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27. The Search For Laura
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2024-08-05 19:28:24Related chapters
Between Love and Scandal 28. Hiding
Just as they had expected. The black car pulled into the harbor. As they had planned, as soon as Laura was on the deck, Evan and David ran to the car and knocked on Laura's window.Laura didn't move. She took a breath and let it out roughly. Her plan to escape failed as she was caught by the men of her company. But Laura needed ideas.Her eyes scanned the area again. Laura was deliberately buying time so that she could run free without being caught. Then she smiled mischievously. Suddenly, she had an idea of how to escape. She opened the window."Hey, you! Excuse me, can I open my door? I hope you can walk a little behind or in front of me. Can you?"David complied. He immediately stepped forward and let her open the door. Once the door was open, Laura quickly ran past the cars that were starting to park in the lot. Meanwhile, David picked up his HT and reported that the target was about to escape.The men immediately gathered. They split up when they saw Laura already in the middle o
Last Updated : 2024-08-05Between Love and Scandal 29. Bully Each Other, But ....
Meanwhile, Mark and Aileen returned to Mark's apartment. They plopped down on the long sofa in the front room where no one but Aileen had ever sat."Oh my! This is so hard to handle! If I were Mrs. Liana--""No way! You can't say that without actually being her." Mark cut off Aileen's naive words."Laura always thinks that way. She's so sure that if she does this, she'll do that. Ish, but it's not necessarily the case that if she experienced it herself, she would be able to behave the way she talks about!"Aileen, feeling cornered, made a face."Geez, why don't you just listen to me? You're just blaming me for being human! Ish!""What the hell? Am I wrong? That's the truth!""Yes, but there's no need to clarify it either. I didn't mean what I said either," Aileen said defensively."Well, admit it, right! If you didn't mean it, why did you say it? You're forcing me to listen anyway! It's better if what you hear are facts. This is just a baseless characterization!" Mark continued to acc
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Between Love and Scandal 30. Sneaking
The night was falling. The sky was reddened with darkness, and the clouds were hanging as if they were about to rain down on the earth. The fan sounded even louder in a room that was just a little smaller. But that didn't stop Laura from falling asleep in her dreams.Her body felt so tired after a long day of avoiding the pursuit of big men. Her eyes were so sleepy that she could not keep them open.During her exhaustion, she dreamed that the men had captured her and taken her to a dark torture chamber. There, she was tied to a chair with a rope, and the men began to surround and abuse her.Laura screamed that night, broke out in a cold sweat, and was very frightened. Soon, Laura woke up. Her mother, who had helped her, was hugging her."Did you have a nightmare, child?""Yes, Mom.""Be patient, child."The kind, fairy-like mother took a glass and filled it with water. A moment later, she handed it to Laura."Drink first, child. Tell me about your dream and what you're afraid of."Lau
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Between Love and Scandal 31. Compulsion
The atmosphere of The Plaza was becoming increasingly crowded with shoppers, most of whom were Laura. The sounds of people haggling over prices, the mix of pop music, and the voices of several vendors passing by and offering their wares made the place even more crowded.Three men who hadn't finished their glass of iced tea were forced to chase after the girl wearing a green shirt and black and white striped pants. They left the iced tea with the vendor and resumed their pursuit.Realizing she was being chased, Laura immediately sought a safe hiding place. She finally found a hidden wall that the clothing vendors used to come and go. From there, Laura could walk slowly toward the exit to escape.Sure enough, as soon as a man was lifting heavy objects, Laura hid behind him and walked with him, unseen by Mr. Ben's team. Laura made it safely to the exit.However, her body immediately froze, and her eyes bulged slightly when she realized someone in the car was looking at her. They were now
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Between Love and Scandal 32. Surrender
So here Laura was in an air-conditioned room with a flat-screen TV on the wall and a soft bed where she had slept for the past two nights.But even though she had been there for two nights, she did not feel at peace. She kept hearing Ms Zhang Laren's words about turning herself in to the authorities, but Laura still couldn't accept it.Every time she thought about it, she was overwhelmed with indecision and anxiety. She took a deep breath, then tried to steady herself. Massaging her temples, she said, "It's going to be okay, Laura. It's going to be okay."Laura rose from her sleep. She wanted to report to the police. But just as she was about to make the call, doubt came over her again. After thinking for a while, Laura called an online motorcycle taxi to take her to the police station.On the way, Laura mostly daydreamed and thought about the possibilities. She felt terrible, but she tried to force herself.It took only fifteen minutes for Laura to arrive at the police station. She s
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Between Love and Scandal 33. A Kiss
