Gabriela and Miguel sat on the rooftop, the city lights twinkling below them like a blanket of stars. The air was thick with the scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of night life.
"Hey, Miguel, can I see a picture of your mom?" Gabriela asked out of the blue.
Miguel's eyebrows shot up. "Thought I showed you already."
"No, no, that one was like, ages ago. I want one taken weeks or days before she died," Gabriela insisted.
Miguel's expression shifted from surprise to nostalgia. He got up, went inside, and returned with a small photo frame. Gabriela's eyes widened as she took it from him.
"Hazel Jackson... I've seen her before," she whispered, her mind racing.
Miguel looked at her curiously. "Where?"
Gabriela's voice trembled. "My dad... he told me she was the owner of the child they took in before I was born. The one they wanted to raise as part of the family..."
Miguel's face went blank. "What? You mean... Esmeralda Flores took me in?"
Gabriela nodded, her eyes locked on his. "Alejandro said you were found on a street bench with a tag that said... 'you killed my wife, you poop-face. I don't ever want to see you again'. He thinks it was your dad who wrote it."
Miguel's world spun. His dad never told him.
Gabriela continued, "Dad found out you belonged to the Jacksons and showed us Hazel's picture when we were kids. He said she was your real mom. You were returned just a month after."
Miguel's voice was barely audible. "Did your dad say anything about... adoption?"
Gabriela's expression turned wistful. "Guess my mom wanted to adopt you. Dad said she adored you, but he declined. I think she did it behind his back. Daniela and I lived with the fact that we had a brother somewhere. And that kinda excited us."
Miguel's eyes widened in horror. "Does this mean..."
"We're siblings?" Gabriela finished, her voice trembling.
They exchanged a stunned glance, and in unison, shouted, "DOES THIS MEAN WE ARE SIBLINGS?"
"Fuck, I don't want to be your brother." Miguel cursed.
"I know, right but we can't just jump into conclusions."
"Well this is hella terrifying. But how do we find out?" Miguel looked confused.
"Hey, moments are awkward right now... we can't ask questions yet. We have an exam coming up and I'm busy. I can't let this get to me for now." Gabriela's voice turned softer.
"Gabriela, I need an explanation from someone, probably your dad because we can't be fucking siblings!"
"Wouldn't it be cool if we were siblings?" Gabriela winked seductively.
"That's crap."
"Okay Miguel, to make you feel better, I'll ask Dad."
~~~~~
"Hey, Dad." Gabriela answered her dad's call in the middle of the night.
"Gaby. How are things going?"
"Hectic. By the way, I was thinking of coming to the mansion...I have something important to tell you."
"I'm on a business trip, darling. What do you want to talk about? I'm listening." Her dad was attentive.
"Remember Hazel Jackson? You told us a few things about her when we were younger."
"Oh. Her. Of course I remember."
"I want to ask if Mom ever told you about adopting...that little boy." Gabriela sounded inquisitive.
"Adoption? Nope. We never discussed that. She never adopted the baby, Gabriela. There's no proof that she did. The baby doesn't bear our surname. I heard the baby died though."
"Died? What the heck? Who told you that?"
"Just rumors. And plus, Mr. Jackson and I met after we returned the child. Since then he had been wanting to partner with Flores Corp but we kinda went off business. He told me about the baby dying after we returned him. I couldn't tell Esmeralda. She would be devastated. But he told me a secret. His maid was pregnant and he was responsible. It's possible she could have twins - Miguel and Michelle."
"But there are not twins!" Gabriela wanted to yell but the words stayed in her thoughts.
"Are you there, sweetie?"
"Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm just a little... overwhelmed. And sad for him. You never told us that he died. But...it's good Mom didn't adopt him. It'd hurt so much that my brother died."
"Well, thank you, that's all I wanted to say." Gabriela was a bit satisfied.
"Wait, Gaby I have a - " she hung up.
"Shit, can't believe I just did that." She tossed the phone aside.
"The baby died? But I'm not sure! The baby was adopted the second day after Miguel's birth. Which means the baby is Miguel. But why did his dad lie about his death? Looks like I have to meet him one more time."
~~~~~
"I'm cutting everything I have with your company, Mr. Jackson. What the heck are you doing? What games are you playing? Why are you doing this to Miguel? He's your son!" Gabriela was yelling at him.
"You're so rude, Gabriela. Or should I call it arrogance? Just because you're the Flores heiress doesn't mean you can barge into my space and vent your anger on me. If you're frustrated, then punch the wall. At least that's what Miguel does. Wait...are you two lovers? Because you're always defending him."
