Inside Marissa's Heart

Marissa stood in their spacious garden, surrounded by flowers. A gentle breeze traced the fence line, causing her sleek black hair to spin and her long-sleeved shirt to tug out. Tugging back her shirt into her black jeans, she smoothed a stray lock from her face, bent down, and plucked a single flower from the ground, admiring its delicate petals in the bright light. It seemed like the final glimpse of this place."Marissa... Marissa. Let's go. Everyone is ready for us to leave," her mother, Rosario Valiente, called out.Rosario's simple blue dress blew in the same breeze that had caught her daughter's hair, almost as if the land was pleading with them to stay and not leave. Walking down the lane toward the garden, she called out once more to Marissa, "Please, come and hop into the car. We'll be leaving soon."Marissa nodded, her expression concealed.Ignacio Valiente, the second sibling, leaned against a Hyundai Palisade, puffing on a cigar.Meanwhile, Carlos, the youngest of the sibl

"It's night already, Marissa hasn't returned home, even Ignacio's come back," Rosario murmured to herself, nervously fiddling with her fingers, pacing back and forth in the entrance.As Juan came downstairs, he saw that she was upset and went over to talk to her. "Mother, I hope all is well?""I am worried about Marissa, Juan. Since the incident, she hasn't returned home, and I can't reach her on her phone.""Mother, I will ask the workers to help me go look for her. I'm sure she will be fine," Juan assured her, offering a tight-lipped smile as he wrapped an arm around her. "Let's go back in. I'll go out and look for her."Rosario managed a sad smile. "I hope my princess is alright."Miguel descended the stairs, noticing Rosario's pale face. "What's wrong?"Rosario hugged him, tears streaming down her cheeks and onto his shirt. "Marissa hasn't returned home yet."Miguel glanced at Juan. "I'm going out to look for her with some of the workers," Juan offered before heading upstairs."Don

Upon entering Miguel's room, Marissa discovered him perched on the bed's edge, with his eyes locked on the wall with a mysterious expression that concealed his feelings. "Good morning, Father," she offered in greeting, receiving only a brief, sidelong glance from him before his attention returned to the wall.Undeterred by his lack of response, she took a deliberate seat, reaching out to hold his hands resting on his thigh. "I understand you don't want to talk to me, Father. I am so sorry for the way I have been behaving. I promise you from now I will change. Please believe me when I say I am truly sorry."He gently squeezed her hand, a loving smile spread across his lips. "I know you will never lie to me. I am offering you a second chance - just bring back my old happy Marissa." Juan strided in with a lopsided smile. "Don't fret, Father, you can trust Marissa." "Son..." Miguel's face registered shock. "Son... I know, and I believe in both of you. All my children are my pride," he sp

"I realized it had been quite some time since I last went for a jog; my joints are aching," Miguel commented, his uneasiness clear. Juan supported him, and led the way down to the sandy shore, while Carlos dutifully followed with beach chairs in tow. Once the chairs were set up, Miguel eased into the seat, sighing with relief. "The air here is incredibly invigorating," he chuckled, observing the waves. Rosario, in her knee-length dress, gracefully joined him, taking a seat."Let loose, everyone. Juan, forget about the ranch, just enjoy the moment," Miguel urged, his face lit up with a carefree grin. "Fear not, Dad. Juan's leaving the ranch and his worries behind today. I made a deal with Dani to lure him into a swim, and he wouldn't want to let her down," Marissa, wearing her bikini, confidently stated as the sun sparkled on the beach.While Daniella relaxed on the shore, basking in the sun, Carlos and Danna returned to the water after a short break, enjoying some fun swimming and pl

"Hello, my Juan," Marissa hugged the white foal and smiled as she walked into the stall. "I've missed you. It's been days without you. You know, Daniella has left, and I'm making an effort to maintain distance from Juan, treating him more as a brother. Meanwhile, my mischievous Carlos is doing his best to find happiness with Danna, and the ever-elusive Ignacio is hardly ever at home. My parents are, as usual, wonderful. Everyone is fine and living their lives. Anyway, I just hope that one day I can forget my feelings for Juan and move on. Staying away from him seems like the best choice.""William, go and take care of the cows. I just called a vet for the infirmary. I need to hire a permanent vet for the animals," she heard Juan's authoritative voice."Yes, Boss," she heard William obediently accepting the orders.The door creaked open, and Marissa sensed Juan's gaze on her, causing discomfort. Despite her attempts to distance herself, they always seemed to cross paths."I'm just going