Hendrick's jaw tightened at Fiona's words.
And Fiona knew why. She was asking for the impossible. It was as if she were rejecting the marriage proposal he had offered because he couldn't fulfill her request.
"Is a diamond ring the only measure of love for you?" he asked, contempt dripping from his voice.
"I'm not just some diamond. And I'm not as materialistic as you think."
LIAR, Hendrick's mind countered. You're just like Lalaine and so many other women who are dazzled by the shine of money. You'd trade your very soul for all the material things that money can buy.
"Let's just say I have an important mission in life. And that's my condition. If you want me to marry you, you'll have to give me back what I've lost."
He shouldn't waste any more time on her. He definitely shouldn't offer her marriage, his anger telling him that. But he knew he couldn't give up. Fiona was challenging his identity.
And he was ready to accept that challenge so that one day, he could slap her with the truth. Hendrick would still marry Fiona, not just because, despite everything, it wasn't easy to extinguish his love for her. He had other reasons for continuing to propose.
To teach her a lesson!
---
Fiona's eyes widened when Hendrick returned a week later, holding out a velvet pouch.
Inside was a diamond ring—one that sparkled more than the one Julian had given her and which she had returned after he backed out of their wedding. Along with it was a collection of other jewelry.
"Is this real?" Fiona asked, examining the ring in disbelief.
A sarcastic laugh escaped Hendrick. "I'm sure you didn't doubt the diamond jewelry Julian gave you."
"It's not that I doubt you, Hendrick." She couldn't look him in the eye. She felt ashamed for doubting him. She didn't want Hendrick to think she was so shallow or to insult his character. "I'm just curious how you could afford such an expensive diamond?"
"That doesn't matter." His face darkened with anger. His brows knitted together, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Nevertheless, it made him look more authoritative and commanding.
Those were the traits that attracted Fiona to a man.
"It's important for me to know where you got this diamond ring," she insisted. "What if you borrowed it just to force me into marrying you?"
"I'm not that shallow," Hendrick replied through clenched teeth.
Fiona felt alarmed by the intensity in his voice and the tension in his muscles. Although she was deliberately trying to provoke him, she wondered why her knees felt weak whenever she saw him angry.
"I'll do anything to marry you," he added.
She remembered Hendrick's godfather—the one who helped her father buy a new truck. He was likely behind all Hendrick's efforts to win her from Julian: the fancy car he had forced her into, the rest house in Batangas. It was probably Hendrick's godfather who helped him obtain the diamond ring she had requested as a condition.
Hendrick took one of her hands and slid the ring onto her finger. Then he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
He held her by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. She couldn't tell if it was love or suppressed anger in his gaze.
The warmth of his hands sent a jolt through her veins, spreading heat to every part of her body.
Just his masculine scent was enough to awaken all her senses.
Then he lowered his face to kiss her on the lips. She felt her muscles tense up. For a moment, it felt like her heart stopped beating. Why did her heart and body react this way to every kiss from Hendrick?
She closed her eyes, anticipating a deeper kiss.
But to her surprise, Hendrick abruptly cut the kiss short, pulling away at a moment when she was starting to yield to the emotions. When she opened her eyes, she felt embarrassed to see the mocking smile on his lips.
She didn't want Hendrick to notice that she enjoyed his kisses. She couldn't forget that he had ruined her dreams. That he had put her in a humiliating position when the man she was supposed to marry had abandoned her.
"I can't wait any longer, Fiona. I want us to get married as soon as possible. I'm afraid you might change your mind," Hendrick said. "But I can't promise you a grand wedding right now."
Fiona felt she could no longer refuse. Although it was unexpected, Hendrick had fulfilled her condition for marrying him.
Her real plan was to toy with him. That was her way of retaliating for what he had done to block her dreams.
But now, she was in too deep. If another woman were in her situation, she wouldn't hesitate to marry Hendrick.
"Don't worry, Hendrick. I won't ask for a grand wedding. If possible, let's keep it between us. I don't want to be mocked by many people when the grand wedding I announced turns into a simple one. I especially don't want Julian's family to laugh at me."
