Chapter 2 his assistant's

Chapter 1

Grimm's POV

"Have you found what I asked for?" Grimm asked his personal assistant.

"N-not yet, sir. Aside from the details you gave, none of the women we've tracked match." Grimm's assistant replied.

He gripped his pen tightly. That woman had the audacity to leave me on the beach without even telling me her name.

"Let me know when you find her," he said firmly to his assistant.

The man quickly nodded and exited his office. Grimm sighed as he leaned back in his swivel chair.

A few hours later, he stood up, ready to head back to his condo. As he stepped out, he saw his assistant frowning.

"Percy, what happened?" Grimm asked.

Percy looked at Grimm with a confused expression.

"Uhm... I-I'm not sure if this is the woman, sir, because she's already married," Percy said hesitantly.

Grimm's heart raced. "Show me," he commanded emotionlessly.

Percy nodded and showed him a picture from his laptop. At first glance, Grimm's jaw dropped-it was the woman he had been with in the Maldives.

It's been months, Grimm thought. He had only recently decided to search for her because no matter how hard he tried to forget her, he couldn't.

"It's not her, she's not married," he lied.

He walked away from his assistant's desk as if it were nothing, but inside, his heart pounded, almost as if it would burst.

So, she's married? How could she have given herself to me if she was already married? He couldn't think of any other reason for her actions.

Grimm quickly got into his car and drove to his condo. He had to know where this woman was. Upon arriving at his condominium, he swiftly parked and exited the car, heading straight for the elevator to reach his floor.

Minutes later, the elevator bell rang, signaling he had arrived. Carrying his suitcase, he walked down the hallway towards his condo. He had purchased two units and had them renovated into one, with five bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen, and even a laundry room.

Once inside, Grimm removed his tie. He had attended a meeting earlier, hence the formal attire. Exhausted from the day's work, coupled with the revelation that the woman he had been searching for was married, he collapsed onto his long sofa.

Suddenly, his phone rang, irritating him. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was his best friend.

"Bro," he greeted.

"Chill, bro. I'm just asking if you've found the woman yet?" Kelvin, his friend, responded.

Zafierra's POV

"Zafierra, child, you should eat or Laurence might scold you again," her nanny, Nanay Edeng, said with concern.

Oh, right, another thing. Since we got married, he's been short-tempered.

"Nay, I'm still full," Zaf excused herself.

"Alright, just let me know when you're hungry, and I'll prepare something," Nanay Edeng replied.

Zafierra nodded as Nanay Edeng left to continue her chores.

If only my mom were still alive, my life wouldn't be this chaotic. If only my father hadn't found another woman, maybe he would've seen my worth.

Her father had thought that by marrying her off to Laurence, her life would be better, but little did he know, her life had only become more miserable. Especially now that she knew there was something between her sister and her husband.

Zaf sighed before getting up from the sofa and walking to her room. If she wasn't sulking in the living room, she'd be in her room-after all, she had done nothing but stare into space all day.

She spent the entire afternoon in her room, waiting for her husband to come home. Even though she knew what was happening, she tried not to think about it because she had sinned as well-on their honeymoon, no less. What will Laurence's reaction be when he finds out I'm no longer a virgin?

For the second time, Zaf sighed and decided to sit out on the balcony. But just as she was about to, there was a knock on her door.

"Zafierra, come out. Your husband is home!" Nanay Edeng shouted.

Her attention was immediately caught. She quickly ran to the door to leave the room.

"Really, Nay? Laurence is here?" Zaf said excitedly.

But when she saw the expression on the old woman's face, she noticed the disappointment.

"N-Nay, why do you look like that?" Zafierra asked, her heart pounding.

Nanay Edeng took a deep breath before speaking, "As usual, child," her voice laced with sorrow.

The happiness Zafierra had felt just moments ago vanished. She knew exactly what Nanay Edeng meant. Her shoulders slumped as she walked downstairs lifelessly, not even bothering to fix herself-there was no point.

*Why should I bother fixing myself when the only person he sees is my sister?

Zafierra's POV

"Oh hi, big sister! How are you?" her sister Karina asked mockingly.

Zafierra winced at the sound of her sister's voice. "I'm okay, Karina. As you can see, I'm still breathing." She forced a smile, knowing that if she let this escalate, it would lead to another fight with Laurence. Even though her sister was clearly at fault, in her husband's eyes, she was the one to blame.

"I'm here to tell you that your father is dead," Karina said nonchalantly.

How could she say something like that so casually? Dad adored her and ignored me to be a father to her and her mother. And now she reacts like this? As if it's nothing?

"How can you say that like you don't care about our dad, Karina?!" Zaf shouted at her sister.

"How dare you slap Karina, Zafierra!" Laurence's voice boomed as he pulled Karina into his arms.

"Why? Why can't I slap her when she's acting like my father's death means nothing? Seriously, Laurence? You're siding with her over your own wife?" Zaf screamed, pointing at her sister.

"I don't care about you! If it weren't for your father's request and the deal we made, I would have married Karina!" Laurence shouted back, and with that, he slapped Zaf hard.

Zaf couldn't believe it. She stared at the man she had once loved while holding her stinging cheek.

*I thought he married me because he loved me. Turns out it was all part of some deal. Nice acting, Lau.*

"If you really loved my sister, you could've refused my father's offer. You weren't born a puppet, Laurence Collin. You could have said no!" Zaf screamed in his face before turning and storming back to her room.

As soon as Zafierra entered the room, she went straight to the bed and cried endlessly.

"I hate you, Dad! I hate you! If only you had believed me back then, we would have been happy now. But f**k you! Leave me alone! You prioritized that cursed mother and daughter over me. You neglected your real daughter, the one who truly cared for and loved you. Now that you're gone, my suffering in this world has only doubled."

"M-Mommy's already gone, and now you, too? Why did you both leave me? I need you, but now you've abandoned me. I'll never be able to hug you again."

Zaf continued crying in her room, while her husband was still busy comforting her stepsister, who was also in tears.

Zafierra had locked herself in her room for hours, causing the elderly Edeng to become worried.

"Excuse me, sir, uhm, should I prepare ma'am's clothes for her to leave for her father's wake?" the old woman asked respectfully.

Karina shot the elderly woman a sharp glare for interrupting.

"Yes, Manang, please do," Laurence answered the old woman.

The old woman nodded before heading to her mistress's room. "Zafierra, child, open the door!" she called from outside.

Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing Zafierra's tear-streaked, flushed, and disheveled face, likely from hours of crying. "Manang, what is it?" Zaf asked in a hoarse voice.

The old woman took a deep breath, feeling pity for her mistress. "Child, get dressed. I'll pack your things. Laurence might take you along today so you can attend your father's wake," she said gently.

Zaf's face twisted upon hearing the old woman's words. "I hope he hires a driver so I don't have to ride with that witch," Zafierra said, her voice laced with frustration.

The old woman sighed sadly at the sight of Zafierra's face. "Child, if you end up in the same car as Karina, just try to ignore her for now. I understand your pain, but please, let's respect your father's wake. I know Zandro wasn't a perfect father to you, but in his final rest, perhaps we can show him that it's okay for him to go, so he can rest in peace. Can you do that, my child?"

Tears streaming down her face, Zaf nodded and hugged the old woman tightly. "Thank you for staying with me, Nanay. You're the only one I have left," she sobbed.

The old woman patted Zaf's shoulder gently before speaking, "There, there, go get dressed, and I'll pack your things."

Zaf nodded and headed to the closet to grab clothes and a towel, preparing to shower before her husband could scold her again for moving slowly, especially with his attention-seeking sister around.

To Be Continued...