"Lovers? Oh yes we are." She admitted sassily with a pout.
"Tsk. Don't be blinded, Gabriela Flores. Do you want to have ill luck like Hazel? Do you want to die being his child's mother? It'll be a relief if you're just dating him to toy with his heart."
"OMG. This happened to you doesn't mean it'll happen to him too. It's your tragedy." Gabriela snapped back.
"Humph. It sounds like you're scared."
"And for correction, I'm not with Miguel because I want to break his heart. I like him and we're just taking things slow for now but soon - we plan on getting engaged. And you can't stop us."
"Who am I to stop him from getting married to who he wants? Alejandro is only a good friend of mine. It'll be sad to see him lose his daughter."
"Mr. Jackson. Why did you lie about Miguel's death to my dad? The baby can't be anyone else but him - he was the only one your wife had. You can't write that note to your maid's child. And if I can remember, Michelle once told me that she didn't meet you until you were ready to take your responsibilities. So the baby sure was Miguel. Why did you do that?"
"Because he doesn't mean anything to me! Is that what you wanna hear? Then let me tell you. Miguel killed my wife. I loved that woman with all my heart. Our wedding was the talk of the entire world. Her baby shower was the most extravagant ceremony of the year! We signed a life contract. How could a baby just end that? That's why I'm so against having babies early. I wanted to enjoy my marriage! But all I was doing was pleasing my wife. And you come out of nowhere to lecture me about how to treat my son? Oh please. You don't know how it feels to lose someone so dear to you. Probably because you were so little when your mom left you. That's why you don't realize how heartbreaking it is. Your sister is in coma right now, huh? Maybe you'll feel that pain, that sting when she dies!!" Mr. Jackson roared.
Tears were streaming down Gabriela's face uncontrollably and her outburst was livid.
"Mr. Jackson! I'm done having this discussion with you! You're such a horrible father. I hate you. I'm sure Miguel hates you as much. You're crazy, you're annoying, you're just the worst! I'm so glad I have a supportive father! You're just using Miguel for your fame. He's a basketball star and a really hardworking guy, that's why you made him the head in your company. You have nothing called a good reputation! You built it all on Miguel. And he deserves so much more than what you're doing. He deserves your love. He's doing a really great job! Why can't you just see that?!!!" She cried.
She wiped her tears.
"You know what, it's over. I'm cancelling everything. They'll be no partnership without my consent. Stop contacting Flores Corp. We're not interested in any sort of business with you."
Mr. Jackson was fuming.
"Is that at the heat of the moment? Haha. Daniela Flores is an illegitimate child, right? Who knows if you are, too? I heard a rumor that Esmeralda had Daniela for a hobo! That's why I had her return my child anyway. I didn't want her sticking with a hobo. The guy was her past lover from college, according to what she told me because back then, I saw them together often. Gabriela, don't be too convinced you're for Alejandro. You and Daniela might be the same."
Gabriela felt defeated.
Her makeup was smudged with her own tears and her lips were quivering uncontrollably.
All the words she had for him stayed in her head.
She stormed out of the house, into her car and cried profusely.
"Miss. Gabriela, if I may ask, what's bothering - "
"Shut the fuck up and drive faster!" She screamed at the top of her voice.
The atmosphere on the sprawling grounds of The White's Academy was thick with anticipation as students lounged under trees, flipping through notes, and attempting to cram in last-minute studying before the finalists' exams. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the campus, and a sense of nervous energy hung in the air.
Gabriela made her way to Veronica's spot under a giant oak tree, its branches stretching towards the sky like withered fingers. She dropped down beside Veronica, her eyes scanning the notes scattered around her friend. "Vee, I need to tell you something," she said, her voice low and urgent.
Veronica looked up, her brow furrowed in concern. "What's up, Gaby? You look like you've got a lot to unpack."
Gabriela took a deep breath, her words spilling out in a rush. "Nope. There was a misunderstanding but it's all solved. Could you believe Miguel and I jumped into a conclusion that we were siblings?"
Veronica's eyes widened, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Whoa, that's heavy. But I think there's more to it. You've got that 'I-know-something-you-don't' vibe."
Veronica nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "There is more, Gaby. But let's just say you'll find out eventually. Trust me."
Gabriela's eyes narrowed, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean? Spill the tea, Vee."
Before Veronica could respond, Miguel strolled up, a friendly smile on his face. "Lunch, anyone?"
Veronica's face lit up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Sure, that would be delightful. Thank you, Miguel."
