics.¡±

    I nodded at him. ¡°Kelleon,¡± I introduced myself. ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s always like this?¡±

    He sat on the wooden chair near him. ¡°Detective Javier, even the chief, never gave a case that involves guns or firearms to Lia. They said she has a phobia of those,¡± he exined.

    So that exins her reaction yesterday and earlier. It was a good decision not to use guns when I was chasing her in Spain. She might have trembled and fainted that time.

    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t know about that at first. But Darwin said that when Lia is still an intern, she started shaking and crying when she saw a suspect pointing a gun close to the hostage,¡± he started narrating.

    ¡°The trembling was the worst. No one can calm her down that time and she kept on shouting ¡®Stop! Don¡¯t shoot!¡¯. She passed out, and her reaction almost made them failed to save the hostage.¡±

    ¡°She was just 18 that time, and that was her third case,¡± he said.

    I stared at the sleeping Lia. I carressed her hand under the nket.

    ¡°Do you know the reason why she¡¯s like that?¡± I asked. Lia wouldn¡¯t tell anything. When I asked her yesterday about why she suddenly cried, she said that she doesn¡¯t know.

    Nick shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Nope,¡± he shook his head while saying that. ¡°Even Lia doesn¡¯t know either.¡±

    He pursed his lips before talking, as if he remembered something. ¡°Detective Javier said that the therapist told them that Lia might have not remembered the reason is because it was a traumatic memory.¡±

    ¡°The brain tends to forget traumatic memories to save us from the pain, especially if it happened when you¡¯re young.¡±

 Things Left Behind

    CHAPTER 26: Things Left Behind

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I WOKE up with the feeling of tiredness in my eyes. The light hurts my eyes as I tried to open them. I groaned when I felt a hand touched my face. I shook my head, trying to remove that hand from touching me.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± a familiar voice entered my ears. I tried to focus my eyes to ease the tiredness and bluriness that I¡¯m experiencing.

    ¡°Cari?o?¡± I called him. The things I can see are so blurry that I thought I¡¯m going blind. Thankfully, after several attempts by blinking my eyes, my eyesight went back to normal.

    His hand carressed my face. ¡°Are feeling well, mi amor?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you need anything? Does something hurt? Tell me, mi amor.¡±

    I slowly pushed my body up because I want to sit. Kelleon helped me and supported my back.

    Feeling tired, I leaned on Kelleon¡¯s chest. I want to feel thefort that he gives to me everytime that he¡¯s near.

    Noticing that I neededfort, he hugged me tight and put a gentle kiss on my forehead. He carressed my back repeatedly while waiting for me to get all of the energy the I want.

    I looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    He chuckled and yfully rub his nose to mine. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±

    I was quiet for a moment while looking at my right side. I¡¯m thinking of what food I want.

    Fried chicken? But we just ate that yesterday.

    Burger? Hmm, I don¡¯t think it can full me.

    Street foods plus rice? But Kelleon is not familiar to those kinds of food.

    I looked up to him again. ¡°Pizza. I want to eat pizza. Bacon and pepperoni,¡± I told him.

    Kelleon carressed my hair and his hand travelled to my nape. He grabbed it firmly while his other hand is still on my back. I want to do it to him, too. I want to do that and kiss him right here, but we¡¯re in the police station.

    Maybe when we got home¡­

    ¡°You mean half part is bacon, while the other half is pepperoni?¡± he rifies.

    I almost forgot that the pizza in Spain is somehow different in here, especially that I¡¯m always buying pizza in the small brands.

    I shooke my head at him. ¡°In front of the city library, there¡¯s a small store called ¡®Czyrene¡¯s Pizza¡¯. Their store is green in color. Buy one bacon and one pepperoni,¡± I exined to him. ¡°The total price wouldn¡¯t reach two hundred pesos. It¡¯s cheap but their pizza is so delicious!¡±

    I licked my lips with my eyes closed because I can almost taste the vor of the pizza. I heard Kelleon took a deep breath before I felt him moving me closer to his body.

    When I opened my eyes, our lips touched. It was a sudden feeling of ecstasy, as if something that I craved for so long is finally fulfilled.

    But I still want more¡­

    I was about to kiss him back, with tongue, when someone opened the door.

    I was fast enough to push Kelleon away before the person entered. I heard Kelleonughing silently.

    ¡°Good thing that you¡¯re already awake, Lia,¡± Detective Javier spoke. She walked inside and sat on the sofa across mine.

    ¡°Do you feel fine now?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, senior,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I passed out again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What matters is that you¡¯re okay now,¡± she leaned her back to the sofa. ¡°We finished interrogating the witness minutes ago.¡±

    She handed me the folder that she¡¯s carrying earlier. ¡°That contains the transcript of the interrogation earlier. You can review that and use it while doing your own investigations.¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she replied before looking at Kelleon. ¡°Your men are going to focus on investigating the co-workers, right?¡±

    Kelleon nodded. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll also search leads about what Doctor Andres did before he went missing.¡±

    ¡°I guess that will leave us in the investigation of what was Denisse Cantos doing in the hospital with the doctor,¡± Detective Javier said befofe standing up. ¡°We¡¯ll contact you if we found something. Please take care of Lia. We don¡¯t know if that Denisse also did something bad to other people, aside from you. Those people might also go after Lia.¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you,¡± Kelleon answered.

    With that, my senior bid her goodbye since she needed to report to our chief regarding the arsony case on the other day.

    When Detective Javier left, Kelleon pulled me closer to him and whispered. ¡°When the food arrived, let¡¯s go in the car and head home.¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows at him. ¡°Why? Are you tired?¡±

    He shook his head and smiled yfully. ¡°No, but I want to do something.¡±

    AS KELLEON closed the door, he didn¡¯t waste any minute. He grabbed my nape and pulled me towards him. His lips met mine, and he started touching my back. His hand travelled to my ass and pinched them using his palm.

    I moaned on his mouth when he pped my ass cheeck. He used that opportunity to bury his tongue to my mouth deeper.

    Everything was getting sloppy. I can even feel the mixture of our saliva dripping down from the corner of my mouth. I even swallowed some of it.

    When our lips separated, I spoke. ¡°I want to eat first.¡±

    My stomach is already growling and I don¡¯t think I can perform well with that! I haven¡¯t eaten anything with rice today and it¡¯s already afternoon.

    He chuckled. ¡°As you wish,¡± he replied and walked me towards the kitchen counter.

    ¡°But after we finished eating, I will ravish you,¡± he whispered in my ear, making my body feels hot because of excitement.

    I put my lips near to his ears. ¡°Yes, ravish meter, cari?o,¡± I said seductively. ¡°But remember, no pration. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said before giving me a peck of kiss on my lips.

    I started opening the boxes of pizza while Kelleon opened a stic bag. I immediately grabbed a slice and ate it.

    My eyes almost rolled back when I tasted the deliciousness of the pizza. I ate so fast that I finished three slices immediately.

    ¡°Here, have some, mi amor,¡± Kelleon said while sitting beside me. He put a te full of rice in front of me and a bowl full of menudo!

    ¡°I asked one of my men to buy a dish with rice. I realized you haven¡¯t eaten a single rice today,¡± he said while scooping the dish towards my te. He carefully put the dish on top of the rice and poured some of the sauce on it.

    Because of happiness, I kissed him repeatedly. He seems to enjoy it, though. He even asked me to give him more.

    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful, cari?o. You really deserve a rewardter,¡± I said and winked at him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for my reward, mi amor,¡± he said before licking his lips.

    I put my attention to my food. I didn¡¯t even notice that Kelleon already made a juice for us.

    Minutes passed and I was not aware of the time. I was so focused on eating that I didn¡¯t even noticed that Kelleon is already carressing my thigh. I didn¡¯t even feel it until he touched my sensitive part that still covered with clothes.

    ¡°Horny?¡± I asked him. He silently nodded and carressed me even more.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    I put the foods back to their container and put it to the refrigerator before pulling Kelleon towards the guest room. However, when I was about to turn to the side where the guest room is, he pulled me to the opposite direction.

    We entered his bedroom.

    Without thinking twice, Kelleon pinned me to the wall and ravished my lips. His tongue entered my mouth and explored the insides of it.

    We were hungry for each other. Two days of stopping ourselves from doing this intimate things is a real torture, especially when we¡¯re in bed.

    Right now, we don¡¯t care about anything. We were craving for each other¡¯s kiss and touch, and we¡¯ll satisfy ourselves.

    We removed each other¡¯s top. Kelleon removed the hook of my bra without any difficulty. His hand massages my breasts while pinching my nipples.

    My hands touched his muscr body. His muscles are so hard and hot. I touched every edge of it, iming it as my property.

    He carried me and threw me down to the bed. He threw me so hard, as if he¡¯s an impatient beast and I¡¯m his prey.

    But instead of getting hurt, I felt hotter. I felt my pussy became wetter as he puts himself above me.

    His mouth found my nipples. He licked them, bit them, and swirled his tongue around it as his other hand travelled down to my soaking wet pussy.

    My back arched when his fingers found my clit. Without any warning, he rubbed it furiously. He rubbed it fast, hard, and rough.

    Loud and lewd noises, together with my moans and his groans, filled the whole room.

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to feel my climaxing. Kelleon¡¯s rhythm on my pussy didn¡¯t waver. He never slowed down. I unconsciously moved my hips with his fingers when I felt that I¡¯m already close.

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m cumming, cari?o,¡± I moaned as I grabbed his hair. His mouth¡¯s still tasting my boobs and ravishing my nipples.

    A loud moan from me covered every corner of the room as I reached my first orgasm. However, the pleasure didn¡¯t stop there.

    Kelleon went down to my pussy. He licked my clit and sip the juices that oozes out of my hole. The warmth of his mouth added to the horniness I¡¯m feeling.

    ¡°Ooh, cari?o,¡± I moaned as he slowly licked my wet pussy.

    He started on my clit, then traced mybia before his tongue entered my hole. It was slow, but it still caught me off guard.

    I grabbed his hair and pinned him closer to my pussy. I even moved my hips so that my pussy will be rubbed on his face.

    ¡°Oh, yes! More, cari?o! Eat me more!¡±

    And he didn¡¯t disappoint me. Kelleon ate me harder and rougher this time. His lips was kissing my pussy as if he¡¯s french kissing my lips. His tongue moved in and out of my canal. It was stiff and hard that I almost thought that it was his dick.

    Another wave of pleasure ising as he put his mouth to my clit. His fingers reced the vacant space that his mouth left in my pussy.

    Kelleon fingered me hard with two of his fingers while eating me. I felt my orgasm so close, but he stopped.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Iined. I was so close!

    Kelleon stood up. He unbuckled his belt and removed his pants, together with his underwear.

    His dick sprang free. It was long, thick, and hard. It was so big that I don¡¯t even know if it will fit my pussy, or my mouth.

    ¡°You can¡¯t have all the fun, mi amor,¡± he said before grabbing my hair. He pulled me closer to his cock that I can even smell it.

    ¡°Lick it, mi amor. Don¡¯t be shy. My cock is all yours,¡± he said.

    Like a good ve, I put my tongue out and lick the tip of his shaft. I felt his grip on my hair became tighter. I chuckled on my mind. So, I have this effect on him.

    I didn¡¯t waste any second. I put his cock in to my mouth. It was so thick that my mouth was stretched. I took a few inches of it. I even nearly gagged but when I removed it from my mouth, I saw that I haven¡¯t even reach the half of it.

    I want to take it slow and feel is dick in my mouth more, but Kelleon is impatient. He pushed my head towards his cock with force that the tip of it went passed to my uv.

    I gagged and prayed that I won¡¯t vomit, or else I¡¯ll make a big mess on the bed.

    Kelleon pulled and pushed my head to his dick roughly. In every push, his dick is buried deeper in to my mouth.

    When he noticed that my neck is getting tired, he used both of his hands to make my head stay in one ce before fucking it. He moved his head so fast that my whole body is also moving because of the impact.

    My saliva and his pre-cum dripped down from my mouth, to my neck, then to my breast, to my stomach, until it reached my pussy.

    I used that to make my pussy wetter. My hand reached for my clit and rub it as I take Kelleon¡¯s cock in my mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting wet just by sucking my cock?¡± Kelleon pervertly asked while humping on my mouth. ¡°Go on, mi amor. Rub your pussy as I fuck your mouth like a cunt.¡±

    KELLEOM and I are cuddling in bed. We just finished fucking each other. We did the 69 position in every way possible. Thankfully, Kelleon kept his promised not to have a pration. I was just not ready for that thing.

    It was one of the wildest night I had, and I¡¯m sure that we will be wilder once I gave him my virginity.

    He really didn¡¯t stop fucking my face and eating my pussy. I lost count on how many times I came. I almost passed out after I had an intense orgasm.

    He even cum in my mouth several times, and I was more than willing to swallow all of it. His cum tastes so good that I didn¡¯t waste any drop of it. I even wiped those cum of him on my breast and licked them.

    Everything was quiet. Kelleon was carressing my hair while I was touching his chest. The silence was calming andfortable.

    However, a beep from Kelleon¡¯s phone disturb us. Even if he doesn¡¯t really want to pause our cuddling time, he has no choice but to pick it up.

    He read the message and his eyes spark some emotion that I can¡¯t read.

    ¡°Look at this, mi amor,¡± Kelleon said before showing the screen on me.

    It was a message from an unknown number, saying:

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Gonzales. This is Mr. Ferrer from ICH. I found one doctor here who said that he still has Doctor Andres¡¯ things that were left before he disappeared. Please visit us here in the hospital tomorrow so you can check it.¡±

 Photo and Chestbox

    CHAPTER 27: Photo and Chestbox

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    WHILE KELLEON is driving, I¡¯m on the passenger seat and flipping the pages of the files that we got on the other day in the hospital. I wasn¡¯t able to review it yesterday since Kelleon and I had an intimate time together.

    My femininity is still kind of sore¡­

    I shook my head. I should not think of things like that right now.

    I focused myself on reviewing the files. My eyes furrowed more as I flip through the pages. And, as I view more of its content, more questions formed in my mind.

    ¡°There are missing pages here,¡± I muttered. From my peripheral vision, I saw Kelleon turned his head to my direction slightly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. He turned his head back to the road as his hand reached for my thigh.

    I didn¡¯t mind his touch. It¡¯s not that he haven¡¯t touched me before. He reached the deep and intimate parts of my body that no one ever did before.

    I touched his hand as I read the files. ¡°The number of the pages skipped a lot. From page 3, it jumped to page 10,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Maybe, that Mr. Ferrer interntionally removed the other pages,¡± he responded.

    I shook my head. ¡°No,¡± I said.

    His grip on the thigh tightened. I turned my head to him and I noticed that he is clenching his jaw.

    ¡°I saw him when he printed the files until when he handed it to us. He chose ¡®print all¡¯ on his monitor. The front of the printer is facing towards us and away from his table, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t remove a page without leaving his table and circling around. I was the one who removed the papers from the printer and he stapled it in front of me,¡± I exined. ¡°He can¡¯t remove the pages.

    Kelleon sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re defending him,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not defending him,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you what I really happened. We can¡¯t just use him of removing the pages easily.¡±

    His jaw clenched more and I can even see some roots on his temple showing. ¡°That¡¯s the same thing for me,¡± he responded. ¡°Are you defending him because you¡¯re close to each other?¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows at him. ¡°What? No!¡± I eximed. ¡°How can you say that we¡¯re close to each other? I can¡¯t even call him a friend! He¡¯s a stranger to me!¡±

    I waited for an answer, but he didn¡¯t respond. He just kept on driving but he looks so pissed.

    My lips formed into a grin when I realized what is going on in his mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re jealous,¡± I said confidently.

    He was stunned for a little bit but he was able to pull himself back. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± he answered while trying to spat out augh at my answer.

    ¡°Oh? Okay,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯re not jealous then¡­ I can ask Mr. Ferrer for a date. He actually fits on my standard.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Kelleon suddenly pushed on to the brake, making the car stopped immediately. I almost bumped my face on the windshield, but the seatbelt saved me.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± I eximed. ¡°Do you wanna get us killed?!¡±

    He turned his head to me. As fast as lightning, he pinned me on my seat. He grabbed my chin and pulled me closer to his face.

    ¡°You¡­ will ask him for a date?¡± he said while staring at my eyes. I didn¡¯t feel any single fear even if he looks like he was about to kidnap me so that he can have me only for himself.

    Instead, I feel aroused. His hand on my chin and our bodies near to each other made me want him to eat me inside this car.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered shortly, not cutting our eye contact.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± he said under his breath.

    I grinned at him. ¡°I can. I don¡¯t a boyfriend. I don¡¯t have a fiance. I don¡¯t have a husband. I¡¯m single.¡±

    ¡°You have me!¡± he eximed, his jealousy evident on his face. ¡°We¡¯re fucking each other yet you¡¯re gonna date another man?¡±

    My grin grew wider. I want tough at his face but the sound of beeping cars stopped me. I looked at the back and I noticed that we caused a traffic!

    ¡°Kelleon!¡± I shouted at him. ¡°Go back to driving! You¡¯re causing traffic!¡±

    But he¡¯s hard-headed. ¡°Not until you tell me that you won¡¯t date him.¡±

    I unbelievingly looked at him. ¡°What? Okay! I¡¯m just joking when I said that!¡±

    He shook his head lightly. ¡°That¡¯s not the answer that I want.¡±

    I took a deep breath and close my eyes. When I opened it, I looked at Kelleon. It was the ¡®you¡¯re the only man who fits on my standard and I will marry only you¡¯ look.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him sweetly. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t date him. I¡¯m just teasing you earlier.¡±

    I cupped his face and gave him a peck of kiss. ¡°You¡¯re the only man in my life. You¡¯re the only man that I will date. You¡¯re the only man who can kiss, touch, and make me his.¡±

    His face softened. ¡°And he doesn¡¯t fit your standards?¡± he asked.

    I chuckled and carressed his face. ¡°He doesn¡¯t. You¡¯re the only man who passed my standards. You even surprassed it.¡±

    Kelleon was so pleased to hear it that he started to give me a french kiss inside his car. If not for the beeping cars who are already losing their patience on us, we would have make out here.

    MR. FERRER was already waiting for us in the receiving area of the hospital. Kelleon immediately grabbed me by the waist. I justugh at him because I¡¯m sure that he still remembered what happened on the car earlier.

    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am, sir,¡± Mr. Ferrer greeted us. He offered us our seats and motioned his hand towards the other man, who I think is a doctor.

    ¡°This is Doctor Aaron Caalim, one of our anesthesiologist here in ICH. He¡¯s the one who has Doctor Andres¡¯ things,¡± he introduced the doctor.

    Doctor Caalim bowed. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    He then proceeded to grab a box, which I think is about 20 centimeters tall. He put it on the table between the four of us.

    ¡°Those are the things that Doctor Andres left on his locker. I only touched them once, that¡¯s when I transferred the things into this box,¡± he exined.

    ¡°I waited for someone to im Doc Andres¡¯ things. From a family member or a friend, but no one came.¡±

    I opened the box and removed the things inside of it. ¡°Did the other police inspect this box?¡± I asked.

    Doctor Caalim shook his head, which is strange. ¡°No. You¡¯re the first from the police who inspected that. Actually, you¡¯re the first person who knew about the box. Aside from Mr. Ferrer, of course,¡± he answered.

    I didn¡¯t reply anything but a nod. That¡¯s strange. Usually, police will look for anything that a missing person left behind before they disappeared. However, they didn¡¯t even look for the things in his locker. It¡¯s like they didn¡¯t investigate this case.

    Usual things are inside the box. Pack of surgical gloves, eyesses, pen, and used bundle of papers. Nothing special.

    Kelleon suddenly reached something from the other side of the box. I leaned closer to him to see what he is holding.

    My eyes widened and my mind became confused when I already have a clear view of it.

    ¡°Is that¡­ me?¡± I asked while slowly extending my arms to reach for the photo that Kelleon is holding.

    He nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s you.¡±

    Kelleon gave the photo to me. I looked at it and touched it gently.

    It was a photo of me, when I was still in college. I can remember this memory very clearly since it is the first field trip that I joined ever since I started studying.

    The photo was taken on the mini bridge of the Venice Grand Canal in Taguig City. I remember that Althea was the one who took this photo. I was posing as Sailor Moon while looking at the camera.

    How did the doctor get this photo? Did he print this?

    Althea took this photo using only her phone. I even made this as my profile picture that time. I don¡¯t remember us printing any of this.

    But looking at this with much focus, I noticed that the perspective of the camera is not the same as the one that Althea took. It was pushed to a little degree in the right. I can even see a small part of Althea¡¯s hands in the photo.

    Another person took this one.

    ¡°Why is this here?¡± I asked so lowly that it¡¯s almost a whisper.

    Kelleon touched my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll find more about this, mi amor. Don¡¯t stress yourself over this, okay?¡±

    He removed the photo from my hand and put it inside the expandable folder that we brought.

    I took a deep breath and look for other things that can give us leads. While removing some unnecessary stuffs, Doctor Caalim spoke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this can help, but before Doctor Andres disappeared, he told us that he gotrge amount of money,¡± he said.

    I looked at him and was about to ask mo when someone intervened.

    ¡°Ah yes, doc!¡± a nurse said. ¡°Doc Andres even boast it to us. He said that the amount of money is so huge that he can buy a house in Forbes with that!¡±

    After revealing that information, the nurse walked towards the other staff.

    ¡°Did he tell you where he got that money from?¡± Kelleon asked.

    Mr. Ferrer answered by shaking his head. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t tell us. We just assumed that it was from one of his sessfully surgeries, which is quite true because he¡¯s a good neuro surgeon.¡±

    ¡°Others even guessed that he won in a lottery because there are times that Doc Andres received calls from unregistered number. He always looked happy everytime his phone is ringing,¡± Doctor Caalim added.

    As they where talking, my eyes were glued to a small chestbox. I grabbed and tried to open it. However, there is a lock.

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s inside this chestbox?¡± I asked while trying to open it. I grabbed a hairpin from my bag.

    ¡°No, but there was a time I saw him carrying that. He said that has his documents and old IDs from ICH,¡± Doctor Caalim responded.

    After several attempts of opening the lock, I finally did it.

    Instead of old documents and IDs, bundles of money and a check greeted me. The two hospital staffs¡¯ eyes widened when they saw that.

    Kelleon grabbed the check and read the details.

    ¡°Five million euros,¡± he said while reading the check.

    I was shook. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money. That¡¯s almost half of a billion here,¡± I said.

    ¡°Just a cent for me,¡± he said arrogantly.

    I want to hit his head because he¡¯s being boastful, again.

    I leaned towards him and checked the paper. ¡°Annaliza Cantos,¡± I said as I read the part where the name of the donor is written.

    ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± I asked Kelleon.

    He nodded slowly. ¡°Yes. I do.¡±

    He put the check back to the chest box. I closed it again, not saying to anyone that I noticed something on the box.

    ¡°We¡¯ll pass these things to the police for further investigations. Thank you for helping us,¡± Kelleon said while holding the box after I tied it up.

    ¡°No worries,¡± Doctor Caalim said. ¡°And before you leave, Doc Andres¡¯ best friend is on that office,¡± he added while pointing the door on the other aisle.

    ¡°You can ask him about Doc Andres, if he¡¯s not busy. Their close to each other since they we¡¯re friends since high school,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that, after Doc Andres went missing, Doc Silvio became a quiet person. He seldom talks to everyone after that.¡±

    Kelleon answered. ¡°We¡¯ll take note of it. Thank you so much.¡±

    We walked towards the office Doctor Silvio. I knocked on the door first before opening it. When we entered, I saw the doctor doing some paperworks. He looks so busy.

    ¡°Good morning, doc,¡± I greeted him. ¡°I¡¯m Maria Mahalia Mendoza, profiler from NCRPO. Can we have a minute to ask you about Doctor Adrian Andres?¡±

    He didn¡¯t even bother looking at me. He just continue on writing some stuff.

    ¡°No. I have nothing to say about him. You can leave now.¡±

 Missing Item

    CHAPTER 28: Missing Item

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    DESPERATE to look for answers, I made big steps towards Doctor Silvio¡¯s table. I know that he can feel my presence going near him, but he acted like he¡¯s alone and continued his work.

    I mmed his table, making the pens and paper clips jump a little in the air. But like earlier, he didn¡¯t mind it and acted like I was the air that he couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°We need you to talk about Doctor Andres. We need information,¡± I said, losing my patience. I felt Kelleon walk behind me as his warmth got nearer.

    ¡°Mi amor, calm down,¡± he whispered in my ear.

    But I was too focused on the doctor that Kelleon¡¯s words fell mute on my ears. It¡¯s like what he said entered one ear, then immediately went out on the other head without being registered on my brain.

    The doctor put stamps on the papers before answering me. ¡°You heard what I said. I have nothing to say about him. Leave, or I¡¯ll have to call the security.¡±

    I gritted my teeth because of irritation and frustration.

    ¡°Nothing to say? Are you fucking on me?!¡± I eximed. ¡°He¡¯s your best friend for God¡¯s sake! Of all the people, you¡¯re the one who has the most things to say about him!¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. He just pretends that he didn¡¯t hear me.

    ¡°You have to cooperate with us. We¡¯re from the police and we can help you get justice for him. You have to help us to solve this case,¡± I said, pleading that I almost wanted to kneel on the ground just so he would agree.

    He chuckled a little. He stopped writing on his paper and stared at the metallic name te on his table before answering.

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°You can¡¯t solve this case.¡±

    I ws about to speak more and convince him, but Kelleon pulled me out of the doctor¡¯s office. He pulled me with so much force that I was almost dragged out of that ce.

    I pped and hit his hand repeatedly, but he wouldn¡¯t bulge. Not even a little.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± I shouted at him when we¡¯re already out of the hospital.

    People are looking at us because of the scene I¡¯m making, but I don¡¯t care! I need to go to that doctor and ask more!

    I know that Doctor Caalim knew what happened before Doctor Andres disappeared. They¡¯re best friends. If something suspicious and weird happened to me, the first person I would tell about it is my best friend. They¡¯ve been together since high school, so I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re so close that they can share very personal things with each other.

    ¡°I said, let me go!¡± I shouted loudly while trying to remove Kelleon¡¯s hand on my wrist.

    But my small figure wouldn¡¯t do much damage to his bulky body.

    He opened the passenger seat of his car before pushing me inside and locking the door. I didn¡¯t fight back this time. I know that I¡¯m just wasting my energy if I did that.

    Kelleon rode on the driver¡¯s seat and started driving away from the hospital.

    ¡°Alejandro¡¯s on the building near the hospital,¡± he said when we had already reached the skyway.

    I turned my head to him, shocked. Alejandro¡¯s nearby?

    Realizing what happened, I looked down because of embarrassment and because I feel guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said without looking at him.

    I¡¯m too blinded by my emotions earlier. I¡¯m too focused on seeking answers about the doctor and why he had my old photo in his locker. I¡¯m too upied with my own goals that I forgot to think rationally.

    I didn¡¯t even think that I shoulde up with a n before approaching Dr. Caalim. I didn¡¯t even think that I was unprofessional at that point. I didn¡¯t even think that maybe I missed some points that could help us in this case.

    When I thought Kelleon was about to burst his angriness at me, he gently held my hand.

    I looked up at him, not knowing what to say. I was shocked that he didn¡¯t shout at me like what I did earlier. He didn¡¯t get mad at me. He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s mad at me.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    I opened my mouth to speak, but I was caught halfway. I¡¯m wondering why he¡¯s not mad at me even if I shouted at him in front of so many people. I don¡¯t get why he is asking me if I¡¯m okay even if I¡¯m the one who hurts him physically.

    ¡°Ye¨C¡± I stopped. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to lie to him. I don¡¯t want to tell him that I¡¯m fine even if that¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t feel fine at all. I felt like my problems kept on stacking up on each other until they became a tower that could fall down and kill me anytime.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, mi amor. You can lean on me,¡± he said, full of love and worry. He keeps on carressing my hand as he drives.

    I sighed deeply. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do anymore,¡± I said. Tears started to form on my eyes.

    ¡°At first, I thought my only problem was that you mistook me as your ex-girlfriend. But then, there¡¯s a picture of me in that doctor¡¯s locker. A nurse told us that I look like the person who kill Doctor Andres. Now, Alejandro is just nearby, and he can discover about me anytime!¡±

    I broke down on the car. Things get worse, and I¡¯m starting to overthink.

    I¡¯m a profiler. I should be able to control my emotions. However, it gets difficult for me, especially now that my identity is involved.

    Denisee can do something and put the me on me. She can pretend to be me and manipte my loved ones. She can steal my identity and leave me as no one.

    Kelleon¡¯s grip on my hand tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mi amor. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯re safe. Trust me, okay?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I trust you, cari?o.¡±

    He smiled at me. I leaned towards him and clung to his arms. He seemed to enjoy it since I saw him having a small smile on his lips.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called while looking at him.

    ¡°Yes, mi amor?¡±

    ¡°I think,¡± I paused for a few seconds before talking again. ¡°I want to go to a therapist.¡±

    ¡°Is this because of your breakdowns and fear of that weapon?¡± he asked, referring ¡®that weapon¡¯ as guns.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. Actually, I really want to go to a therapist since I was 18 but I didn¡¯t have the time and money.¡±

    He carressed my face using the back of his hand.

    ¡°Sure, mi amor. We¡¯ll find the best therapist to help you.¡±

    WE ARRIVED at his rest house. We saw Danica waiting on the gate. She bowed down when she saw us.

