It was the first day of the seminar orientation. The session mainly covered an overview of the topics they would tackle throughout the week. From her seat near the front, Seraphina could see everything, especially the man sitting beside the stunning and curvy host of the event; none other than Mr. Well-endowed.
The emcee was clearly trying to catch his attention. She kept tapping his shoulder, laughing at everything he said, and leaning in a little too close. Rafael, on the other hand, was enjoying the moment. He kept whispering in the woman's ear, grinning from ear to ear while the emcee giggled like a teenager.
Seraphina rolled her eyes. Of course, she noticed everything. Their eyes met for a second. She raised an eyebrow at him. He smirked and casually pulled out his phone. A message popped up on her screen.
"Hi Miss Aloof!"
She raised her eyebrow even higher, unimpressed.
"Can't you wait until the seminar is over? Already flirting? Gross."
Rafael looked up at her with a cocky grin and without shame, rested his hand on the emcee's thigh. The woman did not seem to mind. In fact, she looked thrilled and tapped his leg back like they were in on some private joke.
"Jealous?" he messaged back.
"Ugh. Delusional. Stop it. That's disgusting. Pay attention to the speaker. Or do you want me to send you straight back to Manila?"
"Bleh. Your jealousy is showing!" he replied, followed by a winking emoji.
She gave him a death glare. He smiled wider. Even as the talk continued, he did not let up with the woman beside him. Seraphina sighed, ignoring him as best she could, though she could still feel his eyes occasionally darting her way.
Once the orientation ended, she decided to go outside to catch a taxi. Her cousin had invited her for dinner, and she was eager for a break from the hotel.
She called him and found out he had just moved back to Cebu and was staying at his second mansion. Perfect. Except, no taxi would stop for her. She had already been waiting for over an hour. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out behind her.
"Where do you think you're going, woman?"
She turned and saw Rafael walking toward her with that same smug grin.
"I'm going to my cousin's place for dinner," she answered coolly.
"It's past six. I'll take you there," he offered.
"And how exactly are you going to do that? You don't even have a car here, right?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"I always have my ways," he said. "Come on."
Before she could argue, he gently grabbed her arm and guided her toward the driveway. For some reason, she did not resist.
"Hey, this car looks new. Where did you get it?" she asked as she hopped into the passenger seat beside him.
"I had it delivered this morning. A friend of mine is a car dealer. You really do ask a lot of questions!"
"Sorry, I forgot, this must be such a small thing for someone like you."
"So? Where are we heading?"
"To El Segunda Mansion, just ahead of Alegre Resort."
During the ride, she kept stealing glances at the man beside her. His skin looked flawless, probably smoother than hers. She also noticed how attractive his eyes were up close, drawing her in with their light blue shade. Why was she only seeing this now? His lips were thin, turning even redder when he spoke.
"Are you just going to keep staring at me? Is this the first time you've seen a real good-looking man?" he teased, changing his tone like he was trying to charm her.
She burst into laughter. "So full of yourself!"
"Come on, if you want to kiss or hug me... go ahead. It's free, just for you!"
"Hey, Mr. Well-endowed! All I want is for you to join me inside. We're having dinner!"
"Well, that was the plan, right? I'm definitely joining you."
"I thought you were just dropping me off and heading back to the hotel!"
"That's what you thought. And be kind, I didn't even charge you for the ride. Feeding me is the least you can do."
"Fine! But once we get there, can you tone it down a bit? No loud jokes. And keep your hands to yourself."
"Alright, I'll just nod and keep my mouth zipped once we're inside."
"Good boy, Mr. Well-endowed. If you keep this up, we'll get along just fine."
"Wait, does that mean we are not getting along now?"
"I said quiet!"
"Damn, are you turning me into one of your students now?"
She laughed at his comment and flashed a peace sign at him. Her cousin welcomed her with a big hug and a kiss. They were the same age, and he still looked incredibly handsome and charming. He had always been a well-known ladies' man, one of Asia's most sought-after billionaire bachelors. He topped Forbes' list every year. They became cousins because their parents were siblings.
"Hey, Arielle! I missed you. It's been a while! Come on inside," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and guiding her in.
"Wait, Chase. I'm with someone, the owner of the university where I teach!" She turned to look behind her, where Mr. Well-endowed, Rafael Knightley Carrington, stood, smiling at both of them.
"Chase, this is Mr. Rafael Knightley Carrington, my boss. He's the one I was telling you.."
She did not finish her sentence.
"Wait… Mr. Anton Chase Delacroix?" Rafael interrupted. "We've met before, right? My dad sent me to your conference at ACM State Empire!"
Chase gave a small nod of recognition. "Yeah, you're right. I almost forgot. You're Mr. Katzumi's son! Well, welcome to my place, Mr. Carrington."
The two men walked in first, and for a moment, it felt like Rafael was the guest of her famous cousin.
She found him already seated in the entertainment room when she walked in. The two billionaires were drinking and laughing like old friends. Apparently, they got along well, no surprise since both were known playboys.
"Chase, aside from the maids, who else is staying here with you?" she asked.
"Oh, we just moved in a week ago. My kids are here. The twins."
"What? You have kids? Where's your wife?" she asked, surprised.
