Chapter 35 35

Chapter 35 35


Chapter 35

Fabian smiled at me gently, his voice laced with sincerity as he spoke.

“There’s nothing more important to me than the idea that you’re here, Sonia.”

He held my gaze as if anchoring himself to my presence. Then he added in a softer voice:

“I once told myself that if you weren’t the one meant for me in this life, I’d never marry again. I swore no other woman would ever touch me—only you.”

I froze the moment I heard those words. My hands trembled, and I instinctively clasped them behind my back, my eyes fixated on Fabian as he casually reached for a magazine.

“Is that the reason why you panic whenever a woman touches you?” I asked, my voice low and careful.

Fabian paused, then turned to face me. He gave a small, guarded smile and shook his head.

“No,” he replied simply.

His expression shifted—something darker flashed in his eyes, something heavy. I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to push him. Instead, I gently reached out and held his arm.

“I don’t know if I can give back the same level of love you’re giving me,” I whispered. “But I’ll try my best—to love you and France, to make you both happy—for as long as I’m here.”

Fabian stopped breathing for a moment. Then he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly, like he was afraid I’d slip away.

“Just giving me and France a chance in your life means everything, Sonia,” he said. “I understand that you’re still adapting to everything. All the love, the affection, the care—it must feel like a burden sometimes. Like I said before—prioritize yourself. Just accept what we’re giving. We’ll wait for you, Sonia. France and I will always wait.”

My expression softened, and I wrapped my arms around Fabian in return. I couldn't help but wonder—

How could someone like him even exist in this world, and how did I not know?

Meanwhile, in the Valencia mansion…

Vladimir shrank into a corner of the room, his small body trembling. Themarie stood in front of him, gripping a wooden stick with fury etched all over her face.

“I told you I don’t want to see you,” she seethed.

Her rage wasn’t just because Vladimir was Sonia’s son—it was because he looked so much like her. That resemblance alone ignited something monstrous in her.

“T-Tita… please. Don’t hurt me,” Vladimir pleaded, trying to protect himself. “Mom will see…”

But that only fueled Themarie’s anger. She had just remembered Vladimir’s upcoming birthday celebration at the Martinez residence. The thought of Sonia smiling, being loved and celebrated—it pushed her over the edge.

Without hesitation, Themarie began striking Vladimir. The little boy had no choice but to shield himself with his arms. He whimpered in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks—not just from the physical agony, but from the sheer fear and helplessness.

“If you dare go to the Martinez mansion, I’ll destroy your life—and your mother’s! I’ll make sure you’ll never be happy!” she screamed as she hit him repeatedly.

The beating only stopped when Victor, Vladimir’s father, burst into the room.

“Da—”

“Themarie! What the hell are you doing?!” Victor shouted, rushing to stop her. “Sonia will see those bruises! For God’s sake!”

For a moment, Vladimir felt like his father cared—but that illusion shattered instantly.

Victor wasn’t angry because he was worried about his son. He was furious because the bruises would be visible—and the court case was still ongoing.

“What do we do now? Look at those wounds! The case is still active—this could send us to jail!” Victor yelled, throwing the stick across the room.

Themarie stomped her feet like a child and defended herself, saying she couldn’t help but lash out whenever she saw Vladimir. She hated him for looking too much like Sonia.

Vladimir sank to the floor, tightly closing his eyes. He tried to block out their yelling, tried to shut down his thoughts and hearing.

He silently prayed: Please, let this day end already. I just want to rest.

Back in the Valencia mansion, chaos erupted when word got out that Vladimir’s grandmother and aunt had been seen with Sonia at a restaurant. A confrontation followed, and the footage went viral—showing the Martinez family defending Sonia after the grandmother tried to attack her.

The media was ablaze again with stories about the Martinez and Valencia feud.

“I don’t want to stay here anymore,” Vladimir whispered to himself, defeated.

The next morning…

“Honey? What are you doing up there? You might fall!” Sonia exclaimed as she entered the kitchen and spotted France climbing onto a high chair to reach a drawer.

“Mom, can I get more bandages and alcohol refills for the first aid kit?” France asked after Sonia helped him down.

“Wait—let’s call Daddy for help,” Sonia said as she walked to the kitchen doorway.

“Fabian? Can you help us, please?” she called out, then turned to France who was unzipping his mini first aid bag.

“Why are you always using the first aid kit?” Sonia asked curiously. France was the only kid she knew who carried one everywhere—and kept running out of supplies.

“I joined one of the university sports teams,” he replied smoothly. “Some of my classmates get injured a lot, so… it helps.”

It wasn’t a total lie—he and Vladimir were on the same team, and Vladimir always ended up injured. Just… not because of the games.