    ¡°Give me updates,¡± Kelleon said when we were already inside the house. I sat on the sofa, so as Kelleon, while Danica sat across the two of us.

    ¡°There are men scattered on the area of Lady Lia¡¯s house. I assumed they were working for Count Estrada,¡± she started reporting to her boss.

    ¡°How long have they been there?¡± Kelleon asked.

    ¡°Since yesterday,¡± Danica answered. ¡°At first, they were only on the arc of the area. After some hours, they started scaterring around and observing some houses.¡±

    ¡°Did they also observe Lia¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your highness. However, when one of the men saw me went outside of the house and came back with Louis, they stopped and went to the houses on the other end of the block.¡±

    Kelleon nodded. ¡°They must have found that Lia is staying there,¡± he said. ¡°Continue on staying there. Lessen their suspicions. Report to me if you observed anything bizarre.¡±

    Danica agreed and bid goodbye to us.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Do you think that Alejandro already knew about my existence?¡± I asked Kelleon while following him to the kitchen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. My hunch is he thought that Dennise is here in the Philippines,¡± he responded.

    I titled my head to the said. ¡°But isn¡¯t Dennise living with him? Chynna said that they¡¯re married.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but Cloud received a report that they had a fight,¡± he answered. ¡°I guessed Dennise left his mansion, and he was looking for her.¡±

    ¡°You have a spy inside his mansion?¡±

    ¡°Not a spy. That person just owes me a favor,¡± he said while handing me the cookie and juice.

    ¡°And you want that person to repay you by giving you information? Why don¡¯t you just ask that person to reveal who Alejandro¡¯s wife is and help you infiltrate the house?¡± I asked before biting the cookie.

    He sat beside me and put more cookies on my te. He even added some chocte bits.

    ¡°That person is cannot enter the mansion. He¡¯s just inside the area but not on the masion itself. He just overheard that conversation,¡± he exined. ¡°However, I told him to report everything that he can hear from the inside and outside.¡±

    I nodded at his response. It makes sense. That Alejandro¡¯s house is too secure. It¡¯s really difficult to find a way inside.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him. ¡°Do you remember the chestbox?¡±

    He nodded as an answer since his mouth was full. He swallowed first before talking.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s still on the car. Why?¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°I noticed something unusual in it,¡± I said. ¡°When I opened the chestbox, there was a space on the bottom of it with rectangr marks. The mark doesn¡¯t fit the cash or the check. Aside from that, there¡¯s a piece of broken case there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that came from a stic or ss case, but it looks like it came from a case of a Blu-ray CD. It looks like the CD case you can buy in the thrift shop,¡± I added, remembering that weird thing in the chestbox.

    Kelleon squinted his eyes. ¡°You mean to say¡­ that there¡¯s another thing inside the chest box aside from the cash and check?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m sure that someone had stolen that thing, because he doesn¡¯t want others to discover what¡¯s inside of it.¡±

 The Truth

    CHAPTER 29: The Truth

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    YESTERDAY NIGHT, we received more information about Doctor Silvio. It was because of Cloud¡¯s doing. I am impressed. He works so fast and clean.

    We nned to go to the hospital again and interrogate the doctor, but I suggested that we must do it in his house. Now that I¡¯m thinking normally, I don¡¯t want to be a hindrance in his job like I did yesterday.

    Besides, it will be better for us to talk inside his house for privacy. He will also feel safer in his house, that is, if he feels threatened while we¡¯re around him.

    We decided to go to his house an hour after his shift. Kelleon¡¯s men updated us when they saw Doctor Silvio going out of the hospital.

    On the way to that house, I stalked the LinkedIn ount of Doctor Andres and Doctor Silvio. My eyebrow furrowed as I reached the list of their connections.

    Most of the people their are dermatologist and stic surgeons. There are only a few neurologist and neurosurgeons in the list. It was weird. Why would they have connections like that?

    I have a hunch, but I don¡¯t want to entertain it.

    GIVING three loud knocks on the doctor¡¯s house was the first thing that I did. I didn¡¯t wear a mask or a cap this time. If this doctor knew what happened to his best friend and its rtionship with Denisse Cantos, I¡¯m sure that he will recognize this face.

    Cloud was with us. He has the information about the rtionship of Doctor Andres and Doctor Silvio with each other, as well as the footage of them talking closely five days before Doctor Andres disappeared.

    In that footage, I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re talking about something serious. Maybe about Denisse. Their faces are kind of blurred in the video, and I can¡¯t read their lips.

    ¡°Who are th-¡±

    Doctor Silvio¡¯s words were cut short when he saw me. His widened eyes are a giveaway that he recognized my face.

    ¡°We need to have a word with you,¡± Kelleon said. His voice is not asking for the doctor¡¯s time. He¡¯smanding him.

    The doctor was dumbfounded. He is still staring at me. I¡¯m itching to ask him a lot of questions, but I¡¯m stopping myself from doing that thing.

    ¡°I have a lot of questions to ask,¡± his eyes widened more when he heard my voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re the person in the hospital yesterday?¡± Doctor Silvio asked when he finallyposed himself.

    I nodded. ¡°And you said that you have nothing to say about your best friend. Guess what? We don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°We need you to cooperate with us so we can solve this case. If you keep on shutting your mouth, your best friend won¡¯t receive justice, and my life will be ruined. Do you want that?¡± I guilttripped him.

    He stepped further from us. ¡°Come inside,¡± he said before turning his back

    I sighed. Finally, we can talk to him.

    I nced at Kelleon. He nodded at me and touched my back to guide me inside. Cloud followed us.

    When we entered, the doctor was nowhere in sight. I stood up beside the sofa and waited for him, just like what Cloud was doing. However, Kelleon made himself at home and sat on the sofa beside me. He looked at me as if he¡¯s asking why I was still standing.

    Footsteps from the other side caught our attention. I turned my head in that direction and saw Doctor Silvio carrying hisptop.

    He put down theptop on the table before sitting down on the sofa across Kelleon.

    ¡°Please, have a sit,¡± he offered to Cloud and I.

    When all of us have already seated, he looked at us intently before speaking.

    ¡°Adrian and I,¡± he trailed off for a few seconds before speaking. ¡°Conducted an illegal surgery four years ago.¡±

    His revtion shook me. I didn¡¯t expect him to say that. I was expecting him to reveal something about what happened to his best friend, or maybe, this statement of him is connected to that.

    ¡°Illegal? Is it brain surgery?¡± I asked while flipping my notebook.

    He shook his head, making me furrow my eyebrows. They are both neurosurgeons. It would make sense that they¡¯re both doing brain surgery.

    ¡°It¡¯s a stic surgery,¡± he said.

    I was stunned. I looked at Kelleon and Cloud to see their reactions, but unlike me, they were calm and just serious. They are not surprised at all.

    ¡°Why would you do that kind of surgery? You¡¯re neurosurgeons, and you¡¯re not allowed to do that!¡± I eximed, losing my calmness.

    I felt Kelleon touch my shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s illegal, mi amor.¡±

    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, starting to calm myself.

    ¡°Tell me, did that surgery involve someone who named Denisse Cantos?¡± Kelleon asked.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the one who approached us to do stic surgery to her,¡± Doctor Caalim answered.

    I opened my eyes and looked confused. Things started to make sense to me, but I couldn¡¯t find a reason why she would do that.

    He turned hisptop towards us. In the screen was like a presentation. The first page is a photo of ady who looks like a foreigner. She has sharp green eyes, a tall nose, and small lips. She looks like a goddess because of her face.

    ¡°This is Denisse Cantos. She approached usst 2019 and asked us to do a stic surgery on her,¡± Doctor Caalim exined.

    Why? Why would she do that? Her face is already perfect! If I¡¯m a man, I will bow on her feet just for her to ept me!

    ¡°Your highness,¡± Cloud said. ¡°The woman in the photo is indeed Denisse Cantos. She¡¯s Countess Annaliza¡¯s illegitimate child.¡±

    ¡°There rumors that her father is one of the guards of their mansion. The family has hidden her so that it won¡¯t taint the reputation of the family.¡±

    Kelleon nodded and turned his head to the doctor.

    ¡°Why did she choose you? You¡¯re neurosurgeons, and you¡¯re not well known in the field of stic surgery,¡± Kelleon asked. ¡°What makes her trust you to do that?¡±

    Doctor Silvio sighed before answering. ¡°We already did a few illegal surgeries before her. All of our patients came from foreign countries,¡± he exined. ¡°She said that a friend of her mother was a former client of us.¡±

    ¡°How did you learn to do stic surgery?¡± Kelleon asked again. I wrote down the answers of the doctor even if I¡¯m still confused.

    ¡°We were friends with a lot of stic surgeons inside and outside of the country. We were able to learn from them, and we learned fast, especially Adrian.¡±

    When no one spoke again, the doctor clicked a button, and the page changed.

    Now, thedy is still in the picture. The difference is that my old photo from college is beside her face. I already have a hunch. My body stiffened at the hypothesis forming in my head.

    Kelleon must have noticed that, so he carressed my back before whispering. ¡°It¡¯s okay, mi amor. I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°She asked us to copy the face of thedy in the photo. She even told us that she would pay us five million euros each if we sessfully did it,¡± Doctor Silvio said. ¡°That¡¯s a huge amount, so we didn¡¯t think twice and epted it.¡±

    ¡°Adrian asked thatdy about who the woman in the photo is. She said that it¡¯s her godmother¡¯s dead child and that she wanted to look like her to help her godmother,¡± he added. ¡°We believed her and thought of the money. We didn¡¯t ask further questions.¡±

    He clicked a button, and it showed the coge of the progress of the surgery. The more I look at the picture, the more absurd it bes.

    On thest click, Denisse¡¯s face was finally reced with mine. If Denisse is just in front of me, I will scratch her face until all of the remnants of surgery are gone.

    Doctor Silvio turned off theputer.

    ¡°A week after the surgery, Adrian found out that thedy in the photo is not dead,¡± he turned his head to me. ¡°He saw you in one of the conferences in PICC. You¡¯re living on a different name, and a lot of people there have known you for years.¡±

    He sighed and looked down. ¡°We confronted Dennise after that. But she threatened us. She said that if we tell anyone about it, we will lose our heads.¡±

    ¡°A colleague of mine told me that Denisse came from a powerful family in Spain. I was scared that she would really do what she said. I don¡¯t want to die,¡± he added, nearly crying because of it.

    ¡°I stopped Adrian. I told him to just be quiet so that we could live peacefully. But he didn¡¯t listen,¡± he wiped his falling tears. ¡°He gathered evidence about Denisse and nned to tell the police about it.

    He stopped for a few seconds, catching his breath.

    ¡°But before he could do that, Denisse shut him down.¡±

    ¡°She went to me and told me that she¡¯s going to hurt my family if I do anything against her. I love my family, so I chose to keep my mouth shut.¡±

    With his trembling hands, he handed me a sh drive that¡¯s inside a broken case.

    I touched the broken part of it. That part fits the debris I found inside the chestbox.

    ¡°That USB drive contains the files of Denisse. From the records she gave us until after the stic surgery was done,¡± he exined. ¡°There are also audio and video recordings of our interaction with her. Adrian secretely recorded those.¡±

    Kelleon and I left Doctor Silvio¡¯s house. Cloud was still inside because Kelleon asked him to put the doctor under his security.

    My mind is still registering what happened. I was in daze while Kelleon was driving.

    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± I asked while my eyes were staring far away. ¡±

    ¡°Of all the faces, why did she choose mine? She¡¯s even much prettier than me.¡±

    Kelleon touched my hand and carressed it using his thumb.

    ¡°Mi amor, will you still trust me if I tell you that I know the reason why, but I won¡¯t tell you right now?¡± he asked.

    I turned my head to him. ¡°When are you going to tell me?¡±

    ¡°When we already captured Denisse,¡± he answered.

    I sighed. ¡°Yes. I will still trust you.¡±

 Love on Top

    CHAPTER 30: Love on Top

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    THAT NIGHT, Kelleon, didn¡¯t leave my side. He kept on asking me if I felt fine or if I needed something. I just told him that I¡¯m okay and he has nothing to worry about.

    A day passed after that revtion, and I can¡¯t still get over it. Doctor Caalim¡¯s words kept on echoing in my head. It¡¯s like a malfunctioning speaker who repeats the same thing over and over again.

    It somehow made my mood down. Although I¡¯m already sure that Denisse copied my face, I still don¡¯t have any idea why she did it. However, Kelleon said that he knew why, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me until they captured Denisse.

    I¡¯m itching for answers, but I told him that I trust him. I just need to hold myself for now.

    ¡°Mi amor?¡± Kelleon¡¯s voice turned me back to reality. I blinked my eyes several times as I was turning my head towards him.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked.

    He walked beside me and carressed my hair. ¡°You¡¯re spacing out. I¡¯ve been calling you since earlier,¡± he said as he sat down beside me.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I reacted. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you. Sorry.¡±

    He sighed and touched my face gently. ¡°What¡¯s going on in the pretty head of yours, mi amor? It seems like it made you sad,¡± he responded.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±

    He sighed again and pursed his lips. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very sure.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you stabbing your chicken? Your ss is also upside-down.¡±

    Because of that, I looked at the table. I realized that he was right. The chicken breast he served is now full of mini-holes because I poked them with the fork. I turned my sight to the ss and it was really upside-down. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t pour water in it.

    ¡°Ah, eh,¡± I couldn¡¯t think of an excuse. I pursed my lips as I thought of an answer that he would buy.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he called me sweetly. ¡°I know what¡¯s bothering you. You can always talk to me, okay? I don¡¯t want you to carry all of those heavy feelings.¡±

    He was carressing my face whileforting me. His gentle words and touch made me cry immediately. The frustrations and tears that I have been holding back since yesterday were all poured in his arms.

    ¡°Everything will be fine, mi amor,¡± heforted me and kissed my hair. ¡°You have me. I will make sure that she can¡¯t destroy your image. I will make sure that no one will hurt you. And if they did, I would cut their limbs and dance on their entrails.¡±

    I continue crying in his arms. His shirt was already wet because of my tears, but instead of pushing me away, he pulled me closer and tightly.

    His smell calmed me. His warmth gives mefort. His touch tells me that everything is okay. His words lifted all of the burdens I¡¯ve been carrying.

    ¡°No one must make you cry, mi amor. I will make sure to gauge the eyeballs of those who will make you cry.¡±

    AFTER SOME minutes of endless crying, I finally calmed down. Kelleon watched me as I ate the food, with a better mood this time. My mood was really lifted up that I ate almost four servings of rice and three fried chicken breasts.

    While I was cleaning the table, Kelleon went to the living room. He went back, having two small and yellow papers on his hands. When I was already done, I went to him.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, trying to read what¡¯s written on the paper.

    Kelleon handed me one of the papers. ¡°These are tickets to Enchanted Kingdom,¡± he answered, making me widen my eyes.

    ¡°Did you just say Enchanted Kingdom?!¡± I eximed.

    He nodded. I immediately grabbed one of the tickets and read it. When I confirmed that it was really a ticket for EK, I started jumping up and down because of joy.

    ¡°Mi amor! Don¡¯t jump! You just finished eating!¡± Kelleon eximed while stopping me from jumping.

    I did stop, but I hugged Kelleon as an alternative for it. He hugged me back and made me closer to him.

    ¡°Thank you! I really wanted to go to EK since I was young!¡± I eximed happily on him, holding myself from jumping.

    When our bodies separated, Kelleon gave me a warm smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you liked it,¡± he said. ¡°I really want to cheer you up, and I came up with this.¡±

    I gave him a kiss. It was a short kiss that Kelleon even tried to catch my lips after I pulled from him.

    ¡°How did you know that I want to go to EK?¡± I asked. I never told anyone about that since I have this feeling that they will judge me because the amusement park is for kids.

    He pursed his lips as if he¡¯s trying to stop himself from smiling. ¡°I just heard it somewhere.¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows on him. I was about to ask him a question, but he told me to go take a bath and get ready.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving at 1 PM, mi amor,¡± he said before I entered the bathroom.

    THE CROWD greeted us when we entered the amusement park. It¡¯s Sunday, and it is not surprising that a lot of families are here.

    ¡°Cari?o!¡± I called him and pointed the carousel. ¡°Let¡¯s ride that!¡±

    We walked towards thene for the carousel. It was so long that I thought it would take us almost half an hour to have our turn.

    ¡°Mi amor, I¡¯ll just talk to someone. I¡¯ll be back in a minute, okay?¡± he said.

    I nodded before giving a bite on my lc cotton candy. He gave me a forehead kiss before walking away. I didn¡¯t know where he went when he blended with the people in thene.

    ¡°Hey! I want that cotton candy!¡±

    I looked around to find where that voice wasing from, but I found no one.

    ¡°I said I want that!¡± That voice was heard again. Someone from below pulled the hem of my shirt. I didn¡¯t tucked my shirt in my pants.

    I saw a little fat boy standing. He was pointing my cotton candy and looked pissed at me.

    ¡°I want that!¡± he said while pointing my cotton candy.

    I looked to my cotton candy, then to the child, then to the cotton candy, then back to the child again.

    ¡°Nope. I won¡¯t give it to you,¡± I said and stuck my tongue out.

    ¡°No! I want that!¡± he eximed and started jumping up and down to reach for my cotton candy.

    I teased him more. ¡°You won¡¯t have this cotton candy. This is mine!¡± I said using a child-like voice.

    ¡°No! That¡¯s mine!¡± he jumped higher, but the tip of his hand didn¡¯t even reach my shoulders.

    A woman ran towards us and touched the little boy¡¯s waist. She looked apologetic to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss.¡±

    I nodded and smiled at her. She started calming her child down and told him that she would just buy him a cotton candy like mine. Good thing that the child epted it.

    While the child was walking away with his mom, he looked back at me and stuck his tongue out. I did the same to him.

    I want a child like that. Just his cuteness, not the brattiness.

    ¡°Why are you sticking your tongue like that, mi amor?¡± Kelleon¡¯s voice was heard beside me.

    Grinning, I turned to him. ¡°I just teased someone,¡± I said while smiling yfully.

    He touched my waist. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. The carousel is waiting.¡±

    He guided me towards the entrance of the carousel. I looked back and saw that thene was still busy. People in the line are looking at us with furrowed eyebrows.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we gonna fall in line?¡± I asked him while he was helping me ride the horse.

    He chuckled. ¡°We can¡¯t y on every ride you want if we fall in line.¡±

    When he rode the horse beside me, the personnels started to let other people enter.

    I was so excited while waiting for the ride to move. This is my first time riding this. Before, I was just watching others ride on this, and they all look happy. I wonder what it feels like when it is already moving.

    When the personnel left the ride, Kelleon intertwined our hands. I smiled at him, and he did the same thing.

    The carousel started moving. At first, it was just circling around. But as time passed by, the horse was also going up and down.

    ¡°Cari?o, look!¡± I eximed. ¡°My horse is higher than yours! Hahaha! Take that!¡±

    Kelleon was justughing at me. I know that I¡¯m acting like a child, but I want to cherish this moment. I want to enjoy every second of it.

    The carousel moved slowly until it stopped. I am torn between riding it again or trying another one.

    ¡°We can always go back here if you want, mi amor,¡± Kelleon said. ¡°Now, what do you want to try next?¡±

    We rode a lot of rides in the amusement park. Bumper cars, horror house. The drop tower that almost made me vomit the chicken breasts I ate this morning. The roller coaster and disk-o-magic spinned us in the air.

    ¡°Do you want to take a rest, mi amor?¡± Kelleon asked when he noticed that I¡¯m catching my breath. It¡¯s already seven in the evening and I think that we have almost finished all of the rides! Even the extreme ones!

    ¡°Onest ride,¡± I said before pointing at the huge structure. ¡°I want to ride a ferris wheel.¡±

    Like the previous rides we had, we didn¡¯t even need to line up. The personnel immediately opened the ride for us even if there were still other people in the line. I don¡¯t know how Kelleon did that, but I like it.

    Kelleon and I sat on the same chair of the ferris wheel instead of sitting across each other. He put his arm on my shoulder, and I leaned to him.

    As the personnel is adding more people in the ride, we are also moving higher.

    As we reached the pinnacle, the view of the shining city greeted us.

    ¡°It looks so beautiful,¡± I said while in awe.

    ¡°It is,¡± Kelleon answered.

    There was a short silence between the two of us, but Kelleon cut it.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he called me. ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s a belief about ferris wheel that if you kiss your lover when it reaches the highest point, you will stay together forever?¡±

    I turned my head to him. I don¡¯t know if I will believe that, but I watched a couple of romance movies where the protagonists are kissing in a ferris wheel.

    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s t¨C¡±

    Kelleon¡¯s lips crashed into mine. It was so sudden that it caught me off guard for a moment, but at the time I tasted his lips, I moved it and kissed him with the same ferocity.

    We stopped kissing when we felt the ferris wheel moved. We stared into each other¡¯s eyes as if we¡¯ve been waiting for each other for too long.

    Before he gives me a kiss, Kelleon whispered into my ear.

    ¡°Estoy enloquecido por ti. Te amo m¨¢s que a vida en s¨ª.¡±

 Under Protection

    CHAPTER 31: Under Protection

    ¨C LIA ¨CN?velDrama.Org content.

    KELLEON AND I just finished having our lunch together. We were on the sofa while watching some TikTok videos on my phone. His upper back is leaning on the armrest, and he¡¯s lying on the sofa. I¡¯m sitting in the space between his legs and leaning on his chest.

    The sound of the phone is the only thing we can hear. Sometimes, a small chuckle from us or a loudughter from me will be heard. It was peaceful.

    It¡¯s been two days since we went to the amusement park. The memory of Kelleon kissing me in the pinnacle of the Ferris wheel is still fresh in my mind.

    Kelleon had kissed me before, a lot of times. But I don¡¯t know why that certain kiss is so special for me that I always blush whenever I think of it. Maybe because we¡¯re in a public ce? Or maybe because the ce is romantic? Or is it because he said something in Spanish after kissing me?

    I tried to search for the trantion of what he said, but my memory was so short-term that I forgot some of the words. The only thing I remembered is the phrase ¡®te amo¡¯.

    Of course, I know what that means. I can¡¯t help but think that he confessed his love for me!

    I¡¯m not delusional, right?

    I wasn¡¯t able to respond to him after that. The only thing I did was ask him what he said. He just chuckled at me and told me not to think about it.

    He just told me that he loves me, but he¡¯s telling me not to think about it?!

    I just pretended that I didn¡¯t understand anything he said.

    ¡°Madrid is a beautiful ce, but there are also a lot of cities in Spain with breathtaking ces,¡± Kelleonmented when the video we are watching is about the ¡®ces you must visit in Madrid¡¯.

    ¡°I can take you to those ces if you want, mi amor,¡± he whispered in my ear.

    My eyes twinkled at his statement. I looked up at him with awe visible on my face.

    ¡°You will do that?¡± I asked.

    He nodded and caressed my cheeks. ¡°Of course. Just say the word, and we¡¯ll go there.¡±

    I turned my body to face his body and hugged him.

    ¡°After we captured Denisse, I want us to go to Spain,¡± I said and hugged him tighter.

    Although the hug was harmless, I felt something be hard underneath my body. I grinned and moved my body side to side to tease him. It even grew harder, and I heard him groan.

    ¡°Stop, mi amor,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s save that forter.¡±

    I looked at him innocently. ¡°Stop what? I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± I said while slightly moving my body chest up and down on his crotch.

    He groaned. He grabbed my shoulders to keep them in ce before thrusting his hips. It looks like he¡¯s fucking my breast.

    However, the sound of the door opening disturbed us. I hurriedly got up and fixed my shirt which is now slightly wrinkled.

    The door revealed Kelleon¡¯s mother and her husband. They walked in my direction when they saw me.

    I turned my face to Kelleon and pouted my lips to point to his parents. He stood up and greeted them.

    ¡°Mama, Papa,¡± he said. ¡°Buenas tardes.¡±

    He kissed his parents on the cheek before hugging them. My eyes got teared up just by looking at them.

    Just a nce, and I can say that Kelleon is well-loved by his parents, something I haven¡¯t experienced in my entire life. I felt envious somehow, thinking that my life would beplete if I had my own family.

    ¡°Good afternoon, ma¡¯am, sir,¡± I greeted and bowed to them. I don¡¯t know what to do. I want to kiss their hand or ¡®magmano¡¯ to them, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s allowed in their culture.

    ¡°Good afternoon, hija,¡± Mrs. Gonzales greeted me. She walked in my direction and hugged me. Mr. Gonzales also did the same, although his handsnded on his wife¡¯s back. It looked like the three of us were having a group hug.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Mrs. Gonzales eximed. ¡°Are you okay, hija? Does something hurt? Why are you crying?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t able to answer her right away. I wiped my tears away using the back of my hand. Mrs. Gonzales handed me a handkerchief.

    When I stopped crying, I apologized immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, sir.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to apologize, hija. You did nothing wrong,¡± she said and gave me the sweetest smile I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°What made you cry, hija?¡±

    I looked down, feeling shy. ¡°I just got emotional, ma¡¯am. This is my first time to be hugged by a parent,¡± I eximed.

    She caressed my face, a trait that Kelleon might have gotten to her.

    ¡°Call me Mama, hija. And you can call my husband, Killian, Papa,¡± she said.

    My eyes widened. In my whole life, I don¡¯t remember calling anyone like that. I don¡¯t know who my parents were, and no one stood up to be my parent.

    I was all alone. I never knew how it felt like to have a family I could lean on when I was sad. The only people I have are my friends.

    ¡°Thank you, Mama, Papa,¡± I said with shaking lips. It¡¯s so new and overwhelming because I¡¯m not used to it, but it felt good.

    ¡°You¡¯re now my daughter, okay?¡± she said and gently pulled me towards the sofa.

    She opened her bag and showed me the dresses she saw on Bonifacio Global City.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you wear dresses, but my son told me that you like cored shirts. So I bought this,¡± she said and showed me a maroon dress. The top part of it looks like a cored shirt. The middle part of the waist is smaller but stretchable. The lower part is ayered skirt that I think will reach below my knees.

    ¡°This is beautiful, Mama,¡± Imented while holding the dress. ¡°I like this style.¡±

    She pped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s good! Because I bought the other colors as well!¡±

    She showed me more dresses in the same style but in different colors. There were pink, ck, yellow, cream, and many more. Others are in the same color but the sleeves are longer.

    ¡°Did you buy all of their stocks, Mama?¡± Kelleon asked yfully.

    ¡°She did,¡± his father answered.

    I can¡¯t count the number of dresses she showed to me. After that, she even showed me the rubber shoes and low heels that she bought for me. I tried on everything, due to her request. The embarrassing part is that she took a picture of me trying every dress and shoes while the men were just watching us.

    It took us almost two hours to do that.

    ¡°Mama, Papa,¡± Kelleon called his parents while we were having our snacks. ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Mama said, as if she just remembered it. ¡°Your Papa and I are going back to Spain.¡±

    Kelleon looked surprised when he heard that. ¡°I thought you¡¯re gonna stay here until the end of the month?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to,¡± she responded and looked to her husband.

    ¡°There was an emergency in our business in Spain. We have to go back to check the problem and fix it,¡± Papa answered.

    ¡°Is it worse?¡± Kelleon asked while putting juice in my ss.

    Papa shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t say it for now, but we can¡¯t take it lightly.¡±

    Kelleon sighed. ¡°Please tell me if I can do anything to help.¡±

    ¡°We will, hijo. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll just inform you about the progress.¡±

    Mama and Papa stayed there for a few hours before heading back to their own vacation house. Their flight will be tomorrow so they decided to go home early to prepare.

    ¡°Does that usually happen?¡± I asked Kelleon when we were already getting ready to sleep.

    ¡°Which one?¡± he asked while putting on his sleepwear.

    ¡°Emergencies in yourpany,¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s just suspicious that it happened when your whole family is not in Spain.¡±

    Wey down on the bed. ¡°No. Actually, it¡¯s very seldom for ourpany to have a problem before.¡±

    ¡°Before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We encountered a lot of problems after Denisse left.¡±

    I was somehow surprised by that, but I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s a reason behind it.

    ¡°Do you think she has a connection to it? Or is it just a coincidence?¡±

    He sighed and touched my hand. ¡°It¡¯s too much to be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m thinking that someone might have taken advantage of ourpany when we¡¯re not there to supervise it.¡±

    I touched his arms. ¡°Do you want to go back to Spain?¡± I asked.

    He gave me a small smile before answering. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Mama and Papa are there to solve it. Besides, they want me to stay here longer.¡±

    I was somehow relieved when he said that. I actually don¡¯t want him to go, but I don¡¯t have the right to stop him.

    There was a short silence after that. We were just listening to each other¡¯s breath and heartbeat.

    ¡°If Denisse is also behind the shorings in ourpany, then I have to speed up the search. I can¡¯t let her destroy what my family worked hard to build for years,¡± Kelleon spoke.

    I looked up at him with thoughts circling in my mind.

    ¡°What made it difficult to seize her is that there¡¯s someone protecting her,¡± I said.

    I cupped his face. ¡°You can¡¯t kill a warior without destroying his armor first. Denisse is untouchable because Alejandro is there to protect her.¡±

    He looked at me in awe. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°If you want to capture Denisse faster, you have to destroy Alejandro first.¡±

 Sabotage

    CHAPTER 32: Sabotage

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I WOKE UP without Kelleon beside me. It was very unusual. Every day since I started living here, Kelleon will be on my side, staring and waiting for me to wake up.

