Lara did not expect Joaquin to refer to their original destination as his home in Baguio. The house where they spent their honeymoon. “Ah so, you really plan to take me here? Why?” she asked smiling and then eagerly traveled her sight to the whole house. Joaquin shrugged his shoulders and then lowered the suitcases he was carrying. "Because when we first came here, I didn't tell you the truth, didn't we?" he replied then hugged her tightly from behind. Lara was thrilled with that gesture so she turned to face her husband. After that, she lovingly wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes. And also, I can still remember what you told me before. That you wish you can give me everything I want?” “Yeah. I told you that because I can't really give you everything since you know something different. Just in case I don't want you to be surprised where I get it all.” Lara nodded and with her eyes glistening that was when she pinched Joaquin’s perfect nose. “You don't know how much I love
"WHY is that, Robert? Why is your man so slow? Why does that girl still look happy now?" Selena asked Robert angrily the night they met to talk about the favor she was asking for."I also do not know. And one more thing, why are you so eager to take revenge? The woman is already married, isn't she? Maybe you're just being mistaken in your suspicions?" said Robert to her.That's when Selena dropped the wine glass she was holding on the table in annoyance. "You are so annoying. Why don't you just do what I say? I have to get revenge on that girl. I have to get Ramil back!” she insisted."Stop it! You must learn how to wait and don't yell at me!” Robert yells back at her.At that point, Selena sat down and bowed her head crying. She stopped herself from crying, but because of the effect of the alcohol she had already consumed, she failed to do so."Why is it that no man wants to love me?" she said sobbing.At that point, Robert told sat next to her and then hugged her tightly. “I love yo
"WOW, Daddy it's so beautiful here!"That's what Callie said cheerfully then ran towards their family's private cottage."We can stay at the beach house, it's just that it's farther from the beach," Joaquin told her then picked up Callie who had tripped several times on the sand because of her running."It's okay here at least until tomorrow. Then the next day we'll stay at the beach house," Lara answered then headed towards their cottage."By the way, where is Nanny Loring?" Lara asked after she opened the cottage door."Already at home preparing food. Wait, where do you want to eat, baby? Here or there in the beach house?” Joaquin asked his daughter."Here," Callie replied.Lara laughed at her daughter's reaction. "Oh, put your daughter down. She's a big girl so she shouldn't be carried around anymore," Lara said to Joaquin."Even if the day came that she gets married, she is still my princess," said Joaquin kissing his daughter.Callie giggled at that and then willingly let her fat
"Are you nervous?" That's what Lara asked her husband Joaquin after she fixed his tie. Joaquin sighed and then looked at her lovingly. "Mom, Dad, let's go?" Quin was the youngest of their two sons. "Okay, son," Lara said then looked up at her husband's handsome face again. "Come on and your daughter might think that you don't want to walk her to the altar," she joked to her husband who didn't even answer as she could see the still slightly sad on his face. It was the wedding day of their oldest daughter, Callie. She understands her husband's feelings because Callie is their only daughter. In over twenty years they have been blessed with two sons. Caleb and the youngest, Joaquin Antoni III, who looks just like his grandfather, Joaquin Sr. After the incident at the beach resort, just like Joaquin said, he fixed everything. Everyone who deserves to be punished has been punished. Robert and Selena were there, even the middleman Boying who really set the cottage on fire. Cortez wh
Lara released a deep sigh as she gazed at the tombstone of her departed mother, Edna. It had been over a year since her mother passed away due to a heart ailment, yet even now, she couldn’t fully come to terms with the fact that she was gone. Edna became pregnant at a very young age. According to her mother’s story when she was still alive, she used to work as a waitress in a bar. That’s where she met her father, one of her customers. Lara asked her mother about her father’s name, but her mother replied that with the many patrons she had back then, it was impossible to pinpoint which one of them was her father. Despite it all, she never harbored any resentment towards her mother. She couldn’t find it in her heart to feel that way because the truth was, she loved her mother dearly. Until now, her mother remained the driving force behind all her efforts. At the age of two, her mother was still working at that nightclub. She didn’t leave because she hoped her father would come back for
TWO DAYS LATER... “PAPA?” Lara couldn’t comprehend the sudden rush of intense fear that flooded her as she opened their front door and found her stepfather Rodolfo looking distressed. “Sweetheart, go hide; they might take you!” Rodolfo urgently pushed her into the house and drew her into her room. Lara’s fear deepened at his words. “W-What do you mean? W-Who will take me?” she stammered, her chest heavy with a mix of emotions. “Don’t ask too many questions, just listen to Papa, hurry up!” She had no choice but to obey. She concealed herself in her bedroom, seeking refuge behind an antique wardrobe. Despite her anxiety, she could still hear heated arguments and harsh words being exchanged, directed at her father. “Are you going to pay, or should I just kill you?” a man’s furious voice echoed. With trembling steps, Lara left her hiding spot and cautiously made her way towards the closed door, careful to avoid making any noise on the creaking wooden floor. Peeking through the smal
"Are you nervous, Venus?" the van driver, Delfin, asked Lara as they headed to the party. Delfin, an older man who seemed about the same age as her father, possessed a gentle demeanor that mirrored her Papa's. His kind tone resonated with genuine kindness. Lara nodded, stealing a quick glance at Delfin before turning her attention back to the passing scenery outside the window. "I-I don't know if I can go through with what they'll ask of me," her voice trembled as she spoke, though she held back her tears. Delfin's heavy sigh was audible. "That's for you to decide," he offered, giving her a meaningful look as their eyes met. "What do you mean?" Lara inquired. He simply shrugged. "Did you know that the police apprehended the three men who sold you here? Your father reported it right away," he shared, his gaze still fixed on her. She remained silent thereafter. The truth was she wasn't quite sure what Delfin was implying, but she had plans to escape after this ordeal anyway. Even
"Good morning, sir," the guard greeted Joaquin with a smile at the entrance of the tall building owned by him and his father, Joaquin Antonio, Sr. "Good morning," Joaquin replied, returning the smile. This was a daily routine in his life, starting his mornings in the office and ending them here. "Good morning, sir," Alma, his father's former secretary, greeted him. He now occupied the fifth floor, where his office was located. The Antonio Paper Corporation was the largest paper company in the Philippines. They distributed well-known imported paper brands as well. But their business wasn't limited to paper production. They also handled major brands of writing materials and art supplies, such as popular watercolors used for painting. This company was his father's legacy, and as the only child, he was obliged at an early age to learn the ins and outs of the business to eventually take over its management. He was only five years old when his mother died in a car accident. His father h