Chapter 3 Her New Life

"She's in tears of joy," Melchor remarked, noticing that her husband's lawyer was analyzing her expression. She averted her gaze and quickly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes. "Mr. Mendevil is currently abroad and has requested his wife to stay at their mansion." She could only nod in response as the two men began discussing financial matters. That evening, a car came to pick her up and drove her to her husband's palace-like home. She jolted awake when she felt her stomach churn. For several days, she had felt unwell. Initially, she thought it was just exhaustion from spending nearly every day at the hospital. Manciano had been in a deep sleep for almost three weeks, and his condition showed no signs of improvement. However, in the past few days, she had noticed changes in her body and her sudden pickiness with food. She wasn't so naive as to ignore the possibility that she might be carrying a child. Elliana was still emotional as she descended the grand staircase of the mansion. She was about to head straight to the kitchen when she overheard the voices of two housemaids. "The Mendevil family is traditional. They don't accept illegitimate children," said the oldest maid. "Why not? We're in modern times now," the other one replied. "Just trust me, Jennie. No more questions. It reminds me of the late Doña. Chairman's father tormented the child he had outside of marriage. The Mendevils are ruthless, especially towards those who aren't blood-related but are eager to s*ck off their wealth." Her trembling hand instinctively rested on her flat abdomen. A chill coursed through her feet, and her hunger and thirst vanished, replaced by an inexplicable dread. She had heard plenty about the Mendevil family, and it was hardly pleasant. Being the wealthiest in the city, no one dared to challenge the name she had married into. Pacing nervously in her room, she couldn't quite grasp her husband's character, but what she had heard was enough to instill fear for the child she was carrying. "What am I going to do?" she whispered to herself. Her gaze fell on the closed walk-in closet. Quickly, she rushed over and began packing. She needed to protect her baby. She couldn't bear to involve the innocent life growing inside her.   5 YEARS LATER "Mommy, Lexus's fighting me!"Elliana paused from arranging the roses in her basket when she heard the shrill cry of her three-year-old daughter. "I'm not! You're just being a bad baby!" There was a brief moment of silence before she heard a loud smack, followed by a thud. Dropping the scissors, she rushed to the small living room. "Maxie, what did you do?" she scolded the mischievous little girl, hurrying to comfort her twin brother, who was holding his reddened cheek. Instead of answering, Maxie pursed her lips dramatically, looking up at her with big, pleading eyes. Her lips quivered slightly, but Elliana's stern expression remained unchanged. With that, Maxie's mouth opened wide, and she burst into loud sobs. Elliana sighed in exhaustion. She's the one at fault, yet she has the nerve to cry! "Maxie, stop crying. You're making our Momma tired," Lexus said, sounding far more mature than his years. He crawled over to his sister and wrapped his tiny arms around her. "I'm sorry, don't cry anymore." Lexus even kissed Maxie's plump, rosy cheek. "Don't fight Maxie again, okay? I'm right, and you're wrong." "Okay," Lexus nodded obediently, as if he would agree to anything his sister said, just to stop her from crying. Elliana pressed a hand to her forehead, watching her children in disbelief. Maxie had always been the naughty twin-the short-tempered, bratty, and overly talkative one. She always wanted things to go her way.   "Maxie, why did you do that to your brother?" Elliana asked calmly but firmly. "You don't slap someone just because you're mad at them."   Instead of answering, Maxie hid behind her twin brother. Lexus immediately shielded her, stepping in to prevent his sister from getting scolded. "It's my fault, Momma. I upset her," Lexus said, his voice small but protective. Elliana crossed her arms and gave her son a quick glance. "Maxie, don't hide behind your brother. I'm talking to you. Even if Lexus defends you, I know you did something wrong." With a pout, her baby slowly stepped out from behind her twin, fidgeting with her small fingers and keeping her head down. "It was just because, Momma..." "Sorry, Momma. I provoked her," Lexus interrupted again, this time stretching his small arm protectively in front of Maxie as if shielding her from their mother's scolding. Elliana had always told them they should stand by each other no matter what, but it seemed they'd taken that lesson too much to heart. Both were unusually sharp for their age, especially Lexus Kenz. He was the mature and responsible one-calm, with an endless amount of patience. "Lexus, you can't always cover for Maxie's mistakes. I know you're trying to protect her, but how will she ever learn if you do that?" "I'm sorry, Momma," Maxie whimpered, clutching Lexus's hand tightly with each sob. "Sorry, Lexus. Maxie loves you." Elliana sighed again, finally sitting down on the floor and crossing her legs. "Come here," she said, opening her arms and offering them a warm smile. The twins immediately rushed toward her. Maxie threw herself into her mother's arms, and Elliana caught her little body with ease. "I'm sorry, Momma," Maxie repeated with a sniffle. "Maxie's naughty again." Elliana gently kissed her daughter on both cheeks. "You're forgiven. But remember, you don't slap your big brother just because he disagrees with you. Didn't I tell you, when you two can't agree on something, you come to me so we can sort it out together?" "Yes, Momma. We're sorry," Maxie said with fluttering eyelashes and a cute pout, clearly trying to charm her way out of trouble. Elliana pulled Lexus onto her other knee, seating him beside his sister. "So, what were you two arguing about, hmm?" "About our birthday," Lexus replied. "And what about it?" Their birthday was just a week away. "We're turning four!" Maxie squealed excitedly, her big eyes wide with excitement. She even held up four tiny fingers and giggled. "Maxie wants to go to the city, and I told her we can't because we don't have the money for that," Lexus explained calmly. "I said no because you'll get more jobs. You'll be tired," Lexus explained, his voice soft. Elliana felt a warm sensation fill her chest as her little boy shyly snuggled into her neck. "You're so sweet, baby. Thank you for thinking of me," she whispered. Maxie, on the other hand, was pouting, her little fingers tapping together as her rosy lips jutted out. She blinked up at her mother with wide, pleading eyes. "It's just a wish, Mommy," she said innocently. Elliana laughed and kissed her baby girl on the cheek. "It's okay, Maxie. We're going to the city. Mommy has saved up some money." She had been hearing for a while now how much her children wanted to visit the city, so she made sure to set aside some savings for the trip. "Yehey! Did you hear that, Lexus? We're going to the city! We'll see big buildings and fast cars!" Maxie jumped in excitement, and Elliana amusedly pinched Lexus's cheek when she saw him trying to suppress a smile. Finally, a grin broke across his face, showing his white baby teeth before he threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Momma. You're the best! Maxie and I love you so much." "I love you both," Elliana replied, her eyes warming with emotion. Before tears could spill over, she stood up, kissed her kids one more time, and excused herself to return to her work.