"It's done, sir! We have a report that Laura has turned herself into the police," Mr Ben told Mark on his cell phone.He preferred to communicate with Mark because he could discuss things with him. Not Lucas, who could only give orders without understanding the difficulties and challenges his men were facing."Very good, Mr. Ben. You and your team should go home and get some rest. Everything is clear. We're just pressing Mr. Mrs. Leigner now." Mark gave his order.The call was then disconnected. Instead, Mark sent a short message to Lucas, informing him of the latest developments in Laura's arrest.Aileen, who had been watching Mark's movements, was pleased."So that leaves a couple who look like accomplices, huh?" she asked.At home, they were busy preparing dinner. Aileen and Mark cooked together to maintain harmony between the host and guests.Aileen thought earlier that it's a shame they're already out shopping for ingredients. But she wanted to be alone with Mark. She had the fee
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Between Love and Scandal 34. Revealed
Aileen's heart still pounded as she entered the room and fell onto the bed. Truly, she cursed her stupidity, and she almost wanted to be kissed by Mark just like that! Ish!Where was her logic? Where was her pride? Why did she seem to welcome it instead of refusing before? Shit! Aileen continued to curse herself.True, the kiss was cut off. But the incident was enough to embarrass her."What's wrong with Mark coming over and trying to rub it in? You pervert!" she cursed over and over.She fell asleep that night without realizing it. And in her dreams, Aileen felt like someone was chasing her. She was the one who had been chasing the company's criminals for the past few days. Absurd indeed.The next morning, she was embarrassed again when Mark knocked on her door and woke Aileen, who had overslept. Oh dear! How embarrassing!"Yeah, just a minute, I'm in the bathroom!" Aileen replied casually. If only Mark had heard her voice, he would have known that Aileen was still in bed and had jus
Last Updated : 2024-08-23Between Love and Scandal 35. Normalization
They arrived at the office as the clock struck nine. The other employees were still coming in and working as usual, except for Mark and Aileen, who were supposed to be off.Mark was looking for evidence from account flow data documents from sabotaged orders that were well kept in a secret drawer in Mr William's private room. Mark got it easily because William had told him where he kept the key and also where the document was.Aileen left him to check his office. She needed to sign off on some files piled up on her desk since she hadn't worked in a few days.Diana, the assistant, immediately reported to her on the urgent matters she had dealt with. She also noted what had happened in the office during Aileen's absence."I'm done with my business too, Di. We'll be back at work soon as usual!" Aileen said, to which Diana replied with a happy look."Everything's sorted out thanks to Mark," she added.Aileen accepted all the news with joy. There had been no other bad news in the meantime.
Last Updated : 2024-08-23
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Between Love and Scandal 102. ENDING
The family was filled with happiness when Aileen finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Deborah Fredina Bagaskara. The smart and chatty little girl became a source of pride for her parents, as well as for her grandparents. The house immediately came alive with the arrival of the first grandchild in the Bagaskara family, which had been rather quiet in terms of descendants.Deborah’s birth story was quite an adventure. Aileen had cravings as her due date approached, and her parents had warned her to stay home. However, Aileen insisted on going to Monas (National Monument) to see the tower up close. “My goodness, darling. What a ridiculous request is that?” Mark was frustrated because he was in a dilemma: everyone had forbidden him to fulfill his wife’s wish, but as her husband, he couldn’t bear to deny her. During her pregnancy, Aileen had rarely asked for anything unusual.He felt terribly guilty if he didn’t fulfill her request. So, that afternoon, he decided to take Aile
Between Love and Scandal 101. Pregnant
Two months after their wedding, Aileen discovered she was pregnant because her period was late by more than a month. So, the menstruation she had on their wedding night was the last one she experienced after marriage. After that, she didn’t have any until a pregnancy test confirmed two lines. "Is it true, darling? Are you pregnant?" asked Mark, looking very enthusiastic. Aileen was so moved that she couldn't speak. She had, of course, hoped to get pregnant right away after marriage, but she never expected it to happen so soon. "Thank you, darling. I’m so touched. I'm going to be a dad!" said Mark, jumping around with joy. He immediately ran downstairs to share the good news with his parents. "What? Aileen is pregnant? Alhamdulillah!" Mrs. Anna exclaimed. She was so happy because she had requested from Aileen and Mark that they wouldn’t delay having children with contraception. Mr. George was just as happy and cheered when he heard the news. "Finally, Pa. Next time, we wo
Between Love and Scandal 100. Unforgettable Moments
And finally, the long-awaited day arrived. The Bagaskara family's house had been lavishly decorated for the important once-in-a-lifetime moment between Mark and Aileen. Aileen’s extended family from Mataram had arrived the day before and stayed at her apartment to ensure they wouldn't be late for the marriage ceremony and reception. The invitations, which numbered no less than a hundred people, came in waves, filling the yard which had been set up for a garden party, much like Lisa's party from before. The only difference was that the theme here was Mediterranean, whereas Lisa’s party had been modern and contemporary. The akad nikah ceremony took place at the large mosque near the Bagaskara home, attended by close family and a few necessary witnesses. Naturally, there were also a few showbiz reporters covering the wedding of such a prominent figure in the city. Mark successfully recited his vows in one smooth breath, and everyone cheered "SAH" when the imam asked the formal ques
Between Love and Scandal 99. Found