    Seeing that he was not on my side, I felt sad. I felt like my whole day was already ruined. Izily made the bed before going to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

    While doing the morning routine, my mind is wondering where is Kelleon and what he is doing.

    ¡°Is he already making the breakfast?¡± I asked myself. A few secondster, I shook my head as an answer.

    He always waits for me to wake up before making breakfast for the two of us. He will wake me up if it¡¯s alreadyte, and I¡¯m still sleeping.

    When I walked downstairs, I saw Kelleon talking to someone over the phone. I can see his furrowed eyebrows. He looks mad as if he received bad news.

    ¡°Is that already confirmed?¡± Kelleon asked the other end of the line. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

    ¡°Tell Mama and Papa that I will take care of that son of a bitch,¡± he firmly said before ending the call.

    When he saw me, his eyes widened before running in my direction. When he reached me, he opened his arms and hugged my body. He buried his face on my neck.

    I caressed his back as I hugged him back.

    ¡°Is there something wrong, cari?o?¡± I asked because I saw that he looked so bothered after that call.

    He didn¡¯t speak. He just nods his head in answer.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him. We walked to the kitchen and made a coffee for him.

    ¡°Do you remember thepany emergency we have in Spain?¡± he asked while hugging me from behind. His face is still buried in my neck.

    I remember that one. His parents went back to Spain because of that.

    ¡°Yeah. How was it?¡±

    He sighed. I can feel his breath on my neck.

    ¡°It was not just a simple emergency, mi amor,¡± he responded. ¡°Someone sabotaged ourpany.¡±

    I stopped mixing the coffee and hot water. I want to turn my body around to face him, but he¡¯s holding me so tight that I can¡¯t move in ce.

    ¡°Who? How did they sabotage yourpany?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Alejandro,¡± he answered. So he was the son of a bitch that Kelleon is referring to earlier.

    ¡°He bribed our workers, most are those who are in higher positions. He gave them arge amount of money, and in return, they will resign and move to hispany,¡± Kelleon added.

    I squinted my eyes and hardened my grip on the spoon and mug. Now I know why he was so mad earlier. That Alejandro is not ying fair! He just looked cheaper because of what he did.

    ¡°You have to retaliate. If you let him do that, you will lose all of your workers,¡± I suggested.

    I felt him smile on my neck. ¡°Of course. I will fight back, mi amor. I will turn those back to him, tenfold.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    I finished making his coffee. I handed it to him and he dly drank it. He didn¡¯t let go of me, though. After sipping once, he will go back to my neck and smell it.

    I¡¯m not even sure if I smell good¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s your n, now?¡± I asked as he cooked our breakfast. He looks better now. He¡¯s smiling as if nothing happened earlier.

    ¡°Like I said earlier, mi amor, I will send his attack back to him,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Besides, you told me that we need to destroy him to capture Denisse, right?¡±

    I nodded as I handed him the salt. ¡°Yeah, but how will you do that?¡± I asked.

    He grinned at me. ¡°Just watch how I work dirty, mi amor.¡±

    HOURS PASSED, and I¡¯m wondering why Kelleon isn¡¯t leaving. I thought that he would need to leave the house because he would start his n. But why isn¡¯t he doing anything?

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him. ¡°I thought you were going to do something about Alejandro?¡±

    He turned his head to me because he was busy typing something on his phone. ¡°Yup.¡±

    I tilted my head to the side. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± I asked.

    He smiled yfully. ¡°Do you want me to start now, mi amor?¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows. Isn¡¯t that thing urgent?

    ¡°Of course! Yourpany is at stake, Kelleon!¡± I eximed.

    He pouted at me. ¡°I hate it when you call me by my name and not cari?o,¡± he said before changing his emotion to being yful¡­ or pervert.

    ¡°But I like it when you do it in bed, though.¡±

    I pped his thick, strong biceps. ¡°I¡¯m being serious here!¡± I said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about what will happen to yourpany? Without your workers, yourpany won¡¯t be able to do anything!¡±

    He pinned me to the side of the wooden long chair before licking the side of my lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re more worried than me, mi amor,¡± he said and licked my cheeks after.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I answered despite the sensation that it gave to me. ¡°Your family worked hard for that. You can¡¯t just let anyone destroy it.¡±

    He grinned and cupped my face. ¡°Mi amor, ourpany won¡¯t shatter just because of that pathetic move. We¡¯re more than that.¡±

    He kissed my neck before sucking it. I¡¯m sure that it left a mark on my skin.

    ¡°But for your peace of mind, sure. I will show you how I fight back.¡±

    He typed something on his phone before calling it. He put it on speakerphone and ced the phone between us. It didn¡¯t take long for the person to answer.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Cloud answered on the other line.

    ¡°Check every investor that Count Estrada has in hispanies, even the branches,¡± Kelleon said while massaging my breasts. I pped his hand to stop him, but he was too persistent and just grinned at me.

    ¡°Call them and tell them to withdraw their investment,¡± he said, making me widen my eyes. ¡°Just tell them to name the price.¡±

    I was shocked. Those words went out of his mouth so smoothly, as if the thing he tasked Cloud to do is easy.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Cloud answered. I raised my eyebrows. They can do that?!

    ¡°And also,¡± he kissed my lips first before speaking again. ¡°Find a person inside his mansion who¡¯s suitable to be an informant. Pick the one who¡¯s easy to control. I don¡¯t want to sweat more efforts for this.¡±

    Kelleon didn¡¯t wait for the response. He ended the call and continued kissing my neck. I want to stop him, but my body says otherwise.

    I let him feast on it. I even thought that we would go to another level, but he stopped before he could even undress me.

    I was kind of disappointed, but I think it¡¯s better for him to focus on the n first. We can always do the steamy acts after that¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re destroying hispany, too,¡± I said after he stopped kissing my body.

    He nodded before pulling me closer to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m just returning the favor, mi amor. The only difference is that I didn¡¯t bribe his workers, rather, I targeted his investors,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Losing investors is much worse than losing workers. You can always hire new people to work for you, but it will be difficult to find new investors,¡± I said.

    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. In the business world, we¡¯repeting for the attention of the investors. Gaining them makes us stronger, while losing them is like losing a limb.¡±

    ¡°Will you bribe all of his investors?¡± I asked. ¡°Because if you do, it will cost a lot of money. They might take advantage of it to ask more money than what they invested.¡±

    He touched my face. ¡°They can¡¯t do that, mi amor. They won¡¯t dare. I¡¯m sure of that.¡±

    ¡°And if it¡¯s the money you¡¯re worried of, then be not. I won¡¯t go broke even if I gave all of his investors 50 million dors each.¡±

    I saw him grinning and raising his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes to him because he¡¯s being arrogant again.

    ¡°I feel so poor whenever I¡¯m with you,¡± I said.

    He chuckled at me and hugged my body. ¡°Don¡¯t be, mi amor. My money is also yours. Just say the word and I¡¯ll give it to you,¡± he replied.

    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯re not even married. Besides, I want to have my own money. The money I worked hard for, and not the money I just asked from you.¡±

    Kelleon smiled and kissed me again. ¡°Soon, mi amor.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mind what he said because my mind is already wandering somewhere else.

    ¡°About thest thing you said to Cloud,¡± I said, because it somehow bothered me. ¡°What do you mean ¡®find someone who¡¯s easy to control¡¯?¡± I asked.

    He smiled at me, and it was not a simple smile. It is a smile of someone who has a n in mind.

    ¡°I want to bribe or maybe, ckmail someone inside of his mansion in exchange of information,¡± he answered.

    ¡°You¡¯re really ying dirty now, cari?o,¡± I said. I can¡¯t deny that I find it hot.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been ying fair since then. It led me to nowhere, so I have to do this,¡± he answered. ¡°Besides, I miss ying dirty games like this.¡±

 Childhood

    CHAPTER 33: Childhood

    ¨C LIA ¨CT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    MY HANDS are cold and sweaty at the same time while I am waiting for the hospital staff to call my name. I asked Kelleon the other day if I could see a therapist for the reason that I wanted to get over my fear of guns.

    He was more than willing to apany me to the therapist. He put much effort into this. Kelleon even looked for the best therapist he could find and booked an appointment for me.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he called me.

    I turned my head to him. ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Mama called me earlier,¡± he said. ¡°She asked me about when I¡¯m going back to Spain.¡±

    I felt sad. His mother is already looking for him. If he goes back to Spain, I will be left here, alone.

    ¡°What did you tell your Mama?¡± I asked with a sad tone.

    ¡°I told her that I will ask you first.¡±

    I blinked a lot of times before asking. ¡°Why? Why do you still need to ask me?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I want to take you to Spain with me, mi amor.¡±

    Hearing that, I was pleased. My mood is already lifted.

    ¡°Of course! I will go with you, cari?o!¡± I eximed. ¡°When is our flight?¡±

    He chuckled because of my excitement. ¡°I nned us to fly on Saturday, next week,¡± he replied. ¡°Is that fine with you?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± I answered. ¡°I will tell my friends and senior about it. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±

    He kissed my forehead before silence covered us. We can hear the footsteps of the people walking in the hospital, as well as the sounds that the vehicles make.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be just near you in case you pass out again, mi amor,¡± he said while holding my cold hands.

    Somehow, his scent and presence helped calm me down. I haven¡¯t seen a therapist before. Although I have an idea of the process, I don¡¯t have the full picture of it. My degree is not focused on clinical psychology since I focused on forensics and industry.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me, cari?o,¡± I responded and gave him a sweet smile. I leaned on his shoulder, and he caressed my arms.

    ¡°No need to thank me, mi amor. I have to keep you safe and strong, not just physically, but also mentally,¡± he replied.

    I furrowed my eyebrows at him while looking at his face. ¡°How did it be your responsibility? You¡¯re not my guardian,¡± I said, trying to tease him.

    He grinned at me. ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility because I¡¯m your boyfriend,¡± he said with so much confidence.

    I wanted to spit augh on his face, but I decided to just pursed my lips. ¡°What? You? My boyfriend? Since when?¡±

    He pouted at me, and it looked like he didn¡¯t like my answer. ¡°Since you lived in my house,¡± he answered.

    I moved my body away from him and looked at him with an ¡®unbelievingly look¡¯.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, holding back myughter. ¡°I agreed on living in your house because you said that I would be safe there and Alejandro can¡¯t find me there. You didn¡¯t tell me anything about you being my boyfriend once I started living in your house!¡±

    He closed the distance between the two of us, but I moved away until my back hit the cold concrete wall.

    ¡°We have our own endearment. We sleep in the same room. We¡¯re doing intimate things. We¡¯re kissing. I even ate your sweet pussy and you sucked my cock, yet we¡¯re still not in a rtionship?¡± he firmly said while looking into my eyes. The look he has is like how a predator looks at his prey. He looked like he was going to devour me anytime.

    I pushed his chest a little bit to make some space between us, but he wouldn¡¯t even move an inch.

    ¡°There are a lot of people there who do intimate things without having abel on their rtionship. Like, friends with benefits?¡± I asked him unsurely.

    The thing is, I have already considered him as my boyfriend from the moment he kissed me. I kept that to myself because I don¡¯t know if he also looks at our rtionship in the same way I do.

    It¡¯s just fun teasing him.

    ¡°Well, mi amor. I¡¯m now telling you that I won¡¯t settle for a ¡®friends with benefits¡¯ rtionship,¡± he said touching my chin and pushing it up to meet his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend, and I¡¯m your boyfriend. Do you understand?¡±

    I pursed my lips, holding back the huge smile that I wanted to show. I was about to reply, but Kelleon still wanted to say more.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go on different dates. Minimum of four dates per week,¡± he said.

    Wow. I think he¡¯s shy enough not to make us date once a day.

    ¡°We¡¯ll celebrate our monthsarries and anniversaries,¡± he added.

    Kelleon cupped my face and leaned closer. Just a few centimeters and our lips will touch. If that happens, I don¡¯t think I can hold myself back.

    ¡°I have a long n ahead of us, mi amor. However,¡± he stopped and caressed it. ¡°It won¡¯t happen until we capture Denisse.¡±

    I touched his hand and kissed it. ¡°I know, cari?o. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I will help and support you.¡±

    Our moment together was cut short when someone called my name.

    ¡°Miss Maria Mahalia Mendoza?¡± the staff called me. ¡°You can enter now, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She opened the door towards the therapy area. Kelleon grabbed me by the waist and kissed my neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, mi amor. Don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you need help, okay?¡±

    I nodded at him. When I took a nce at the inside of the room, I saw the therapist sitting in a chair near a tall table.

    ¡°Good morning, Lia,¡± the therapist greeted me. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°I feel fine, Doc.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± she answered after giving back a smile. ¡°Lay down here and we¡¯ll start.¡±

    Kelleon might have told the therapist about my situation. She didn¡¯t ask me about my fear or what my problem was.

    I followed her. Iy down and made myselffortable. I turned my head towards Kelleon¡¯s direction and I saw him staring at me. He made a thumbs-up sign with both of his hands while smiling.

    ¡°You can do this,¡± he mouthed. I smiled at him before mouthing a thank you.

    ¡°Close your eyes, Lia.¡±

    I did what the therapist said. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes.

    ¡°Just listen to my voice, Lia. Focus on my voice and take deep breaths.¡±

    And I did. The more deep breaths I did, the lesser the sound I could hear. After a while, everything became quiet. I even thought that I had be deaf, but the therapist¡¯s voice emerged.

    ¡°Lia, what can you see?¡±

    As if on a cue, the surroundings changed. My eyes were still closed, so I thought that it might be my imagination acting up.

    ¡°Walls,¡± I said. ¡°There are walls here.¡±

    ¡°Try to look around and tell me if you can see more,¡± she said. I followed it. Without moving my body, my sight shifted in another direction.

    ¡°Still walls. I can¡¯t see anything. Just walls,¡± I said. My breathing became uneven as I felt ufortable with the view.

    ¡°Lia, take deep breaths slowly. Just listen to my voice.¡±

    I followed her, but it didn¡¯t work. I don¡¯t know why, but just looking at those walls made me very ufortable that I wanted to throw up.

    I tried to make my breaths even, but every inhale I had was being blocked as if the air capacity of my lungs became smaller. Every exhale I did could not go through my nose so I had to do it using my mouth.

    BANG!

    My body shook because of the sudden sound. I turned around to see where that came from, but the only thing I could see were walls.

    BANG!

    I covered my ears. That loud sound made my ears hurt and they¡¯re going to bleed.

    I could hear someone¡¯s voice calling me, but it was so faint that I couldn¡¯t recognize where it came from.

    ¡°Aah!¡± I eximed when someone grabbed my hair and dragged me. My back hit the floor. It was so painful, and I felt some of my bones broke.

    ¡°Stop! Let me go!¡±

    Those words came out of my mouth automatically. I said it as if I had already said it before as if I had experienced this before.

    My voice¡­ this is not my voice. It¡¯s high and pitchy¡­ like how a child sounds.

    ¡°It hurts! Let me go! Please!¡±

    The person holding my hair dragged me to the ground. The floor gave wounds to my back I felt some stones poking my skin.

    I grabbed the hand of the person grabbing my hair and scratched the skin. I even tried to punch and p that hand, thinking that it would leave me alone.

    All of a sudden, I was already outside. There are several palm trees surrounding us.

    In the middle, there was a child. A girl. She¡¯s all beaten up. One of her eyes is swollen while the other one is bleeding. Her body is full of wounds and an old man, with a blurred face, is standing beside her.

    The man had one of his feet stomping the back of the little girl.

    ¡°This is what will happen if any of you try to escape!¡± the roaring voice of a man shouted before pointing a gun at the girl¡¯s head.

    I tried to run. I tried to save her from being shot. I can feel myself shouting, but no voice ising out.

    The little girl stared at me before mouthing something that I didn¡¯t understand.

    BANG!

    As the sound of a firing bullet rang in my ears, the little girl¡¯s head exploded in my sight.

    ¡°Lia!¡±

    My body trembled as I felt someone pull me. When I opened my eyes, Kelleon¡¯s face greeted me.

    I reached for him and cried on his chest. He keeps on asking me questions, but my brain can¡¯t process them. I don¡¯t have the strength to speak.

    Is that a memory I have forgotten? What happened to me? Is that the reason for my fear of guns?

    I want to remember my childhood so badly, but it always leads to something like this. I will lose control, break down, and tremble.

    I hate this.

    ¨C KELLEON ¨C

    It gives me so much pain, seeing Lia like that. She was screaming and punching in the air. She can¡¯t even breathe properly.

    The therapist can¡¯t calm her down so I have to interfere. I tried to touch her face and shake her shoulders, but she would just push me away.

    Thankfully, I was able to wake her up and calm her down.

    The therapist gave some reminders and medicines that can make Lia¡¯s situation better. We drove back home but she¡¯s still not speaking.

    When we arrived, she walked up to our room. I followed her and I saw herying on the bed.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± I called her as I sat on the bed.

    She blinked a lot of times before speaking.

    ¡°A little girl,¡± she started talking as tears fell from her eyes. I hurriedly wipe them away. I can¡¯t let her cry again.

    ¡°A man shot her¡­ in front of me,¡± Lia started crying loudly.

    Iforted her. I don¡¯t know who made her like this, but I will find that person and make his life a living hell.

 Invitation

    CHAPTER 34: Invitation

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I PACKED everything that I will need during my stay in Spain. I made sure that the weight of my things would not exceed the kilograms set by the airlines.

    I nned to just pack seven of everything. Seven tops, seven bottoms, seven undies, and more. It will give me time to clean my used stuff without worrying about having too much or too little things.

    ¡°Is this all that you will bring?¡± Kelleon asked when he saw me carrying one backpack and a wheeled bag.

    I nodded. ¡°Yup. We can¡¯t be stopped by the airlines personnels just because I brought a lot of my things,¡± I answered as he helped me carry my bags.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± he said.

    Kelleon handed our bags to Cloud, and Cloud put it on the trunk of the car. I headed inside of it as Kelleon talked to one of his men who would take charge of the resthouse while he¡¯s away.

    ¡°Are you excited for our trip, mi amor?¡± he asked when he rode on the car. He closed the window that separates the driver and the backseat.

    ¡°Yes, cari?o!¡± I eximed. ¡°I will surely enjoy my stay there. I wasn¡¯t able to finish my vacationst time because of you know.¡±

    He chuckled, maybe because he remembered that he¡¯s the one who ruined my vacation. I have already forgiven him about that.

    ¡°I will make sure that you¡¯ll enjoy it. You¡¯ll love Spain, mi amor,¡± he responded. ¡°I will take you to the best ces in Spain, make you taste the delicious cuisine we have, and introduce you to our culture.¡±

    I felt the car started moving. Cloud is our designated driver, and I can say that he is a good one. His driving skills are so smooth that I didn¡¯t even move in ce.

    I was busy looking outside, staring at every building that we passed by when I felt Kelleon¡¯s hand cupping my breast.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I told him. ¡°Cloud is just right there, and we¡¯re in a car. Stop that.¡±

    He grinned at me, and that was the sign that he would not listen. He massaged my breast slowly. I can feel the warmth of his hand even if I still have my clothes on.

    ¡°Kelleon,¡± I called his name firmly. ¡°Stop being so horny. Stop touching me.¡±

    I pped his hand, but he just chuckled at me. He didn¡¯t stop. Instead, his hand travelled to my neck and positioned it like he was going to choke me.

    ¡°Your neck looks so hot, mi amor. Especially with my hand on it,¡± he said before leaning towards me to lick the side of my lips.

    I admit it. I am hungry for his kisses. I even tried catching his lips when he kissed me. But to my disappointment, he moved his face away.

    ¡°You wanna kiss me, mi amor?¡± he teased me. His hand lowered to the hem of my shirt before going inside to touch my boob. His hand is just touching the skin of my upper breast, and the bra is being a hindrance on his way. Just that single touch made me feel hot.

    There¡¯s no point denying it, anyway. ¡°Yes. Kiss me, cari?o.¡±

    He did kiss me, but only on the cheek. I want to shout at him, but Cloud might hear us. To show my frustration, I gripped his biceps tight.

    ¡°I said kiss me,¡± I demanded like a spoiled brat.

    He gave me a yful smile. ¡°I know, and I did kiss you.¡±

    I red at him. ¡°A kiss on a cheek is not what I meant!¡±

    His smile grew wider. ¡°You only told me to kiss you, but you didn¡¯t tell me where,¡± he answered. ¡°So I kissed your cheeks. They look cute and fluffy.¡±

    ¡°But what I want is a kiss on the lips!¡± I eximed, trying to reach for his nape so that I could pull his face closer to me.

    But Kelleon wants to y. He grabbed both of my hands and pinned it above my head. He wants to tease me, but I¡¯m not in the mood for that.

    I want him to touch me already! I want to cum!

    ¡°Say what you want, mi amor,¡± he said while his other hand was caressing my face.

    ¡°Do I have to beg?¡± I asked, giving him my beautiful eyes.

    An emotion glint in his eyes. His lust for me fired up, and his grip on my wrists tightened.

    ¡°I want to see you beg, mi amor,¡± he whispered in my ear, giving me a tickling sensation. ¡°Beg for my kisses. Beg for my touch.¡±

    I took a deeo breath, trying to suppress the feeling who wanted to explode.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him with the most seductive voice that I had. ¡°Kiss me on the lips, please. Suck my tongue and explore my mouth. Make me lose my breath while kissing you. I want to taste you, cari?o.¡±

    Those words were like a switch that made Kelleon wilder. In one swift move, his lips are already touching mine.

    He grabbed my nape and pulled me closer to him. I willingly opened my mouth and let him savour my taste.

    He didn¡¯t disappoint. Kelleon teased my tongue until I unconsciously moved it, following his tongue¡¯s movements. We swirled and licked each other¡¯s mouths, tasting the mixture of our saliva.

    My mouth isn¡¯t the only one who gets wet. I can feel my pussy feeling hot, craving for something as it make its own lubricant.

    I was so focused on kissing Kelleon back that I didn¡¯t even realize that his other hand was already inside my undies. I just noticed it when I felt him touch my sensitive part.

    ¡°Ooh, cari?o,¡± I moaned in his mouth. ¡°Fuck me, please.¡±

    He didn¡¯t waste any time. His hand slid on my pussy and a finger entered it. It went in so smoothly because of the juices that were already there.

    He let go of my hands, and I used them to grip on his shoulders. His finger is long and thick , and I could mistook it as a cock. It hits the most sensitive part of my body, making me shiver in pleasure.

    ¡°Uhm, aah, more.¡±

    Kelleon¡¯s lips found mine. He waspping my lips while fingering my pussy. His finger goes in and out of it while his palm is rubbing my clit.

    A muffled moan was given to his mouth. One of my hands touched his shirt, grabbing it for support, and the other hand was on his hair, pushing it closer to my lips.

    The rhythm of his fingers became faster and faster as the seconds passed by. My whole body is already moving because of that. Lewd wet noises were created as Kelleon¡¯s hand hit my pussy.

    My grip on his shirt and hair tightened when I felt my orgasming. I move my hips to catch his finger whenever it is going out and to push it deeper into my pussy.

    ¡°Aah!¡±

    My whole body shivered when an electrifying pleasure came. I reached my peak, but Kelleon didn¡¯t stop fingering me.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna pee,¡± I said, trying to stop him.

    He didn¡¯t listen. He fucked me more and suck my nipples as more moans escaped from my lips. I didn¡¯t even think of the people who could hear me. My mind is so blinded by the pleasure I¡¯m feeling.

    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re already here.¡±

    Cloud¡¯s voice interrupted us. I quickly pushed Kelleon away even if my orgasm was cut short. He licked his finger that was covered with my juices before helping me fix myself to look presentable.

    We entered the airport without any hindrances. The process was smooth, and there were no questions asked. We went straight to the departure area where a ne was already waiting.

    ¡°K. Gonzales?¡± I asked when I read the words written on the end of the ne.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this ne is yours?¡± I asked while looking at the man beside me.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you,¡± he answered before guiding me towards the entrance of the ne.

    It didn¡¯t take us long to fly off from the airport. There were no other people inside aside from me, Kelleon, Cloud, the pilot, and two attendants.

    ¡°Did you rent this ne?¡± I asked the dumbest question today.

    ¡°Why would I rent this? This is mine,¡± he answered before closing the door that connects our suite to the other parts of the ne.

    ¡°Oh, I¨C¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    My words were cut short when Kelleon pushed and moved on top of me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue what we started in the car, mi amor.¡±

    With that, he started ravishing my body, and all I could do was to ept his kisses and touch and moan from the pleasure.

    ¡°LIA!¡± Mama eximed when she saw he entering their mansion. She hugged me before giving kisses on my cheek. ¡°How¡¯s the flight?¡±

    I hugged her back. ¡°It¡¯s all good and fine, Mama.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± she answered. ¡°Come on. We cooked foods for you. Those are Spanish delicacies. I¡¯m sure you will like it.¡±

    We went to their dining area where lots of foods are being served. I¡¯m a strong eater, but I don¡¯t think I can finish all of these foods on the table.

    Mama made me have a taste on each food they served. The first one is pae. I have heard of this food before and I want to taste it first.

    It didn¡¯t disappoint. It tastes so good that I almost finished all of the pae in the te.

    Next is the patatas bravas. I love potatoes, especilly when a seasoning is added. This is one of my favorite foods now.

    I have eaten a lot and Mama really wanted me to have a taste of everything. I feel so bloated and I saw Kelleon holding hisugh when he saw me touching my bloated tummy.

    While we were eating and catching up, Papa suddenly opened another topic.

    ¡°The banquet for Duke Fata¡¯s birthday is just around the corner,¡± Papa said before handing his son a grand envelope. ¡°Will you go, son?¡±

    Kelleon opened the envelope and read the contents. After that, he turned his head to me.

    ¡°Will you go with me, mi amor?¡± he asked before handing me the inviation.

    I suddenly became worried. ¡°I will be exposed to a lot of people there,¡± I said. ¡°Someone might mistook me as Denisse. Besides, we can¡¯t let Denisse know that you already know about me.¡±

    Mama answered for his son. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, hija. The banquet is a masquerade one. No one will see your face.¡±

    Her words removed all of my worries. I really want to go there with Kelleon and spend a good night with him.

    ¡°So, do you ept to be my date, mi amor?¡± Kelleon asked before kissing the back of my hand.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

 Banquet

    CHAPTER 35: Banquet

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    OCEAN OF DRESSES greeted me as Mama opened the tall and wide brown door. The dresses have different styles and colors. Some are infinity dresses, and others are evening gowns, while some have balloon skirts. Almost every color discovered on the is inside this huge walk-in closet.

    Aside from dresses, there are also different kinds of shoes. tform sandals, stilettos, low heels, and the ssic. Name a type of women¡¯s shoes, and you can find it here.

    Lastly, the middle part of the walk-in closet is filled with different types of jewelries. Just by looking at those shiny stones and I can say that those can feed me for my whole life.

    ¡°We¡¯ll pick the best dress for you!¡± Mama eximed as she pped her hands together.

    She touched my shoulders and guided me towards the area for the dresses. ¡°You will be the most beautiful, morous, and sophisticateddy in that banquet. All of their eyes will be glued on you. I¡¯m sure of that.¡±

    I just gave a smallugh and smile. I¡¯m not really good at picking dresses because I lived my life picking the clothes that are on the uppermost part of my drawer without even looking at it.

    ¡°Mama,¡± I called her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to pick,¡± I said as my eyes roamed around the whole room.

    She smiled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, hija. I will help you find the dress that suits you.¡±

    ¡°Lia, what¡¯s your favorite color?¡± she asked while taking a look at every dress we passed by.

    ¡°I have three, Mama. Blue, lc, and gold,¡± I answered.

    I looked at every dress to see if I would like something. However, the colors are not my type. There are also some dresses where I like the color but the style is not my preference.

    ¡°Mama, what¡¯s the dress code for the banquet?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t able to rify it, and I didn¡¯t read that information in the invitation.

    ¡°Ballgown masquerade. That¡¯s why I want to choose the dresses with the grandest skirt and petticoat.¡±

    I nodded. I was about to answer her when my eyesy on one of the dresses stored inside a ss container. I couldn¡¯t look away from it. Just from one look, I know that this gown will apany me to the banquet.

    ¡°MAMA, where¡¯s Lia?¡± I heard Kelleon ask from the lower part of the stairs. His voice is loud and clear that I can still hear him even if I¡¯m on the second floor.

    I heard Mama giggled. ¡°Oh, hijo. Rx,¡± she answered. ¡°She¡¯ll be here in any minute.¡±

    When the makeup artist told me that I¡¯m ready to go, I stood up and walked, dragging the ck, ballooned, long skirt with gold roses pattern of the gown I¡¯m wearing.

    I took a deep breath before walking towards the stairs. My steps are so careful because I¡¯m afraid that I might trip. Wearing ck low heels is kind of ufortable for me. But I believe that beauty is pain.

    On the lowest part of the stairs, there stood a tall, muscr man, wearing a ck and gold tuxedo. One of his hands is holding the mask with various patterns engraved on it. The half of it is ck while the other one is gold. It is the same as the mask I¡¯m holding, except that mine has gold and ck feathers glued on the upper middle part of it.

    As I was walking down the stairs, our eyes were glued to each other. It¡¯s like we don¡¯t care about the other things around us. We just cared about ourselves.

    I don¡¯t even know how I managed to step down the stairs without looking at each tform. All I know is when I reached Kelleon, he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him.

    ¡°Eres tan hermosa, mi amor,¡± Kelleon said before leaning forward and kissing my lips.

