The Royalty's Ruthless Billionaire
"He's with me. He didn't kill them. I was there, too!" Nanginginig at nag-aalalang tiningnan ni Mariella ang lalaking nakatayo sa stand, nakaposas at binabantayan ng mga pulis. "Nina... Nina Chiara..." She cast him an assuring glance. She will protect him. She promised his Mom. She will protect her Rafaelle.
"Ms. Santinelli, do you have an affair with Mr. Montefiore?" Mariella shook her head, disbelief shown in her eyes. For goodness sake, Rafaelle is still 18. She's 25. That's too pedo. Rafaelle kept his eyes on her. Another pair of eyes burned their gaze on her. She stood her ground. "I'm not having an affair with him. He is my patient. I am his therapist."
"Then what is this diary about?" The victim's lawyer showed a diary in the midst of the courtroom. Rafaelle shouted. "No! Don't touch that!! No!!" He struggled to get the diary.
"What diary? I didn't know he has a diary. And if he had one, I'll never read it."
"You know he has one! I always see him with you. He said he wrote there the thing he want most to forget. He killed my parents!" Mariella looked at France, one of her patients. He looked at her with contempt and disgust. She saw another shadow looming at her. Mikhail. Another psychiatrist. The one she really had an affair with. Oh God. She have to forget him. Instead of looking at Mikhail, she forced herself to look at the diary. Rafaelle kept a diary?
Rafaelle looked at her with guilt and remorse in his eyes. "Mikhail said.. Mikhail said I must write the thing I want to forget the most... Nina... I'm so sorry..." What did Rafaelle want to forget the most?
"May I read it in public, Your Honor?" Rafaelle struggled. "No! Burn that diary! It has nothing to do with this! Nina has nothing to do with this!"
"This diary, Ms. Santinelli, holds all the things- let me rephrase that-- all the innuendos you and Rafaelle did." W-what? "All of the records that justifies you and Rafaelle had an affair."
"Stop! Nina..."
The judge pounded his hammer and spoke. "Reading the evidence, or more likely just a private document, is not permitted in this court. And please, stop scurrying the witness. She is a witness."
After the trial, Rafaelle was found not guilty. France sneered at them, both Rafaelle and Mariella. People in the court looked at them with disgust. Rafaelle hugged her tightly. "Nina... I'm so scared."
"Nina is here for you, okay?" Mariella hugged him close to her. Her half-brother. It was a secret in her family. Rafaelle was her father's illegitimate son. Being a royalty's illegitimate child is hard. Rafaelle grew up with her, since his mother died giving birth to him. She was the one who took care of him. He even started calling her Mama once, but she corrected him. Now, he calls her Nina. Her Rafe. She have to protect him. "I guess that's it." She sighed. "What's on the diary, Rafe?"
Rafe shook his head. "N-no... I'll burn that stupid diary. I shouldn't have wrote that. I feel so stupid." Mariella held his hand and walked towards the exit of the court room. "They actually thought we're having an affair."
"I don't think that's a good news. They might confiscate my license." Rafe held my hand tighter. "This is all my fault. Why can't I protect you the way you always protect me? I want to be your guardian angel!" Mariella smiled. "Don't frown like that. My guardian angel, huh? Okay lang kay Nina na mawalan ng trabaho. Basta okay lang ang Rafe ko. Uwi na tayo?" Rafe nodded.
"Mariella." She remembered that cold voice. Mariella turned around to see Mikhail standing 1 feet in front of her. She instinctively put her hands in her belly. Over her unborn child. Mikhail and hers. Rafe looked at her reaction, understanding what it meant. "Nina..."