Chase did not respond, so she let it go. She knew him too well, he had little patience for questions he did not want to answer.
Still, she was surprised. Chase had kids? Twins, no less. He probably never married. Honestly, who could last in a relationship with a guy like him?
"Where are the twins?"
"They're in the pool. Go check them out," Chase replied, returning to his lively conversation with Rafael.
When she stepped out by the pool, she was greeted by three children, each playing happily with their nannies. A boy and a girl, both clearly twins, looked exactly like Chase. And then there was a younger girl, probably about two years old, giggling and splashing water with delight.
"Hi, babies!" she said cheerfully as she approached them.
"Hi! What's your name? Are you one of Daddy's friends?" asked the little boy, his long, curly hair bouncing as he spoke. He was incredibly handsome for a child.
"I'm your Aunt Seraphina. I'm your dad's cousin," she said, introducing herself.
"Really, Aunt? Zia, we have a beautiful aunt! I'm Zion and she's Zia. We're twins!" the boy said smartly.
"Hello, Aunt," the girl added, smiling sweetly. She looked just like her brother, and just like Chase.
"And over there is our baby sister, Lyka," Zion said proudly, pointing to the bubbly toddler in the water.
She was taken aback for a moment. Chase only mentioned twins... Why was there a third child? She shook the thought away. Maybe she was just being nosy.
"Alright, babies. Auntie's heading inside. I'll see you later!" she said, waving at them.
The twins waved back and little Lyka blew her a kiss. That tiny gesture made her heart swell. Suddenly, she found herself wanting children of her own.
Back inside, both men were standing now.
"Come on, Seraphina. Let's go upstairs. The terrace has the perfect view,you can see Adrian's Alegre Resort and the beautiful Blue Lagoon!" Chase said.
"Wow, really? Let's go! I can't wait to see it!" she said, clearly excited.
She took the lead, walking ahead of them.
"Hey, to the right!" Chase called out when he saw her heading left.
"Wow…" she said as she reached the terrace, but it was not the view that took her breath away. It was the stunning woman in a red one-piece swimsuit standing there, gazing at the horizon.
The woman had long hair that curled softly at the ends. Her body was incredible, curved in all the right places. Her beauty was unreal. Even she, as a woman, could not help but admire her.
Then the woman turned to face them, revealing even more of her flawless skin and graceful figure. Her smooth legs, glowing complexion, and full chest made it clear, this woman was a showstopper. That was when she noticed something strange, the woman looked a lot like Lyka.
She glanced at Mr. Well-endowed and her eyes widened. He was staring at the woman like he was imagining things he should not be thinking. He even swallowed hard.
"Hey! Come here!" Chase suddenly snapped, clearly irritated. He grabbed the woman by the hand and pulled her away without introducing her.
"I was just about to swim," she heard the woman say softly.
"You want to swim? Then wear pajamas and a jacket!" Chase snapped back.
Seraphina crossed her arms and turned to Rafael. "I told you, Mr. Well-endowed! You need to control your wild thoughts!"
Rafael just laughed. "Do not act like a jealous wife, sweetie!"
A few minutes later, Chase returned, looking slightly annoyed.
"Sorry about that," he said.
"Who was she?" Seraphina asked.
"No one is important. Just a maid," Chase replied casually.
"A maid? Are you going to kick her out? Because I'll take her instead," Rafael said quickly.
Chase's face turned serious. "No way. There are plenty of others out there. I'll refer one to you."
She walked up to Mr. Well-endowed and gave him a playful pinch on the side.
"Chase, you're really overprotective with your maids, huh?" she joked.
They stayed on the terrace until one of the housemaids came to call them in for dinner. Before heading inside, the three of them asked the maid to take a few pictures, with the twins included.
Meanwhile, the woman Chase introduced as a "maid" was carrying little Lyka in her arms. It made her shake her head. The kids called her "Mama," yet Chase insisted she was just household staff. Honestly, her cousin could be ridiculous sometimes. There were moments she seriously wanted to kick him so he would finally come to his senses.
She did not even notice that Rafael had stood beside her in one of the pictures. It meant nothing to her, no hidden meaning, so she posted it casually on Facebook. She spent a little time playing with the twins again. Then, when she saw that it was already past ten in the evening, she and Rafael said their goodbyes.
"Thanks, Mr. Well-endowed, for keeping me company today," she said warmly.
"Do not mention it. I actually came to Cebu just to watch over you," he teased.
"What?!"
"Kidding. I said, you're welcome."
"I have to get up early tomorrow…"
Despite everything, the day had turned out well. She had a great time, even though the one person she had been waiting to hear from never called or messaged. Deep down, she had a bad feeling. Maybe he was already with her tonight.
She picked up her phone and called Cassian. She waited… one minute… then another. No answer. Then suddenly, the line connected and what she heard felt like a punch to the chest.
Loud moans. Clear, unfiltered. Two people.
"Ohhh Cassian… I love you, honey!" Tessa's voice filled her ear.
"Yes, honey… I love you too… You feel so good…" Cassian replied, his voice heavy and breathless.
"Keep going, honey… harder… I'm almost there!" She froze. Her heart shattered in that instant.
"You disgusting liars! I will end you both!" she screamed, before breaking down in tears, the sound of their betrayal echoing in her mind.