    ¡°All I understood is hermosa and mi amor,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Gracias, cari?o. Eres tan hermoso.¡±

    He smiled widely at me before moving closer to my lips. But before we can taste each other¡¯s mouth, someone cleared their throat, making us stop halfway.

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna bete for the banquet. Save those kisses forter,¡± Mama said before clinging into Papa¡¯s arms.

    All of us left the mansion. It didn¡¯t take us long to reach Duke Fata¡¯s mansion in Barcelona. Before we left the car, we all put on our masks. Kelleon even helped me in wearing my mask before kissing me again.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna ruin my lipstick,¡± I said when our lips separated.

    He justughed at me before opening the car door and guiding me outside.

    The red carpet heading towards the mansion greeted us. There are also several people from the media clicking their cameras as if we¡¯re superstars.

    Kelleon grabbed me by the waist before smiling. I know what¡¯s going on in his mind, and I decided to jump on it. I touched his hand on my waist while my left hand reached for his free hand. We both walked towards the entrance while smiling at the cameras.

    The whole ce is grand. There are several circr tables with ck covers while the chairs are covered with white fabric. The middle space is empty, maybe for the danceter. There is a higher tform in front of grand decorations. On the other side is the band ying ssical songs that I don¡¯t understand.

    There are a lot of flowers inside the mansion. I want to pick them upter.

    The banquet started by introducing the birthday celebrant, the Duke. A speech was given, and I don¡¯t understand what he said because it was in Spanish. I just pped together with the other guests when he finished talking.

    After a while, we had our dinner. I want toin because the servings were too small for me and it didn¡¯t even fill my stomach, but then I remembered that maybe it is like this in banquets. I can¡¯t be a glutton if I¡¯m in a huge celebration like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m still hungry,¡± I whispered to Kelleon after we ate.

    He pinched my cheek andughed. ¡°You can eatter when we go home, okay? Just a few minutes of staying here, then we¡¯ll drive home,¡± he said.

    I pouted but still nodded at him. I simply looked around, and I saw some of the people talking to each other. The people at the table near us were talking in Spanish, and the only words I understood were ¡®si¡¯, ¡®gracias¡¯, and other words that we also have in the Philippines.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± Kelleon called me, making me turn my head towards him. ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to my friends. Is that alright?¡± he asked while pointing at the group of men on the right side of the banquet hall.

    I nodded. ¡°Of course. There is no need to ask me. Go and catch up with them,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Will you be fine here?¡± he asked.

    I gave him a smile. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll try to introduce myself to the otherdies here.¡±

    Kelleon left the table after giving me a kiss. I saw him walk towards his friends, and when I was sure that they were already discussing, I stood up and joined the group ofdies.

    It was fun. Good thing they can speak English. I thought I was going to be outcasted since most of the people here are Spanish, but I was wrong.

    Some of thedies came from other parts of Europe. Like me, there are alsodies here who were the dates of the guests.

    ¡°Lia, who¡¯s your date, by the way?¡± One of my new friends, Rueiza asked. She came from Pnd, and her date is Count Alvaro Amorsolo.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I was shocked when all of thedies I talked to had dates who were part of the nobilities. Most of them are dates of barons and counts, while others are dates of marquesses. Some are dates of the sons of those who are inside the nobility circle.

    ¡°Oh, my date¡¯s Kelleon Gonzales,¡± I answered.

    I don¡¯t even need to remove their masks to see that their eyes widen. They all looked shocked when I said that name.

    ¡°Oh. My. God,¡± Ste, a daughter of a Baron, reacted. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, Lia!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes! He must be really head over heels for you to bring you as a date here!¡± Ammarylis, the date of a Viscount eximed.

    All of thedies giggled. I didn¡¯t think much of it and we went to another topic. Our conversation went longer, and it kept on switching from one topic to another. All of us are so engaged.

    Later on, they all went to their dates for the dance. I nced at Kelleon, and I saw him talking seriously to his friends. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, so I just watched the couples dancing in the middle of the banquet hall.

    ¡°Good evening, youngdy,¡± a certain male voice greeted me. I looked in that direction, and I saw a blond man smiling at me.

    This man is tall but not as tall as Kelleon. His voice is not as deep as Kelleon and his body figure are not as muscr as my boyfriend¡¯s.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± I greeted him back. I don¡¯t know how to respond to him. I have no experience talking to another man in ces like this. Kelleon is the only man I ever talked to, and most of my friends are gay.

    ¡°Your dress suits you, youngdy. Did you design it yourself?¡± he asked.

    And this starts our conversation. This man knows how to continue a dialogue without getting weird. He can introduce a topic I can easily jump into it.

    We talked first about the gown, his suit, the food served in the banquet, and the decorations, until we already talked about the people dancing.

    ¡°Look at that man. He already stepped on his partner¡¯s dress five times in a row,¡± he said before slightly pointing to the man wearing a cobalt blue tuxedo.

    We kept on talking about other people. I remembered Jerome at him. My friend and I also love to observe and talk about others, not in an offensive way.

    I can smell something on this man, and I smell something fishy.

    I was about to ask him his name when someone grabbed me by the waist.

    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re having a good time, mi amor,¡± Kelleon whispered in my ear. He is breathing heavily while looking intently at my eyes. His angry aura surrounds him.

    What is his problem?

    ¡°Yes, I am. I met a lot of new friends,¡± I said before looking at the blond man.

    ¡°Mister, what¡¯s your name again?¡± I asked because I forgot to ask about it earlier. We already talked about several things, but I still don¡¯t know his name.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lord Izan Navarro, son of Viscount Immanuel Navarro, from Zaragoza,¡± he introduced himself before bowing. He looked so formal right now. Earlier, we were acting like people from squatters with canal humor.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Lord Izan,¡± Kelleon said with sarcasm evident in his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m Marquess Kelleon Dmitri Gonzales, son of Marquess Killian Gonzales and Marchioness Dorothea Dpaz-Gonzales, from Barcelona.¡±

    My mind stopped functioning for a minute. Did I hear it right?

    Kelleon is a Marquess?!

    I blinked my eyes several times while processing what he said.

    So that¡¯s why most of the people here are nobles. I just thought that Kelleon and his family is a friends to nobles because they¡¯re wealthy.

    But I was wrong. They are a part of the nobilities. And not just a part, he is in a high-ranking position! Just below the Duke!

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness,¡± Lord Izan¡¯s voice shook while talking. He excused himself without even looking at us.

    Is Kelleon that scary for him?

    Before I could react, Kelleon gently pulled me towards the dance floor. Good thing that Mama trained me on how to dance, so I was able to follow Kelleon¡¯s steps.

    ¡°You seemed happy with that son of a viscount,¡± Kelleon said before turning me around.

    I grinned at him. ¡°Are you jealous, Your Highness?¡± I teased.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me like that,¡± he responded. He turned me around again before touching my waist and moving with the rhythm of the music.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re a Marquess, cari?o,¡± I said. ¡°Now, I felt like a small ant in your world.¡±

    He cupped my face. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, mi amor. You¡¯re going to be a part of this world. You¡¯re going to be my queen, mi amor.¡±

    ¡°Are you already sure of me, cari?o?¡± I asked for confirmation. Everything seems fast for me. I don¡¯t want to rush him in this rtionship.

    ¡°Yes, mi amor. I¡¯m already sure since the first time Iid my eyes on you,¡± he answered.

    I smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that because I¡¯m already sure of you, my lord.¡±

    Both of his hands cupped my face gently, and I put my hands on his shoulders. We were both moving our bodies with the music, just like what other couples are doing on the floor.

    ¡°Te amo, mi amor,¡± he whispered softly.

    I smiled and leaned closer to him. ¡°Te amo, tabien, cari?o.¡±

    The melody of the music and the softness of his lips brought me to heaven. I just wish that this night will never end, and happiness will always be with us.

 The Plan

    CHAPTER 36: The n

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    MY HANDS found its way to the red roses in front of me. They all look so healthy, and the colors are vibrant that it pops in my eyes. I want to pick one and smell it, but these flowers aren¡¯t mine.

    I leaned forward to smell the flowers. A sweet aroma entered my nose as I inhaled it.

    ¡°Do you want those flowers, mi amor?¡± Kelleon asked as he helped me stand straight again.

    ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t have the heart to pluck them. They look sofortable in that ce,¡± I answered. ¡°I am fine with just staring and smelling them.¡±

    He motioned his hand to the other side of the garden. ¡°Those nts were bought by Mama from Singapore,¡± he spoke.

    I walked towards those nts. They look so healthy, just like the other things in the garden. I noticed some droplets of water on the leaves. Someone had just watered these nts.

    I looked around, amazed at how this huge garden was taken care of. I also have a garden at the back of my house, but it is as huge as this. The nts I¡¯m taking care of are the usual in my country such as snake nts, sampaguita, lemon grass, cactus, and roses.

    ¡°Papa said that the only thing that Mama likes to spend on are nts and flowers. When he¡¯s still courting Mama, he will bring her pots of nts instead of the usual bouquet and chocte,¡± Kelleon told me while we were walking in the garden, looking at every nt in it.

    I chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s actually good. Some flowers in bouquets can¡¯t live even if you nt them again, but those nts in pots will grow. You can even sell them!¡±

    We stopped in front of a secluded area in the garden. A gazebo is standing in the middle of it. Inside that gazebo are different kinds of pot nts. The pots are not just simple because they have a lot of golden engravings. Every pot has a different design, but they all look grand.

    Kelleon touched one of the pots. ¡°This nt is the first one that Papa gave to Mama. She treasured it a lot because it reminded her of their first meeting.¡±

    I turned my head to him. ¡°They met because of a nt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You could say that,¡± he answered. ¡°Papa was about to go home after a meeting when he saw Mama looking at this nt. Mama can¡¯t buy them that time, so Papa bought them for her,¡± he continued with a smile on his lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet,¡± Imented. ¡°Papa doesn¡¯t know Mama that time, but he bought it for her.¡±

    We walked inside the gazebo. One of the nts caught my attention. It¡¯s an unusual nt because of it¡¯s color. The leaves have the colors green and white fighting for space. I pointed it out before speaking.

    ¡°How about that nt?¡±

    ¡°This is Variegated Monstera, one of the most expensive nts in the world,¡± he said. ¡°Papa gave it as a gift for Mama during their 20th anniversary.¡±

    My lips formed an o-shape. I have heard of this nt on the inte. This costs around $38, 000. That amount is too expensive for me for a nt.

    We continued to talk about the nts, and Kelleon told me the backstory of each of them. We¡¯re in the middle of discussing the nts when someonees inside the garden.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Cloud greeted Kelleon while bowing. ¡°Lady Lia.¡±

    I tried my best to stop myself from wrinkling my face. People in the mansion started calling me ¡°Lady¡± when I stayed here. It¡¯s not that I hate being called like that, I¡¯m just not used to hearing it.

    Kelleon motioned us to sit at an outdoor table in the garden. As we sat, they both went straight to the topic.

    ¡°Just like what you instructed, we already talked to your connections in Italy about Count Alejandro,¡± Cloud reported.

    Kelleon nodded. ¡°Now that he¡¯s out of the way, we can now capture Denisse,¡± he said.

    I furrowed my eyebrows because I didn¡¯t have any idea of what they were talking about.

    ¡°What happened to that Alejandro?¡± I asked. ¡°And how can you be so sure that we can now seize Denisse?¡±

    Kelleon touched my back while pouring the juice that the maid brought here earlier.

    ¡°You told me that I should destroy Alejandro first, right?¡± he asked.

    I nodded at him. I remember saying that. ¡°Yeah. Did you already work on it?¡±

    He told me that he was going to bribe his enemy¡¯s investors, but he didn¡¯t tell me more after that.

    His eyes made a glint that I hadn¡¯t seen on him before, but I had already seen that glint in Detective Javier¡¯s eyes whenever our case was moving.

    ¡°I did,¡± he said before taking a sip on my own ss. ¡°Do you want to know how I destroyed him?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°It seems like you want to boast about it after all.¡±

    He grinned and put the ss back on the table. ¡°After I bribed his investors, I spread negativements about this business. I gathered all of his previous customers withints and strengthened their narratives,¡± he started.

    I leaned forward, waiting for him to continue speaking.

    ¡°Fate must be with me,¡± he grinned wider. ¡°There are three of his previous investors who didn¡¯t receive the full amount of their money when they pulled out. Being a good samaritan, I helped them file a case against him.¡±

    ¡°Oooh!¡± I eximed and pped the table because of amusement. ¡°y!¡±

    He chuckled at my reaction. ¡°I used my connections to speed up the process of that case. In the end, he was penalized by almost 20 million euros, plus he needed to pay each of those investors the remaining amount of their investment, which was about 38 million euros.¡±

    My eyes widened. That Alejandro stole so much money from his investors! 38 million is already big in pesos, what more in euros?

    ¡°To make things short, he¡¯s going broke. That¡¯s why he went to Italy to ask for help from his connections there,¡± he said.

    Cloud continued his master¡¯s speech. ¡°But Your Highness has more power and connection than him,¡± he said like a proud friend.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Typhoon Kelleon swept the whole of Barcelona because of his arrogance.

    Kelleon winked at me while I gave him a disgusted face. This man is already drowned in his own arrogance. I can say that he¡¯s doing that to impress me.

    Well, it¡¯s working. But minus points for being too boastful.

    ¡°I made my friends there to prevent Alejandro from leaving Italy. That way, he can¡¯te here, and we will have the time we need to capture Denisse,¡± he spoke.

    I nodded, amused that he was about to do that in just a short span of days. That¡¯s a lot of work, effort, and money, but it looked so easy on him.

    ¡°What do you n to do next?¡± I asked. The next part will be the most crucial of all.

    Cloud answered on Kelleon¡¯s behalf. ¡°Lady Lia, Your Highness and I decided to use one of Count Alejandro¡¯s men to capture Denisse.¡±

    Kelleon continued. ¡°We bribed one of his indoor guards,¡± he started.

    ¡°And he epted your money that easy? It¡¯s suspicious,¡± Imented.

    Kelleon caressed my back. ¡°Rx, mi amor. We used his daughter.¡±

    I red at him. ¡°That¡¯s not bribery! That¡¯s ckmailing!¡± I eximed.

    He just chuckled at me. ¡°His daughter is in the hospital. They need financial support for her chemotherapy,¡± he exined. ¡°I told him that I will pay for all of the sessions, plus the therapy and other bills, in exchange for information from the mansion and Denisse.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. I judge it too quickly. I was about to be rxed when I thought of something.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What will you do next? Task that guard to kidnap Denisse and bring her to you?¡± I asked with my furrowed eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered without blinking, and he still looked so confident of his n.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± I said.

    He stared at me, waiting for what I would say next. I can also feel Cloud¡¯s stare.

    ¡°You said that there are a lot of guards inside and outside of the mansion. If he¡¯s the only one who will move, there is a high chance that he will get caught,¡± I started exining. I saw Cloud nodding from my peripheral vision.

    ¡°Once that happened, Alejandro will surely know about this and strengthen the security of the house. Much worse, he can ask someone to transfer Denisse to another ce! We will go back to zero after that!¡±

    ¡°Plus, the guard¡¯s life will be also in trouble. If someone will be hurt in this case, then it¡¯s either Denisse or Alejandro, not the innocent people who have nothing to do with this,¡± I exined.

    Kelleon nodded. He agreed with what I said. It makes a lot of sense, after all.

    ¡°Do you have a suggestion?¡± he asked.

    I nodded, grinning at him. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m a hundred percent sure that this will work.¡±

    He looked amused and moved his chair closer to me. ¡°Fire away. ¡±

    I took a sip from my juice before talking.

    ¡°The easiest way is toy a trap,¡± I started before turning my head to Kelleon.

    ¡°Cari?o, you told me that in the letter she gave to you, she chose Alejandro because he is willing to marry her regardless of her sess in life, right?¡± I asked, and he nodded.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to use that information. Denisse only married Alejandro because it¡¯s convenient for her, but the truth is, she wants to marry you, cari?o. It¡¯s just you don¡¯t want it,¡± I said before looking at both of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that once Kelleon decides that he wants to marry Denisse, she will run here and leave his husband. She wants to marry a richer guy after all.¡±

    Kelleon spoke. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡±

    I pushed my chin up, looking at my boyfriend, before saying my n with full confidence.

    ¡°I will disguise myself as Denisse,¡± I said, earning disapproved reactions from them.

    ¡°Kelleon and I will go out there and show the world that we¡¯re going to get married. People just need to make noise about it, a noise loud enough to reach Denisse¡¯s ears. Once that happened, I¡¯m that the bitch will run to im her spot.¡±

 37: Date

    CHAPTER 37: Date

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    WEARING a red off-shoulder dress paired with ck stilettos feels so new to me. My hair is done in organized curls. I¡¯m wearing a rounded pearl ne paired with long silver earrings and a pearl bracelet. My face feels hot and kind of ufortable because of the cosmetics put on it. The makeup is just light, but it still feels hot. However, it was all worth it, and I felt more beautiful than ever.

    Kelleon and I are inside a car, and we are heading towards one of the buildings owned by his family. He¡¯s the one driving the car, and I¡¯m on the passenger¡¯s seat.

    The n we created in capturing Denisse started days ago, but those were all subtle. We nned onying a trap so that Denisse woulde to us willingly. One of the steps that Kelleon suggested is for us to have public dates. With that, we can haverge audiences that can spread the news about our rtionship.

    We went on dates these past few days but we didn¡¯t make a lot of noise about it. We just let the people see us kissing and being intimate in public. We never announce anything about our rtionship and let the people put the pieces together.

    A day after the banquet, we went to a public park in Madrid. We took a lot of pictures and posted it on his ount with no caption. It gathered a lot of reactionments asking who the woman in the photo is.

    We kept quiet about it and let the people specte. Just hours after that and Kelleon¡¯s name is already trending in Twitter. I was actually shocked to see how famous Kelleon is in Spain.

    The tweets were about their guess on who I am in his life. Some said that I¡¯m a friend, a rtive, or a girlfriend. There are also some tweets saying that I¡¯m his wife and that we already have kids.

    We continue to do dates without answering the questions of the people about us. We both let them wonder before dropping the bomb.

    The only downside is that I have to introduce myself as Denisse. Kelleon disagreed on it at first because of his feelings and that he doesn¡¯t want to call me Denisse. Good thing that I was able toconvinced him for the sake of the n.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    For days, I practiced Kelleon to call me by the name Denisse. We did that even if it¡¯s only the two of us or if we were only in home. When we noticed that hewass failing miserably, we just met the ends by him just calling me ¡®mi amor¡¯.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I called him when he touched my exposed legs. The dress I¡¯m wearing is above the knee so he has a lot of ess.

    He grinned as he focused his sight on the road. ¡°Hey to you, too,¡± he replied as hetightenedd his grip on my thighs, as if he doesn¡¯t want to let me go.

    ¡°Horny again?¡± I teased him and caressed his hand on my thigh. He took a deep breath before travelling his hand nearer to my sensitivities.

    ¡°Are you gonna take care of my hard on, mi amor?¡± he asked. My eyes fell on his crotch. My body suddenly felt hot when I saw his hard on, trying to free itself from his pants.

    ¡°The sight of you makes me hard, mi amor. I imagined you being hot in that dress, but I never imagined that you would be this hot,¡± he said under his breath.

    His hand is finding its way to the ck cycling under my dress. Then, it moved towards my middle part until it reached the line of the cycling, touching the folds of my pussy.

    ¡°Cari?o, I might get wet,¡± I groaned. It sounds like I want him to stop, but my body is saying otherwise. My hips are moving slowly so that his fingers will trail my folds as I pushed his hand deeper to my skin.

    He stopped, much to my disappointment. But I realized that it might be visible if zi get wet. I can¡¯t ruin this dress that he bought for me.

    He removed his hand from my pussy but it stayed on my legs. I looked at him and I saw desire on his face. He looked like he wants have my way to me inside his car.

    I smiled naughtily as a thought cross my mind. Without any warning, I touched his crotch. He suddenly stepped on the breaks, making the car stop.

    ¡°Just drive, cari?o. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± I whispered seductively in his ears. He slowly started driving but it¡¯s slow.

    Series of deep breaths were made by him. ¡°What are you doing, mi amor?¡± he asked under his breath.

    ¡°Taking care of your hard on,¡± I said before unzipping his pants and pulling it together with his boxer down to his toes.

    I pulled his suit up so that it will be out of my way. I wrapped my fingers on his cock and started stroking it slowly. His cock is to thick that can¡¯t fit into my whole hand.

    ¡°I might cum here, mi amor,¡± he groaned while his chin is up because of pleasure.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to happen, cari?o.¡±

    I kissed the top of his cock before slowly putting it in to my mouth. I took a few inches while my left hand is stroking it up and down. My right hand is busy ying with his balls, adding more pleasure to his body.

    I heard him groaned, making my body felt hotter. I took his cock deeper and deeper everytime. My pussy is aching and it wanted to be touched, but I have to hold myself back.

    ¡°Deeper, mi amor. Suck me deeper,¡± he demanded as his hips are moving to my mouth.

    Iplied. I sucked him deeper until I felt the tip of his cock hitting my throat. I gagged but I didn¡¯t stop.

    Whenever I pull my head up, I will suck and slurp the top of his dick, making a lewd popping sound. Whenever I pushed my head down, I will twirl my tongue around his cock, feeling the veins getting hot.

    After minutes of sucking him off, his hand let go of the steering wheel to grabbed all of my thick curly hair. His right hand was left on my hair while the other went back on the steering wheel.

    He pulled and pushed my head to his cock fast, faster than how I sucked him. My whole upper body is moving and I felt my boobs shaking because of what he is doing to me.

    His cock hardened more as I felt huge amount of hot liquid spurt in to my mouth. I drank all of his juices like it was my dinner. I didn¡¯t waste any single drop.

    Kelleon was groaning as I sucked him dry. His moans were music to my ears that it made me wetter down there.

    ¡°That was so good, mi amor,¡± he said with a smile as I pulled his pants back up.

    ¡°But that was dangerous. Don¡¯t do it again,¡± he frowned before giving me a yful smile. ¡°You can do it on our bed, though.¡±

    We reached the parking lot of their building. He guided me towards the entrance where his workers greeted us a good evening.

    We entered the elevator and Kelleon ced himself behind me. While waiting for the elevator to reach the top floor, he kept on kissing both of my shoulders while hugging me by the waist.

    Thankfully, before we could do anything more intimate than that, we reached the highest floor.

    As we stepped inside, the servers were already waiting as if they know anout our arrival. They guided us towards the table that Kelleon reserved for us.

    I looked around and saw that there are a lot of people dining in this top floor restaurant. There are a lot of unfamiliar faces to me that are looking at us as we sat on our table.

    However, there are also faces that I recognized. These people will hype up our night.

    We ordered our food. I ordered one each for the appetizer, main course, and dessert. Even though Kelleon told me that their servings are hugepared to other restaurant, he also told me that it won¡¯t be able to fill my huge stomach.

    He actually wanted me to order a lot but I refused. I have to act like Denisse in public to remove her suspicions once she found out about us. ording to Kelleon, thatdy is not a fan of eating a lot. He said that there are a lot of times that Denisse won¡¯t finish her meal.

    They served us our food and we minded our own business, as if we don¡¯t have a n to execute.

    I looked on my right side and my sight was greeted by the city lights. Our table is near the huge window ss, overseeing the whole city. It looked so magical and the lights are twinkling from a far.

    When the waitress served our wine, I poured it on our sses. Kelleon winked at me before standing up with the ss on his hand.

    He made a sound by hitting the lower part of the ss using a spoon.

    ¡°Buenos todos, everyone,¡± he greeted the people with a smile.

    They all turned their attention to him. I saw some familiar faces pulling their phones and facing the back of it to our direction.

    ¡°I hope that you¡¯re enjoying your meal. Apologies for the interruption but,¡± he stopped before ncing at me. ¡°I want you all to meet the love of my life.¡±

    He extended his arm towards me. I epted his hand and he pulled me up. When we were already close to each other, he gave me a long kiss on my lips, earning reactions to the people in the restaurant.

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet,¡± I heard a woman reacting while the people are pping for us.

    Kelleon broke the kiss and faced our audience. ¡°I would like to introduce to you my girlfriend, and soon-to-be-wife. My love, my life, mi amor,¡± he introduced me without saying my name.

    ¡°She just received an award as one of the active members of the Global Community for Science. Her research about polymers was given recognition by their organization,¡± he exined. ¡°As her proud boyfriend, I would like to share our celebration with all of you. As a matter of fact, your bills would be on me tonight!¡±

    The people started smiling and pping, hearing the news that Kelleon broke to them. ¡°Please, enjoy your meals to your heart content.¡±

    There are a lot of people greeting me a congrattions. Some even stood up to shake hands with me. I gave my best smile and positioned myself to the view where I will be captured by the cameras.

    That award-thingy isn¡¯t false. I used the award I received just a month ago to have their attention. Our first n was to have a public proposal, but Mama turned it down because people don¡¯t know about me yet.

    It turns out that their family is the only one who knew about Kelleon and Denisse¡¯s rtionship. This is because Mama doesn¡¯t want to introduce Denisse to others, for the reason that she doesn¡¯t like her and she smelled something on her.

    It puts our n to an advantage. People don¡¯t know who Denisse is, which means I can easily disguise myself as her without anyone noticing the differences.

    A woman suddenly asked us. ¡°When is your wedding, Your Highness?¡± her voice was loud and clear that I¡¯m sure that the microphones captured it.

    Kelleon smiled as he grabbed me by the waist. ¡°Soon. I want to have our wedding as soon as possible, but I can¡¯t rush it because I want it to be the grandest wedding of all.¡±

    When we sat down and people mind their own business, I pulled my phone from my purse to open my ount. I smiled when I saw lots of Facebook live featuring Kelleon¡¯s announcement of my award, and me as his girlfriend.

 The Cortez

    CHAPTER 38: The Cortez

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I WAS HELPING in making the table for dinner when the doorbell of the mansion rang. Mama grabbed me by the hand and pulled me towards their living room. In front of us is the head maid, who opens the main door of the mansion.

    ¡°Amiga!¡± a mature but cute voice of a woman eximed.

    As the door opens, a man in histe fifties and a woman in mid fifties enter the mansion. Just one look at them, and I can say that they are both wealthy, maybe in the same social standing as the Gonzales Family.

    The woman was wearing a baby blue, v-neck, half-sleeved puff top paired with red ck jeans and ck t sandals. Her attire is simple, but the pieces of jewelry she¡¯s wearing makes her look expensive. She has a hanging gold ne with a crescent moon pendant and medium-sized circr earrings.

    On the other hand, the man with her is wearing just a ck shirt and faded jeans. It¡¯s so simple but the watch he is wearing looks so expensive. I don¡¯t know the brand of it, but it looks real and legitimate.

    Mama and the woman kissed each other¡¯s cheeks while hugging. The two seemed to be close friends.

    I turned my head to look at Papa, and I saw him smiling while talking to the other man. I read their lips, and I think that they¡¯re talking about business.

    A warm hand touched my waist as lips nted a kiss on my hair. I looked up to see Kelleon staring and smiling at me.

    ¡°Good evening, mi amor,¡± he greeted me before caressing my face.

    I touched his hand and rubbed my face on it as I closed my eyes. ¡°Good evening too, cari?o.¡±

    ¡°You look like a small, innocent kitten while doing that, mi amor,¡± he said under his breath before kissing my neck, giving fire to every part of my body.

    He licked my neck up to my jaw before biting it yfully. It didn¡¯t hurt. Instead, it felt good that I had to grab his neck to pull him closer to me.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± a fake cough from someone interrupted us. I heard Kelleon blow a deep breath before moving away his face from my neck.

    ¡°Save those intimacies forter, hijo,¡± Mama said and winked at me.

    I blushed when I realized that these four older people saw us doing that. Before, I was not really a fan of PDAs or public disys of affection. However, since I met Kelleon, I started to shamelessly show my love to him in public. May it be from normal kissing, french kissing, to touching some parts of our body.

    Mama touched my hand before turning her head towards the guests.

    ¡°Amiga, amigo, this is Lia. She is mi hijo¡¯s girlfriend and soon-to-be-wife,¡± Mama introduced me while giggling.

    I bowed my head before saying ¡®hi¡¯ to the woman. Mama turned his head to me before speaking.

    ¡°Hija, this is my best friend, Celestine Cortez,¡± she said while motioning her hand to the woman. ¡°And this is your Papa¡¯s best friend who is her husband, Ezekiel Cortez.¡±

    Both of them walked towards me. I was about to offer my hand for a handshake, but they opened their arms to hug me. I happily epted it and hugged them back.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, hija,¡± Ma¡¯am Celestine told me. ¡°Did you know that Thea can¡¯t stop talking about you all the time? She has told me a lot about you and Kelleon!¡±

    My eyes widened a fraction before smiling at her. Her enthusiasm is contagious and I can¡¯t help but also feel happy.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, ma¡¯am,¡± I answered, earning a pout from her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am. We¡¯re gonna be family from now on,¡± she said while we were walking towards the formal dining area.

    ¡°Call me Mama Tine,¡± she told me before pointing to her husband who waved at me. ¡°And call my husband Papa Ez.¡±

    I was actually shocked that they were so friendly and nice to me. ¡°Hello po, Mama Tine and Papa Ez,¡± I shyly said.

    Mama Tine smiled wider. ¡°That¡¯s so very good to hear, hija!¡± she eximed. ¡°Oh, sit here so we can talk more.¡±

    I was sitting between Mama Thea and Mama Tine. In front of me was Kelleon, who did not look pleased that he was not sitting beside me. Beside him are the other men who are sitting across from their wives.

