An atmosphere of grief enveloped the Hayes family residence. Bouquets of flowers of various colors as condolences were lined up neatly; the name Elena Caroline Victor could not be separated from each bouquet there, making the sad atmosphere dominate.Jonthan watched the situation outside through the bedroom window with two hands in his pants pockets. Elena's name did not escape from each bouquet that came, then the man turned around, looking at the bed where Elena usually lies, but only emptiness he found. His eyes closed, inhaling the scent of Elena's fragrance that still lingered there. But it made him feel guilty. The words of apology spoken after Elena left would not reach her.The sound of knocking on the door was heard from outside, which immediately made him turn his head towards the source of the sound."Jo, the mourners have arrived. Come out to meet them," pleaded the sad-faced Edmund from behind the door. He thinned his lips as he leaned his face closer to the door, making
Jonathan took a deep breath as silence greeted him in the room. No more Elena, no more Ella. The room was quiet and felt colder than the time before Elena was in there. The heating didn't seem to be working properly.Jontahan touched Elena's belongings that were there. Elena's pajamas hanging in the closet, the array of makeup on the dressing table, and the luxurious bag she always carried when traveling. All the surfaces felt cold to the touch, and the image of the last moment of Elena's life flashed in his head: her screaming and her eyes wide open as fresh blood flowed from her head.Jonathan instantly moved his hands away from the objects, feeling that he was indirectly responsible for the poor woman's death. Had he known this was how it would turn out, he would have chosen to keep quiet about Elena's biggest lie and devote the rest of his life to the woman who had lied to him. He would have done anything to keep her alive. No one would have guessed that behind his burly body and
The eye contact between Amelie and Jonathan could no longer be avoided. Amelie's two hazel beads stared at Jonathan with hatred; the woman's jaw seemed to harden firmly.The bustling atmosphere around seemed to be invisible, as if it were only the two of them in the spacious tavern hall.Jonathan looked deeply at Amelie, who had a cold face. That woman was very different from the innocent girl he knew back then. She looked so tough and much braver than the shy girl Amelie used to be. Even so, her grace and beauty were timeless.Amelie tucked her unbound hair behind her ears, revealing a perfectly sculpted face—a masterpiece from the Creator that made the man continue to be overshadowed by her beautiful face every day.Jonathan's lips curled naturally, and the fog that enveloped his heart was instantly blown away by Amelie's charm, which brought a cool sea breeze caressing his heart.Axel, who was between them, looked at Amelie and Jonathan in turn. The boy knitted his eyebrows with a
Jonathan returned to the lodge in the late afternoon. He spent the morning sitting pensively in a park chair at the Waikato River Walk. The image of his first meeting after a long separation with Amelie was far from what he expected. The athletic man walked into the lodge room carrying a food bag with a take-away logo, containing a burger he had bought from a fast food restaurant, on his way back to the lodge. Jonathan reluctantly opened the paper wrapping the food and began to chew lazily. The food he bought was just to fill his stomach, which was screaming with hunger. Had he not felt his body staggering from lack of energy, perhaps the man would have persisted in sitting pensively without filling his stomach with food, at least until it was dark.It was all because of the rejection he received this morning. The image of Amelie's face and the boy he met at the shop this morning came back to his head. The smile on the little boy's innocent face was very clear in Jonathan's mind,
A man took a deep breath as doubt returned. His eyes stared straight at the shop in front of him, deliberately waiting until it was less crowded. Jonathan argued with his mind long enough that the man gripped the steering wheel of his car tightly with clenched teeth, causing a rattling sound. "No, I can't just stay here," Jonathan muttered, deciding to get out of his car later. The man waltzed into the Demiurge empty-handed, choosing to keep both hands inside his pants pockets. Perhaps he could have brought flowers to make it seem like he was pleading in a romantic way, but given Amelie's cold demeanor towards him, he chose to abort his intention, avoiding the possibility of her hitting the bucket of flowers he was carrying into his ruined face. The waiters, who were currently chatting in front of the counter, stared at the handsome man who had just entered. "Look, isn't he Jonathan Hayes?" Anne said with an admiring look upon seeing the entity Jonathan Hayes enter the shop wher
Emery and Benitto, who had just arrived at the shop, had questioning looks on their faces when they saw the three female waitresses trying to calm the crying Amelie. Emery immediately approached them, concerned that Amelie had been harassed by men since working at her father's shop. "What happened to her?" asked Emery with a questioning and worried look. Benitto's arrival behind his daughter drew Julie and Anne's attention to give a reckoning to the shopkeeper, who had made their friend cry. "Mr. Jonathan Hayes has made her this way, sir," Julie said without Benitto asking. The man looked around with a frown on his forehead. Was it true that the son of a prominent Auckland figure who had recently become an informant on his wife's death had come to his humble shop?Benitto's gaze stopped as he caught sight of the figure the waitress had told him about. "You should try asking him what he's up to, Father; I'm worried about him bothering Amelie." A look of panic was evident on the f
Dusk was falling, the day would soon change, and the darkness of night would soon take over. At the end of his working hours, Gideon did what he secretly did without Amelie's knowledge, watching her leave the shop and stalking her on her way home to make sure she was okay when she arrived.It had been a habit ever since Amelie asked him not to appear in front of her anymore. Gideon started the engine of the red Mustang he had borrowed from a friend, as it would make Amelie suspicious if he used her car. She and Axel were very familiar with his car. The man drove the car at a low speed, matching the speed of Amelie and Axel, who were on foot. But surprisingly, a black shapphire metallic car suddenly approached Amelie and Axel. Gideon frowned. Who was the person driving the car in front? But Amelie seemed to respond with a cold look on her face. Is someone trying to get back at her?Amelie leered with a questioning look as a car approached her. Feeling a little suspicious, she raised
Jonathan rushed out of the crowd as soon as he saw that Amelie and Axel were no longer there. The man approached his car at a slight jog while looking around but did not find Amelie and her son among the pedestrians there. Wasting no time, the man got in and slammed the car door. He started the engine and hit the gas pedal at 40. His two blue beads did not stop combing the streets he traveled. He felt a sigh of disappointment when he arrived at an intersection. Amelie was nowhere to be found. The sound of other vehicles honking annoyed Jonathan as it interrupted his concentration on whether to turn right or left. "Shit!" he swore as he looked back through the rearview mirror. A man stopped his car right behind Jonathan's, poking his head out of the window."Hey, man, you're in my way." The man gave him a middle finger, which instantly annoyed Jonathan."Save your energy, Jo; you have important things to take care of! You'd better turn left," Jonathan monologued as he convinced him