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Again, Alesya nodded quickly. "Of course."

"Alright, since you understand what I'm saying, pack your things now. We're going for a walk!" Nicholas exclaimed, so Alesya could return to her usual self.

Honestly, Nicholas felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Alesya suddenly change drastically like before, and he was lucky that he could easily control his wife. Because Alesya was obedient by nature.

As he waited for Alesya to pack, Nicholas began to clean up the remnants of their celebration. Of course, he was assisted by several villagers who had come to help. Nicholas was truly grateful to those who came to assist and liven up the event.

And when everything was done, Nicholas invited Alesya to tour the village. Not by using a car but by borrowing an automatic scooter from one of the villagers. Nicholas didn't forget to give some money as payment for renting the scooter.

"Tell me a place we can visit to relax and unwind."

"There's no massage place here, Nik," Alesya replied from behind.

"No, I mean a place with a beautiful view that can soothe our eyes. It would be great if we could also take a dip in the river."

"Any good places?"

"Yes, a river or the foot of a hill, for example."

Yes, there is a river at the foot of the hill. But we should go there in the evening because during midday like this, there are usually no people there. Daddy and Mommy also prohibited me from going to the river in the middle of the day like this. They always allowed me to play there in the late afternoon. Let's go there in the evening; how about that?" Alesya suggested, as a village person, she truly obeyed all the restrictions and taboos in the village.

Although some people didn't believe in it. But for Alesya, there was nothing wrong with following them as long as it was good for her, and surely those prohibitions weren't made arbitrarily; there must be reasons and good intentions behind them.

And of course, those intentions were for the person's well-being.

"Where are you going?" a man greeted them, aligning his motorcycle's pace with theirs. Both Nicholas and Alesya turned to the source of the voice.

"Devin," they said in unison, recognizing who was addressing them.

"What brings you here?" Alesya asked Devin, who had suddenly appeared in front of them. It was quite strange because Devin was not from that village but from a village quite far from there. In terms of distance between villages, Devin was closer to the city than to Alesya's village.

"It's nothing. I just came here out of curiosity to make sure about the news I heard about my cousin."

"Oh, her!" Alesya shifted her focus back to the road, unwilling to look at Devin because she still didn't like the way he had pursued the house that belonged to her.

Alesya knew that Devin's intentions were good, but she didn't agree with him exploiting Silvi, which had ended up embarrassing her at their wedding.

"Do you live here too?" Nicholas resumed the conversation because Alesya seemed unwilling to respond to Devin.

"She doesn't live here. Her village is quite far from here but closer to the city," Alesya interjected before Devin could speak. She really didn't want Nicholas to engage in lengthy conversations with that man.

Because Alesya knew Devin's type. If he got hurt, Alesya was afraid Devin would start reminiscing about their past relationship. Although they had never done anything beyond holding hands and hugging. It was because Alesya was very reserved when it came to intimate matters.

"Why is Alesya acting like that, as if she doesn't want me to be here? In fact, my intention was just to make sure if you two really got married or not. If indeed you did, of course, I have to give you my congratulations and a gift."

"We don't need a gift from you. What we need is peace, so you have to stay away as far as you can to avoid disturbing our lives. Honestly, I'm uncomfortable with you being here," Alesya politely told Devin.

"It's up to what you say, Al. I know you really hate me and disagree with what I did. But honestly, everything I did was for you. It's fine; you finally got married to Nicholas. Maybe he is indeed your destiny, and this is how you meet the man who was meant to be your husband.

Honestly, I have no ulterior motives. I just wanted to say hello and make sure you're happy."

"Since Alesya is happy with me, it's time for you to stay away completely. Both from Alesya's life and from us right now," Nicholas added, expressing his displeasure because Devin was seeking attention and hoping for gratitude from Alesya.

Since there was nothing to be grateful for, as everything Devin did had actually ruined Silvi's life. Ignoring Nicholas's words, Devin simply slowed down his motorcycle to let Nicholas and Alesya walk ahead.

Now that Alesya had found the anchor of her heart, Devin was also at peace because Bryan was no longer the husband Alesya had. That meant he could truly move on from the woman he loved so much. And maybe this was the time for Devin to pursue his dreams after making sure that Alesya was no longer his destiny.

"Mariana thought that after you got married, you would come back home. To the village," Mariana said, her voice trembling, as Nicholas answered her call.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Nicholas asked, panicking because Mariana had called him while crying.

"Your father is in critical condition. Today, his condition has deteriorated significantly, and he needs a blood transfusion. I hope you can come back as soon as possible because the hospital's blood supply is only sufficient until tonight. If you don't come, there won't be any more blood available for your father."

"W-what?" Nicholas was taken aback.

"Your father urgently needs your blood because Bryan shares the same blood type as me. So, you are the only one who can donate blood to your father. Can you come back as soon as possible, son? I beg you," Mariana pleaded. It was the first time she had ever begged, crying, to her youngest son.

"Of course, Mom. I'll come back with Alesya as fast as I can. Don't worry, everything will be fine because Dad is a strong man."

"I hope so, son. I also ask for your prayers. And please forgive your father if there are still many painful memories that you haven't been able to forget."

"No need to apologize, Mom. Because both of you are my parents, and it's also my fault for not listening to what you wanted. Even though what you arranged for me was for our own good, but not for others. That's what always put me at odds with all of you."

Mariana nodded, even though Nicholas couldn't see what she was doing. "I understand. That's why I'm asking and begging you to come back to help your father. Honestly, even though your father wasn't a good head of the household, he was a man responsible for his children and wife. And as you said earlier, maybe it's because we didn't share the same way of thinking that your father is like this now."

"Alright, Mom, I'll end the call. I'll come back to the city right away."

"Thank you, son," Mariana said before ending the call.

She also reminded Nicholas to be careful on his way back to the city, even though he was in a hurry. Mariana hoped Nicholas would drive safely. Fast, but while ensuring his and Alesya's safety.

While Nicholas was trying to return as soon as possible, Bryan was preoccupied with a new project. He had to personally go to a corner of the city to check the heavy machinery he had just sent. He said that one of the heavy machinery had been delivered in used condition, not brand new as stipulated in the agreement that both parties had agreed upon.

Bryan muttered to himself as he found that the heavy machinery indeed had rust on one side of the engine. He didn't know who was to blame, but Bryan decided to investigate the matter. He also had to replace it with a new one and instructed his subordinates to double-check who the irresponsible employee was who made the order not in accordance with the customer's wishes.

Because the reputation of his company was at stake here. If even one dissatisfied customer appeared, the gossip would surely spread, and it was certain that sales would plummet from the usual figures.

And when Bryan wanted to take a break to answer a call from his mother, he asked for permission to sit at a coffee and snack stall.

The man leaned there, feeling exhausted as he heard about his father's deteriorating condition since this morning. He wanted to go home to be with his mother, but his work couldn't be left behind. Moreover, there was a critical issue he needed to resolve directly at the location, and he couldn't delegate it to his secretary or assistant. As a director, he was responsible for maintaining the company's reputation.