    We started the dinner. Everyone was chatting about their lives and catching up with each other. I let them talk about various things while I attacked the food on the table.

    ¡°I heard that the new branch of S¨²per Centros Comerciales will have its grand opening on the second Sunday next month. I want to go and visit that branch!¡± she looked at me. ¡°Can youe with us, hija?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, Mama. I don¡¯t have any priormitments so I can go.¡±

    Kelleon suddenly barged into the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m free that day, too. I can be with Lia that day and tour her around the mall,¡± he said before biting on the steak.

    Mama Thea answered. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need. Tine and I will be with her! We¡¯ll show Lia that mall and maybe the other tourist spots around it! We¡¯ll have fun! Like a girl¡¯s date!¡±

    Mama Tine pped her hands because of excitement. ¡°Oh, my god! It¡¯s been so long since ourst girl¡¯s date, Thea! We should definitely do that.¡±

    I just smiled and nodded at them. I took a nce at Kelleon and noticed that he looked defeated. I saw Papa Killian and Papa Ez whispering something to him, making him chuckle and shake his head.

    The conversation went on. We talked about the tourist destinations in Spain as well as some uing events that we can join. I listened to them and asked questions from time to time.

    The more we talked, the more I noticed that it was only the women talking. The men are just silent while staring and watching their beloved talk to each other.

    ¡°Hija, Thea told me that you¡¯re working as a criminal profiler,¡± Mama Tine suddenly said. ¡°That job is challenging. What made you take that path?¡±

    I swallowed my food first before talking. ¡°I have been a fan of detectives since I was young, Mama,¡± I told her. ¡°It started when I watched one episode of Detective Conan.¡±

    Mama Thea looked amused before looking at her husband. ¡°My husband is a fan of Detective Conan!¡± she eximed, making my eyes widen.

    Papa Ez nodded in agreement to that statement. ¡°I have theplete collection of Detective Conan manga books. All seasons, all parts,¡± he said with full confidence.

    ¡°I can show you my collection. I can even let you borrow it! But I can¡¯t give it to you,¡± he said following a smallugh. ¡°They¡¯re like my children for me.¡±

    My eyes twinkled. ¡°Really?!¡± I asked, surprised at what he said. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± I eximed with full excitement.

    ¡°That job is dangerous. Although most of your job is more on profiling, I think there are times you¡¯re involved in capturing suspects, right?¡± Mama Tine asked. ¡°Ez was a senior detective before, and the profiler in their team sometimes goes with them during operations.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, Mama. There are a lot of times that I¡¯m involved in the operations. Sometimes, it gets dangerous, especially when we are dealing with a serial killer. But I¡¯m used to it,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Did your parents support you in that job? You know, some parents don¡¯t want their children to be near danger,¡± Mama Tine asked.

    I put my head down, ying with my fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t have any parents, Mama,¡± I answered.

    I heard her gasp. ¡°Oh, my god. I¡¯m so sorry, hija,¡± she said while touching my hands.

    I looked up to smile at her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mama. It¡¯s just,¡± I stopped for a few seconds before talking. ¡°I get somehow emotional when talking about family or parents.¡±

    She hugged me. I felt sad, a little bit, but her embrace gave mefort. I felt at home.

    When she cut the embrace and just put her hands on my shoulder, I suddenly started talking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who my parents are. I grew up without them. I tried looking for them. I asked the caretaker in our orphanage, but they also don¡¯t know,¡± I said emotionally.

    ¡°I have no records. They don¡¯t even know my name or my birthday. They will just call me baby, but they never gave me a name.¡±

    I closed my eyes, trying to remember the memories of the past, back when I was still young and innocent.

    ¡°When the orphanage was closed, I lived on the streets. I ate leftover foods from restaurants or even in garbage bins. And then I met a youngdy,¡± I continued.

    I smiled. I remember that when someone gave me hope. I remember the day when I felt someone was there for me. I remember the day when I was not alone.

    ¡°Ate Liza adopted me. She became my guardian and my older sister. She gave me my name and my birthday. She gave me shelter and food. She even sent me to school and taught me how to earn money by doing smallbor.¡±

    ¡°She was my light, but she was snatched away from me,¡± my voice cracked, and tears fell from my eyes. I hurriedly dried them.

    ¡°She was killed on her way home from her work. Someone raped her, stabbed her, and stole her money,¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°The police didn¡¯t even bother to find the suspect. Just a few days after her death they abandoned the case like it was nothing.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°I started hating them, but I told myself that I had to find that suspect and bring justice to Ate Liza. I want to take criminology, but I can¡¯t due to financial reasons. I ended up in forensic psychology, andter on, I worked as a criminal profiler.¡±

    Papa Ez talked. ¡°Did you catch him? The killer?¡± he asked.

    I slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, Papa. It was difficult at first, but my teammates helped me.¡±

    I smiled when I remembered the efforts of those three, especially Detective Javier, to help me find the culprit.

    ¡°That was the first time I felt that I aplished something, that I did something right,¡± I said before being quiet again.

    Mama Tine caressed my back. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Liza is happy for you. I¡¯m sure that whenever she is, she¡¯s always there to guide and protect you. You grew up as a strong and kinddy, Lia. I¡¯m sure that Liza is proud of herself for raising an amazing child like you.¡±

    She hugged me, and I felt Kelleon¡¯s feet caressing mine. I looked at him and smiled, telling him that I felt fine.

    A gasp from my left was heard. I looked in that direction, and I saw Mama Tine crying.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said in her cracked voice. Her husband stood up tofort her.

    ¡°I just remember my daughter in you, Lia,¡± she told me with a sad smile on her lips.

    ¡°She¡¯s a hard worker, despite her young age. She also dreamt of being a police officer or a detective like her father,¡± she stopped to dry her tears. ¡°But like Liza, she was snatched away from us.¡±

    Pain is evident in her eyes. I can see that she doesn¡¯t want to cry, but her tears are betraying her.

    ¡°Eirha is a joyful child with lots of dreams. She¡¯s very lovable, hence why all of the people in our area love her so much. She likes to go with her father to work and watch him do his job,¡± she told me.

    She sniffed before talking again. ¡°One day, their pre-school was caught on fire. Everyone died in suffocation, and they were burned, including my daughter.¡±

    Her cries became louder, and her shoulder became shaking. Papa Ez tried to calm her down, but she wouldn¡¯t stop.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Police said that they can¡¯t recognize the remains because everything was burned to ashes. The only thing they discovered was the bone of their teacher. They told us that they couldn¡¯t recover a body because everything was burned.¡±

    Mama Tine couldn¡¯t talk anymore as her tears consumed her. So Papa Ez continued the story for me.

    ¡°But we didn¡¯t stop there. I gathered all of the burned remains and had those undergoing a DNA test. I¡¯m a detective, so I know that even an ashed body can still show some DNA,¡± he said before gritting his teeth. ¡°We were hopeful while waiting, praying that none of those ashes will be our daughter, and thinking that she escaped the fire.¡±

    He looked down. ¡°But one of the results was positive. One of the remains was from Eirha.¡± He stopped talking to look up, preventing his tears from falling down.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t believe it. We didn¡¯t believe it, so we asked for another test. The result is still the same. Almost ten tests were done, all with the same result,¡± he said.

    Mama Tine spoke again. ¡°We just can¡¯t ept that our daughter died that way. It must have hurt so much, being burned¡­ alive.¡±

    She cried again. We all went towards them to give them hug andfort. They look so happy, but in the inside, they are also broken, because of their loss.

    I closed my eyes. I suddenly imagined myself inside a building that¡¯s on fire. My body felt hot and some of my skin were hurting. I felt like I¡¯m burning and I can¡¯t breathe properly.

    I was only pulled out of my imagination when I felt Kelleon¡¯s hands hugged me. He whispered sweet things to me, making me smile. He kissed my cheek then my the side of my lips.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be alone from now on, mi amor. We will be your family. We¡¯ll stick together¡­ forever.¡±

 Surprise

    CHAPTER 39: Surprise

    ¨C LIA ¨CN?velDrama.Org content.

    KELLEON was all smiles when he told me that we¡¯re going to cinema. I asked him what movie we are going to watch, yet he told me that I will know about itter.

    I didn¡¯t even have the time to pick a good outfit because he was in a hurry. He even told me that the movie will start in just thirty minutes, which pressured me.

    Even when we were already inside his car and driving to the cinema, Kelleon was still smiling like an idiot. I asked him several times on what¡¯s the asion and why he is so happy, but he just told me to wait and watch.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him when I noticed that he was walking so fast that I can¡¯t keep up his pace. He was holding my hand and I felt like I was being dragged. ¡°Slow down.¡±

    He stopped walking before turning his head on me. Kelleon suddenly pulled me closer to him, ced his arm under my butt, before carrying me in bridal style.

    ¡°Aah!¡± I squealed when I was put up in the air. I grabbed his neck to find support because I felt like I was going to fall.

    ¡°Kelleon!¡± I eximed. ¡°Put me down!¡±

    He continued walking as if he can¡¯t hear anything. I covered my face because of embarrassment. People in the mall are watching us and some are even taking pictures.

    If they¡¯re one of those we paid to spread the information about our rtionship, then I won¡¯t feel shy. But these are unfamiliar people! I don¡¯t know them and they can see Kelleon carrying me!

    I didn¡¯t even realized that Kelleon already put me down. My hands are still on my face and I can feel my skin being so red because of blushing.

    Kelleon touched my hands and removed it from covering my face. I closed my eyes, as if it could prevent him from staring at my face.

    ¡°Oh, mi amor is blushing,¡± he teasingly said before pinching my cheeks. I pouted when I saw himughing at me.

    He kissed my lips before travelling to my cheeks and my nose. He yfully rubbed the tip of our noses before guiding me inside the cinema.

    ¡°Wait? Aren¡¯t we gonna show our tickets? Or buy food and drinks?¡± I asked when I noticed that we already passed the inspection area without doing anything.

    He sniffed my neck before answering. ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that, mi amor. Besides, the food and drinks are all inside the cinema,¡± he answered.

    I was about to respond when I saw therge movie screen on my right side. It was ying advertisements of other movies and some trailers.

    When my eyes lifted to the movie seats, I noticed that there are no other people inside aside from the two of us. My eyebrows furrowed as I look at Kelleon, who is busy sniffing my hair.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him. ¡°Where are the other moviegoers? I thought the movie will start in any minute?¡±

    He smiled at me. ¡°There are only the two of us here, mi amor. We own this ce right now.¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Kelleon caressed my face. ¡°I rented this whole ce for you, mi amor. I want you to enjoy this movie.¡±

    As if on a cue, the opening trailer of the movie yed on the screen. My eyes widened more when I realized what movie we are going to watch.

    ¡°Detective Files,¡± Kelleon whispered in my ear. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for the movie release of its part two, right?¡±

    My mouth suddenly opened because of shock. I just stared at him with awe.

    ¡°You did this¡­ for me?¡± I asked, trying to confirm if I heard it right.

    He nodded. ¡°Everything I do is all for you, mi amor.¡± he said lovingly. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we take a seat and enjoy your favorite movie?¡±

    I smiled and nodded at him. I happily jumped up and down while walking towards the seat that Kelleon chose for the two of us. It¡¯s the middle most seat in the cinema. Just from staring from a far and you can see that the seat is so special.

    The seat has foods and drinks on each side. There are also someforters on the seats in front of it. At the back is where the backdrop for Detective Files is standing.

    We sat down and kept quiet as the movie started ying. I was so focused on watching the movie that I can¡¯t even eat my popcorns or take a sip on my softdrinks.

    ¡°The third child!¡± I eximed when I finally found out who the killer is. ¡°It¡¯s the third child!¡±

    Kelleon turned his head to me while I was too busy watching. ¡°How can you say that? The third child has strong alibis,¡± he challenged.

    Without cutting my stares at the movie screen, I answered him. ¡°The killer injected a sedative to the victim. Of all the persons of interest, the third child is the one who has the ess to that kind of drug because of his job,¡± I exined.

    ¡°Also, if you will take a closer look at the cut in the victim¡¯s wrist, it was clean. It doesn¡¯t look like the victim did it to himself. The killer must have knowledge on how to cut the arteries with precision.¡±

    He caressed my hair and didn¡¯t say anything. I saw from my peripheral vision that he turned his head to the screen and watched with me.

    The movie finallye to an end.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I eximed. ¡°I told you it was him!¡± I told Kelleon while being proud of myself for solving the crime.

    ¡°You discovered it faster than the protagonist, mi amor,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the best!¡± I smiled widely before munching my popcorn that I haven¡¯t finished yet.

    I was busy eating and reading the credits part when the lights suddenly opened. I heard footsteps from different people.

    When I turned my body to look at Kelleon, I saw him kneeling on the floor. A ck box is on his hand. Inside of it is a silver ring with a huge pink stone in the middle.

    Calm music suddenly yed on the background. When I looked around, I saw a lot of people gathering around us. Some have flowers in their hand. Some have their phones ying. Some have bouquets of money. Some have baskets of stationery supplies. There is also a band ying on the space near the movie screen.

    Of all the unfamiliar people inside, my eyes were glued to the ones standing behind Kelleon. Each of them holding a card.

    ¡°You will¡­ marry me,¡± I said as I read the sentence in the cards. I chuckled before looking at Kelleon.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a question, though,¡± I told him between my smallughs.

    He grinned at me. ¡°It¡¯s not a question, mi amor. It¡¯s an order. An order from this billionaire marquess of Spain.¡±

    I blushed while trying to hold back my tears because of happiness.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, cari?o. I will dly marry this billionaire marquess in front of me.¡±

    Kelleon slid the ring in my finger before standing up and giving me a kiss. The people around us pped loudly as the music lingered in our ears.

    Suddenly, the whole ce became quiet and the only sound I can hear is our heartbeats. We lovingly kissed each other in front of these people, not minding if we looked cringed for them.

    It¡¯s like we have our own world when our lips touched each other. Everything revolved around him. Nothing matters, as long as I¡¯m with him.

    When our lips separated, Kelleon made our foreheads touched. We both smiled with contentment.

    ¡°This is a very special day for us, cari?o,¡± I said under my breathe. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ll propose to me today. You surprised me.¡±

    He chuckled before rubbing my nose against him.

    ¡°This is really a special day, mi amor. It¡¯s just not the day you said yes to me. This is also the day that I met you,¡± he said. I want to ask him more about that but he spoke more.

    ¡°I promise to give you the life you deserve, mi amor. I will provide everything for you. I will love you and our future children. I will be the best husband and father for you and our family,¡± he said before kissing my lips shortly.

    I cupped his faced and stared at his eyes that¡¯s full of affection. ¡°You and your love is already more than enough for me, cari?o,¡± I said. ¡°I promise to love you with my everything, take care of you, and make you happy everyday.¡±

    He smiled yfully at me. ¡°I have an idea on how we can make each other happy today, mi amor,¡± he said

    I tilted my head to the right. ¡°Hmm? What tricks are in you mind right now, huh? Cari?o?¡±

    He touched my back and pulled me closer to him. He kissed my lips before biting the lower part of it.

    ¡°The trick is called ying in my bedroom ¡¯till sunrise, mi amor.¡±

 Giving Myself

    CHAPTER 40: Giving Myself

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    OUR LIPS were immediately locked when we reached Kelleon¡¯s bedroom. I heard the clicking sound of locking door behind me before Kelleon pinned me to the wall.

    He ravished my lips, almost trying to suck them whole into his mouth. The sound of our lips and tongues colliding filled the whole room.

    I fought kisses with him. We looked like animals thirsty for our kisses and hungry for our touch. Kelleon¡¯s hands travelled from my nape, to my back, before it slide down to my ass.

    Lust and desire is evident in every movement of our body. He squeezed it firmly that it made me moan in his mouth, giving him the opportunity to slid his tongue deeper.

    His tongue explore my mouth like a madman. I felt it twirled inside, fighting like a sword with my tongue. I sucked his tongue back, and he responded by biting my lower lip.

    His kisses went down to my chin and my neck. He sucked the skin that I felt it stings. I¡¯m sure that it left a mark in my skin that will serve as a proof of our desire with each other.

    ¡°Ooh, cari?o,¡± I moaned when he kissed my corbone, just above the skin of my breast. Like on my neck, he also left a mark by sucking and biting it.N?velDrama.Org content.

    He looked up at me before his mouth left my skin.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, mi amor,¡± he told me under his breath.

    He removed my shirt with urgency. His moves were fast that I can¡¯t keep up with him.

    He hugged me while kissing my left ear. It gave tingling sensation to my body. It felt new to me because he haven¡¯t done this to me before. He licked my earlobe, making me whimper.

    In one swift move, he unhooked my bra and throw it somewhere. He hurriedly bent to face my boobs and sucked my nipples who have been hard since earlier.

    ¡°Hmm, that feels so good,¡± I moaned when he put my nipple in his mouth. His other hand massaged my other breast, using his pointing and middle finger to pinch the peak of it.

    He groaned when I touched his shoulders and head. I grabbed it and pushed it closer to my body.

    My back arched when he suddenly bit my nipples. I pped his shoulder, making him stop, much to my disappointment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like that, mi amor?¡± he asked, looking worried and sorry.

    I shook my head. ¡°I like it. Keep doing that, cari?o.¡±

    He grinned before he continued on sucking my nipples. At first, he is just sucking the peak while squeezing the other parts. When time passed, he started sucking the whole skin, leaving his saliva on it.

    He alternately sucked both of my breasts before travelling his kisses to my stomach. When he reached the pants covering my lower half, he hurriedly removed it together with my underwear.

    He put my right leg on his shoulder before taking a sniff on my now soaking wet pussy. His warm breath made me feel hotter that what I was currently feeling.

    ¡°Ooh, yes!¡± I moaned when his suddenly sucked my pulsating clit. It felt ufortable, but my body wants him to go on.

    He licked and sucked my clit as his tongue was teasing the entrance of my hole. I started to have the urge to move my hips and rub it in his face. I grabbed his hair and pushed him closer to that sensitive part.

    ¡°Yes, oh my god. That¡¯s so good.¡±

    I rubbed my pussy on his mouth, making me moan louder. He pinned his face harder to my skin. A familiar sensation started to build up inside me.

    My movements became harder and faster. I rubbed it harder to hid face as he kept on sucking,pping, and licking my clit.

    ¡°Oooh!¡± I moaned as I reached my first orgasm. My heel rose from the ground as I felt my whole body shiver because of this wave of pleasure. My legs felt weak and I almost ran out of breath.

    I thought that it was over, but I was wrong. I haven¡¯t even recover to my first orgasm when Kelleon thrust two of his fingers inside me.

    As if my body has its own mind, my hips moved up and down, making his fingers move inside and out of my pussy.

    My eyes rolled back in pleasure when his other hand pinched and pinned my clit while fingering my pussy. I suddenly felt so sensitive that I thought I¡¯m going to pee.

    ¡°Kelleon!¡± I eximed when he thrust faster and deeper into my wet pussy. It created loud lewd sounds that made me feel more horny.

    Every thrust of his fingers sent my whole body to heaven. As his movements became more desperate, my moans became louder that it almost echoed in the whole room.

    My moans turned into screams of pleasure as Kelleon sucked my clit again. His one hand is busy thrusting in and out of my body as his other hand travelled to my nipples and pinched them.

    I closed my eyes tightly. My mouth opened but no voice ising out of it. I pulled Kelleon¡¯s hair, not minding if it will hurt him or not. I gathered strength to stand from it as I felt that I will fall down after this next peak.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I¡¯m cumming,¡± I screamed, moving my hips furiously and greeting every thrust he gave to my pussy.

    As I reached my second orgasm, I suddenly see the light. Pleasure took over my whole body that every part of it shivered.

    My body lose its strength. I fell down on him, my legs trembling and arms limping on my side.

    Kelleon carried me like a sack of rice. He pped my ass before squeezing it. I was too tired to moan or respond.

    My eyes were still close as he put me down on the bed. I was still busy feeling the pleasure I felt earlier, savoring the taste of heaven, when I felt him moved to my face.

    Kelleon gently tapped my cheeks. ¡°Eyes open, mi amor.¡±

    I slowly opened my eyes. His long hard cock is hanging from his body, its tip just a few inches from my mouth.

    I looked at him in the eye. His looking at me, full of lust, desire, and love. He cupped my face before his hand trailed a line to my lips.

    ¡°Open you mouth wide, mi amor,¡± hemanded while holding the base of his cock.

    I opened my mouth like a good pet. Slowly, he moved his dick to enter my mouth. I opened it wider to amodate its size.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I groaned when I already took a few inches of him. He caressed my hair while slowing moving in and out of my mouth. I heard him groaned as I took him deeper.

    ¡°Do you want it slow and romantic, mi amor?¡± he asked. ¡°Or you want me to fuck this mouth of yours rough?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak. As an answer to his question, I moved my head up and down, taking more inches of him in each suck. My movements became rough that my head felt like it¡¯s spinning and my neck felt numb.

    Kelleon touched the sides of my head before pinning it on the pillow. His grip is so strong that I can¡¯t move my head.

    Without any warning, he started fucking my mouth without any remorse. Every thrust from him hit the back of my throat, making me gag.

    ¡°You¡¯re mouth¡¯s so tight and warm, mi amor,¡± he groaned as he moved his hips to fuck me.

    I can taste him pre-cum in my mouth, mixing with my saliva. It made small bubbles that drip down from the side of my lips.

    I twirled my tongue to cover hid shaft. My eyes are getting teary because of gagging but I went on. I stared at his face where pleasure is evident. His chin is up with his eyes closed.

    He must have felt my stare at him. He looked at me with a yful smile. One of his hand cupped my face while still thrusting his cock furiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna cum, mi amor,¡± he said under his breath.

    His movement became faster and more desperate. A momentter, he pumped his cum inside my mouth. Some went straight to my throat while other stayed on my tongue.

    He gave his final thrust before sliding it out from my mouth. I closed his mouth tighter to lick the remaining juices on his shaft.

    When it was removed, Kelleon gripped my cheeks gently.

    ¡°Open you mouth, mi amor. I want to see my cum in your mouth,¡± he told me while huffing slowly.

    I followed is order. I slowly opened it to show how much cum he put in me.

    He smiled, as if he aplished something to be proud of.

    ¡°You¡¯re so hot. Now, swallow it.¡±

    I swallowed his cum. It tastes somehow salty, but it tastes good. I wiped the cum on the side of my lips and licked it.

    He leaned down to kiss me. He started touching my body again, from massaging my breast to pinching my clit.

    Suddenly, I felt his cock growing hard as it was pinned on my skin. I looked at him, with an idea popping in my head.

    I ced my hand down and encircled it around his cock. He groaned on my ear as I started stroking it, making his cock hard again.

    I teased him. I rubbed the tip of it on the entrance of my pussy. I moaned and I felt him stop kissing my body.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he said. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    I can see him hesitating, but I can see the desire in his eyes. I can see that he wants it; he want to be inside of me.

    I nodded. ¡°I want to feel you, cari?o. I want to inside me. Make me your woman.¡±

    He cupped my face and nted kissed on it. I continued on rubbing our genitals, my juices covering his shaft.

    ¡°I want this, mi amor. But I don¡¯t want to rush you,¡± he said under his breath. He¡¯s being tempted to enter my hole.

    ¡°Once I started, I won¡¯t be able to hold myself back, mi amor. But I don¡¯t want you to regret this tomorrow.¡±

    I¡¯m already sure of this. I want this. I want him to be the first and only man to have me. I won¡¯t have any regrets, because I know that I want this.

    I kissed his lips as I rub his cock to my juices. ¡°Go on. Enter me, cari?o. Fuck me. I¡¯m all yours.¡±

    ¡°Te amo, mi amor,¡± he lovingly said.

    I smiled. ¡°Te amo tambien, cari¨½o.¡±

    He nted kisses on me before slowly entering my hole. I twitch when I felt pain on my pussy. He is long and thick, and he might be too big for my hole.

    It¡¯s been only a few inches but I felt that I am so full. Kelleon sucked my nipple and massaged my clit to ease the pain I¡¯m feeling.

    ¡°Fill me up, cari?o. I can take it.¡±

    With that, he slowly pushed down until I felt his balls touching my skin. A lone tear fell down from my eye and he gently kissed it away.

    He didn¡¯t move. He gave my body the time it needed to adjust on his size. Slowly, I felt my body rxing and pleasure took over the pain.

    I slowly moved my hips, feeling a little pain everytime I moved, which slowly disappeared over time.

    ¡°Move, cari?o. Please,¡± I pleaded while moving my hips towards him.

    He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He hugged me and started pumping his cock into my pussy. The first movements were slow and gently. But as the time passed by, he started thrusting hard and rough.

    ¡°Oh! Oh! Oh!¡± I screamed in pleasure. Kelleon owned me rough and hard that my whole body shook because of the impact.

    We ravished each other¡¯s lips while he is pumping inside and outside of me. His hand travelled to down my pussy and started ying with my clit.

    ¡°Oh, cari?o!¡± I eximed. The pleasure of him fucking pussy while ying my clit is too much for me to handle.

    My orgasm erupted again. My juices covered his cock that it made more lewd noises as our bodies met.

    Kelleon let go of my lips. He grabbed my legs and put in on his shoulder. He ced his hand on my hips, gripping it tightly before pumping faster.

    I don¡¯t know where to look. My head moved side to side as my hand reached for the bedsheet to grab.

    Kelleon was insatiable. His rhythm didn¡¯t changed, making me feel more pleasure. The orgasm I had earlier is still not done but I can feel another oneing.

    As I opened my eyes, I saw Kelleon staring at me. Desire is evident in his eyes. He licked his lips before leaning down to kiss me again.

    My hands let go of the sheet and I ced it on his back and hair. I gripped his hair and scratched his back because of so much pleasure.

    ¡°Cari?o, I¡¯m gonna cum,¡± I moaned while I move my hips, following his rhythm.

    One. Two. Three thrusts and my orgasm ripped my whole body apart. My legs shook and it fell down on his shoulders.

    I was still savoring the pleasure when Kelleon shoot his cum inside of me. It felt so warm and I felt it fill me up.

    He gave me his final thrusts before pulling it out. His cum were so much that some of it dripped down on my pussy. But before those reached the bed, Kelleon used his cock to push it back inside again.

    ¡°That¡¯s so good, cari?o. Thank you,¡± I said while catching my breath.

    He kissed me before responding. ¡°No, thank you. Thank you for saying yes to my proposal. Thank you for giving me this wonderful gift,¡± he said. ¡°I love you so much, mi amor.¡±

 41: Man With A Mask

    CHAPTER 41: Man With A Mask

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    Chills. That was the first thing I felt when I woke up. Light greeted my eyes, and it felt warm, but my whole body felt cold.

    I moved my hand to grab the duvet and put it on top of me to cover my chilling body. I¡¯m sure that the duvet is thick enough to warm me up. Kelleon and I bought it. However, I still feel cold that I have to hug my own body just to give more warmth.

    It didn¡¯t work, and I still feel cold. When I moved my head to look at my side, I saw my boyfriend peacefully sleeping. My lips formed a smile while staring at him. He looked so calm, unlike his selfst night who looks like a horny animal ravishing its mate.

    I turned my body to the side to hug him and share the warmth of his body. But it was the first wrong move I did today.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± I eximed when pain ripped through my body. My hand hurriedly went to my sensitive part to ease the pain. But instead of alleviating the ufortable feeling, the friction of my pussy¡¯s skin and hand touching made it worse.

    I immediately removed my hand andy on my back, still groaning because of the pain. Where the hell did thise from?

    The noise I¡¯m making woke Kelleon up. He instantly became worried when he saw me in my current state.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he said using his morning voice. ¡°You¡¯re burning hot,¡± he told me with worries while cing his palm on my forehead.

    His palms touched my neck, chest, arms, hands, and tummy to check if every part of me feels hot. After that, he put his hand on my face.

    ¡°Does something hurt, mi amor?¡± he asked while cupping my face. ¡°Does you head ache? Do you feel dizzy of about to throw up? Tell me.¡±

    I pouted my lips while looking down to point my sensitive part. ¡°It hurts down there,¡± I said with embarrassment.

    He chuckled for a little bit, but when he saw me ring at him, he stopped and made a serious face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check if it¡¯s sore, okay?¡± he asked for permission. When I nodded as an answer, he went down on me and pulled my pajama down.

    It was actually kind of me weird for him to just stare at my feminity while doing or saying anything. After a few moments, he put my pajama back gently. I twitch when the fabric touched the aching skin.

    He blew out a breath. ¡°You¡¯re sore,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s all red and swollen.¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°Why? What? How? How did that happen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think I was too big for you, mi amor,¡± he said with a small yful smile.

    I pped his biceps. ¡°You think?!¡± I eximed. ¡°You were really big for me! You don¡¯t know how much it hurts when you entered!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know,¡± he responded before pursing his lips. ¡°But you liked it, right? You came on my huge dick,¡± he grinned.

    I red at him. ¡°I liked it,st night! But not today!¡± I eximed with a hot head that became hotter when he grinned wider.

    ¡°Make this pain go away! I can¡¯t even move my hips!¡± I demanded.

    Heughed at me before singing. ¡°Pain, pain, go away. Come again another day.¡±

    I hit his arm again while furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°Have you forgotten that I have a fever?¡± I asked, raising one of my eyebrows at him.

    His face became serious and hurriedly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll call a doctor, mi amor. Can you wait here?¡±

    I nodded. He gave me a kiss before going out of the room. I even heard him calling his parents¡¯ name from the outside.

