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58. Drowning in Busyness
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2024-09-19 12:16:21Related chapters
Between Love and Scandal 59. Lisa vs Aileen
“What exactly did Mark see in you?”Aileen's face was being pulled violently. Aileen had to keep following the direction of the pulling so that her neck would not hurt. She don't know how many times she had to do this.“Who are you?”“Stay away from Mark from now on.”Aileen was shocked. “Who are you? How do you know Mark?”“That's not important. I'm just telling you to stay away from Mark. Don't you dare go near him.”Aileen needed help understanding. Who exactly was this person, and what was his relationship with Mark? Why should Aileen stay away from Mark? Why would she be kidnapped just to be warned to stay away from Mark?“Let me go!”“Under the circumstances, you still have the courage to talk, huh?”“What is your relationship with Mark?”The sound of the man's laughter sent shivers down Aileen's spine. Aileen still couldn't make out exactly who had kidnapped her and warned her to stay away from Mark. The blindfold was put on deliberately so that Aileen wouldn't recognize her ab
Last Updated : 2024-10-14Between Love and Scandal 60. The Covenant
Who are you?Mark asked the voice immediately.All sorts of wrong assumptions were already running through his mind. Oh dear! Has Aileen been kidnapped again? Is this girl a regular kidnapper, or what? He thought, almost in frustration.The voice on the other side kept chuckling in a triumphant tone. Mark was so angry that he shouted unthinkingly at the person on the other end of the line.“Where's Aileen? Answer me!”“Calm down, sir. Everything is fine. The girl's still in one piece for the time being.I can't be sure...”“HEY! Don't you dare put your filthy hands on Aileen! Otherwise, I'll remove your hand by myself!Out of your body! Do you hear me?” Mark snapped again.“The problem is that I am in a position to bluff here, sir. And I can assure you that this girlwill not survive if you dare to call the police or do anything beyond what I tell you to do.”The man's heavy voice returned Mark's bluff quite casually.“Tell me what you want, you bastard,” Mark shouted as he squeezed h
Last Updated : 2024-10-15Between Love and Scandal 61. Separated By Distance
The girl said this in jest. After all, this time, the kidnapper had not harmed her at all.It all seemed to scare her, or who knew what purpose behind it.Mark took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he said carefully,“You're right, Aileen. That's why I want you to do one thing after this.”The man said his sentence in a sombre tone. Which made Aileen stare into his dark black eyes, which always seemed full of mystery.“I want you to stay away from me. We don't need to say hello. There is no need to get to know each other. This will protect you, Aileen.”Mark turned to leave the front room of Aileen's flat.'Wh-what do you mean? You want me to stay away from my guy? Do you want to watch me torture myself? Is that it?” Aileen asked, between stunned and incredibly shocked.Mark looked at the girl with a sad expression. Not the usual Mark. That look... held a lot of secrets and question marks behind it.“My guy?” Mark asked to confirm what he had heard.Their relationship was ind
Last Updated : 2024-10-17Between Love and Scandal 62. Lucas' Rebuttal
The man looked away now and turned to stare out of the large glass window in the room. As ifwaiting for the answer to come out of Aileen's mouth.“Um, sorry, but I just want to know where Mark is. That's all. We don't need to discuss other personal matters, right?” Aileen twisted the question.Lucas grimaced as both eyebrows raised.“Oh dear! Aren't I still your superior, Aileen?” he said reproachfully.Aileen took a long breath.“Superiors in professional matters do not need to be privy to the personal affairs of their subordinates, sir!” She replied with emphasis.Spontaneously, Lucas turned back to look at Aileen, admiring the girl's courage and assertiveness. She was also unyielding and did not give up easily when her wishes were denied. A pretty stubborn girl, he thought approvingly as he look at Aileen from top to bottom.An attractive girl, she was quite pretty with that natural make-up. She has beautiful hair and sensual lips ... oh, Lucas now knows why Mark is interested in A
