“Nothing good here anymore!” Roxane grunted. She threw her dress on the bed and sat down. Roxane was planning on preparing a dinner date with Floyd. She didn’t care if she looked desperate, but she would do it. She needed to have a place in this house. Floyd was a different man now. He was richer than Dwayne now. And she would get him back. Roxane heard a knock on her door and it opened. It was Belinda. “Mother.” Roxane stood up. “Do you need something?” Belinda frowned and looked at her bed. “Are you moving out already?” “Huh? No! I’m just checking my things.” “Okay. Anyway, I just came because I heard you gave orders to the maids. What are you planning to do?” Belinda’s expression became serious. “Are you trying to get my son again?” Roxane’s eyes widened. “W-What do you mean, Mother?” Belinda smirked. “I know what you are trying to do, Roxane.” “I don’t understand you, Mother. I just want dinner.” “Yes, and with Floyd.” Roxane looked away. “What is wrong with that?” Beli
“We told Mister Jacinto about our proposal, sir. And like what we expected, he did not like it,” Minerva reported to Floyd. “Dwayne was a proud man. He won’t give up easily.” “Yes,” Minerva sighed. “I saw Alfred at the building when we arrived, sir. You should be really careful. I believe he didn’t know your true identity. But he wanted to meet you soon.” “I should find a way to get that gang away from him.” Floyd looked at Minerva. “Thank you, Miss Wang. You can go home now.” “I still have papers to do, sir.” Minerva bowed at Floyd. “I’ll go now.” Floyd stood up and held Minerva’s arm when she was about to turn away from him. “Wait!” Minerva stopped and looked at him. He let go of Minerva and smiled. “Miss Wang. I don’t know why I felt there was a wall between us now. Is this about last night? Did I do something to you?” Minerva frowned. Her mouth opened and she was confused. She tried remembering what happened last night. “N-Nothing, sir. Why? Is there a problem? Did I say som
“Are you really sending her out, Floyd?” Belinda asked Floyd. They were near the door watching the maids putting Roxane’s things in the car. “This is the right thing to do, Mother. She’ll never change.” Floyd looked at Roxane. Jude was holding her because she kept on running inside.“Floyd, please! You didn’t mean that, right? Please!” Roxane begged. She finally made herself free from Jude. She ran to Floyd and kneeled at him again. “Please! Floyd! Please! I’m sorry. I won’t betray you again. I will not leave you! I’ll focus on our son!” She hugged his waist. Floyd sighed and touched her arms. “Stand up, Roxane. Don’t do this.” “No! I don’t want to leave! I can’t leave!” “Roxane–” A car suddenly stopped in front of the mansion. They all looked at it and waited for someone to get out. It was Aby. She was smiling brightly, but suddenly stopped when she saw Roxane’s position.“Ohh… What is going on here?” Aby asked. She couldn’t believe the scene she was seeing. Aby approached Floyd
“What?! How did you lose her?!” Floyd asked. Jude had just come back from the airport and reported that Roxane had gone away. “I’m sorry, young master,” Jude answered. He was looking down only at him. And embarrassed because he didn’t do his work right. “I already alerted the police. Anyone who sees Roxane will take her and tell us about it.” Aby smirked. She was still at the mansion. “We all know where she is heading now, right?” She looked at Floyd, who was standing near his table. “She’s with Dwayne now for sure. And because of what you did to her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she told him about you.” Floyd sighed and massaged his nape. He started walking back and forth as he thought about the possible outcome. Roxane will really do it. She was the type of woman that wouldn’t hesitate to do such things just to save herself. “But don’t worry. Even Dwayne learns about your identity. His company is yours already.” Floyd stopped and looked at Aby. “What do you mean?” “Well, I forgo
Roxane didn’t answer Dwayne. He was calm but she could see from his eyes that he didn’t like what she did. Why would he? She left him. Roxane tightened her grip on her clothes and forced a smile at Dwayne. “M-My love,” she said. Dwayne smirked and looked away. He stood up and started approaching her. “Did you enjoy it, huh?” Roxane flinched when Dwayne caressed his face with one finger. “Y-Yeah–” She gasped when Dwayne suddenly held his chin and his cheeks slightly. Roxane touched his arms and groaned. “D-Dwayne.” “You left? Why did you come back? Did you realize that you cannot live without my money, huh? Do you?” Dwayne’s face slowly turned red. His eyes were glaring at her. “D-Dwayne! You’re hurting me!” Roxane exclaimed. Dwayne smirked. “Am I? Am I?!” Roxane screamed when Dwayne suddenly let go of her and slapped her. She fell on the floor and cried. “P-Please! Let me explain, Dwayne!”&nb
Floyd and Aby were married. It was just a simple and fast wedding. Floyd didn’t invite his mother.“Should I live in your house now?” Aby asked. They were in Floyd's car. She kept on looking at her gold ring. “Why would you do that?”“I’m your wife!”Floyd sighed and looked at Aby. She looked so happy seeing that they were married already. Like they were really a couple. “Let me remind you. Our wedding was purely for business only. I have already prepared a contract and you will sign it when we get home.”Aby pouted. “Whatever. My parents will be here at the weekend. They decided to be here earlier.” Floyd nodded. “They will visit your house. Our house.” “What? Was this part of our act?” “Yes. Don’t worry. I will talk with your mother–” “No. I will. You don’t have to.”“Okay.”Floyd shook his head. Later on, they reached the mansion. They were greeted by Belinda at the door. “Welcome, my children! How’s your wedding?” Belinda said. She looked at Aby. “I’m sorry, Aby. I could
