I couldn't explain the pain that I was feeling in my heart. I felt betrayed and hurt because of all the revelations of Maximus. I really thought, he'd been honest towards me all this time but I was wrong because from the moment we first met, everything that he showed me was already nothing but lies.

He deliberately made me fall in love with him and the fool that I was, I fell into his trap. I feel so stupid. Am I that gullible? Warren came into my life a month after my mother passed away. He pretended to be a nice person that I could rely on.

Maybe, I was just so vulnerable that time that's why he managed to fool me. Yes, I got hurt when I thought, he left me in exchange for money, but after that, I moved on.

While with Maximus, the pain of discovering his betrayal felt like it was too much for me to handle. I felt like a hand was squeezing my heart, robbing me off my breath. It must be the fact that I fell in love with him that's why I couldn't see right through him.

"Why? Do I look like an object to you? An object that you can use whatever and whenever you please?" I asked full of resentment and he shook his head. My voice faltered because of all the mixed negative emotions that I was feeling.

"No! I've never thought of you like that. Yes, I know that I committed a lot of mistakes because of my revenge but I've never thought of you like that."

"Then, why did you deceive and use me like this knowing that this could hurt me so much? You even pretended to be Warren that night in order to claim me without my knowledge! After that, you made me fall in love with you just to achieve your goals! Didn't you know how much all these could hurt me?! It hurts here so much because the man I only loved was playing with me all along!" I angrily said the last sentence while pointing at the part of my chest where my heart was located.

My tears were unstoppable. Much as I wanted to stop them from falling, I couldn't. The pain was just too unbearable that it felt like my heart was being slice into tiny pieces.

"Please forgive me, mi hermosa. I was so blinded by my rage that my better judgement was clouded. All I cared back then was to give justice of what happened to my mother and get what was rightfully mine. But believe me or not, during those times that we spent together; I fell madly in love with you, so much that it was impossible to control. You changed me for the better.

"Even though I kept on telling myself not to love you, my traitorous heart was just too stubborn until I finally got tired of lying to myself and gave in. When I saw you with Lucca, I thought I was going to go crazy because of so much jealousy. That was my first time feeling that way and it confused the hell out of me. Then, I eventually realized that my heart was only beating for you.

"Yes, I committed a lot of mistakes but I will never regret those times that we spent together because those were the best moments of my life aside from those moments that I spent with my mother. Maybe, you won't believe me now but my love for you is sincere. I hope, you believe that. You're the only one who owns my heart until my last breath. I love you so much, mi hermosa. So much that I forgot about my goals." Tears were threatening for fall from his eyes as well. He raised his hands and wiped my tears with his thumbs.

My heart reacted of what he said. Hearing him professed how much he loves me made my heart jump for joy. But then, the pain of his betrayal was still there.

"You forgot about your goals? How? Why am I hurting because of it now then?" Guilt flooded his face.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you like this, mi hermosa, but you heard it right. Every moment that I spent with you slowly changed me into becoming a better person. When we finally became lovers, my whole attention was on you. I became laid back, distracted and forgot about my enemies because all I cared about was being happy with you. It was my first time experiencing that kind of happiness and I didn't want to let go. I felt like a kid experiencing the best Christmas ever.

"Before I disappeared on you almost two years ago, a part of me wanted to just forget everything and just be with you; live a quiet life and be happy, but something happened. I discovered that Giuseppe and his men were already on the move and located me. When we were at the De Falco farm, you almost got shot, right?" I nodded my head, confused.

Even though I was so mad, I still wanted to hear about what he was saying. I didn't want to miss anything.

"That was their way of scaring me. They knew that it was only a matter of time before I succeeded with my goals so they wanted to erase you. Thankfully, I was quick enough because I wouldn't know what to do if something bad has happened to you." He caressed my cheek lovingly and then kissed me on the forehead.

I balled my hands into fists. "What about the incident on the plane when you just started being my PRB? Was that Giuseppe's doing too or...was it you?" Pain registered on his face upon hearing the last three words.

"It wasn't me, mi hermosa. It was Giuseppe. Before that happened, he already talked with Her Majesty Isabella about the pact but looked like she angered him because she told Giuseppe that it wasn't her decision to make if one of her granddaughters would agree to the pact.