    I sighed while touching my aching head. The headache is not that painful unlike the previous ones I had, but the pain on my feminity cannot be exined. If I will rate the pain from one to ten with ten being the highest, I will choose a hundred.

    I was like mannequin on the, not moving, while waiting for Kelleon toeback. Thankfully, he went back after a short time.

    He was carrying a tray full of foods and drinks. Kelleon ced it on the bedside table before sitting beside me.

    ¡°Mama already called an obygyn to look at your situation,¡± he informed me. ¡°Here¡¯s your breakfast. Do you want to eat now?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m already hungry.¡±

    I tried to sit down and nned to move to the chair because I¡¯m not used on eating on bed. However, every movement I have brought pain to my sore part that I have to stop.

    ¡°Let me help you, mi amor.¡±

    He ced his one arm under my knees while the other one is on my back. He carried me in bridal style. While he was carrying me to the chair, I asked him.

    ¡°Am I too heavy for you?¡± I asked. I have a short figure, but I¡¯m kind of chubby. My weight is about 50 kilograms, which is on the edge of being overweight for my height.

    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re actually light for me. Lighter than a feather,¡± he said while smiling yfully.

    I pinched his nose. ¡°Stop saying those flowery words just to cheer me up. Tell me honestly, am I heavy?¡± I asked him again, waiting for a sincere and honest answer.

    As he gently put me down on the chair, he answered. ¡°I¡¯m saying the truth, mi amor. You¡¯re light for me.¡±

    My lips formed into a small smile. I felt sexy all of a sudden because of what he said. All this time, I felt conscious on how heavy I am. Kelleon has a habit of making me sit on hisp everytime we¡¯re just talking about random stuffs or watching something. It made me worry that I might be too heavy for him.

    We ate breakfast together. He even helped me in taking a bath because I can¡¯t really move. He made a warm bath for me and clean my body gently. I twitched everytime his hand would touched my sorebia while washing it.

    He was drying my hair when Mama told us that the doctor is already here. Kelleony me down on the bed and gave me more warm pillows.

    A woman, maybe in her fourties, entered the room together with Mama who is guiding her. The doctor smiled when she saw me.

    ¡°You have smallcerations in you vaginal walls,¡± Doctor Dizon said after checking my body. ¡°Did you just have your first intercourse?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, doc.¡±

    She was writing something, maybe a prescription. ¡°There are few instances where a woman hadcerations after consensual interaction. Usually, it is because of the sizes of their genitals of having not enough lubrication before the deed,¡± she exined. ¡°No matter what cause is, you need to be inplete bed rest for one week. Limit your physical activities, and no sex.¡±

    Doctor Dizon handed Kelleon a paper. ¡°These are the medicines for the pain,ceration, and fever. I¡¯ll check up on you after a week, but I will call you every three days to monitor your fever and the pain.¡±

    The checkup was finished shortly. I covered myself withyers of duvet. Finally, it gave me the warmth I was looking for. The bath earlier really helped me.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± Kelleon called me, making me turn my head to him.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked. My whole body is covered up to my nose. My eyes and forehead are the only ones visible to him.

    ¡°I will go out to buy these medicines. Cloud¡¯s not here and I can¡¯t order Mama to do it. The maids are on a day off,¡± he exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I answered. ¡°You can go.¡±

    ¡°Will you be fine here? I can¡¯t leave you like this,¡± he responded while checking my temperature.

    I caressed his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go on and buy those medicines, okay? Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    He gave me a long kiss before saying goodbye. When the door closed, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and scroll in the inte to ease my boredom.

    After minutes of scrolling, a notification for a video call from Althea popped up. I immediately answered it and her face greeted me.

    ¡°Hi, Althea! I miss you,¡± I said while positioning the camera so that she can see me.

    ¡°Miss ka na rin namin, girl,¡± she replied. (We also miss you, girl.)

    ¡°How are you? Is that Kelleon taking care of you properly?¡± she asked before the screen loads for screen sharing.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m well taken care of and they¡¯re spoiling me,¡± I said and added a smallugh.

    ¡°By the way,¡± I showed her the engagement ring that Kelleon gave to me. ¡°Kelleon and I are engaged. We¡¯re getting married.¡±

    Althea¡¯s jaw dropped. Her mouth was hanging open for seconds before speaking.

    ¡°For real?!¡± she eximed. ¡°Oh, my god! When is the wedding?¡± she asked with excitement.

    I smiled. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet, but we¡¯ll talk more about it when we already captured that Denisse.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any leads about that woman? Is she in Spain?¡± Althea asked while clicking some things on the screen before it stopped on a picture.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re now moving and hopefully, our n will work.¡±

    Althea zoomed the photo on the screen she is sharing. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re getting married, but I actually called you because of this.¡±

    The photo in the screen is Kelleon, together with Cloud, and another man who has some resemnce on my boyfriend¡¯s bestfriend.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± I asked.

    Althea scratched her hair before answering. ¡°I saw this in the inte while stalking the profile of that Cloud,¡± she said.

    ¡°The thing that caught my attention here is this man,¡± she added while pointing her cursor to the unknown man¡¯s face and circling it.

    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Althea asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. I think I haven¡¯t seen him before.¡±

    Althea hit her camera with her finger as if she is trying to hit me, virtually.

    ¡°We already met this guy,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? In our field trip in VGC McKinley?¡±

    I squinted my eyes, trying to remember that man¡¯s face in my college memories. I¡¯m good at remembering people¡¯s name, but not their faces.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I trailed off. ¡°Is that the man who showed us the way back to ourne?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re almost right,¡± she said. ¡°He was not that man. He is just with that man.¡±

    I tilted my head as memories of that day started toe back.

    ¡°The masked man with him is the one who pointed us the direction and guided us,¡± Althea said, giving a sudden click on my brain to remember everything.

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± I eximed. ¡°The one who gave me his wallet. I remember that. I didn¡¯t see his face, though.¡±

    The man who helped us when we were lost during our trip was wearing a ck mask, covering his nose and mouth. I remember him wearing a ck tuxedo like he is going to a meeting. His hair is brown and long that it reached his shoulders.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What about it?¡± I asked her.

    She grinned at me. ¡°I stalked the profile of this man and figured out that his name is Clint,¡± she answered. That name rings a bell. I remember Chyna telling me that name.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I discovered that he working for your fianc¨¦. And right now, I have a hunch,¡± she stopped talking, making me crave for her next words.

    I took a deep breath. ¡°What hunch?¡±

    She leaned towards the camera before speaking.

    ¡°That masked man might be Kelleon, and he might have known you for years.¡±

 Who Took The Photo?

    CHAPTER 42: Who Took The Photo?

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I WAS in full bed rest for three days. Kelleon didn¡¯t leave my side from that moment he went home from buying the medicines. He was with me while I¡¯m eating and resting. He also joined me in taking a bath because he doesn¡¯t want to lose me from his sight. It was quite a torture for him when we¡¯re bathing, I can say. He really did his best to control himself.

    I think he deserves a reward after all of this¡­

    Those days were supposed to be boring since all I did is to sleep, eat, use my phone, and rest. But Kelleon, Mama Thea, and Papa Killian made me enjoy it as they made sure that I won¡¯t get bored. We talked about every topic we could think of. They even decided to eat in the bedroom just so I don¡¯t have to move downstairs to eat with them.

    Fortunately, Doctor Dizon told me that I can now move, walk, and continue my usual routine. I just have to refrain from doing intimate things with Kelleon.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± I heard Kelleon called me while I was petting a white cat. I looked to him.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked.

    He walked towards me and bent his knee so that we can be on the same level. His eyes looked down on the cat ying on myp.

    ¡°Why are you sitting on the ground, mi amor? It¡¯s dirty,¡± he said while caressing my hair.

    I leaned to his shoulders. ¡°I sat on a small mat, like the one in Mama¡¯s office,¡± I answered. ¡°Did you already finished your work?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yup. I looked for you in the living room but the maid said that you went outside,¡± he responded before looking at the cat again. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±

    I turned my head to the cat that¡¯s purring. ¡°I saw her right there,¡± I said as I pointed the huge trees on the other side of the pathway.

    Kelleon touched the cat¡¯s neck. The feline creature didn¡¯t mind it and maybe it thought that Kelleon was giving him neck scratches.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a cor,¡± he looked at me before smiling. ¡°Do you want to keep her?¡±

    My eyes twinkled because of excitement. ¡°Really?!¡± I eximed. ¡°I can keep her?¡±

    He nodded before kissing my forehead. ¡°Of course. Mama¡¯s also fond of cats and dogs. We can keep her as our pet, or maybe our first child,¡± he said and followed it with a yful wink.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I turned my head to the cat who¡¯s busy kneading my legs.

    ¡°Do you want that, baby catto?¡± I asked with a small and cute voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to be your mommy! Do you want that?¡±

    As if it understood me, she replied with a meow before clinging into my right arm. She extended her other paw to reach for Kelleon.

    ¡°I¡¯m your Dad, baby cat,¡± Kelleon said while ying with the cat¡¯s paw. He looked at me. ¡°How should we call her?¡±

    I was silent for a few moments while thinking of a cute name for my child. A few pet names came into my mind before finally deciding what to call her.

    ¡°Pochi!¡± I eximed. ¡°We¡¯ll call her Pochi!¡±

    He petted the cat who jumped in front of him andy down on the ground. ¡°Why Pochi? I haven¡¯t heard of that name before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorite candies. It¡¯s the soft one in pink and white color covered with sugar,¡± I answered. ¡°I think that name¡¯s cute and it suits her because of her white fur and pinkish nose.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Pochi, it is.¡±

    Kelleon asked me to go to the exclusive park inside their subdivision. We walked to get there. He insisted that we should just ride his car but I told him that it¡¯s just a short distance. Besides, Doctor Dizon told me that walking can help me adjust my body after days of resting.

    While walking, the conversation I had with Althea before showed up in my mind. I want to ask Kelleon about it but I don¡¯t know how to start. Sometimes, I asked questions if he already stayed in the Philippines before and what he did there. His answers are all about business.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called his name while we were sitting down on the bench, watching our child ying the grass by herself.

    ¡°Do you have any updates about Alejandro?¡± I asked. I felt him stiffened for a bit before looking at me. His stare is the dangerous one like he is going to attack somebody.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked innocently when he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Do you have an update?¡± I asked him again.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked back, making me confused.

    ¡°What why?¡± I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows.

    Kelleon moved his hand to the back of the bench while his other hand cupped my chin. He looked at my eyes intently. Although I don¡¯t want to cut our stares, I have to take a look at Pochi every minute to check her.

    ¡°Why are you asking for an update about him? Are you concerned about his well-being?¡± he asked.

    That was the dumbest question I heard today. I want tough at his face but I chose to hold it back. He is taking this with all seriousness, so I must do the same.

    ¡°I¡¯m not concern about him,¡± I answered. ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is that several days have passed after the start of our n, but Denisse still hasn¡¯t showed up. I¡¯m starting to think that Alejandro is already here in Spain.¡±

    He was speechless for a moment before slowly smiling like an idiot. He just switched from one emotion to another like it was nothing!

    His hand moved to my cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, mi amor. I made sure that he won¡¯t be able to enter Spain,¡± he answered. ¡°And about Denisse, be patient. I know her moves ¨C our spy is informing me everyday.¡±

    I felt relieved and somehow d when I heard that. ¡°Really? Did she already know about our engagement?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, mi amor. That news reached her ears,¡± he responded. ¡°Just a few days and this wille to an end. I¡¯m sure of that.¡±

    He spoke with a victorious smile on his lips. I don¡¯t have any idea on what Kelleon knows about Denisse, but what¡¯s important is that the news reached her. That is the switch in our n.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, cari?o,¡± I spoke. ¡°I wish that everything will go well.¡±

    He hugged me from the side and kisses my neck. I can feel that he¡¯s horny, but trying to hold back because of my situation. He licked and sucked my neck, which still has the marks he gave me that night. Good thing that there are only a few people in the park and they¡¯re far from us.

    ¡°Cari?o, can I ask a question?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re already asking a question, mi amor.¡±

    I pouted and leaned away from him to see his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯refortable with this question but,¡± I stopped for a moment while thinking if I should ask this.

    I sighed. ¡°How did you and Denisse met?¡± I asked.

    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh that?¡± he said as if it was not serious. ¡°I met her in mypany.¡±

    My lips formed into an o-shape. ¡°She worked for you?¡± I asked.

    Kelleon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Supposed to be,¡± he answered. ¡°She went to mypany to apply as a secretary. It just happened that I was there while she was falling in line for the job.¡±

    He sighed, like he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°I epted her immediately without her undergoing the usual recruitment process. We casually talked for a few days before I asked her to be my girlfriend.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°That was fast. You fell in love with at first sight?¡±

    ¡°You could say that,¡± he answered.

    I pouted. I somehow felt sad. When he met Denisse, he immediately fell in love with her. On the other hand, I still have insecurities that he just loves me because I look like Denisse.

    Kelleon must have noticed my silence after he answered my question. He cupped my face and kissed my lips.

    ¡°I love you, Lia. What happened between Denisse and I are already in the past,¡± he spoke while staring at my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t love her anymore. Heck, I didn¡¯t even really loved her.¡±

    My eyes furrowed at what he said. ¡°But you just said that you fell in love with her at first sight,¡± I told him.

    He just chuckled and stared at me for a moment like he was thinking of something. I moved my head to the side and look over his shoulders to check our child. Thankfully, she is still busy scratching the wooden chair.

    ¡°Mi amor, you went to VGC McKinley before, right?¡± he asked out of nowhere. I want kind of confuse because of his question but I still answered it.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°For a field trip. Am I right?¡±

    I was even more confused. ¡°Yeah¡­ How did you know that? As far as I remember, I didn¡¯t tell you about that.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Of course, I know about that. I saw you that day, mi amor. And you saw me, too.¡±

    I looked at him doubt, thinking that he must be joking. If I already met him before, then I won¡¯t be able to forget him! He immediately became my crush when I saw him in the beach during my vacation. I¡¯m sure the same thing would happen if I met him during my field trip!

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember meeting you at that time.¡±

    I suddenly remember Althea¡¯s hunch. I was unsure of it at first, but now that Kelleon is telling me this, I¡¯m starting to believe that it¡¯s true.

    Kelleon and the masked man both have blond hair. They have the same body built although Kelleon is a little bit bulkier. The masked man hair is long, unlike Kelleon¡¯s.

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing a green shirt. That must be your batch shirt. You¡¯re hair is in braids and you have your purple sling bag with you. You¡¯re phone that time is in Pokemon design.¡±

    My jaw dropped. All of those details he said were correct. That was really what I wore that day. Those were my things way back that time.

    He spat out a smallugh before cupping my face. ¡°Do you remember the photo we discovered in Doctor Andres¡¯ box?¡±

    I nodded slowly.

    ¡°I was the one who took that photo, mi amor.¡±

 The Past

    CHAPTER 43: The Past

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    I FELT LIKE I suddenly became deaf after I heard what Kelleon said. Yeah, I heard it, but my mind suddenly lost its signal that it can¡¯t process what he said to me.

    Kelleon was just right there, staring at me and waiting for me to respond. After a short while, he touched my chin and pushed it up to close my open mouth.

    ¡°Cat got your tongue, mi amor?¡± he teasingly said as if he didn¡¯t tell me something shocking earlier.

    I leaned back from him and just stared at his face that¡¯s full of amusement. He pursed his lips, trying to hold back a smile.

    ¡°You took what?¡± I asked after I finallyposed myself.

    He let out a chuckle. ¡°I took that picture of you, mi amor,¡± he answered.

    ¡°What? How?¡± I questioned him while still thinking if I really met him that time.

    ¡°I was there near you, of course,¡± he answered before taking his phone out from his pocket. He scrolled there for a couple of seconds before showing the screen to me.

    ¡°Look,¡± he showed a photo of young me and swiped the screen to the left. Another picture of me shed on the screen, still wearing the same outfit and took from a different angle. The only difference is my reaction.

    In the first picture he showed to me, I was sitting on a small bench while biting on my hamburger. On the next photo, my mouth my opened because I was talking to Althea. On the third one, my mouth is still open, widely this time, as I wasughing like a witch.N?velDrama.Org content.

    I grabbed the phone from his hand and swiped the screen. More photos of me showed up. Some photos are taken while I was walking over the canal bridge. Others were taken while I was walking inside the mall of VGC McKinley, carrying the 7/11 foods I bought for a takeout.

    ¡°Why did you take these photos?¡± I asked. Supposed to be, I should feel creeped out because a stranger, that time, took several photos of me. But I felt different. I felt more confused but happy at the same time.

    The thought of him getting pictures of me made me think that he already likes me that time. My brain is saying that I caught Kelleon¡¯s interest without even doing anything.

    ¡°You caught my eyes, mi amor,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t take my eyes off you. Everything you did was so precious for me that I want to keep a memory of it.¡±

    I felt so touched and loved. I smiled at him before handing back his phone.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you approach me?¡± I asked. ¡°Our love story was dyed because of that. You know what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Heughed and pinched my nose gently. ¡°I was too shy to approach you,¡± he answered.

    I gave him a ¡°i don¡¯t believe you¡± look. ¡°You¡¯re the most arrogant person I know. Why would you feel shy on approaching me?¡±

    He pouted and hugged me from the side. ¡°I don¡¯t look well that time, mi amor. I looked like a bum.¡±

    Iughed at him. ¡°So you want to look good in front of me?¡±

    He nodded with determination. ¡°Of course! That would me our first meeting and I want to impress you!¡±

    ¡°But I also don¡¯t look good that time,¡± I responded. ¡°Look,¡± I said while pointing my photo. ¡°I look so stressed with my eyebags and frizzy hair. I could passed as a witch.¡±

    Kelleon kissed the side of lips before gently biting it. Oh, he¡¯s horny again.

    ¡°You look so beautiful in my eyes, mi amor. You stood up between all of thedies I met,¡± he answered. ¡°You might think that you look like garbage, but you look like a queen to me, mi marquessa.¡±

    I blushed because of what he said. My cheeks turned hot that I immediately covered it with my hands. Of course, Kelleon wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to see me blushing because of him.

    He touched my hand. I thought that he will removed it from covering my face. Instead, he softly caressed it and leaned forward to me before whispering in my ear.

    ¡°I love you so much that I can¡¯t forget you after that. I love you so much that I even did an embarrassing and petty thing just for you to notice me. Te amo,¡± he said and licked my earlobe before his lips ced a kiss on my cheek.

    I turned my head to him. Our lips are just a few centimeters from each other. I can see that he¡¯s trying to stop himself from kissing me. He licked his lips while staring lovingly in my eyes.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I cupped his face softly. I stared back at his eyes. When I first saw him in his house, his eyes looked so familiar. I looked at them while trying to figure out where I saw those pair of eyes before.

    ¡°You have the most beautiful eyes I¡¯ve ever seen. Do you know that?¡± I asked, giving him a warm smile.

    He chuckled. ¡°Of course. You can¡¯t take off your eyes on mine when we first met,¡± he said.

    ¡°When you kidnapped me?¡± I asked while tilting my head.

    He shook his head slowly. ¡°Nope. In VGC McKinley, mi amor. Don¡¯t you remember that?¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Wait,¡± I trailed off. ¡°I don¡¯t remember meeting you in that ce. And besides, you said that you didn¡¯t approach me!¡±

    Heughed and yfully rubbed the tip of our noses.

    ¡°Does a Michael Korrs men¡¯s purse ring a bell on you?¡±

    As he finished talking, waves of memories suddenly shed in my mind. I saw the ce where we had our college field trip. Crowds of people are walking and chatting. I was surrounded by building and I¡¯m standing on the small bridge of the VGC canal. I looked at my side and saw Althea standing there.

    ¡°Say cheese, Lia,¡± Althea spoke while holding her new phone. I smiled widely, showing my teeth.

    She signaled me to move to the side. ¡°Move a little here,¡± she said and I dly followed her.

    ¡°Side view,¡± she said and I positioned my body to the side.

    ¡°My head is aching pose,¡± Althea told me and I ced my hand on my head like it was aching and put my chin up.

    I made a lot of body poses before we finally decided to leave the bridge and go somewhere else. There already a lot of people taking pictures on the bridge and some children running.

    I pointed the Burger King stall from not a far. ¡°Let¡¯s buy burgers! I¡¯m craving for some.¡±

    Of course, since both of us are already hungry, we went to the restaurant and take out some burgers.

    We decided to walk around to see the whole picture of the VGC McKinley. This is my first time to join a field trip, and this is ourst destination so I want to enjoy it to the fullest.

    ¡°We can sit there,¡± I told Althea while pointing the vacant bench inside the mall.

    I happily took a bite on my cheeseburger and took a sip on my c. We¡¯re just quiet while eating and watching people scattering inside the mall.

    While I was throwing my trash on the nearby bin, someone dropped something in the floor. I picked it up immediately as it fell down in front of me.

    My eyes widened when I realized that it¡¯s wallet. It¡¯s heavy and think so I¡¯m sure that it has a lot of money inside.

    I stood up and saw a long-haired man in front, walking away from me, slowly. I hurriedly ran towards him.

    ¡°Sir!¡± I called him as I grabbed him arm to catch his attention.

    He turned around to face me. The man was wearing a ck mask that covers the part of his nose, down to his chin.

    His eyes looked to beautiful. They were golden, or yellow, or amber. I¡¯m not sure what specific color it is but it pops when I looked at his face.

    His eyes are the color of the rising sun, the color of the blooming sunflower, and the color of the sweet honey.

    I was stunned for a few moment. If Althea didn¡¯t poke my side, I wouldn¡¯t move nor blink.

    ¡°Ah, oh,¡± I said while trying to form a sentence.

    The man took a step forward and looked down on me, literally. His eyes were scanning me from head to toe before his sight settled on my face.

    ¡°Your wallet, sir,¡± I said when I alreadyposed myself. I extended my arms to give him his wallet back. What he did next shocked me.

    He ced his hand on top of mine, caging both the wallet and my hands. His hand were softerpared to mine. They¡¯re cold, but they feel sofortable.

    ¡°They¡¯re yours,¡± his baritone voice spoke. It sent shivers to my body and my hairs turned cold.

    ¡°No, this is not mine,¡± I answered. ¡°I saw it fell down near you.¡±

    I heard him chuckle. That small reaction made me blush. It actually feel like an aplishment for me.

    ¡°I know. But I¡¯m giving this to you,¡± he said.

    My eyes widened. I look on the wallet that¡¯s still hidden because of his hands covering it.

    Is he serious? I haven¡¯t open this thing but I¡¯m sure that it has a lot of money inside!

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t ept this,¡± I told him and pushed my hand towards his body. I can hear Althea whispering that I should tale the wallet and buy foods.

    ¡°It¡¯s not mine and it still has money inside. Besides, the wallet looks expensive. I can¡¯t ept this,¡± I added.

    But he didn¡¯t back down. When he grabbed the wallet from me, I thought that he¡¯s already epting it. However, he suddenly shoot his wallet in my tote bag.

    ¡°It¡¯s already in you bag, so it¡¯s yours,¡± he teasingly said. ¡°Take care of that. You can use the money and the card, I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± he added.

    I was stunned and don¡¯t know what to say. I can hear Althea saying that we¡¯ll go on a food shopping and it¡¯s my treat.

    The masked man ced one of his hands on my cheeks and caressed it using his thumb. It gave me a sense offort. I closed my eyes, feeling his hands on mine. I purr a little because of that.

    ¡°When we see each other again, I¡¯m hoping that this wallet is still in your possession.¡±

    I slowly nodded at him. ¡°I¡­ I will treasure this. Thank you,¡± I said and gave him the sweetest smile I have.

    His hands slowly left my skin, as if he doesn¡¯t want to let me go. He gave mest nces before walking away.

    My eyes stared at his back before he slowly faded on my sight. I sighed, clutching my bag with his wallet inside.

    I¡¯m hoping that we¡¯ll see each other again.

 The Past II

    CHAPTER 44: The Past II

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    CARRYING my cat, Pochi, on my one hand, I grabbed Kelleon¡¯s arm and pulled him towards their house. I dragged him to that ce, wanting to show something to him.

    ¡°Woah, slow down, mi amor,¡± Kelleon told me while we were running on the road of the subdivision.

    I hushed him down and ran faster. Pochi started meowing in my arms. The house isn¡¯t that far from where we came from, so it didn¡¯t take us a long time to arrive.

    ¡°Good afternoon, my lord, mydy,¡± the maids and guards of the Gonzales Family greeted us when we entered.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I smiled at them while running. The head maid of the house, together with Cloud, opened the main door as we rushed inside.

    My feet stopped when we already reached our room. I put Pochi down and let my boyfriend¡¯s arm go.

    ¡°That thing is just right here,¡± I muttered while opening the drawers that have my things inside.

    Kelleon walked beside me and looked inside the drawers. ¡°What thing are you looking for, mi amor?¡± he asked. ¡°I can help.¡±

    I put my index finger on his lips. ¡°Shh. Shh. Let me do this. I can find it myself,¡± I said before opening the drawer that has my handmade bags inside.

    I looked into every bag to find that thing. Thankfully, after opening three of those bags, I already found it.

    ¡°Here!¡± I eximed excitedly while showing Kelleon what I found.

    His eyes widened when he saw what I am holding. Kelleon even blinked a lot of times, as if he can¡¯t believe what¡¯s in front of him.

    ¡°This is yours, right?¡± I asked, handing him the wallet.

    He slowly raised his hand and touched the wallet I¡¯m holding. I let it go when it is already in his hand. Kelleon opened the wallet by unbuttoning it and sliding the zipper, revealing what¡¯s inside.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t use the money. I think those are still yours. I didn¡¯t use the card, either. That¡¯s because I don¡¯t know how,¡± I exined.

    Kelleon counted the bills inside. ¡°Thirty-two thousand pesos,¡± he said before looking at me. ¡°You really didn¡¯t spend any of this?¡±

    ¡°You still remember the amount inside your wallet?¡± I asked back, even if I know that Kelleon has a sharp memory.

    He chuckled. ¡°I told you that these are already yours, right? Why didn¡¯t you use it?¡±

    I pouted and put my hands in my waist. ¡°Because it¡¯s not mine!¡± I answered. ¡°I don¡¯t ept money from strangers, unless I was the one who asked. And I won¡¯t ept money from strangers, especially if the amount was a lot!¡±

    He grabbed the two ck cards from the wallet and smiled. ¡°So this is why they informed me that these cards are already dormant,¡± he said.

    I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. ¡°Dormant? What do you mean?¡±

    He ced it back inside before answering. ¡°When you didn¡¯t use a card for a long time, it will became dormant and locked. You need to purchase using the card to avoid that.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I reacted, scratching my nape. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about it, hehe.¡±

    Suddenly, Kelleon grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. Our bodies touched and he caged me using his arms. His hands were ced on my back as he ced a kiss on my forehead.

    I heard him chuckling so I looked up at him while he was swaying our bodies.

    ¡°What¡¯s with theugh?¡± I asked while pouting because I thought that he wasughing at me.

    He pursed his lips. ¡°I just realized that I became dumb when ites to you,¡± he answered.

    My furrowed eyebrows raised. ¡°Huh? What did I do?¡±

    Kelleon sat on the bed and ced me on hisp. I straddle him and encircled my arms on his neck, while his hands rested on my waist.

    ¡°When I first met her, I didn¡¯t even checked if she was really you,¡± he said.

    I think that he means Denisse when he said ¡®her¡¯. I want to ask more questions, but I decided to let him talk.

    ¡°A week after I saw you in VGC, I tasked my men to find you. However, Cloud and I became so busy that I wasn¡¯t able to monitor their search,¡± he added.

    My eyes widened. ¡°You searched for me?¡± I asked while pointing myself. ¡°Why?¡±

    He smiled softly. ¡°I want to marry you,¡± he answered.

    I tried to hide my blushing face. My face heated up and my mind suddenly created scenarios of me and Kelleon getting married.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t even know me¡­ We just had a short interaction,¡± I answered. ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯m that right woman?¡±

    Kelleon cupped my face and stared at me lovingly. ¡°The first time Iid my eyes on you, my heart knew that you¡¯re the one. You made me feel things that I haven¡¯t felt before. You made me concern on how I look even if I already look perfect in my eyes. You made me question my personality that I have to improve myself. You made me strive more for my dreams,¡± he answered and gave me a kiss.

    ¡°Actually, that was not the first time I saw you,¡± he added. ¡°The first one is on the road. You were on a jeepney and I was on my car. I was thankful that I wasn¡¯t the one driving back then. I would¡¯ve hit something since I¡¯m staring at you unconsciously.¡±

    ¡°At first, I thought that was a sudden attraction and it will go away. But I was wrong,¡± he chuckled and caressed my face. ¡°You stayed on my mind every second of the day. I can¡¯t even sleep without thinking of you and imagining that you¡¯re beside me.¡±

    ¡°I told myself that if I see you again, I will take my shot. If we didn¡¯t, then maybe, we¡¯re not meant to be. Months after that, I saw you again. In VGC this time.¡±

    ¡°My n on approaching you was turned into waste because I was nervous. I don¡¯t want to look awkward in front of you. But I can¡¯t let that day pass without you noticing me, so I intentionally dropped my wallet near you.¡±

    My mouth formed an o-shape. ¡°You really dropped that?¡± I asked.

    He nodded. ¡°It sounds so petty, but yes. I did that on thinking that you will notice me.¡±

    I pinched his cheeks and I felt the warmth in it. I leaned towards him and kissed his lips.