In the morning, even before Mark could head to the police station, he was shocked by a message from an unknown number on his phone's messaging app. When he opened it, the message contained a photo of Mr. George after an accident, lying by a river in an unknown area. Mark nearly screamed when he saw the worrying condition of his father in the photo. There were bloodstains on his father’s shirt inside his suit, which had torn in several places. Without thinking, he immediately called the number that sent the message, but there was no response. He sent several threatening messages and questions, but there was no sign of them being read or replied to. "Mr. Edo, please come to the house. I need help tracking a mysterious number. Someone sent me a picture of Dad injured somewhere unknown," Mark said while forwarding the image to Mr. Edo’s number.Mr. Edo acted quickly. He also noted down the sender’s number to have their IT team check it. While waiting, they speculated about where the pho
Between Love and Scandal 98. Disappear
That night, Mr. George came home late after attending an important invitation for a project planning. He didn't invite Mark, thinking his son must be busy preparing for their upcoming wedding.As usual, whenever he traveled without Mark, Mrs. Anna insisted that he use a driver. He had rarely been allowed to drive himself lately because of concerns over exhaustion. His advancing age made it necessary for him to be more compromising and dependent on others.On the way home, unexpectedly, one of his tires went flat. He had to get out of the car and let the driver search for a repair shop. Deciding to take a taxi, he provided his address and focused on his phone. He had been reviewing some documents that his secretary had just sent, trying to match the data with the recent meeting results to decide if the project would be profitable for his company.So absorbed in his phone, Mr. George didn't notice the driver taking a different route, not the usual one leading him home. Suddenly, he real
Between Love and Scandal 97. Lisa's Wedding
"Forgive Lisa, okay? Really, it wasn’t me who pressured her to rush you," Lucas said as they had dropped everyone off at their homes, with his being the last stop. Lisa had already gone inside due to being so tired. He took this opportunity to speak privately with Emma.Emma was just about to start her car to drive home alone when she heard Lucas’s words."Oh, no problem. Maybe if I were your sister, I’d rush you too, because she wants to get married, right? Maybe she just feels bad about going ahead of you, Ed." Emma responded wisely. Despite being an only child, the girl had such a mature and understanding attitude. She could always see the good in others. Even when discussing Courtney, she defended her, explaining that Courtney was simply devoted to her mother and that deserved some appreciation. Oh my!"Thank goodness you’re not offended. What if the more I pushed, the more you’d pull back? What would happen to me?" Lucas continued.Emma smiled, holding back a laugh. "I already
Between Love and Scandal 96. At The Peak of The Hill
Lucas, feeling sorry for Emma’s life being too heavily criticized by Lisa and Aileen, tried to change the subject. He asked about possible beginner-friendly hiking destinations that weren’t too far from Jakarta. “Are you really interested?” Emma asked, seemingly unsure of Lucas’s question. “Of course!” Lucas replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Whatever you like, I’ll like it too,” he added, which caused a burst of laughter around the campfire. Immediately, everyone began teasing the couple, who were clearly smitten with each other. “Come on, just get together already. Why drag it out?” Lisa scoffed, pouting her lips. “Yee... why are you so impatient? Want me to have a brother-in-law like Lucas?” Emma teased, stepping aside to the tent to grab something from inside. A few moments later, she returned holding a plastic bag filled with snacks. “Here! Share it equally, okay? Don’t fight over it!” she said, handing it to Lisa, who then distributed it to the others. “Wee, nice
Between Love and Scandal 95. Hiking
The day Mrs. Anna came back from the hospital after the poisoning incident, Mr. Alex, Lucas, Lisa, and Gio came together to visit and check on her condition. During their friendly conversation, Lucas once again suggested going hiking together once everyone was feeling better.Mark remembered this and quickly contacted Lucas to confirm that he and Aileen were available for hiking next weekend if their schedules allowed. Of course, Lucas was thrilled. He immediately started organizing the schedule with Emma, Lisa, and Gio.Mr. George and Mrs. Anna were a bit worried, but then they remembered that Mrs. Rebecca and Courtney, who had motives to harm their family, were still abroad for an extended period. So, they eventually gave their blessing."Really? Your friends are coming?" Emma sounded so excited on the other end of the line as she told the girl she was close with."Yes! Lisa and Gio are coming too. How fun is that? So, can you make it next weekend?" Lucas asked to make sure. He woul
Between Love and Scandal 94. Leave
"Shut your mouth, Al!" Mrs. Rebecca shouted loudly while holding her chest. Courtney, worried about her mom, immediately approached and hugged her. "Mom, are you okay? Hang in there, Mom, just stay calm. I won’t be easily tricked by them. Let’s go home, okay? You don’t look too well," Courtney urged, very concerned as she saw her mom's face turn pale and her chest rise and fall, struggling with her emotions. She feared her mom might suffer a heart attack, which could be dangerous, she thought to herself. "Listen! I’m leaving Dad for now! If anything happens to him, you’ll know how cruel I can be!" Courtney threatened as she pointed toward Mark and Mr. George. She then turned back toward her car, guiding her mom. Mrs. Rebecca reluctantly complied because she wasn’t ready to face the arguments from Mr. George and Mark. For a moment, she was terrified that Courtney would realize the truth and turn away from her to side with them. Thankfully, Courtney still loved and trusted her