"Because of that, he planned to harm you in a way and make it look like the Romano family was being targeted by terrorists. Costavia is a quiet nation and never had any encounters with terrorists before that's why Giuseppe wanted to scare the Queen by doing that so that she wouldn't have a choice but to approach him and ask for Nuevo Imperio's help for protection." No one talked for a couple of seconds or so.

My tears continued on falling and he was staring at me as if it my tears were the most difficult thing for him to see.

"If you really have loved me then why did you leave me for one year and seven months? You disappeared on me just like that and that hurt me so much. Were your explanations true or you just made up a story for me to fall into your trap once again so that you could use me further?" My voice faltered.

I was so happy back then when he told me that he wasn't the one who was responsible of the bombings that happened in Costavia and Nuevo Imperio where many people died. Yes, I resented him before he came back but when I heard his side of the story, I felt relieved and my resentment toward him got erased just like that. It was so easy for me to believe in him without any solid evidence because my heart knew that he was telling the truth.

Because of that, I didn't go to Franco and I's wedding and spent time with him instead. I was so happy back then especially when he proposed to me. It felt like I was floating in paradise. But now, I don't know anymore.

"What kind of question is that, mi hermosa? You know every well that I was telling the truth back then. Franco and Giuseppe even confirmed that on the live video." I could hint the sadness in her voice. "Everything that I told you back then was all true. Do you still have a doubt about that?" I swallowed hard as my throat tightened.

"I don't know what to believe anymore. After discovering about all this, I really don't know what to say." I admitted in an almost inaudible voice.

"I can't blame you for feeling that way after hearing about my confession but believe it or not, I came back as a different person after discovering the truth that Giuseppe was indeed the one who killed my mother not your father. I discovered about that when after I woke up from that coma."

Relief washed over me. "Who told you about it?"

"Antonio Romano, your father." My eyes widened as I gasped loudly. So, I was right all along. They really know each other that's why my father was there when Warren kidnapped me. He helped Maximus save me.

"You know...my father?" I noticed him avoiding my gaze and then gulped inaudibly.

"Maximus..." I uttered his name sternly.

"Yes, mi hermosa."

"Since when?"

"Since I came back after that 1 year and seven months." My jaw clenched.

"What about my mother? Do you know her too?" He looked at me with widened eyes, at a loss for words.

"You don't have to hide it from me. I saw her when Warren kidnapped me. Before I lose my consciousness, I saw her with my father. When I almost died because of the people who ambushed me, a woman came to my rescue. She had the same voice as my mother but I thought, I was just imagining things back because I knew very well that she wasn't with us anymore.

"But when Warren kidnapped me, I saw her and I couldn't be wrong. Tell me, she was there, right? I wasn't just seeing things, right?" I was almost begging, afraid that he would say the opposite of what I was expecting him to say.

He looked at me like he was having an internal debate if he would tell me the truth or not.

"Answer me, Maximus!" I snapped at him impatiently and he released a breath.

"I'm...sorry, mi hermosa, but I am in no position to tell you anything about them." I wiped my tears angrily.

"Are you really going to continue deceiving me like this? Is it really that hard to be honest with me?" I asked full of resentment and he shook his head vigorously.

"No! It's not like that! There are just things that I don't have control over it."

"But my mother is alive, right?" He closed his eyes for good three seconds as if he was having a hard time.

"I'm sorry, mi hermosa, but—"

"—Fine. Don't tell me if you don't want to. I am fed up of all your lies." I was about to get off the bed when he stopped me by the wrist and stared at me beggingly.

"Please, not like this."

"Let go off me!" I tried pulling my hand back from his grip but he didn't let me. Instead, he tugged me towards him until my butt landed on his lap.

"Maximus! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Please, don't get mad at me, mi hermosa. I know that I made a lot of mistakes in the past but I am begging you. Please, forgive me. Before I fell into coma, you were the last person that was on my mind and when I finally woke up after a year, the first person that came into my mind was you.

"I came back with the purpose of starting over again together with you after I managed to fix my excess baggage but when I got the news that you were about to get married, I couldn't stop myself from doing everything I could to stop that wedding especially when I discovered that France was the guy that you were about to marry.