Last Updated : 2024-10-17Between Love and Scandal 63. Lucas In Action
In the end, Mark was just sulking. All he wanted to do was go to the cafe for a cup of coffee and call Aileen, or just check her social media accounts. Ah, damn, Lisa. When will she ever have time alone? It felt like that little parasite always followed her wherever she went. Ah, damn it! He thought to himself."It turns out that being an attractive creature is risky too, huh? I feel like giving up. It's OK to be ugly. As long as life is safe and peaceful, not chased by crazy girls like her!" Mark grumbled to Gio, one from the branch responsible for preparing everything.Gio, one of the people from the branch office who was in charge of helping to prepare all of Mark's office needs."But, sir. You should be grateful. Miss Lisa is very nice...""Oh, grateful, huh? Would you be grateful if you were being blindly pursued by another girl, if you had another you love?" Mark interrupted Gio's unfounded remarks.Suddenly, Gio was silent. He did not know what the real story was. But according
Last Updated : 2024-10-19Between Love and Scandal 64. Aileen Is Seduced
In the end, Aileen is forced to give in to Lucas. She would go to a meeting with him. There was no reason to refuse. Even then, she returned to her own room, thinking about everything Lucas had said about Mark. Oh God! How stupid of her to think that she was one of the essential things in Mark's life. How could that be?In her room, Aileen tried to prepare as much as possible about what she would need to bring with her when she accompanied Lucas to the meeting with the client to discuss the tender for the new project tender."Damn. A job I've never done before. He never dealt with investors at the branch at all. She only dealt with buyers. Man, Aileen was a little doubtful that she could handle the situation. But she would do her best. As Lucas had said earlier, so that later Mark returned; the man must admit that Aileen could still be brilliant without him, to back her up."Okay, Aileen. You can do it!" he reassured himself.Fortunately, when she went out with Lucas that hour after l
Last Updated : 2024-10-19Between Love and Scandal 65. Lucas Lies
The meeting was attended by the client, who two people also represented. One was a man in his fifties who introduced himself as the director of the Hexia Garment company, accompanied by an assistant who was a young woman with make-up who suggested she was in her thirties. In fact Aileen was willing to bet that the girl was still young, perhaps just out of college. She said her name was Dianne."Well, if I may ask, is she Mr Lucas' new personal assistant?" Mr Leo, the director of Hexia Garment asked, his eyes fixed on Aileen.Aileen felt uncomfortable being stared at like that. She had a feeling that he was the kind of bad guy who would not let any female prey, at least not from his lascivious eyes."Please keep your eyes save, Mr Leo. She is mine." Lucas' spontaneous reply made Aileen's eyes widened. Not just Mr Leo."Wow, so you're bringing your woman to professional meetings now? Wow, that's interesting,” Mr Leo said after a while after he had got over his surprise."We should only
Last Updated : 2024-10-19Between Love and Scandal 66. Protecting From Away
"Ms. Aileen met with Mr. Lucas this afternoon at the restaurant with representatives from Hexia Garment Ltd. After the meeting, Lucas drove them to the courtyard of Ms. Aileen's apartment. Without stopping."Mr. Ben sent a message to Mark. The man hadn't had much to do lately because the H Corp office had no criminal problems. So when Mark asked him for a favor, to occasionally provide Aileen's security from time to time, he readily agreed."Ah, Lucas. You seem to be interested in Aileen as well?" said Mark. His mind was now filled with fear. What was the intention behind Lucas approaching Aileen? Was it just because he liked Aileen? Or was it just to Lisa's business with him?"Whatever it is, if Lucas dares to hurt Aileen, he'll definitely have to deal with me!" Mark snarled.He clearly had something to do with Aileen's latest kidnapping. Which made Mark very worried about leaving Aileen alone. Mark brooded in his room with a slice of bread in his hand. He had to eat inside because h
Last Updated : 2024-10-19
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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