Gabriela forced a smile, her eyes rolling slightly as she stood up. "Yeah, sure."
The three of them headed to the cafeteria, chatting and laughing as they grabbed their food and settled in at a table by the window. Gabriela tried to join in, but her attention kept drifting as Miguel started asking Veronica questions – about her favorite books, her family, her dreams. Veronica laughed and chatted, seeming to forget that Gabriela was even there.
The final straw came when Miguel reached out and touched a scar on Veronica's wrist, his eyes filled with concern. "What happened here?"
Veronica's smile was soft, her voice light. "Just an accident. Nothing to worry about."
Gabriela's jaw clamped shut, her anger simmering as she watched Miguel's expression turn sympathetic. She felt invisible, forgotten, and – worst of all – jealous. When Veronica started asking him personal questions, Gabriela pushed her chair back, the scrape loud in the cafeteria. "Excuse me," she muttered, and stormed out.
The sudden silence was deafening. Miguel and Veronica turned to each other, realization dawning on their faces. "Shit, did we leave her?" Miguel asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
Veronica's eyes narrowed, a small smile playing on her lips. "I think Gabriela's got a bit of a green streak."
"Hey Gaby, what happened out there? You were acting strange."
"Acting strange? No...I was just staying out of your discussion." She emphasized on the "discussion".
"But - "
"Forget about that, Miguel. I'm meeting Michelle at the library. I'll see you later."
"Okay."
~~~~HOSPITAL~~~~
The unit was a cacophony of sounds - the steady beep of heart monitors, the soft whoosh of ventilators, and the gentle gullub of drips feeding into Daniela's veins. She lay motionless. But beneath the surface, her mind was a maelstrom of fragmented thoughts and emotions.
Daniela struggled to puzzle the shards of her memories. The medication was supposed to help her relax, to let her body heal, but it felt like her brain was stuck in quicksand. Every thought was a laborious effort, like trying to swim through molasses.
The doctors had reported she was responding well to treatment, that she was getting better. But something felt off. A nagging sense of unease tickled the edges of her mind, like a whisper she couldn't quite make out.
Dr. Lee, a gentle, bespectacled woman, leaned in, her voice soft and soothing. "Daniela, you're going to be alright, okay?"
As the nurse checked her pulse and blood pressure, Daniela's thoughts began to coalesce, like sediment settling in a murky pond. Images started to form - flashes of a life she couldn't quite recall.
The machines around her seemed to grow louder, the sounds merging into a discordant symphony as Daniela's anxiety spiked.
Dr. Lee's face swam into view, her expression concerned.
The machines beeped faster, and Dr. Lee's expression turned serious. "We need to stabilize her, now. She's experiencing a sudden surge in brain activity."
~~~~
The aroma of sizzling woke Damien up. He headed to the kitchen with an excited smile on his face and he was shocked to see Michelle, wearing her usual natural scent, a crop top and tight jean shorts.
"Babe, you're up," Michelle saw him standing at the door with a brightened up face.
"What's for breakfast, my little chick?" Damien asked.
"Waffles with fried eggs and maple syrup. How does that sound?"
"Delicious." He went towards her and looked at the food over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry about the other night. You must have been so sore." Michelle grinned.
"Oh, you don't have to apologize."
"Oops. I bit you so hard here." He saw the hickey and touched it.
Michelle didn't speak. Damien wrapped his arms around her waist, and their bodies touched.
"You're my safest place, Michelle."
"Okay, I've heard that, can you let go now?"
"Stop being so mean." He faked a frown.
His hands went up and grabbed her breasts.
"Damien - " She gasped.
"You're loving it, right? It's a honest massage, baby. Nothing more. They must really hurt." His voice was sexily husky.
Michelle felt him being hard.
She wanted to stop him but she couldn't let out any words.
"You might wanna do burnt eggs today."
~~~~THE WHITE'S MANSION~~~~
"And how's your woman?" Eric White winked at his son playfully.
"She's doing great, Dad. I have something important to tell you, that's by the way."
"Really? Okay...I'm listening."
"Can you get Claudia Flores expelled from school? Like...real quick?"
"Of course not!" Mr. White snapped.
"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me you're deciding to expel her because of Michelle. How many more lives will you ruin because of your girlfriend? Is the only one being bullied? The bully Claudia and her minions were accused of has happened far back in high school. You should forget about all of that. Plus, Michelle being your girlfriend earns her the respect she wants." Mr. White shrugged.
"Are you saying this because of your affair with Professor Jennie?"