My Forbidden Lover

CHAPTER 13 – The Confrontation

It was an ordinary morning for the four of them laughter filled the air, echoing through the cozy warmth of their secret hideaway.

Juen and Jiang busied themselves in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and playfully teasing each other as they prepared lunch. Meanwhile, Kaoro and Zackarya sat comfortably on the couch, their eyes fixed on a massive flat screen, engaged in an intense game that filled the room with cheers and laughter.

But the peaceful moment was abruptly shattered.

A sharp beep echoed from the corner of the house the alert signal from their hidden scanner.

Everyone froze.

Kaoro’s face turned serious as he rushed to the window and peeked through the blinds.

His eyes widened in shock. “Damn it… they found us,” he muttered in a low, tense voice.

Zackarya immediately stood, heart pounding. “Who?”

Kaoro’s jaw clenched. “Your parents.”

Without hesitation, Zackarya stormed toward the front door, Kaoro following close behind.

Outside, standing by the gate, were Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes — his parents, their expressions burning with anger and betrayal.

“You’ve disappointed me, Zackarya!” Mr. Fuentes roared, his voice echoing across the property.

Zackarya took a step forward, his tone defiant yet trembling. “I’m not obligated to marry that woman just to expand your business!”

“Watch your tone!” his father barked. Kaoro stepped in between them, gently placing a hand on Zackarya’s shoulder, trying to calm him down.

But Mr. Fuentes brushed past them and entered the house without permission. His eyes scanned every corner — the elegant design, the subtle security systems, the traces of two lives secretly lived here.

“So this is the hidden house,” he sneered. “No wonder we couldn’t find you, no matter how hard we searched.”

From the kitchen, Juen and Jiang heard the commotion. Startled, they exchanged worried glances and hurried to the living room.

“Ma… Pa…” Juen’s soft voice broke the silence as he stepped forward.

“Juen…” Mrs. Fuentes whispered, her eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow.

“Ma—” Juen barely managed to speak before a loud, sharp slap landed across his cheek.

“So it’s true!” Mr. Fuentes thundered, his face red with fury. “You’re the reason the both of you disappeared before the wedding!”

Juen stumbled, tears forming in his eyes.

Before his father could take another step, Zackarya shoved him away, rage flashing in his eyes.

“What right do you have to hurt him?!” Zackarya shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Ma… Pa… I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Juen cried, collapsing to his knees, trembling. “I didn’t mean for this to happen… I didn’t know when it started… I just—” His voice broke, “I fell for him without realizing it…”

Mr. Fuentes’s jaw tightened. “You’ve lost your memory, haven’t you? You’ll forget him again once it all comes back.” His hands opened and closed repeatedly, trying to suppress his rising anger.

Mrs. Fuentes began to sob, clutching her husband’s arm to keep him from lashing out further.

Then, Zackarya knelt beside Juen, tears falling freely.

“Mom, Dad, please!” he begged. “I didn’t plan this either… It was me. I was the one who fell first. I approached him. I confessed. I kept everyone away from him — because I couldn’t stand seeing him with anyone else! Please don’t take him away from me!”

He bowed his head, voice trembling. “When he was gone… when he left the country… I almost lost my mind. I waited for so long, through the silence, through the accident — I waited for this day. Please… please, don’t separate us again.”

But the silence from his parents was deafening.

Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes sat motionless on the couch, their faces pale with heartbreak.

Then, without a word, Mr. Fuentes pulled out his phone and called his secretary.

“Book a flight,” he ordered coldly. “Send Juen overseas — tonight.”

“No! No! Please, don’t!” Zackarya cried out, grabbing his father’s arm in desperation.

Mrs. Fuentes, her voice shaking, pleaded softly, “Hon… please, maybe we should let them be…”

But her words fell on deaf ears.

Juen turned to Zackarya, tears spilling down his cheeks. He cupped his lover’s face, forcing a smile through the pain.

“Stop crying… I’m not leaving you. I won’t… I won’t disappear again…”

But the words broke as guards entered the house.

Despite their pleas, Juen was taken away, sent to another country under strict orders from the Fuentes family.

Years Later…

Time passed like a slow storm.

Zackarya took over their company, his days filled with business meetings and sleepless nights — but behind every successful move was a heart that refused to heal.

Juen, living quietly abroad, built a life of his own, yet every night he’d stare out the window, hoping to see the man he left behind.

They lived separate lives… bound by a love the world refused to accept.