    ¡°When I saw you again in Spain, I didn¡¯t think twice to make you my girlfriend. I didn¡¯t even checked if that¡¯s you. When I saw your face, my feelings for you suddenly came rushing,¡± he continued on speaking. ¡°Even though I noticed that something was wrong, I didn¡¯t think about it. My mind was conditioned on giving everything that you want and shower you with my love, so that you won¡¯t leave me.¡±

    ¡°I want to marry you, as soon as possible, that time. But Mama stopped me. She said that I was being impulsive that I didn¡¯t notice that you, I mean, Denisse, is just staying for my money. That I didn¡¯t notice how bad her character is.¡±

    He let out a sadugh. ¡°I got mad at Mama. I thought she was just doing that because you didn¡¯te from a nobel family like ours. But wepromised that I will marry her when she already got a permanent job and prove herself to my parents.¡±

    Kelleon stopped talking and hugged me. He buried his face on my chest, like he was earning his strength from that.

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful that I listened to Mama. Bad things happened because of that, but it was all worth it,¡± he looked up at me. ¡°I met you again, and you finally became mine. I forgot the pain of yesterday because of you, mi amor.¡±

    I cupped his face. ¡°I will make sure that you will never feel pain because of me. I will take care of you. I will love you, cari?o.¡±

    Slowly, he put me down go bed andy down beside me. He turned himself to the side so that he can face me. His arms encircled on my waist.

    ¡°When Denisse left me, she gave a letter,¡± he spoke.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I saw that,¡± I answered. I looked to him before asking. ¡°I remember, on thest part of the letter, she wants to meet you. What happened after that?¡±

    His eyes looked sad while staring at me. His breaths became heavy. It took him a long time to answer.

    ¡°We met and talked inside her car, the one I gave to her. She gave me onest chance to marry her. I told her that I want her to be sessful first, or at least get a job, or just be somehow nice to others. I already made a promise to Mama and I don¡¯t want to break that,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Denisse told me that she already have a job and investment. She said that she will just grab the proofs from her house, which was also from me. I insisted to go with her but she told me to just stay and she will be back. Since the house is just nearby, I trusted and believed her.¡±

    He stopped talking. Kelleon¡¯s grip on my waist became tighter. He sighed several times and cleared his throat.

    ¡°She didn¡¯te back. Instead, the whole car I¡¯m in bursted,¡± he continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any pain while I was burning. I saw my skin being burned and everything around me is on fire. I thought I was going to die that time.¡±

    A lone tear fell from my cheeks. ¡°Is she the one who bombed that car?¡±

    Kelleon nodded, making me more furious to that woman. ¡°Papa saw from a CCTV that it was her who nted the bomb.¡±

    I caressed his hair. Pain suddenly entered my body. My heart became heavy and my mind made pictures of Kelleon burning.

    I shook my head and closed my eyes.

    ¡°But you recovered,¡± I gave him a smile even though I feel so sad for him.

    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± he answered. ¡°But it took me a year to recover.¡±

    He touched my hand and ced them on his chest while intertwining.

    ¡°When I woke up, I found out that I wasatose for months. I thought the nightmare will end there, but I was wrong.¡±

    Kelleon kissed my the back of my head. He let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger,¡± he spoke. ¡°I was paralyzed. I couldn¡¯t even talk.¡±

    He closed his eyes like he doesn¡¯t want me to feel his pain. I cupped his face and whispered ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯ on him while calming him down.

    ¡°I felt so useless. The first thing I thought of when I woke up is you, betraying me and making me like that. I felt too much anger towards you, that my motivation to be better is to get revenge.¡±

    ¡°It took me another year to walk again. When that happened, I didn¡¯t waste any time and searched for you immediately. My men told me that you¡¯re in Barcelona, so I went home to look and seize you,¡± he exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you met me,¡± I said. Now, the pieces of the puzzle areing together. His reaction when he saw me in Barcelona now makes sense.

    At first, I thought that his reason is too shallow for him to be that angry. But after hearing everything that happened to him, I realized that he went through a lot.

    He looked so tough from the outside, but his insides were all damage because of that woman.

    And I¡¯m here to fix it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouted and hurt y-¡±

    I shushed his mouth by locking our lips. It was a deep, passionate kiss. I poured all of my love into that, covering up all of the pain and hardship he went through.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± I said when our lips separated. ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from. You¡¯re feelings are valid. Besides, you already make up for it.¡±

    He gave me a smile of relief. ¡°Te amo, mi amor.¡±

    I gave him a peck of kiss. ¡°Te amo tambien, cari?o.¡±

    I hugged him and we cuddled. Before falling asleep in his arms, thoughts of choking Denisse to death came into my mind.

    I will bury you and dance on your entrails, bitch.

 Dennisse

    CHAPTER 45: Denisse

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    A SPOONFUL of pae entered my mouth. I closed my eyes as I savor the taste of the food that coats my tongue. I heard a chuckle.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked while my mouth is still full of food. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡±

    Kelleon pursed his lips, trying to hold hisugh. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    I red at him. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯sughing at me!

    My eyes were glued at him for a long time before he startedughing. People in the restaurant started ring at us, but this idiot won¡¯t stop!

    ¡°Hoo, that was a goodugh,¡± he spoke while smiling. He was about to continue when hisugh broke through his speech.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    The waiter who was serving our dessert stopped halfway on putting the tes on the table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± I told the waiter. ¡°He just forgot to take his medicine for insanity.¡±

    At the same time the waiter already left the table, Kelleon¡¯sugh stopped. Heposed himself before getting a spoonful of the ice cream, acting like nothing happened.

    ¡°Now tell me what¡¯s so funny,¡± I told him, steepling my fingers and leaning towards him.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice it, right?¡± he asked with a yful smile on his lips.

    I titled my head to the side. ¡°Didn¡¯t notice what?¡± I asked.

    He licked his lips before speaking. ¡°I used my spoon to feed you earlier.¡±

    My eyes widened on what he said. Because of my reaction, he startedughing again.

    ¡°I told you that I don¡¯t want to share utensils to anyone!¡± I eximed while ring at him.

    He pursed his lips. ¡°Mi amor, we always kiss each other, with tongue. I don¡¯t get why you don¡¯t want to share a spoon with me.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± he reacted. ¡°Our tongues and fluids are both in contact on those things. You even explore the deepest part of my mouth when we¡¯re kissing.¡±

    I massaged my temple. His words are giving me a headache. ¡°Stop saying lewd things while we¡¯re eating,¡± I said.

    It¡¯s actually fine by me, that he¡¯s talking about lewd and intimate things while on the table. However, we are in a public restaurant. There are a lot of people who can hear us!

    I leaned forward and put my lips near to his ears.

    ¡°If you behave, I will let you do anything you want to meter,¡± I whispered before licking his earlobe.

    I felt him tensed up. He cleared his throat before smiling at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be a very good boy.¡±

    THE LUNCH DATE finished without Kelleon saying any more lewd things. But even though his mouth was shut for those things, his actions are still full of pervertedness.

    He will touch my legs using his hand underneath the table and just wink at me when I caught him. His knees caressed my thighs before pinning it to the center of my legs.

    I tried my best earlier not to moan while he tempt me. He looked so innocent earlier as he made my body hot.

    ¡°Thank you for dining, Your Highness, My Lady,¡± the servers and guards greeted us as we walked outside of the restaurant.

    I cling into Kelleon¡¯s arms and smiled to them while walking away. When we¡¯re already far from the people and surrounded by parked cars, I poked his side.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he hummed as we walked in the parking lot.

    I hid my face on his biceps. ¡°I¡¯m horny,¡± I said, almost inaudible.

    I felt him looked at me. His steps slowed down. ¡°What? I can¡¯t hear you,¡± he asked. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s really asking genuinely, or he is just teasing me.

    I looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m horny.¡±

    His eyes widened for a moment before desire reced it. Kelleon grabbed me by the hips before walking faster towards his car.

    Everything was fast and I was in dazed. I¡¯m not sure if it is because I¡¯m too focused on the heat I¡¯m feeling, or if it is because Kelleon moved so fast that I can¡¯t keep up with him.

    Our lips touched as Kelleon locked the car door. His kisses are full of urgency, as if he¡¯s going to die if he can¡¯t kiss me in time.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said when our lips separated. ¡°We can just do this in bed. Let¡¯s go home first.¡±

    He grinned before touching my chin and giving me a peck of kiss. ¡°There¡¯s no need, mi amor. We can make love here, in my car.¡±

    Before I could object, he ravished my lips and yed with my tongue. We sucked each other¡¯s tongue like we were in a sword fight.

    Suddenly, I felt the cold air touching my body. When I opened my eyes and looked down, I saw myself naked. Kelleon is also topless and I noticed that our clothes were thrown to the driver¡¯s and passenger¡¯s seat.

    His tongue licked me from my lips, to my neck, and to my tits. Warmth covered the peak of my breast as he sucked one of it while pinching the other one.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± I moaned as I move my hips to his body. His other hand grabbed one of my legs and he ced his leg on top of mine. He pinned it in ce, making me unable to move my lower body.

    ¡°What make you so horny, mi amor?¡± he asked, as if he doesn¡¯t know the real reason behind it.

    My hand travelled down to his chest and looked at him with half-hooded eyes.

    ¡°You made me like this,¡± I answered before touching his shaft that is still covered with fabric.

    I felt his breath became heavier. His hand left my breast before cing it on my clit. He pinched it a little bit. It was just a small force but the pleasure is enough to arch my back.

    ¡°Tell me, mi amor,¡± he spoke while slowly teasing my clit. ¡°Does my fingers felt good on you?¡±

    I nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, yes, my lord,¡± I answered while trying to move my hips up and down. ¡°Your fingers felt so good. Finger fuck me hard, please.¡±

    His eyes darkened with desire. ¡°I love it when you beg, mi amor.¡±

    And he didn¡¯t disappoint. Kelleon pushed two of his fingers and started destroying my insides. Lewd noises of our skin hitting each other, together with the juices I emitted made me feel hotter.

    ¡°Ooh, yes!¡± I moaned, not thinking of the other people who can hear it. My mind is nk and all I could think of is the pleasure that Kelleon is giving to me.

    His head went down to my folds and started tasting them. Just one flick of his tongue made my whole body shiver.

    ¡°Ah, oh, more¡­ do me more, cari?o.¡±

    I gripped his hair and pushed it harder to my wet pussy. I didn¡¯t even think if he could still breath. All I care is the pleasure that his tongue and fingers are giving.

    I was breathing heavily. I can already feel my orgasming. I don¡¯t know where I could get some strength. I even scratched the car seats, trying to have something to hold, but it kept on sliding from my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m cumming, cari?o,¡± I spoke, almost a whisper.

    My orgasm is ready to ripped my body when Kelleon stopped. I felt that something was missing inside me for a moment that I want to punch him for leaving me hanging like that.

    However, before I could protest, I felt his long, thick, hard cock sliding inside my pussy.

    ¡°Oh! Cari?o!¡±

    My hands flew to his back as he pumped his cock inside me. Everytime he will pull, I will move my hips towards him like I don¡¯t want to let it go. I willingly epted every thrust and pleasure ripped my body as he hit my most sensitive spot.

    I don¡¯t know how long he¡¯s been fucking me, and I can¡¯t count how many times I came on his dick. Time just slowed down when I felt his cum spurting inside my pussy.

    ¡°Take it all, mi amor. My cum is all yours,¡± he whispered in my ear while giving a strong pump, pushing his cum deeper into my insides.

    We were quiet and only our breaths can be heard inside his car. Kelleon didn¡¯t pull his cock out. Instead, he started moving again while kissing my neck. Just a few momentster, he became hard inside me.

    Kelleon suddenly grabbed my hips and sat, making me rest hisp. A small, naughty smile formed on my lips when I figured out what he wants.

    ¡°Do you want me to ride you, cari?o?¡± I whispered on his ears.

    He gulped and nodded slowly. I gave him a seductive smile. My hands travelled to my breast, showing it to him, before rocking his world.

    WE WERE all smiles while driving towards the house. We decided to stay in the Gonzales Mansion until the end of the week before we move to Kelleon¡¯s own mansion in Seville, which is still under renovation for some reasons.

    We¡¯re still far from the gate of the mansion but I can already see that there¡¯s amotion happening.

    A group of people are circling the area, most of them are the guards and some personnels. Other civilians are also there, standing straight while whispering, as if themotion is nothing to them.

    But one person caught my attention. She was standing near the gate, hitting it with her hands and trying to break in.

    That woman has a face that resembles mine. That woman is the one who hurt Kelleon and hid family. The viin of our story.

    Denisse.

 Encounter

    CHAPTER 46: Encounter

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    DENISSE stopped screaming at the guards when he saw Kelleon stepped out of the vehicle. Her furious face suddenly changed. She looked like an innocent sheep, staring at my boyfriend as if she¡¯s asking for help. Just by looking at her expression, you can say that she was being bullied by the people around.

    But I knew better. We knew better. This woman in front of us is just a wolf in a sheep¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°Kelleon! Baby!¡± she screamed while running towards our direction.

    My face wrinkled when I heard her. Fires of jealousy suddenly emerged inside me that I want to grab her hair and rub her face on the ground.

    She was about to hug Kelleon. The distance between them is getting closer while she extended her arms. I looked st her and I want to spit on her fake expression. Her eyes looked so soft and her lips are pouted. Her eyebrows are arched a little bit. She looked so weak in the eyes of the people.

    Before she could touch any part of Kelleon¡¯s body, my boyfriend ced his palms towards her.

    I didn¡¯t expect it when he pushed Denisse away, literally. The force was so strong that Denisse fell down to the ground, her but hitting the concrete floor first.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± she eximed while putting her hands down for support. She closed her eyes because of the pain.

    It didn¡¯t take long for her to open her eyes. The first expression on her face showed that she is mad ¨C mad at Kelleon. However, when she realized that he is watching her, the expression she has changed into a soft, angelic one.

    ¡°Baby,¡± she spoke. ¡°Why did you push me away? It¡¯s me, Denisse, your love.¡±

    She spoke with such feminine and soft voice that people will fight for. She¡¯s a good actress, no wonder why Kelleon fell for her tricks before.

    Denisse tried to reach for Kelleon¡¯s hands. ¡°Baby, help me get up, please. My body hurts so bad,¡± sheined and added a fake sob in the end.

    Kelleon looked at her coldly before turning his head to his men. ¡°Get her up,¡± he spoke.

    The guards immediately followed his order. They walked towards Denisse and helped her stand up again.

    The face of the bitch lit up because of that. She even gave a fake smile to those who helped her before looking to Kelleon.

    ¡°I know that you really love me, baby. You still don¡¯t want me to get hurt. I¡¯m sure it was an ident when you pushed me earlier,¡± she took a step closer to him. ¡°But I will love it more if you¡¯re the one who helped me.¡±

    She pouted her lips and tried to cling into Kelleon¡¯s arms. Kelleon took a step back. He took my hand so I was moved together with him.

    ¡°Baby,¡± she called him with a pleading voice. ¡°Let me hug you. I miss you so much.¡±

    She moved closer again while extending her arms more. Kelleon pushed her arms away from him and pulled me closer. One of his hands rested on my waist.

    The angry look on Denisse¡¯s face didn¡¯t escape from my sight. I saw how a small hint of irritation and annoyance covered her face.

    Ha¡­ take that bitch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Kelleon spoke.

    Denisse¡¯s eyes moved to him. ¡°Why? You like it when I touch you, baby,¡± she spoke before smiling. ¡°Remember? You¡¯re always requesting me to hug you before.¡±

    ¡°That was before,¡± he answered with disgust evident on his voice. ¡°I hate it now.¡±

    ¡°Baby,¡± Denisse moved closer again. ¡°I m-¡±

    ¡°Move closer to me again and I¡¯ll pushed you harder that you won¡¯t be able to get up,¡± Kelleon warned.

    My head turned towards him. I saw coldness in his eyes. His jaw to tighten and his breath became heavier.

    The memory of him revealing what happened when Denisse left crossed my mind. Kelleon had experienced a lot of hardships because of this woman.

    He was bombed. He was paralyzed. He couldn¡¯t get up for almost a month. He felt useless. He was used for her own gain.

    I shook my head when my blood started to boil. I should be calm, for now. The culprit is already in front of us. One wrong move and she could escape again.

    My hands touched Kelleon¡¯s cheek. When he looked at me, I gave him a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Cari?o, I¡¯m here. We¡¯ll cross this together,¡± I said while caressing his face.

    Kelleon opened his mouth to talk but Denisse¡¯s voice interrupted us.

    ¡°Bitch!¡± she eximed.

    I looked at her. She¡¯s staring darkly at me like she¡¯s going to kill me in any minute. She¡¯s gritting her teeth and her eyebrows are furrowed.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a bitch here, it¡¯s you,¡± I pointed her using my index finger.

    I simple looked around to check if anyone from Kelleon¡¯s men are already here.

    From a far, I saw shadows of people walking towards us.

    I hope it¡¯s them¡­

    ¡°How dare you say that!¡± Denisse screamed andunched herself towards me. Before her fingers touched my hair, I saw Kelleon grabbed her by the wrist and twist it before pushing her again.

    Screams of pain covered the whole area. It didn¡¯t take long for Denisse to look up at Kelleon.

    ¡°Baby,¡± she spoke with a small voice, pleading. ¡°Why did you hurt me? You didn¡¯t hurt me before,¡± her eyesnded on me before her gaze became sharp. ¡°Is it because of this bitch? I¡¯m sure that she manipted you!¡±

    ¡°Baby, I¡¯m the real Denisse!¡± she shouted and crawl towards my boyfriend before touching his knees.

    ¡°I¡¯m your love! I¡¯m your girlfriend!¡± Denisse pointed me like a child using me of doing something bad. ¡°She¡¯s fake!¡±

    She was on her knees, doing a doe-eye while looking at Kelleon. ¡°This bitch is just pretending to be me! She just wants your money! She¡¯s a gold-digger! This bitch is fake!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the real Denisse, baby. Believe me. I know everything about you. I know that you love me so much. You¡¯re just confuse right now, hm? I¡¯ll help you clear your mind. Let¡¯s go home, baby.¡±

    Kelleon stared at her for a couple of seconds. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on his mind. I tightened my grip on his arm a little bit. I don¡¯t want to intervene. I know that he has a n.

    ¡°Of course, I know you are Denisse,¡± he spoke.

    Denisse¡¯s eyes widened and twinkled with hope. She smiled widely before getting up.

    ¡°Baby, I know that you can¡¯t forget me! Let¡¯s get married!¡± she shouted with excitement.

    ¡°Why would I?¡± Kelleon spoke with his cold voice. ¡°Why would I marry you, Denisse? Give me a reason to do it.¡±

    Her smile faded and she was silent for a moment. It was like she was still processing what he said to her. It was a sudden drop from being up on the clouds of happiness.

    ¡°Because you love me?¡± she said, unsure of her answer.

    Kelleon spat out an insultingugh. ¡°That¡¯s the most bullshit thing I heard today.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    He gripped her chin tightly while ring at her. ¡°I don¡¯t love you, Denisse. Heck, I didn¡¯t love you,¡± he spoke. ¡°I love the woman who you pretended to be.¡±

    Denisse lost all of her emotions in a snap of a finger. It was so sudden that I can say that she already dropped her facade. With her head hanging low, she took a couple of steps backwards while her hand are behind her.

    ¡°So you already know?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Took you long enough, idiot.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Kelleon asked. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± His voiced slightly raising. ¡°Why did you ruin my life?!¡±

    I hugged him from the side. ¡°Calm down, cari?o,¡± I whispered when I noticed that he¡¯s not being himself anymore. ¡°Come back to me, my lord.¡±

    His breath slowly became lighter, but the strength of his grip on Denisse stayed the same.

    Silently, I called Mama Thea and Papa Killian to went here faster. I prayed that Cloud or any of Kelleon¡¯s men will be here.

    We can¡¯t move without them. We can¡¯t hurt Denisse, not in front of these people.

    ¡°I want your money, that¡¯s why,¡± she answered briefly.

    ¡°You¡¯re willing to put him danger, just for money?!¡± I shouted. Kelleon caressed my waist to calm me down.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to kill him if needed,¡± she gave me a smug smile.

    My patience snapped with what she said. I can¡¯t let this woman alive. She¡¯d a threat not just to our rtionship, but also to Kelleon¡¯s life. Anytime, she can pretend to be me and hurt him again.

    I took a step forward and was about to p her when she suddenly pulled something from her back. It was so fast that my eyes didn¡¯t notice it immediately.

    A gun!

    My whole body suddenly trembled. All of the therapy sessions I went to was useless. Seeing a gun this close brought back all of my memories from childhood.

    Memories that were buried for a long time.

    She aimed to the person behind me. My eyes widened.

    Kelleon!

    Without having a second thought, Iunched myself infront of the gun she¡¯s holding. My hands are shaking as I hugged Kelleon and made myself a shield from the gun.

    One.

    Two.

    Three.

    Three gunshots echoed in my ear. Before darkness consumed me, I saw blood scattering behind me and heard Kelleon shouting my name.

 Jailed

    CHAPTER 47: Jailed

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    DARKNESS greeted me when I opened my eyes. Well, I¡¯m not even sure if my eyes were already opened. There is no hint of brightness in every space. I tried to blink my eyes, but the same thing greeted me whenever it is close or open.

    All ck.

    However, that darkness didn¡¯t stop me from thinking that there are people near me. I can hear small muffling sounds. I don¡¯t know where they areing from.

    Sound of footsteps and metal clicking echoed in my ear. That felt like it came from a nearby ce, but I can point which direction I should go.

    I opened my mouth, trying to ask for help. But no words came out.N?velDrama.Org content.

    I became mute. Or maybe, it was because my throat felt so dry that I can¡¯t talk. I can¡¯t even let out a small moan.

    I tried to stand up, hoping that would bump into something, maybe a door, that can lead me to the exit. I badly want to leave this ce. The darkness is making me ufortable and scared.

    Sound of metal clicking was heard while I was standing up. My wrist suddenly felt heavy and cold.

    When I noticed that I can move, I hurriedly ran to nowhere. But I haven¡¯t even made five steps when something suddenly pulled back from my previous ce.

    I felt like I was pulled too harshly. My back electrified in pain as it bumped on something hard with a lot of force.

    I raised my hand. Like earlier, they were heavy. Trying to touch my wrist using one of my hands, I did my best to find where it is.

    Something cold was touched by fingers. This things was encircled on my wrist. I tried to remove it, but it won¡¯t go through.

    While I was so upied on removing that thing on my wrist, a creaking sound was heard. With that, light entered the whole area I¡¯m in.

    I was thinking that I should feel hopeful with that, but my body has it¡¯s own mind. I unconsciously crawled to a corner and hid my self using my arms while bending my knees.

    My body is shaking uncontrobly. Tears started to fall on my cheeks and I can¡¯t look at the light.

    Am I too used to be in darkness that light scares me now?

    I felt someone moved closer to me. Their warmth is covering the coldness of the metals on my body.

    ¡°My men told me that you tried escaping. Again,¡± a man¡¯s cold voice sent shivers down to my spine.

    A hand was ced on my head. Suddenly, he grabbed my head and forced me to look up at him.

    I tried to say ¡°no¡± and plead at him, but I can¡¯t. No words came out from my mouth. It was just opened. Even my tears are sliding down inside my mouth.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not a prized possession, I would have killed you the first time you disobeyed me,¡± he said firmly before shaking my head while gripping my hair.

    ¡°I told you not to piss me off!¡± he screamed. ¡°Hardheaded! Disappointment!¡±

    His breath became heavy. I closed my eyes because simply looking at him makes me afraid. But he won¡¯t let me do it. He pped my face and forced me to open my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare close your eyes! Look at me!¡±

    He tried to pinch my eyelids and pull it up so that it will open. It hurts so much, especially when a fingernail scratched my eyelids as if it¡¯s trying to enter my eye.

    Stop! Stop!

    I want to scream, but I can¡¯t. I opened my eyes with the fear that I might go blind.

    If that happens, I won¡¯t be able to escape this ce anymore.

    His fingernails are just a few centimeters away from my eye. It was so close that I can feel the pointy end of it scratching me even though those parts have no physical contact.

    The man grinned at me. Fury is evident in his eyes but he¡¯s grinning. He didn¡¯t say anything, instead, he pped my face multiple times. Every hit was conducted with a lot of force that my cheeks went numb after the third strike.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡± I whispered in the middle of him harassing me. My voice was cracked and hoarse, and it also sounds a little pitchy, like a voice of a child.

    Suddenly, a new voice was heard. ¡°Count David, they already closed the case.¡±

    He is gritting his teeth but amusement filled his eyes. ¡°Eirha, Young Lady of the Cortez,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Do you know that your parents already stopped looking for you?¡±

    I was stunned by his statement. It didn¡¯t register on me first, but when it finally made sense, I shook my head repeatedly.

    The man grabbed my face and forced me to look up at him. He was grinning from ear to ear, like he was enjoying what¡¯s happening to me.

    ¡°For them, you¡¯re already dead. So there¡¯s no point escaping.¡±

    Anger rises inside of me. I¡¯m not dead! I¡¯m sure that Mama and Papa are still looking for me! They love me!

    ¡°Starting from today, we¡¯ll destroy your house. I¡¯ll make sure that your family will lose all of your wealth and connections. Do you know what will happen after that?¡± he smiled slowly before spatting a petrifyingugh that echoed inside the room.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be the new partner family of the Gonzales!¡± he eximed. His eyes were full of excitement and greed. ¡°The Lopez will have all of the power! We¡¯ll have the support of the Royal Family! We will be on top!¡±

    Disgusted by his words and being angered at the same time, I spit on his face before biting his arms. I made sure that my teeth will leave a deep mark on his skin. I can even taste his blood and dead skin as I bit him repeatedly.

    ¡°Stupid child!¡±

    He grabbed my hair again before mming my head into the wall. The force was too much for me to handle. Everything became blurry, but I can still feel him going for another strike.

    When my head hit the cold, hard wall for the second time, darkness consumed my whole body, so is my consciousness.

    ¡°Mama! Papa! Help me!¡± I screamed as I get up hurriedly fromying.

    Because of the sudden movement, pain suddenly ensued on my shoulder. My left hand reached for the aching part.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± a familiar voice called. I looked at my right side and I saw Kelleon looking at me with concern.

    I was taken aback on how he looked like. If it was for my words, he looks like shit.

    His hair is disheveled. He has dark circles under his eyes like he hasn¡¯t got any sleep for days. His lips are also dry, as if he hasn¡¯t drank a single drop of water.

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I reached for his face, but stopped midway because of the pain on my shoulder. ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    He stared at me for a couple of seconds before giving a reply. ¡°You happened, mi amor.¡±

    I was about to ask him, but memories of what happened before I lose my consciousness entered my mind.

    Denisse.

    Confrontation.

    Gun.

    That¡¯s right! The gun! She¡¯s going to shoot Kelleon!

    I hurriedly inspected Kelleon¡¯s body for any wounds or bullet shot. Maybe he looked like that because he lost a lot of blood!

    ¡°What are you doing, mi amor?¡± he asked while I was busy checking his body and not minding my aching shoulder.

    I looked at him and stopped on what I was doing. ¡°Denisse shot you, right? Are you okay?¡±

    He chuckled for a short time. ¡°I¡¯m fine, mi amor. And, I didn¡¯t get shot. It was you and Mama Tine who got shot.¡±

    My hands flew to my mouth when I heard that. How did that happen? Mama Tine wasn¡¯t there when we ¡®talked¡¯ to Denisse.

    ¡°Huh? Why did Mama Tine got shot? Denisse was aiming for you!¡±

    His fingers ran through his hair. ¡°She took the first bullet. It was supposed to hit me, but you covered me up. However, Mama Tine was fast. She was able to block the bullet before it hits you.¡±

    I suddenly felt guilty. ¡°Where is she? We need to visit her.¡±

    He reached for my hand and squeezed it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The wound wasn¡¯t fatal. It didn¡¯t hit any vital organs. She underwent a surgery yesterday and they¡¯re looking for a blood donor since the supply wasn¡¯t enough.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank, God.¡±

    ¡°Denisse release another bullet shot, and it hit your shoulders,¡± Kelleon spoke while staring at my wounded part.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Where is that bitch anyway?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not here anymore¡± he answered without any emotion. ¡°I shot her.¡±

    My eyes widened at what he said. My mouth slowly opened while staring at him.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked him for rifications. I might heard it wrong.

    His eyes stared deeply to mine, as if he was looking for something hidden there. ¡°She¡¯s not here anymore. I shot her.¡±

    I shook my head slowly. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have to shoot her,¡± I whispered under my breath.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, she will kill you,¡± he touched my face. ¡°I will do it again if it¡¯s needed to save you.¡±

    He said that Denisse is not here anymore. Does he mean ¡°here¡± as in the world? Is Denisse dead?

    A moment of silence ensued between the two of us. I can¡¯t think clearly. A part of me was saying that I should be d that Denisse cannot hurt Kelleon anymore. However, there¡¯s a part of me that felt guilty of what happened, saying that she doesn¡¯t deserve to die.

    Kelleon suddenly was scared of my silence. ¡°Are you angry at me, mi amor?¡±

    I stared at him. Should I be mad? He killed a human.

    I sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill her.¡±

    Suddenly, his body became stiff. I looked up at him again and saw his eyes widened.

    ¡°We could¡¯ve sent her to prison instead of killing her. I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t have a heart to do that to her even if I¡¯m very mad at her.¡±

    It was silent, but a loudughter covered the whole room.

