Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Flashback

“Ana! You're taking so long in the bathroom. What are you doing there?” I heard Elena shout outside but didn't even turn my attention to it.

I kept my gaze on the two red lines on the stick I was holding. I could also clearly see the trembling of my hands as I held it. Even my knees. I felt my whole body suddenly become numb.

I stared at it for a while when the bathroom door slammed so I looked up. I bit my lower lip when I heard Elena scream outside.

“Ana, what the hell! I'm going to pee! What are you doing there?!”

I tried to calm down myself. I violently heaved a sigh to suppress my emotions, but then my tears started to stream down my face. I'm pregnant. I don't even have to ask myself who the father is because he's the only man… fuck! I'm pregnant with his child!

I covered my mouth and there wept silently. I didn't even notice the door suddenly opened and the worried Elena was exposed to me. She immediately lowered her gaze to the stick I was holding and next, I just felt her tight hug me, it triggered my feelings even more.

“Oh my god! You’re pregnant?” Elena uttered between my sobs. I can't even answer her.

"… With Apollo's child?" She whispered so I just nodded. Next, I heard her cuss multiple times.

I am carrying Hector's child. Suddenly the night something happened to us the second time came to my mind. It was the night that I was at Ares' office and he suddenly appeared at the bar I went to. Like before, I just woke up when I was next to him and we

were both naked. I am carrying his child…

“Well, if you think about it, there is nothing wrong with it, right? You're married, technically you're married,” Elena told me with a shrug. It makes me feel better.

After I cried in that bathroom to express what I felt I couldn't explain, Elena took me to the living room. She even invited me to eat first before she piloted me to tell the story.

I’ve thought about that thing too. In fact, we are already married. There’s just no formality and I don’t know if he takes that thing seriously. I don’t want to have a little hope because first of all, it’s wrong. Secondly, I don’t know him very well yet. Well, I didn’t know Ares that much not until now but I was still hurt. But still, Hector is Ares' stepbrother.

“You should tell him about that. You can at least get revenge on your ex,” she demonized me so I looked at her with a frown. She even stared and looked serious at what she said.

“Revenge is futile, Elena. Also, I'm not sure if Hector is serious about our situation.” I almost slapped myself when I said that to her when I heard the disappointment in the tone of my voice.

Elena chuckled. “It's still his child no matter what happens. Besides, how can you say that he is not serious about your situation, he's been almost following you everywhere you go.”

I was silent when she said that. My cell phone rang even more so we both looked at it. When I looked there was a text from an unknown number that I already knew who it was.

“See? Is that not serious?” Elena was still laughing so I pushed her away from me.

I opened the message. I felt the heat all over my face when I read that.

Unknown Number

Why do you always leave me after we made love? Didn't you like it?

My palm landed on my face. I don’t know how I would feel about what he said. Why is he so straightforward?! Doesn't he know how to sugarcoat and even about that thing he has to ask directly?!

I bit my lower lip as I was trying to compose a response for him. I'm still not sure of my answer. Why…

To Unknown Number

stop bugging me

After I sent that, I turned to Elena who was busy on her cellphone. After a while, it suddenly turned on me so I was surprised.

"Have you seen this already?" She asked me a serious question so my forehead furrowed. Before I could answer, she moved next to me and showed me her cell phone.

When I looked at that, my chest throbbed violently. It was an article about Ares and Hector. These two siblings always have an article but this is the first time they have put the details together in the same article.

“The rivalry between Hector Apollo and Ares Constantine Aragon became even more intense when they both set their sights on one woman, Anastacia Solei Alcaraz…” Elena whispered as we both looked at her cell phone.

My chest throbbed hard especially when Elena clicked the whole article and there I saw the full details of everything. At the same time, I was feeling nervous was my cellphone rang again so I quickly picked it up. Hector still is.

Unknown Number

Wow. This is the first time you replied to me. Does our relationship level up already?

Before I could fill it out again, another text came in from him that slowed my heartbeat.

Unknown Number

I hope you won't take that damn article seriously. Where are you?

I bit my lower lip again and started typing a reply for him while I could still hear Elena whisper. She is still reading that article.

To Unknown Number

who published it? why is there such a thing?

Does that mean Ares already knows about the two of us? How?

“Ana, look. There are also details about Agatha!”

When I heard that, I immediately turned to Elena and snatched her cell phone. I hovered over the whole article. I stopped looking at my sister's full name.

This begins when Anastacia, the runaway bride of Ares Constantine, found out about the secret relationship of her sister Agatha Alcaraz with her own fiancé. This betrayal prompted Anastacia Solei Alcaraz to take revenge using her ex's stepbrother, Hector Apollo Aragon. The two were spotted together in a bar. See photos below

My eyes widened when I saw what the photos referred to in the article. It was taken the night Hector suddenly appeared on Night Drive. I remember that because of the clothes I was wearing even the ones he was wearing. There were shots of us talking at the bar counter, there were also shots of us dancing in the middle of the dance floor, and the thing that bothered me the most was the shot outside the bar. We were kissing under the moonlight…

“Shit…” I whispered and stupidly returned her cell phone to Elena. All of a sudden, I didn’t even know what my first reaction was. Various emotions flooded my whole being. When I looked at Elena, the doorbell rang at the same time. Before I could react, Elena quickly stood up to open the door.