“Wife? What’s wrong?” Fabian entered the kitchen, drying his hair.

“We need help getting the first aid supplies,” Sonia said. Fabian quickly opened the drawer and brought them over.

“By the way,” Fabian added, “Vladimir’s toys, decorations, and clothes are arriving today. Do you need help setting them up?”

“You’ve got work, honey. I’ll handle everything later so you don’t have to worry. Then the three of us can decorate Vladimir’s room together,” Sonia replied.

France beamed and nodded. Fabian smiled and agreed.

“I’ll come home early,” he promised, kissing Sonia’s forehead.

“Not in front of the kid,” Sonia warned with a laugh.

France giggled and quietly left the kitchen to give them some privacy.

“Now that France is gone… Can I have a kiss?” Fabian teased. “I did help you with the first aid kit.”

Sonia squinted at him. “Since when did you start charging for favors?” she said before pinching both his cheeks.

Just then, they heard France speaking to someone in the living room.

“Maid?”

Fabian paused, still holding Sonia’s waist.

“Have they arrived already?” he asked. Sonia had given the household staff a one-week vacation, which she did every three months—with full pay. The maids adored her.

“Madam!”

Sonia smiled warmly as the maids greeted her. Some had returned from their provinces, bringing fresh vegetables and local goods.

“Thank you so much, Manang. I already have a dish in mind for tonight—vegetables it is!”

“Why are you closer to Sonia than to me?” Fabian mock-complained. The elderly maid laughed.

“She’s our boss now—and she gives us paid vacations!”

“Who do you love most?” Fabian asked Sonia with a grin.

“France and Vladimir,” Sonia replied without hesitation.

Fabian looked crushed. France laughed and declared that his mom was the best.

“So where am I on that list?” Fabian asked, pouting.

“Last,” Sonia said with a smirk.

“Last? What did I do?”

Sonia listed the people Fabian loved and said they were all important to her too—because they mattered to him before she came into his life.

Fabian fell quiet. She was right. They were all his family. It made him realize how deeply Sonia had embraced them.

Later, on set...

Amara was getting her makeup done for the final scene of her drama’s first season. Fabian, not far away, was reviewing his script.

Themarie arrived, already agitated.

“Is your driver blind?! He doesn’t know how to park properly!” she barked at Amara.

Amara calmly explained, “I got permission from the director to park there. My equipment stays inside the van. You can speak to my manager if there’s a problem.”

Nevia Baisen appeared and asked, “Is there a problem, Miss Themarie?”

“She’s making a big deal over a van,” Amara said.

Themarie huffed. “Why not just move your things to the tent like everyone else?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Fabian interjected coldly. “You’ve never been a main character in a drama.”

Themarie’s ears turned red. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Jomari stepped in. “Fabian, let’s not escalate—there are cameras.”

Fabian ignored him. “You’re always complaining. If you have nothing better to do, why don’t you stand outside the set and line up with the other fans? You clearly just want attention.”

Jomari face-palmed. Themarie’s jaw dropped.

Victor arrived just in time and called her away, saying the director was looking for her.

Back at the mansion...

Sonia stood outside as two trucks arrived, packed with decorations, toys, and furniture for Vladimir.

“Did I really have to let you order everything?” she said to Fabian over the phone.

“I didn’t know what theme or toys our son's like, so I got everything. We can store the rest,” Fabian replied.

Sonia smiled. The way he kept calling Vladimir our son repeated in her mind like a broken record—but it warmed her heart.

“You didn’t have to spend so much,” she whispered.

“I work so I can spoil you and our children. Let me do it,” Fabian chuckled.

Sonia sighed and smiled. Of course he would say that.

“I’m visiting my mom later. I’ll stop by your set and bring you lunch since I cooked early today,” she added.

She heard Jomari laughing in the background.

“Told you your wife would bring food,” he said. “He was sulking earlier, thinking you forgot.”

She chuckled too. Fabian often forgot to eat when she didn’t pack him food.

Later, one of the maids approached Sonia with a newspaper.

“Madam, have you seen today’s paper?”

Sonia took it, not thinking much—Fabian was usually the one who read them.

But her breath hitched as she saw the front page.

It was a photo of her, Fabian, Victor—and Vladimir.

The details of her custody battle with Victor had been leaked to the press. Despite their agreement to keep everything confidential—for Vladimir’s sake—it was now front-page news.

The maid whispered, “The media’s going to have a field day with this.”

Sonia threw the paper to the ground, her jaw clenched as she walked back into the mansion.

They keep testing my patience. I’ve stayed silent for my son’s sake—but they keep pushing me to my limit.

She had to think fast.

Because no matter what, she would protect her son from the chaos.

And she knew one thing now:

She couldn’t stay passive anymore.