    I looked at Kelleon with disbelief. ¡°Why are youughing?!¡± I eximed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing funny about this! You just killed a human!¡±

    He covered his mouth to stop himself fromughing, but failed miserably.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I eximed because I feel irritated at him.

    After some moments, hisughter died. I red at him while he was drying the tears ofughter in his eyes.

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he called me with a smile on his lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re an overthinker.¡±

    My forehead wrinkled at him. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± he answered.

    I titled my head to the side. ¡°But you said that you shot Denisse and she¡¯s not here with us anymore¡­¡±

    He chuckled before pinching my nose. ¡°I did. I did shot her, but she¡¯s not dead. She¡¯s not here with us because I already sent her to jail, together with her family.¡±

 Transfer

    CHAPTER 48: Transfer

    ¨C LIA ¨CC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    I FELT relieved on what Kelleon said. The burden I felt that I caused someone¡¯s death was removed from my heart.

    ¡°Thank God,¡± I whispered beforeying back on the hospital bed and closing my eyes.

    ¡°I was not fast enough to react. If I just moved fast, Mama Tine wouldn¡¯t get shot,¡± Kelleon said with a low voice.

    I touched his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, cari?o. If we have to me someone, it¡¯s Denisse.¡±

    He took a deep breath. I felt a few fingers trailing my jaw. ¡°Are you tired, mi amor? Do you want me to call a doctor?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I just felt happy that this is finally over.¡±

    ¡°Me too, mi amor,¡± I can hear his smile. ¡°We can finally get married.¡±

    I turned my head to him while pouting my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have a gunshot wound while having our wedding. It looks so uncool.¡±

    He let out a short chuckle. ¡°Then we will wait until your wound¡¯s all healed up. But I¡¯m not promising,¡± he said. ¡°I want us to get married as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°You want to marry me that much, huh?¡± I teased him while moving my eyebrows up and down.

    ¡°Yes!¡± he eximed. ¡°I will tie you to my body if that¡¯s what I need to do for you not to leave my side.¡±

    I smiled and moved closer to him. The tips of our noses touched and I rubbed it together. My hands found their way to his nape. I gave him a peck of kiss.

    But Kelleon being a horny dog, a kiss that¡¯s supposed to be short turned into a long one. He deepened our kiss by grabbing the back of my neck and head. He pulled my closer to him and ravished my lips.

    Soft moans and groans filled the room. His tongue licked the upper part of my mouth that gave me a tickling sensation. My body shivered as our tongues locked with each other.

    ¡°We should stop before it went to something more serious,¡± I spoke when our lips separated. I pointed my gunshot wound. ¡°Look, I¡¯m still wounded.¡±

    He pursed his lips. ¡°But that¡¯s just a harmless kiss.¡±

    ¡°You know that it¡¯s harmful for the both of us,¡± I answered beforeying down again.

    Kelleon reached for my hand and caressed it softly. ¡°My parents and Papa Ezekiel are having a hard time looking for a blood donor for Mama Tine.¡±

    I turned my head to him. ¡°Can¡¯t the hospital ask the blood bank?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°The blood¡¯s rare. It will take several hours for the blood from Mama Tine¡¯s family to arrive.¡±

    ¡°Can I know what blood type it is?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe I know some people who have that blood type.¡±

    ¡°Lewis A positive.¡±

    My whole body suddenly became excited when I heard his answered. A smile stered on my face.

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± I eximed while pping my hands. ¡°I can donate! We have the same blood type!¡±

    Kelleon looked at me, surprised. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I looked at him with a ¡®duh¡¯ face. ¡°That¡¯s also my blood type. You can check my Red Cross profile or have me tested.¡±

    He stood up. ¡°We should check for yourpati¨C¡± he stopped halfway. ¡°Wait, you have a gunshot wound. You can¡¯t donate your blood.¡±

    ¡°Only a doctor can say that,¡± I get up from the bed. ¡°I was only shot on the shoulder. Besides, I think I didn¡¯t lost a lot of blood.¡±

    ¡°Mama Tine needs it now. And if the doctor said that it¡¯s safe for me, then I¡¯ll donate my blood.¡±

    Kelleon looked hesitant. He ran his fingers through his hair while sighing. ¡°I can¡¯t risk it¨C¡±

    ¡°That is why we will ask for the professional¡¯s advice,¡± I stood up and cupped his face to look at me. ¡°If the doctor said that I can¡¯t donate, then I won¡¯t. I promise.¡±

    He closed his eyes before our foreheads touched. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll ask the doctor.¡±

    FORTUNATELY, the doctor named Doctora Guillermo, who is a distant rtive of Papa Killian, exined that my wound is not fatal and only a few amount of blood was lost because Kelleon was fast enough to drive me to the hospital.

    I got the permission I needed from the doctor and then drew a sample of my blood to check if Mama Tine and I arepatible.

    ¡°I hope that the result will be positive,¡± I said while staring at the nurse walking away from us. ¡°We can¡¯t wait for more hours just to find a blood donor.¡±

    A hand touched my waist and pulled me closer. Kelleon buried his face on my neck. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can donate even when wounded.¡±

    I ran my fingers through his hair. ¡°Let¡¯s be d that I¡¯m in a good shape. Plus, Mama Tine will now have a donor if the result said that we¡¯repatible.¡±

    He turned his head to look up at me. ¡°By the way, when did you found out that you have a Lewis A Positive blood type?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, I caught dengue when I was nine years old,¡± I answered, reminiscing that difficult time of my life. ¡°It was so severe that I needed to have more blood since my telets and red blood cells count is so low.¡±

    Kelleon suddenly sat straight while staring at me. ¡°Did you find a donor?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°We didn¡¯t. The doctors said that my blood type is rare and the blood banks here don¡¯t have that kind of blood.¡±

    ¡°I was just lucky that my heart pumps fast that it can supply more blood throughout my whole body. It took a few days for me to have a normal blood count. Thankfully, I recovered from that illness.¡±

    Kelleon hugged me from the side. ¡°Thank god for that,¡± he kissed my cheek a couple of times. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen to me if that illness¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh¡­¡± I cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m alive until now. Those illness can¡¯t kill me. Besides, that¡¯s been several years before. Let¡¯s just don¡¯t talk about it and talk about more importantly things.¡±

    ¡°Like our wedding?¡± he said while grinning.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s important. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying,¡± I answered, earning a frown from him.

    He snorted. ¡°What are the other important things? All I know is our wedding, our future family, and of course, you and I having our best times in bed,¡± he was grinning from ear to ear while talking.

    I yfully hit his bicep. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Denisse and her family.¡±

    ¡°That does not seem important to me.¡±

    I looked at him in the eye. ¡°Care to exin why her family is in jail with her?¡±

    ¡°Simple. They¡¯re the mastermind of that wicked n perfectly executed by Denisse,¡± he exined. ¡°Her father made Denisse, his illegitimate daughter, to copy your face in order to marry me.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What? I don¡¯t even know his father.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t know him, but he knew that I was looking for you,¡± he answered. ¡°Some months after our first meeting in Venice McKinley, I startedmanding my men to find more information about you and bring you to me because I n to marry you. Count David Cantos might have heard about that search and used it as an opportunity.¡±

    My head hurts after that. ¡°Why? Why would he use his own daughter? For wealth?¡±

    Kelleon caressed my back softly. ¡°Not just for wealth, but also for power and connections,¡± he answered. ¡°You see, our family is one of the most powerful family in Spain. We¡¯re one of the main supporters of the Crown and the King favored us. It¡¯s not shocking that a bastard like Count David Cantos wille up with that sick n just to be connected to us, the Gonzales.¡±

    ¡°Woah, I suddenly felt pressured,¡± I reacted. I didn¡¯t expect that his family will be that powerful in Spain. To actually have the King¡¯s favor, they are really something.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, mi amor,¡± he kissed my lips before pulling away. ¡°You¡¯re already above my standard. The only thing that I¡¯m pressuring you is about our wedding.¡±

    I chuckled at his answer. ¡°I also want us to get married as soon as possible. But we have to settle some things for now.¡±

    He smiled at me, content with my answer. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make sure that everything is settled before nning our wedding.¡±

    I¡¯m restingmy head on his chest, when a thought cross my mind. ¡°By the way, do you have a picture of that Count?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I have. But for what?¡± he asked, confused.

    My mind went back to the memory that resurfaced while I was unconscious. ¡°Before I woke up earlier, I had this dream,¡± I answered. ¡°No, not a dream. A suppressed memory, rather. I heard the name Count David in that memory, but there¡¯s no surname. I just want to check if that¡¯s him.¡±

    Kelleon stared at me for a couple of seconds before speaking. ¡°What was happening in that memory of yours?¡±

    I can feel his uneasiness in his voice. I was having second thoughts. If ever that it was confirmed that the Count David we¡¯re talking about is the same, then I¡¯m sure that Kelleon will not let this passed. He can do much worse things to them.

    ¡°The man¡­,¡± I huped, making me stop for a moment. ¡°He was beating me.¡±

    I saw how his fists clenched. He was gritting his teeth. I can sense that he was very mad, but I continued.

    ¡°He said that I am a prized possession, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t kill me. He said that he will target my parents after me so that he can get close to your family. He said your family and his will be partners,¡± I answered while stopping my hands from shaking. Bullets of sweats were created on my forehead.

    While caressing my back, Kelleon opened his phone and typed something. After a few moments, he stopped before slowly showing the screen to me.

    My eyes widened when the photo became clear on my eyes. That man, is the same as the one I saw in my memories, just a bit older.

    ¡°Is it him?¡± Kelleon asked with the cold voice he used in our first meet.

    I slowly nod my head. He typed something on his phone before taking a deep a breath.

    ¡°Cari?o?¡± I called him when he was silent for a minute.

    He looked at me slowly and gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt you anymore, mi amor. I¡¯ll make sure of that,¡± he said before chuckling.

    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have a hunch, but I won¡¯t tell you about it for now,¡± he kissed my jaw and suck the skin on my neck. The force was not enough to create a mark, but it made my skin a bit red which disappeared after some moments.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t ask,¡± I spoke. ¡°How about Alejandro? What will happen to him?¡±

    ¡°I stripped everything. From wealth, to connections, to power. He will also be jailed for attempted murder. He was the one to told Denisse to bomb me,¡± he answered.

    My hands cupped his face and was about to kiss him when a doctor and nurse walked to us.

    ¡°What a nuisance,¡± Kelleon whispered. I pinched his nose before looking at the hospital staffs.

    ¡°How¡¯s the result, Doc?¡±

    Doctora Guillermo smiled at me, giving a good news. ¡°Your blood¡¯spatible. We can started the blood donating process now, if you permits.¡±

    I nodded and squeezed Kelleon¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m ready to donate, doc.¡±

 Family

    CHAPTER 49: Family

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    THE BLOOD transfer was a sess. Everything was in order, aside from the fact that I felt somehow dizzy after the procedure.

    ¡°What are you feeling, mi amor?¡± Kelleon asked while he is escorting me inside my room. ¡°Do you want me to call a doctor?¡±

    He ced his hand on my forehead before helping me onying down on the bed. He adjusted the height of the pillow before covering my body, up to my shoulders, with nket.

    My boyfriend¡¯s really the sweetest¡­

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m feeling dizzy,¡± Iined as I closed my eyes. The light from the bulb is too bright and I can¡¯t look at it.

    Kelleon caressed my temple, and then massaged it softly. ¡°That¡¯s normal after blood transfusion. I read in a book that it will go away after half an hour,¡± he exined. ¡°But if you¡¯re still dizzy after one hour, I will call the doctor to check on you.¡±

    I slowly nodded. ¡°This is my first time to donate some blood, but not the first time I lose some,¡± I chuckled at the thoughts running in my head. ¡°I also felt dizzy everytime I was shot or stabbed during our operations.¡±

    Even with my eyes close, I can feel Kelleon frowning. ¡°That¡¯s not funny, mi amor. I¡¯m now thinking of stopping you from doing that job.¡±

    My eyebrows became stiff. I opened my eyes and red at him. He suddenly was shocked, and scared at the same time, with my action.

    ¡°Now that you said that, I¡¯m thinking of leaving you.¡±

    Kelleonunched himself at me. He buried his face on my neck before hugging my body. He hugged me so tight like I was going to run away and hide from him forever.

    ¡°I¡­,¡± his hug became tighter. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from doing police operations, I promise. Just don¡¯t leave me, mi amor,¡± he said while his face is still on my neck.

    My eyes widened when I felt something wet touching my skin. I looked down on Kelleon to see his face, but his hair is blocking the way.

    Is he crying?

    ¡°Cari?o,¡± I called him and gently caressed his back. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. I¡¯m not leaving you.¡±

    He shook his head. The wet feeling on my neck was scattered to more parts as he did that.

    ¡°You can do whatever you want. I won¡¯t stop you. Just don¡¯t leave me alone. I don¡¯t know what will happen to me if you leave me,¡± his voice cracked at thest sentence he said.

    ¡°Shh, cari?o. It¡¯s okay. That won¡¯t happen, hmm?¡± I tried to cheer him up. ¡°Leaving you is not on my n. We¡¯re going to get married, right? Then make our own family.¡±

    I cupped his face gently. Small drops of tears are still in his cheeks. He tried to hide them but I was fast to dried those tears with my thumb.

    ¡°There. I¡¯m just joking earlier,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°When I confessed to you that I love you, I already marked you as mine. I have no n of leaving you today, tomorrow, or on the next years toe. And I have no n of letting go away from me. You¡¯re mine and I¡¯m yours. I will kick your balls if you leave me.¡±

    Thankfully, that made himugh. He touched my face before leaning forward to me and nting several kisses on it. His lips touched mine. They were inseparable for some moments before Kelleon smiled.

    ¡°I want us to get married on Basillica of Santa Maria del Mar,¡± he said with twinkles in his eyes.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I moved closer to him. The dizziness faded and I feel morefortable. Well, asfortable as a patient can be.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that located? Is that a church?¡± I asked. That ce is unfamiliar to me. I haven¡¯t visited to churches in Spain. The only one I remember is the Bas¨ªlica de Sagrada Fam¨ªlia. Kelleon toured me in that church, as well as in the tourist spots near it.

    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s located here in Barcelona. That church is a beauty, having a Catn Gothic style. Besides, it can upy hundreds of people, which is good because I n to invite a lot in our wedding,¡± he said while beaming as if he was thinking of a really good n.

    ¡°Tell me, how many guests are you nning to invite?¡± I asked while giving him a doubting look.

    Kelleon was about to respond when a mature woman¡¯s voice spoke.

    ¡°Three thousand!¡± Mama Thea eximed. ¡°Oh, wait,¡± she steepled her hands and looked like she was thinking deeply. ¡°That¡¯s not enough. I¡¯d say five thousand guests!¡±

    My jaw was hanging as I stared at Kelleon¡¯s parents sitting on the sofa beside my bed. Papa Killian is carrying a basket of fruits which he put down on the table before cing himself beside his wife.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too many?¡± I asked. I was thinking of only a hundred guests, or maybe just the close friends and family.

    Mama Thea looked at me with a judging look. ¡°Oh, mi hija! I could invite all nobilities in Spain and other European countries to attend your wedding!¡± she was beaming with excitement. ¡°Oh, wait! We should invite the Royal Family! Oh my god! I¡¯ll call the Queen!¡±

    Kelleon and his father chuckled. Papa Killian pinched his wife¡¯s nose whileughing softly.

    ¡°Mi vida, I know that you¡¯re excited. But let us let them decide. Besides,¡± he looked at my wrist which was covered with bandage. ¡°Lia is still recovering. Let¡¯s talk about the details of the wedding once she and your amiga is discharged. How about that, hmm?¡±

    Mama Thea pouted. ¡°Okay, fine. But I¡¯m still sticking on the five thousand guests.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Mama,¡± Kelleon looked at his mother while peeling the oranges for me. ¡°How¡¯s Mama Tine? Is she already awake?¡±

    Mama shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious. Although the doctors said that she¡¯s fine and just resting, we cannot help but get worried,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Ezekiel is so worried. He won¡¯t leave his wife¡¯s side even if I told him to eat first. He looks so tired earlier,¡± Papa Killian added.

    Guilt suddenly covered my heart. ¡°Mama Tine wouldn¡¯t get hurt if not because of me.¡±

    A hand caressed my back while Kelleon touched my hand and intertwined it with his.

    ¡°Mi hija, don¡¯t think like that. Celestine chose to do that to save you,¡± Mama Thea said before offering a grape for me to eat.

    Papa Ezekiel nodded as a support to his wife¡¯s statement. ¡°Celestine will be mad if you continue to me yourself for what happened. Just thank her once she wakes up.¡±

    ¡°I know how brave my best friend is,¡± Mama Thea spoke. ¡°She is like a hero in a story. Always trying to save everyone,¡± she smiled. ¡°You know, this is not the first time such thing happened. Tine was also shot before in the leg because she tried to save a kid from being hostage.¡±

    I was in awe. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s really something.¡±

    Mama Thea smiled at me. ¡°She is. Ezekiel always have a hard time because of this trait of her. He¡¯s scared that a time wille that his wife will be in worse situation because of her love to save people. He said that he¡¯s already used to it but he can¡¯t help but to worry.¡±

    While listening to Mama Thea and Papa Killian talk about how Mama Tine loves to save and help people, I can¡¯t help but to admire her. Between Mama Tine and her husband, I will think that Papa Ezekiel is the one with that characteristic.

    ¡°Mi amor, ahh,¡± Kelleon spoke while trying to feed me with an orange. I opened my mouth and ate it with a heart.

    We didn¡¯t noticed that hours already passed. We were so busy talking about any random topic that we can think of. I noticed that we haven¡¯t talked about Denisse or her family, which is good for me. I don¡¯t want to ruin the atmosphere just because of them.

    A knock interrupted our discussion. Doctora Guillermo entered the hospital room with the same female nurse behind her. Her eyesnded on me first before looking at the Gonzales Family.

    ¡°Madam Celestine is already awake,¡± she spoke, making everyone beamed with happiness.

    I hurriedly got up. ¡°We should visit her now!¡±

    The doctor smiled at me while Kelleon and Mama Thea were helping me stand up. ¡°I actuallye here not just to break the news, but to also ask you toe with us in Madam Celestine¡¯s room. I have another news to tell.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mama Thea spoke while we were already walking. ¡°I see. Can she talk? Move?¡±

    Doctor Guillermo nodded. ¡°She¡¯s fine aside from the aching wounds from the bullet shot. Madam Celestine can talk properly and also move her body. The results from theb test are all normal, too.¡±

    The walk to Mama Tine¡¯s room was uneventful. We just talked about the health of Mama Tine and I.

    ¡°Amiga!¡± Mama Thea eximed and ran towards her best friend. They hugged and kissed each other¡¯s cheek.

    Kelleon helped me sit in a two-man sofa before cing himself beside me. He touched my hand and intertwined it with his before resting his chin on my shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s the other news, doc?¡± Papa Killian asked when we already sat down.

    The doctor looked at the nurse. A folder was handed by the female nurse before Doctora Guillermo opened and read the contents of it.

    ¡°Before we conducted the blood transfer, Lord Kelleon,¡± the doctor looked at my boyfriend. ¡°gave a request.¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡± Mama Thea asked.

    A small smile formed in the doctor¡¯s lips. ¡°To conduct a DNA test between Madam Celestine and Lady Mahalia.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed after hearing that. I turned my head to Kelleon who was grinning at me. ¡°Huh? What? What DNA test? For what?¡±

    He just shrugged and signalled the doctor to continue.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to announce the result of the DNA test.¡±

    My gripped on Kelleon¡¯s hand while waiting for the doctor to speak again. I can¡¯t believe that he did that! For what? Does Kelleon think that Mama Tine and Papa Ezekiel are my parents?

    I stopped at that thought.

    Looking back, I have lots of simrities from the two of them. I didn¡¯t think much about them before, because the thought that their child was confirmed dead always stopped me.

    ¡°The DNA test is 99. 99% sure that Madam Celestine is Lady Mahalia¡¯s birth mother.¡±

    My mind stopped functioning. I can still see the doctor showing us the result printed in the paper, Kelleon¡¯s parents beaming with happiness, Papa Ezekiel¡¯s widened eyes, and Mama Tine looking at me while her eyes are watering.

    Memories that were clear as day entered my mind.

    ¡°Mi princesa, mam¨¢ tepr¨® un rompecabezas nuevo,¡± a woman with brown hair and amber eyes talked to me with a baby voice. She was waving a box at me.

    ¡°Mama!¡± I grabbed the box from her. ¡°Gracias, Mama!¡±

    She helped me open the box. I shook it excitedly, making the contents if it fell down on to floor.

    My eyes beamed with happiness when I saw puzzle pieces scattering on the floor. I put the wooden board on the side and started putting the pieces together.

    ¡°What a sight!¡± a man with darker brown hair entered the room with his arms spread apart. ¡°Mi princesa!¡±

    I stood up and ran towards the man. ¡°Papa! Puzzle!¡± I spoke while pointing the iplete puzzle.

    The man hugged me before lifting me into the air, making meugh.

    As the man put me down to the ground, everything became blurry and I found myself having another memory.

    Childhood memories came after one another. Before, the memories I have are all about pain, darkness, and istion. Now, everything is lively. Everything screams happiness. For the first time while remembering some memories, I don¡¯t feel alone.

 Wedding

    CHAPTER 50: Wedding

    ¨C LIA ¨C

    APOLOGIES and hugs. Those were the things that my real parents did after we found out the truth about my identity.

    At first, I still can¡¯t believe it. All my life, I was thinking that I am a normal girl who grew up in a poor life. I used to believe that I can¡¯t feel the love of my parents anymore. However, looking at the two lovers in front of me, I would say the opposite.

    A lot of things changed after that day. My parents processed my documents immediately so that I will bear their surname. I¡¯m d that they let me use my adopted name, Ma. Mahalia, instead of the old one. They told me that Mahalia is such a lovely name that they don¡¯t want to change it.

    Days passed and I finally became a Cortez. As I changed my surname, my social status went with it. All of a sudden, I¡¯m inside an office, doing business tasks and learning more about investment. It was such a tiring journey, but my family and boyfriend made it easier for me.

    ¡°Are you ready for your special day, mi hija?¡±

    I look at the mirror and saw my Mama standing behind me, having a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so excited Mama. I can¡¯t wait to be Mrs. Gonzales.¡±

    Mama helped me stand up and fixed my wedding gown. ¡°You look very elegant today, mi hija,¡± she spoke with teary eyes.

    I stared at myself on a life-sized mirror. In my whole life, I never thought about marriage. I was too busy solving cases, catching criminals, and surviving everyday. But now, I look stunning.

    My wedding gown is a white off-shoulder one with ruffled fabric that extends from my two shoulders and encircles my body. The upper part, from my waist to chest, is filled with blue small flower design. My ball-gown-style skirt extends several meters that we needed almost 10 people to help me carry it.

    What¡¯s amazing is that the skirt is filled with blue diamond, from the waist until to the very end of the fabric.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to walk, Mama. Some of the diamonds might fall,¡± I said while pouting.

    Mama Tine gently touched my exposed shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re soon-to-be husband won¡¯t mind.¡±

    We were busy talking about the uing wedding when one of the organizers informed us that the limousine we¡¯ll use to travel to the church has arrived.

    The travel to Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar was uneventful. Mama and Papa both have teary eyes while reminding me to enjoy my wedding.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my little girl is now grown up,¡± Papa Ezekiel said while we were walking towards the entrance of the church.

    My eyes explored the exterior of the church. The design is very different from the ones we have in the Philippines. The huge circr design in the middle of it caught my attention. It looks so unique in my eyes.

    I simple looked around and I noticed that there are a lot of people sitting outside the venue. The exterior was like an extension of the interior of the church. Ladies in blue gown and men in suits are standing and staring at me.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± my parents asked me in unison.

    I slowly nodded before taking a deep breath. As the door opens, the melodic music started ying. Hundreds of people greeted me with their smiling faces.

    With my parents on both sides, I started walking. My eyes don¡¯t have the time to look around, for it was glued on the man standing at the altar.

    He¡¯s staring straight back at me. His smile never fade as I walk slowly towards him. The time passes so slow that I felt like it took forever for me to reach me.

    ¡°Take care of our daughter and make her happy,¡± Papa Ezekiel told Kelleon before handing me to him.

    Kelleon smiled. ¡°I will, Papa. I promise.¡±

    He intertwined our fingers together before we face the priest. ¡°You look beautiful, mi amor. ¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not so bad yourself,¡± I responded with a smile.

    As the ceremony started, my lips are still in a smile. The wedding seems so long and unending until the priest asked the both of us.

    ¡°Marquess Kelleon Gonzales, do you take Lady Ma. Mahalia Cortez as your wife? Do you promise to love her,fort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her so long as you both shall live?¡±

    As fast as a lightning, Kelleon answered. ¡°I do, Father.¡±

    The priest looked at me before asking. ¡°Lady Ma. Mahalia Cortez, do you take Marquess Kelleon Gonzales as your husband? Do you promise to love him,fort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?¡±

    My head slowly turned to Kelleon. His eyes were filled of worry and fear as I look at him with no emotions. Everyone inside the venue was quiet and waiting for my answer.

    Just before Kelleon could open his mouth to speak, I smiled at him widely. ¡°Of course. I do, Father,¡± I said before making a smug face at him.

    Some of the guestsugh when they realized that I was making fun of Kelleon, while other blew out a sense of relief, especially our parents.

    Kelleon leaned towards my ear before whispering. ¡°I¡¯ll punish you real good for doing that.¡±

    He was about to bite my earlobe when he realized that I was wearing a veil. He backed himself and I gave him a judging look.

    The priest cleared his throat before he continued. More words and then we came to the part where we¡¯ll say our vows.

    Kelleon picked the ring with a medium-sized blue diamond crystal on top of it. ¡°Mi amor, from the moment I first saw you, I already know that you¡¯re the one I will marry. You¡¯re different. You caught me when I heard youughing with your friend,¡± he chuckled as if he remembered a funny part of his life. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that someone could reallyugh as loud as that,¡± his lips formed a smile.¡± ¡°You look so happy everytime you eat a good food. You look beautiful in my eyes even if you think you look like hell.¡±

    His hand slowly ced the ring on my finger. ¡°With this ring, I promise to make you smile everyday. I promise take care of you and protect you from any harm that wille on our way. I promise to be a good husband and father for our kids. There are a lot of things that I want to promise to you, countless that I can¡¯t say them now. But I assure you that I have a lifetime to prove my love for you. Te amo mucho, mi amor.¡±

    I tried not to cry because I still have a speech to say. My hand reached for the other ring and slowly ced it on his finger.

    ¡°Cari?o, take this ring as a sign of my love, loyalty, and trust for you. We met each other in a very unusual way. I still remember the time you shouted at me when you mistook me for someone else,¡± Kelleon suddenly became stiff. ¡°and by the way, I already forgave you for that.¡±

    I gave him the sweetest smile I have. ¡°We encountered a lot of hindrances on our way, but you held my hand tight and fought with me. Your love never faded after all those things that happened to us. You decided to trust me, and I can¡¯t thank you enough for that,¡± I paused for a second. ¡°I promise that I will stay by your side for a lifetime. I promise to make a happy andfortable home with you. I promise always understand you and take care of you. I promise you my love. I love you, my lord.¡±

    Our eyes never leave each other¡¯s gaze after that. I can hear the priest talking about something, but I am too focused on the man in front of me, looking at me with such love in his eyes.

    I consider myself lucky for meeting him. If not for Denisse, maybe Kelleon and I already have our own family.

    It was a dyed love story, but I don¡¯t care. What I care the most is that he will be officially mine, and we will make this lifetime a good experience for the both of us.

    ¡°I now pronounce you, man and wife. You may now kiss the b-¡±

    Kelleon hurriedly remove the veil covering my face and attack me with a kiss. The whole church was filled of ps and cheers for the newlyweds.

    The day passed slowly. We had a celebration in a reception wherein lots of Spanish and Filipino delicacies where present. I tasted every dish and my husband is very willing to feed me.

    Our godparents and some of the sponsors gave us money as we had our first dance as a married couple. Some of the money were paste together to form a cape or a skirt. Others were in a form of cheque. I couldn¡¯t count all of it and Cloud was the one who took care of that.

    There are also other gifts like jewelries, dresses, appliances. Others even gave us a brand new yatch, which made my jaw dropped.

    In the middle of dancing happily, Kelleon put something on my neck.

    ¡°Oh, my god,¡± I said while looking down and holding the blue ne he gave.

    He nted small kisses on my cheek. ¡°This was stole by Dennise before, but I was able to retrieve it from her. This is the heirloom of our family. This ne is being passed down to the first woman in our family,¡± he stopped before looking at my eyes. ¡°I have no sister, and since you¡¯re my wife, this ne will now be yours.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t able to say anything aside for a thank you.

    After some moments, Kelleon whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ditch them, mi amor? I can¡¯t wait for our honeymoon.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I didn¡¯t speak. As a response, I grabbed his crotch. I pulled his hand towards the exit of the reception while giving Mama Tine and Mama Thea a meaningful look.

    ¡°I want to try the beds in our new yatch,¡± I said as we enter the yatch that was a gift to us.

    My husband yfully licked my earlobe and showered me with kisses. ¡°Te amo, mi amor.¡±

    ¡°Te amo tambien, cari?o,¡± I said before giving him a deep, passionate kiss.

    It was a touch journey, but we hold on. At first, I thought that my vacation in Spain was turned into waste. But looking at today, I have never imagined that being mistaken by this billionaire marquess will lead me to this perfect life.

    ¨C END ¨C

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