"I was so mad at myself because I couldn't protect you for one year while I was in a state of coma that's why Franco and Giuseppe managed to make everyone believe that I was the bad guy and they were the victims. I knew from that moment that I had to get you away from Franco no matter what happens because he's a dangerous guy.

"I knew for a fact that I was the one you love that's why I never gave up. Now that my fight has finally come to an end, I want to fix everything between us too. I didn't want us to start with my untold secrets so I had to confessed everything to you.

"I am not taking away your right to get mad at me because of my sins but please, can we at least fix this? Just thinking that I hurt you and you're mad at me is giving me fear in my heart; fear that you might leave me and would never forgive me anymore." His voice cracked upon saying the last sentence while staring into my eyes.

"I don't know, Maximus. After hearing all these, I really don't know anymore. You said that you wanted us to start all over again that's why you decided to tell me everything. You want us to start anew with nothing but honesty within us yet you can't even answer my question. You still have things that you're hiding from me.

"I hate this. Why did everything turn out this way? I really thought, everything would finally be alright the moment you finally proved to the world your innocence but I was wrong. Let's talk again when you're ready to tell me everything. Maybe by that time, we could still fix everything." I got off his lap.

"Mi hermosa..."

"I want to be alone." I uttered coldly and I caught the pain that passed through his eyes.

"But—"

"Please, not now, Maximus. A lot has happened and I want to be alone and think." I insisted firmly. He slowly stood up and I thought, he would go out of the room but I was wrong.

"No. I won't leave you alone. After hearing what the doctor said, I can't leave you alone now. I will stay with you no matter what happens. If you want to think, I won't utter a single word and let you think in peace. But please, don't ask me to leave you alone."

"What are you talking about? All I'm asking from you is time to breath from all of this!" I answered exasperatedly.

"Yes, I know, but I can't leave you in your condition right now. I need to make sure that you and our baby will be just fine." I gasped upon hearing what he said.

"W-What do you mean by b-baby?" My heart thumped.

"You heard it right. You're pregnant. You passed out because of that. Thankfully, we managed to be there on time before that fùcker Franco hurt you in anyway." He approached me and then cupped my face. "We're going to be parents soon, mi hermosa, and I'm the happiest man on earth when I heard about the good news from the doctor." I gently stroked my tummy with my hand.

"I-I'm pregnant?" I asked in disbelief. He smiled and then nodded his head. I gazed at my tummy and I couldn't help but be emotional. Unexplainable happiness surged within me. I couldn't believe it. Now, I finally understood why I've been feeling under the weather lately.

"Oh, gosh. I'm pregnant." I was so happy but then that happiness died down when I suddenly remembered our current situation.

"Yes, mi hermosa. The fruit of our love is finally inside of you." He emotionally answered and was about to kiss me but I evaded his kiss. Pain registered on his handsome face.

"Why, mi hermosa? Aren't you happy about it?" I shook my head.

"I'm happy but until you're ready to come clean with everything that you're hiding from me, I think it's best for you to leave me alone for now so that we could think about our situation."

"I told you, I won't leave you. I—"

"—If you don't want to leave then, I'll be the one to leave." I said and then marched my way towards the door.

"Mi hermosa, where are you going?" He said in panic but I didn't listen to him. I didn't know where I was heading to but all I was determined to get away from him. I briskly walked until I got in the elevator.

"Mi hermosa, wait!" Before Maximus could enter inside, the doors closed. When the I arrived downstairs, I hurriedly went out of the door. I didn't even throw a glance at the people who greeted me because my vision was already blurry.

My heart was aching. Why was it so hard for Maximus to be honest with me? All I was asking from him was being honest with me but he couldn't even do that.

"Mi hermosa!" I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the desperate voice of Maximus echo throughout the whole palace.

I quickened my pace until I managed to get out of the gates. I wiped my tears as I continued walking without any destination in mind.

"Athena!" Just when I heard Maximus' voice full of fear, I saw a car that was heading right for me. I didn't even notice that I was already in the middle of the road. I tried to get out of there but I felt like my body turn into a statue, unable to move at all.

I hugged my tummy as I remembered about Maximus and I's unborn child inside of me. Oh, God! I'm going to get hit by a car! That was when I regretted leaving the palace. If didn't go out because of my anger, I wouldn't be in this situation. Now, I'm not the only one who's in danger. Oddio. I'm sorry, baby...