LOVE RESTART

The sky burns like a fire on the coast of Zambales, mirroring the terrifying scene in a secluded villa below. Trapped inside the burning bungalow is Allison Antonio, the 23-year-old heiress of Metro Global Realty. A few hours ago, Allison was the perfect description of young, healthy, wealthy, and happy. She has always been someone that anyone her age would envy. Allison is tall at five feet and eight inches. Her golden brown hair is long and flowing, accentuating her hazel brown eyes. Because of her mother's genes, she was also gifted with a curvy figure. Allison also maintains her health by devoting long hours to practicing Yoga and Pilates with a licensed instructor. Her diet, regular exercise, personal hygiene, and beauty regimen have also contributed to her youthful glow and clear skin. She started as a model at a young age and has recently been interested in becoming an actress. Needless to say, her physical appearance is everything to her. Who would have thought that all her efforts would go in vain in a matter of hours? She tried to scream for help. But her voice is coarse, and her mouth is dry. Her body is sprawled awkwardly on the floor, her limbs spreading numbly on her sides. A wave of panic rose to her chest as she witnessed the fire rapidly engulfing, turning everything into a thick, black ghost of smoke. She tried to move, but she winced when she felt the excruciating pain in her broken ankle. Hot tears started to well in her eyes. Her breathing became constricted. Her chest began to hurt with every shallow breath. She coughed. Her body tried to gasp for air. But her surroundings are already filled with the smell of gasoline and burned wood. Allison tried to blink and looked at her surroundings. The men who kidnapped and assaulted her were no longer at the scene, but the phone conversation one of them had echoed in her ears. Despite the fear and pain she was feeling, she was certain that one of them mentioned Yvonne's name. Yvonne. She knew that the lack of oxygen in her brain could result in hallucinations. She chuckled as the smoke in front of her slowly turned and assumed the figure of her step-sister. She felt pain in the corner of her dry lips when she twitched them in a smile. Allison's father married Yvonne's mother when they were both ten. Allison and Yvonne do not have anything in common. It always surprises others when they learn that Yvonne and Allison are siblings. Then, their faces would automatically light up when they finally realized that they were step-sisters. Yvonne has dark brown eyes that match the color of her brown skin. She is not exactly fat. Her weight has always looked right for her height. But Yvonne always appears heavier than Allison, who has always been tall and slender. Unlike Allison, who would rather exercise indoors, Yvonne is outgoing and loves outdoor sports like hiking and playing golf. She also loves to party and constantly appears in the society pages of the newspapers and lifestyle magazines. It is as if Yvonne is always trying to make her presence known and tends to overdo it. On the other hand, Allison attends galas and other social gatherings related to their family business only if the situation warrants her presence. Their characters and preferences are also different. The only time that people would see Yvonne and Allison together is during the annual charity event hosted by Metro Global Realty. Other than that, Allison and Yvonne live their own lives. Although they do not have blood relations, the Antonio family regards Yvonne and her mother as their own. And because they are the same age, Allison and Yvonne grew up closely together. They have always treated each other well. At least, that was what Allison thought. Feeling the scorching heat all around her, Allison wondered where Yvonne's spite started. She never thought Yvonne could hurt her in the worst possible way. Wasn't it enough how Yvonne formed a romantic relationship with Marco, Allison's long-time boyfriend? Allison turned her head to the photo closest to her hand. The men scattered them around her before they left and burned the house down. They were naked photos of her inside a hotel room while she was wasted and intoxicated by drugs. She has no recollection of those things and was assured they were edited. One of the men said those photos are circulating on social media at the moment. Thinking about how she is on the verge of death, she has no way of saying the photos are not real. She wondered what false information Yvonne would come up with. Does Marco know all this? Did they plan this together? Was he just after my money? Tears fell from Allison's eyes. She whimpered as the surrounding fire slowly melted and tore away her skin. Self-pity took over her. Yvonne's demonic laughter rang in her head. She met with her step-sister a few days ago and Yvonne confessed that she had been secretly dating Marco behind her back. She gritted her teeth in rage. Where and when did things start to go wrong? Was it when his family's business went south? Was it when Matthew came into the picture to offer ten billion dollars in exchange for their marriage? No, no. That couldn't be it. Yvonne said she had been dating Marco even when he and Allison were still together. Though Allison remained oblivious to it, the two continued dating even after her contractual marriage with Matthew. If she had known it, she would have remained faithful and tried to make her marriage with Matthew work instead of being in rendezvous with Marco. Allison whimpered in pain. They say that when a person is dying, the summary of his life flashes before him. She bitterly smiled. Finally, her misery is about to end. And if there was one more thing she could be thankful for in this situation, Allison knew she would pass out due to carbon monoxide poisoning before the fire finally consumed her body. Allison closed her eyes, ready to let go. Outside the burning villa, the blaring sound of an approaching fire truck could be heard at a distance. Speeding closely behind it is a black car. The man driving the car let out an exasperating sigh and started cursing. The fire had almost consumed the villa in front of him. He anxiously walked back and forth, screaming helplessly at the group of firefighters as they sprung into action, giving their best effort to put the fire out. As the sirens wailed, the firefighters rushed towards the burning house. Flames licked the windows, and smoke billowed from the roof, creating a menacing orange glow around it. The firefighters, dressed in thick red coats and helmets, carried hoses and ladders as they approached the house. They communicated with each other through hand signals and shouted commands over the roar of the fire. One of the firefighters, a tall man with a thick beard, led the charge. He broke open a window with a crowbar and climbed into it, his hose trailing behind him. The other firefighters followed close behind, their faces contorted in concentration as they battled the flames. Water sprayed from the hoses as they doused the burning house, creating an ear-splitting roar that echoed through the place. The firefighters worked tirelessly, their muscles straining as they fought against the inferno. As they finally managed to extinguish the flames, one of the firefighters emerged from the house and shouted, "There's an injured woman inside! Send the paramedics in!"