"Wait a moment, I'll call Dad to tell him we're getting married." She stood up from her seat.
As she turned her back to Hendrick, a meaningful smile appeared on her lips. A sudden idea sparked in her mind.
---
Fiona was already dressed in an off-white lace dress.
Soon, she would be marrying Hendrick in a simple civil ceremony in Alfonso.
While waiting for him to pick her up, she admired the diamond ring on her finger.
How did Hendrick afford such a diamond ring? Did he really love her, or was there something he was hiding? She often found herself puzzled by him.
But she didn't need to worry about that now. What she needed to focus on was the plan that had formed in her mind.
You'll pay for this, Hendrick, for ruining all my plans. You blocked all the beautiful things that should be in my hands right now.
She would use that diamond ring to get to Paris!
---
Only two male friends accompanied Hendrick when they got married. His relatives were said to be far away.
Fiona's father and Tita Nona were the only ones present at the simple civil wedding.
To her surprise, they went to Villa Royale after the simple celebration following the wedding.
"We're going to have our honeymoon here," Hendrick declared as they got into his taxi.
"Don't tell me you have a villa here?" Fiona asked incredulously.
"No. Villas here are very expensive."
"I know. My best friend has a villa here."
Hendrick halted. Fiona had a connection in Villa Royale. What if she discovered his secret?
"Where is your best friend's villa?"
"Over there." She pointed to a villa near the clubhouse. "But they're not there. They're in Cebu for a family reunion."
Hendrick breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Fiona's best friend's villa was far from where they would be staying for a few days.
Their villa was close to the beach. "Whose villa is this?" Fiona asked, her eyes roaming around. "It belongs to my godfather. He's gifted it to us for our honeymoon here. He said it's fine for us to stay as long as we want."
"Very lovely..." Fiona whispered in admiration as she slowly walked up the marble steps leading to the concrete balcony that overlooked the beautiful white villa with a royal-blue roof and shutters.
The villa was magnificent. In front was a green lawn, and on one side was an orchard. Beautiful, colorful flowers adorned the surroundings, even on the concrete balcony.
"Do you like the place?" Hendrick asked as he guided her inside.
"Very much. But it's sad to think you borrowed this for our honeymoon. I wish I could have a villa like this. It feels like the world is beautiful and life is perfect when you live here. I've always dreamed of having a villa here, but that seems like an impossible dream now."
The interior design of the villa was stunning. Even the furniture looked brand new and well-crafted.
It struck her as odd that there were no photographs displayed. It was impossible to tell who lived there or who owned the villa.
After touring the first floor, Hendrick led her up to the second floor, opening the door at the end of the hallway.
It was a large room, complete with a dressing room, bathroom, and toilet. The thick carpet was white, and the walls were decorated with designs of birds in a lavender shade. The wide bed had a quilted velvet headboard matching the walls. The chairs and stools were also the same color as the headboard, while the imported drapes were white to match the carpet.
"It's beautiful..." Fiona breathed, her excitement showing as she eagerly sat on the edge of the bed.
She suddenly looked up at Hendrick, who was opening the windows. She sighed, reminded that if Hendrick hadn't interfered at Julian's engagement party, she might have had a bedroom as beautiful as this.
She stood and approached the window, noticing Hendrick removing the buttons from his shirt. He followed by taking off his shoes.
Fiona felt a rush of heat when he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, trailing kisses along her neck.
"I can't wait, Fiona. I want you..."
A thrill ran through Fiona. She admitted to herself that she enjoyed what Hendrick was doing. But if she allowed herself to get swept away, she would betray her plans.
When she felt him slowly unzipping her dress from behind, she quickly stopped his hand.
"Remember, I married you even though... I don't love you yet. And you promised not to rush me."
"Yes, I haven't forgotten."
"I want to have a drink to prepare myself to give myself to you. I'll feel braver with a little help from alcohol. I'm sure you wouldn't want to make love to a block of ice, right?"
"Okay... I get the point. I'll just grab some champagne from the minibar."
As Hendrick left the room, he returned shortly with a bottle of champagne and two wineglasses.