Days had passed, and Floyd hadn't heard anything about Roxane since she escaped. They looked for her just so his identity couldn’t be compromised. But even on the Jacinto network she wasn’t there. “Don’t you think he already knows?” Floyd asked. “I’m not sure. When I met him yesterday, Mister Jacinto hadn't said anything about him. He was not mentioning you,” Minerva answered. Floyd sighed. “Okay.” “But he asked me to give this to you.” Minerva took out an envelope and gave it to Floyd. Floyd opened it and saw that it was an invitation card. He smirked. “So, Roxane was with her after all.” “What is it?” “It’s an engagement party invitation. They will announce their wedding day, I guess.”Minerva looked at the card. “But it said an invitation to Johnson Floyd Cruz?” “They are testing us. It’s okay.”“Are you going, sir?”“I’ll think about it.” “Okay, sir. I should go now.” Minerva stood up and gathered her things. She was about to walk out when Floyd called her again. “Miss
“Miss Chua? Where are you?” Floyd asked over the phone. He had just arrived at the airport. He was looking for Aby outside. “I’m at the entrance. Come here.” Floyd turned off the phone and went to Aby. It didn’t take him long before he saw her. She was walking back and forth while looking down. “Miss Chua!” he called. Aby stopped and looked at him. She smiled. “You came.” “Is there something wrong? You looked stressed?” Aby took a deep breath. “I… I’ll just see them again now after five years. And I know that they’ll not be happy to see me. So, please. If they tell you… uncomfortable words. Hang on there? I-I’ll make way how you can go away. Okay?” Floyd frowned. When he met Aby, it was his first time seeing her scared. She was a strong and independent woman. Mostly impulsive but impressive. Floyd sighed and nodded. “No. We can do it.” “My mother… She’s… Ugh! Whatever. Just hold on. This will be fast.”Floyd touched Aby’s shoulder and gently stroked it to calm her. “It’s okay
“Where have you been?” Floyd stopped entering his room when he saw Aby inside. “Aby. You didn’t tell me you’re coming home.” Aby smiled. She put down the magazine she was reading to the table. Then she stood up and went to Floyd. She was about to kiss him on the cheeks when she smelled the alcohol he drinks. “Are you drunk?” Floyd shook his head. He closed the door and smiled at Aby. “Yeah… A bit. Danica brought me to a club and Nelson was there too. I can’t say no to him. You know…” “O… kay? I understand. Come on.” Aby helped Floyd to sit on the couch. “Let me prepare tea for you.” “No need, Aby.” Floyd grunted. “Sit with me.” Aby sighed. She sat beside Floyd. “How’s your company? Is it okay now?” Aby nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I wanted to say thanks again, that's why I’m here.” “It’s okay, Aby. I already told you.” “I know. But I think it’s still not enough. You can ask me a favor. Anything! I will do it.” Floyd chuckled. “Be careful what you wished for, Aby.” “Huh?” Aby f
“He was just appointed, and he is already wasting money!” Carlo exclaimed. “He just invested at his wife’s company! We should do something about this, Father!”Arnel grunted. “I know. We’ve been ignoring the Chua’s proposal. And yet he even bought a stock for his wife?”“Tsk! I know that woman is just after our money!” Carla said.“But what can we do? He is now the chairman. He could do everything he wanted.” Crude took a sip from his glass.“You are not helping, Crude.” Carla glared at her brother. Crude just shrugged about it.“No… this should end now!”The siblings smiled as they saw the determination on their father’s face. They will never accept Floyd as their new master. They will take company no matter what.~~~“Is everything here?” Amethyst asked their head maid.“Yes, madam.”“Okay. I want everything to be perfect, okay?”“As you wish, Madam. You can trust us.”Amethyst smiled and let the head maid go. That was the time when Floyd went down from his room. He looked around an
Floyd woke up early to go back to his office. But even before he left, he received a call from his secretary.“Young master, your wife needs you.”Floyd looked at Johnson while fixing his necktie. “What happened?”“His Uncle is causing a scene in their company. Also, Leah told me to check your email. It’s done already.”Floyd sighed and stopped what he was doing. “I knew this would happen.” He shook his head. “Do I have any important meetings right now?”“Ahm, you have—”“Cancel it. Let’s go visit my wife.”Floyd finished fixing himself. He hurried out of the mansion and got into a car. Maybe that's why Aby can't tell him directly about his problem. Because it's embarrassing. But Floyd owes Aby a lot. And as they agreed he will help him. Not because she is his wife on paper, but because she is also his best friend.Before entering the building, he saw people holding placards in front of Chua's building.“What is happening here?”“I think they are protesting, sir. I’ve heard that the C
“So, how’s the new chairman?”Floyd stopped staring at the documents when he heard a voice. He looked at the door and saw Aby approaching her.“Aby! Sit down!” he said gracefully. He put the papers down and hugged Aby. “How are you?”“Good. Just a bit stressed out.”“That’s too early?”Aby sighed. She sat down at the chair near Floyd’s table. Floyd then sat back in his chair and stared at Aby.“I know, this is too sudden. And you just got appointed. But I need your help now.”“What kind of help?”Aby looked away. She didn’t want to do this but she had to. Her uncle was already pressuring her family. She didn’t want them to want her family to lose their business.“I need your family to invest in us.”Floyd frowned a bit. Aby didn’t tell him anything about investing in their company. He sighed and interlocked his fingers.“I-I know this is sudden. But—” Aby sighed. “Okay. I’ll be honest with you. Our family is not in a good situation now. We might lose our business if you won’t help me.
