On the other side of the world, Darius spoke with his legal counsel and asked them to coordinate with Elle regarding everything that needed to be settled between the two of them.
He didn't want to speak to Elle—not in person, not even over the phone.
He had also planned to talk to his family soon to inform them of what had happened between him and Elle. He didn't want them to be caught off guard by whatever might happen in the coming days.
He knew Elle intended to file for divorce, so he decided to wait and accept it wholeheartedly. He had already spoken to his lawyer earlier to give them a head start on the next steps.
What he didn't know was how he would face Angela and Clark to tell them the truth. He had once considered keeping everything to himself. But he knew that wasn't right, and his conscience would only torment him.
He still couldn't fully comprehend why Elle did what she did. It was as if she was playing with dolls—not thinking about how real people with real emotions would be hurt by the truth.
He thought he knew Elle after all their years of being married. But he was wrong. He never imagined she would toy with his emotions—and those of an innocent person.
He had cried. He had gotten angry. But even that didn't seem enough. The heaviness in his chest remained. His mind was in turmoil.
This was the first time he had ever felt this kind of pain—he didn't know what to do.
He had no idea what was currently happening with Angela. He hadn't even managed to see her before he flew back to the Philippines. He simply sent a message to Clark, letting him know he had wired the money for Angela's one-month expenses, in accordance with their contract stating he would cover all her needs.
He didn't say anything else. Fortunately, Clark didn't ask why he hadn't dropped by the apartment before heading to the airport.
***
Meanwhile, Clark's heart pounded even harder when he found out that Angela had arrived. She was still busy talking with his parents. He knew they had deliberately kept her occupied so he could prepare and get into position after his short conversation with Andres.
He was waiting in one corner of the garden, in a dimly lit area. He planned to meet Angela in the middle, carrying a large bouquet of flowers, and propose to her with the heartfelt words he had long prepared.
He knew Sakura was Angela's favorite, so he had several artificial cherry blossom trees set up, twinkling with small lights hanging from the branches. It was his mom's idea to create this setup—to make the moment even more memorable, especially since it was Angela's favorite.
He originally wanted to take Angela to Korea for cherry blossom season, but that was no longer possible given her condition.
"Wow…" he saw the woman he loved sparkle with delight just a few meters away from where he stood. She even covered her mouth in awe as each tree lit up one by one while she walked toward the center.
Petals were scattered on the artificial grass—it looked so real. It was beautiful, like a small paradise.
All the effort and expense were worth it—because of the reaction of the woman who brought life to his world.
"Do you like it?" he greeted her as they finally came close.
"'Like' is an understatement. I love it, baby!" Angela replied joyfully. "What's the occasion?" she asked with a mix of curiosity.
But instead of answering, Clark took a deep breath, then slowly knelt on one knee, never breaking eye contact with the woman he loved.
As expected, Angela was astonished.
"Angela Marie Adriano. The woman who once kept her distance from me. You were so hard to reach, so I settled for watching you from afar—just to catch a glimpse of your sweet smile," he began, then took another breath before continuing.
"I wasn't the reason behind your smiles back then, but I was already happy just seeing you happy. The first time I gathered the courage to talk to you was when you got injured during our lab. But it broke my heart when you didn't even look my way. And worst of all—you rejected my offer," he added, prompting laughter from those listening—especially his parents. Clark could only shake his head.
"I thought the day I offered to drive you to the hospital would be the second time you'd reject me. But I'm glad I still tried. You didn't say anything—but then, to my surprise, you handed me your car keys. You don't know how much joy you gave me in that moment. But it was short-lived. Because not long after, I saw the sadness on your face when you learned about your mom's condition. I watched you cry in your dad's arms, and in that moment—my heart broke with yours."
Clark fell silent for a moment. He looked at Angela and gently pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the tears from her cheek.
"I waited years for you… because I didn't want to rush anything. I wanted to see you become whole again before I confessed my feelings. But they say that when the right moment comes, you have no choice but to embrace it—along with all the memories that brought you there. And through an unexpected turn, it was you who opened up the topic about us. That gave me the courage to finally tell you the truth, even if I knew you probably already had an idea from the way I treated you. But still, hearing it is different."
He smiled. They were still locked in each other's gaze.
"And now, here we are—after all these years. Ready to take the next step together.
Are you ready to take another step with me?"
Angela immediately nodded; her smile full of emotion.
"Good. Because I'm not just asking for one step. I want us to take all the steps ahead together—for the rest of our lives, if you'll let me. Will you be my Mrs. Angela Marie Adriano–dela Fuente?"
Suddenly, Andres chimed in, "Finally, you asked! That was a long speech—we were getting impatient over here!"
Laughter erupted from Clark's father at the comment—and even though the moment was serious, everyone couldn't help but smile.