At that moment, I was just stunned by the absence. I could feel my slow but strong heartbeat. There was something running down my chest that kept me from breathing properly. How did this happen? Who published the article? How they all found out even about Ares

and Agatha’s relationship. I didn't tell anyone. Why is it all at once? It is impossible for Ares to do this because he knows that what happened will also ruin his name. Especially about his relationship with my sister.

"Ana!"

I almost jumped when I heard Elena's scream. When I looked up, my eyes widened, even more, when I saw who was behind her. He's wearing a coat and white polo inside. Obviously, he had just come back from an important meeting. What is he doing here?!

As soon as I stood up, he quickly crossed the gap between us. I just realized that he was already holding my hand and looking at me seriously but gently. There was also a trace of anger in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him and instructed him to sit down. He was still holding my hand which didn’t escape Elena’s eyes as she grinned.

"I'm only in my room when you need anything." She suddenly said goodbye so I quickly looked at her. I could no longer speak because she quickly disappeared from my sight. That woman is really annoying!

“Are you okay? You look sick,” Hector said as he was staring at me intently. His forehead was still furrowed and he seemed angry. I averted my gaze from him and removed his hold on my hand.

“What are you doing here? It looks like you came from a meeting,” I told him evasively. I heard the weight of his breathing.

“I was on my way here when I saw that article. Don't worry, I made sure to take down everything before this day ends,” he said seriously and seemed tired to sigh so I glanced at him.

It was no longer facing me and remained frowning as the jaw tightened. He also looked at his cell phone for a moment and ran his palm through his hair. It seemed disgusting and just held back. Probably because of that article. He thought maybe it was a joke to involve my name in his big and well-known name.

"I'm sorry, your name is affected by this tire," I said. He tilted his head to look at me. His brown eyes focused on me and they bulged suddenly.

“You don’t know how willing I am, Anastacia. You really look pale. Are you sick?" He asked softly and suddenly put his palm on my neck so I was alarmed.

I felt a sudden electric current flow through my body as soon as his warm palm touched my skin. He did so for a few more moments before finally lowering his hand to mine and holding it tightly. The more I couldn't take my eyes off him because of what he was

doing. Every time his skin touches my skin, my body always reacts like this. I don’t know why but everything in me seems to give up every time he touches me.

“You’re burning. You need to rest. I will go back to the office first to take care of the idiot who published that article.” His voice grew softer and more pleading when he said that. It seems to be saying goodbye. Why? There is no formality between us.

I suddenly remembered what I was carrying. Should I tell him right now about it? How would he react? He might not accept it, especially in today’s situation. He's known around the world. He is even better known as Ares. What if he doesn’t accept?

I bit my lower lip as fear enveloped my heart. I averted my eyes from him and just nodded. He was still holding me.

"You don't have to say goodbye," I whispered and stood up. I thought he was going to let go of me but he held my hand tighter so I turned to him. His eyes became tender even more as he looked at me as if he was fondly touching my whole face. He stopped looking at my lips and then at my eyes.

"Why?" I asked. I almost whispered that.

His jaw clenched. "You didn't answer my question," he uttered in his hoarse voice and started to approach me slowly.

My forehead furrowed. "What question? You didn't ask me anything except if I was sick— ”

"Didn't you like it every time we made love?" He said and this time, his voice is like flirting with me. Or am I just thinking it? And what made love? Love? He called it made love?

I felt embarrassed so I quickly avoided looking at him. This man is also really disgusting. "Stop asking stupid questions, Hector."

I was devastated when I mentioned his name again. It should be Apollo, Ana! Dammit!

As I expected I heard his grin. After a while, he grabbed my chin and turned me to face him. When our eyes met, my heart rumbled for the last time. He's staring at me seductively. It seemed to be pulling me towards him.

“Well, I guess you do love it. Should we do it again? I'd like to hear your pleading for the third time — aw!” He screamed when I slapped his arm before he could even continue what he was going to say. Hector just laughed so my whole face got even hotter and I'm sure I was already red.

“Go away! Damn it!” I shouted and left him there. I can still hear him laughing.

I don’t know why I’m happy despite what’s going on around me. I feel so selfish every time we are together. I know it’s wrong but I still hope. But that immediately ended one day. I just realized that Donya Valeria was in front of me while looking at me very sharply. Her glare was full of judgment. She went to Elena’s own condo to see me. I don’t know how she found out I live here now but I never understood that.

“D-Donya Valeria…”

“What’s the meaning of that article, Ana? After you ran away from my son Ares, you're now clinging to one of my sons? You're doing everything you can just for money?” Enraged, she told me.

I felt scared when I heard that. It never occurred to me that she would come here on purpose just to tell me this.

My lips trembled as well as my hands. “I-I don't know. I don't know the— ”

I couldn't continue what I was going to say when I just felt the pain on my cheek when her heavy hand fell on my face. It penetrated my heart causing me to cry.

“You clearly don’t know what you are doing, hija. Not because I accepted you for my son Ares, I will also accept you for Hector. Just so you know, Hector is my pride and treasure. I'm sure you're just one of the women he used just to win his father's heart! He's been doing that several times. The audacity to think you are special to all the women who have passed through him. You are nothing but a

disgusting, gold-digger bitch! It's a good thing your marriage with my son didn't go through.”

And that little hope I was feeling died. Especially after that day, a week passed but Hector never showed up for me again.