The next day, Floyd went to Lim’s company. Everyone was preparing for the board meeting. The family will be present and all of their business partners. Everyone was waiting to meet the next chairman. Words had passed so fast.“I will announce to everyone now that you will be the chairman of the company,” Johnson said. The three of them were in his office, getting ready to go to the company. “For sure, there would be some board members who would not agree. But I have already made sure of your position. You need to be strong now, Floyd. I believe in you.”Floyd took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Father. I’m nervous.”“That’s okay, brother. It’s normal. But we are here for you. We will guide you and make sure that you are in that position,” Johan answered.“Yes. As long as your brother handles our security company. No one will dare touch you. I trust you with it, Johan.”“Of course, Father.”Floyd nodded. He fisted her arms and took a deep breath again. He couldn’t explain how nervous he
Their night continued. Johnson rested early because he suddenly felt that he was tired. Amethyst helped him to his room. The rest except for Arnel Lim’s family stayed in the dining area. They were drinking wine. The kids were dancing and playing. Others remained to talk about business-related matters.“Mom, do I really need to be married to Floyd again?” Aby asked her mother. They were on the other side of the room. She had been thinking about the marriage they’d talked about earlier. She agreed to it, but she was worried about Floyd.“Why? Is there something you wanted to tell me, Abigail?”Aby’s eyes widened a bit. “Ahh, no. Of course, none. I’m just worried. You saw what happened earlier, right?”“It’s normal. You have the same uncle as your husband. What we need to do is to ensure our family's position in this clan. Being with them will make us prosper more. Since you are back here, you will work at our company again.”“Huh? But I need to go back to Croatia soon.”“What will you
The room was filled with silence. The music had stopped and no one dared to make another sound. Even the kids were looking in Johnson’s direction, wanting to hear what his announcement was.“I have finally decided to retire now. I’m old and I need to pay more attention to my health. I am now appointing my son, Johnson Floyd Lim, to be the next master of this family and chairman of our business. I trust him to make our businesses grow more, and I am hoping that you will all support him in everything. I will also continue helping him while I’m still here.”The room was filled with more silence. They all had mixed emotions about learning that the family would have a new master. Arnel’s eyes narrowed and he tightened his fists. He looked away and tried to control himself. They all expected that Johnson would appoint him. But not this fast.Amethyst smiled. She stood up with her husband. Their children followed them and faced Floyd.“My family is glad and willing to serve you, Johnson Floy
“Do we really have to do this? We’re just having dinner?” Floyd asked. He had just finished showering when he learned Jude was inside his room already. He was with some maids that were preparing a tuxedo for him.“Yes, young master. This is how it should be. So, if you may?”Jude pointed to the chair in front of the mirror. Floyd was surprised that there was a mirror and a reclining chair already. His room in this mansion was bigger than his room at his mansion. It was like another house inside a house. Floyd sat down in the chair. Jude immediately put a cloth on his body as his cover. It was tied to his neck but was not hurting him. He watched him put out a small box, and he was more surprised when he saw that it was a shaving tool.“You know I don’t have any hair on my face, right?”Jude continued preparing. “You have, young master.”Floyd sighed. He was still not used to his new life. He thought having a mansion back to his home was already extreme. He didn’t realize this place was
“Nothing to worry about now. You just need to rest a lot more and wait for your bruises to heal,” said Johnson's personal doctor. He was called immediately by Johan to check on Floyd.“Thank you, doctor.”“It’s nice meeting you, young master.” The doctor bowed. “I will go to your father now.”Floyd nodded. He got up from bed and wore his clothes. He was in his room in the mansion because Johnson asked him to rest again after their brief meeting. Floyd was still confused about what his father had said earlier. Everything won’t be easy for him. But he didn’t want this, right?Floyd looked at the door when he heard a knock. It opened and Aby came in.“Floyd, we need—” Aby’s eyes widened when he saw Floyd was half naked. She immediately turned around. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know that you were changing.”“It’s okay.” Floyd took his new polo shirt and wore it. “Okay now.”Aby took a deep breath and turned around again. “Ahm. I just want to check on you. How are you?” she asked. She never go