Approaching Fiona, he placed a necklace around her neck.
She couldn't believe it. A stunning necklace was now adorning her. It had a heart-shaped pendant with a large stone that sparkled in her eyes.
"Is this a diamond?" she asked in disbelief.
"What do you think, a glass bauble?"
"Is this for me?"
"Yeah. Who else would it be for? So it matches your diamond ring."
"But... where did you get this?"
"That doesn't matter." He lifted her hair and kissed her neck.
Fiona closed her eyes at the sensation brought on by his warm lips.
Now that they were married, Hendrick had every right to claim her. She knew she shouldn't withhold herself from him.
She couldn't explain the emotions flooding her. Was it excitement? Fear?
"Maybe you should shower first so you feel fresh," she suggested, turning toward him.
"Why don't we shower together?" he whispered.
"I'm not ready for that yet. I'll join you after you finish."
---
Hendrick followed her suggestion, feeling like he might burst with desire. He wanted to make love to Fiona and show her that he could give her unparalleled happiness, unlike Julian or any other man.
He entered the bathroom and took a quick shower. When he emerged, he found Fiona sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a wineglass and starting to sip.
Hendrick was wrapped only in a small towel around his waist. Fiona couldn't help but admire the man she had just married.
He approached her, taking the wineglass from her hand and placing it on the nightstand before lying down on the bed.
"Wait, wait! I'm not tipsy yet, and I haven't showered," she protested.
"Okay, I'll give you fifteen minutes."
"Make it twenty. I'll take a bit longer in the bathtub. While you wait for me, drink this." She handed him the wineglass meant for her.
"You're driving me mad with anticipation, Fiona..."
"I won't be long..."
As Fiona entered the bathroom, a triumphant smile spread across her lips. She intentionally made sure to take her time.
She spent thirty minutes in the bathtub.
When she emerged, she was ready—not to give herself to Hendrick but to execute the plan she had formulated.
She smiled when she saw Hendrick fast asleep on the bed. She knew he wouldn't wake up because of the sleeping aid she had mixed with the alcohol.
Quickly, she got dressed and hurried out of the villa.
Goodbye, Hendrick. This is what you deserve. I won't be showing myself to you again.
---
Fiona immediately boarded a bus to Manila. She had a friend to visit there. She planned to collect her belongings from the previous day, along with a hefty sum of money to take with her as she left. That was the money she had received for the diamond ring Hendrick had given her. She also replaced it with a fake ring similar to the one he had given her so that he wouldn't notice.
She would also sell the necklace her husband had given her and use the money to get to Paris. Or maybe to start a small business when she returned.
She just needed a few weeks or months to prepare. She would be in Paris before Hendrick could find her.
We'll meet soon, Mom, she thought as she remembered her mother. No matter where you are, I will find you.
Because of her obsession to confront and blame her mother, she had suppressed her true feelings for Hendrick, which lay hidden in her heart.
---
Hendrick felt like exploding with anger when he realized what Fiona had done.
You can't do this to me, Fiona! You don't know me at all.
But what if he introduced himself to Fiona now? They were married. She was his wife. He had every right to her.
He was sure Fiona had planned everything. And he hated the idea that she had outsmarted him.
"Damn! No woman has ever done this to me. And you'll pay for this! You'll regret what you've done to me, Fiona!" he threatened, his hands clenched into fists.
He thought that perhaps Fiona was doing this as revenge for what she considered his wrongdoing.
You're really testing me, Fiona. But you're the one who needs to learn a lesson. I'm not someone you can toy with. And if you think I won't find you, you're definitely wrong, my wife. You need to know the truth; you need to see who I really am.
Who the man you rejected and played with truly is! He would find his wife and teach her a lesson!
In a fit of rage, Hendrick knocked over a wine bottle on the table. It shattered, spilling liquid across the carpeted floor.
Then he dialed a phone number.
"Bino!" he said in an angry and powerful voice that filled the room.
"Sir? Do you need me, Sir?" came the quick reply from the other end.
"Get here right now. We have someone to find!"
"Who, Sir?"
"We're going to find my clever wife!"