Part 83

83

"Right at the wedding reception we originally scheduled?" Celine continued.

Vano nodded. "Exactly, and I will still hold the wedding according to the schedule we set. But I apologize; you won't be the bride because our relationship will never work out, no matter how long. If you don't mind, please open your heart to another man. I'm sure a beautiful and intelligent girl like you won't have a hard time finding a new partner."

“But, Van.”

"Celine, it's enough. Even though I still love you, my decision remains the same. I will never go back to you, especially now that I no longer have those feelings because you have truly disappointed me with everything you've done to me and my family. So why should this relationship be maintained? Why are you here chasing after me, only to embarrass yourself? It's better if you back off and forget it all."

"Van..."

"Please go to your room, Van. Daddy will handle this," Carlos interrupted as he descended the stairs.

Listening to the conversation between Celine and Vano for a moment had already given Carlos a headache. He certainly didn't want his son to falter and neglect Alexa.

Of course, Vano gladly accepted that. He took Alexa in his arms and led her away.

"Van..." Celine called out, softly. Hoping that Vano would turn around and change his decision. However, Vano simply ignored her completely.

What more could Celine do now? Nothing. Celine had to accept every decision made by Vano.

"Do you know who I am, right?" Carlos asked, placing a brown folder on the table.

Celine looked at Carlos, momentarily forgetting about Vano and Alexa, who had disappeared at the top of the stairs.

"Leave the campus if you haven't changed. I don't want Vano to be disturbed, especially Alexa. I want to protect their feelings and their marriage."

"I can't, Uncle. Whether it's leaving the campus or Vano."

"It's up to you. Whatever path you choose, I don't care. Stay away from Vano, or you'll see who the real Carlos is."

Every word that came out of Carlos's mouth pierced Celine's heart, making her shiver with fear. She was afraid that Carlos would really carry out his threats. How could she resist if Carlos Wijaya got involved?

Chelsea pursed her lips when she saw Alexa in the kitchen. The woman seemed to be arranging breakfast on the table without any help from their house assistant. This meant that Alexa had been preparing breakfast for everyone.

"You're diligent, preparing all this food this early, and without Bibi's assistance," Chelsea said as she followed Alexa, who was setting several plates.

"I'm used to waking up early, Sis. Because the distance from my boarding house to the hospital is quite far, so I often leave early. Since I'm used to it, it's hard for me to sleep in. I'd rather get to work or do something."

"It's different from Vano. At this hour, he's still asleep."

Alexa nodded. "Maybe it's because he's tired, Sis. He's been preoccupied with his upcoming thesis defense."

"Oh, speaking of which, how is his thesis? Is it finished?"

"It's done, just the defense left."

Chelsea sat down. She thought for a moment that so much time had passed, but unfortunately, until now, she had not been entrusted with the joy of having children again. Chelsea felt guilty towards her husband, Carlos, for not being able to fulfill his dreams. While he didn't demand that she get pregnant soon, Chelsea still felt that something was missing from her life.

"Why are you daydreaming, Sis?" Alexa asked. She had been trying to talk to Chelsea for a while now, but the woman seemed lost in thought. She didn't even notice that Carlos and Vano had already come into the dining room and sat in their respective seats.

"What's wrong, dear?" Carlos asked, touching Chelsea's shoulder. He had heard Alexa calling Chelsea earlier, but his wife had been lost in thought. Her gaze was fixed on something in the distance.

Chelsea could only shake her head. "It's nothing. I'm just thinking about something, and it feels... It's better to discuss it later because it's quite personal."

"Alright then, let's have breakfast first. We can talk in our room before heading to the office," Carlos suggested.

"What are we going to talk about, Mom? Is there something wrong with you and Dad that you need to be alone for?" Vano teased before starting his breakfast. From the beginning, he and Chelsea had never kept any secrets from each other, so it felt a bit strange that Chelsea was hiding something from him.

"This is related to personal matters and is more sensitive, so you're not supposed to know, just like I want to know about what's in your and Alexa's room. I hope by now you understand what I mean," Chelsea replied a bit curtly. She felt uncomfortable being pressed by Vano to discuss matters related to having children. Chelsea had experienced a previous failure, and she was afraid of being ridiculed.

"Okay, if that's the case." Just like Chelsea, Vano responded curtly.

"You two, always arguing," Carlos intervened between Chelsea and Vano. His wife and son were indeed like that.

Sometimes Vano also managed to annoy Chelsea, and vice versa. But when they got along, the house would be a bit noisy because of their voices.

"Van, sometimes there are problems between us that you don't need to know about, so Chelsea wants to keep this secret between us. Just like how our marriage with Alexa has been, haven't we ever questioned you both?"

Vano put down his spoon on the plate. "What Daddy says is true, but honestly, I'm worried about your relationship for some reason. I'm afraid Daddy might get upset and leave Mama. I don't want that to happen."

"Van, Daddy will never leave your mother. Would a man as smart as Daddy leave a woman as perfect as your mother? How foolish would Daddy be as a man if that happened?"

"I hope Daddy keeps his promise because I will never allow it if Daddy hurts Mama." Vano warned his father. Everything he did was because he had seen Chelsea's recent change, which seemed a bit sensitive and gloomy. He was very afraid that the house might lose its light for the second time.

However, as Vano's wife, Alexa was not very comfortable hearing her husband's words, as if he cared more about Chelsea's happiness. Perhaps Celine had been right all along that Vano had feelings for Chelsea. However, those feelings could no longer be reached because the woman was already his stepmother.

"Don't think too much, Lexa. Vano is quite protective when it comes to Daddy and Mama's relationship. He's not harboring any feelings or anything like that. But our marriage started for the sake of getting Daddy's blessing for Vano and Celine back then. It's in the past, so it's natural for Vano to be afraid if Daddy still holds any anger or resentment towards his mother. Hold Chelsea's hand. "Please don't be swayed by anyone's instigations because Vano has his own way of showing affection."

Alexa simply nodded and smiled. What more explanation was needed? Everything was indeed as it was, but Alexa was a bit more rational compared to Celine because she knew that, no matter what, Vano would never be able to marry Chelsea. That was the only point that made Alexa not overly concerned about the relationship between her stepson and stepmother.

Besides, Alexa realized that she had been too busy at the hospital, and Vano was occupied with his thesis. They could be considered rarely meeting. Sometimes, when Alexa came home, Vano was already asleep, and vice versa. So they had very little time to be alone.

After breakfast, Carlos and Chelsea headed to their room to discuss Chelsea's troubles. Carlos didn't want his wife to carry the burden in her heart for too long, fearing that it might become a boomerang and wreak havoc on their lives.