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68. A Fathers Dilemma
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2024-10-19 22:54:32Related chapters
Between Love and Scandal 69. Alex Howard
“Please have a seat, Ms. Aileen."That day, Mr. Alex Howard deliberately asked his secretary to call Aileen and ask her to come into the room to meet him."Yes, sir. Is there... something I can help you with?" Aileen asked as she took a seat in front of the large, shiny polished brown desk with a bit of nervousness. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she had gone outside yesterday to meet Mr. Lucas. It clearly shouldn't have been his job desk as Marketing Manager."Ah, please just be relax. I don't feel comfortable calling you Ma'am' because you're obviously the same age as my daughter. But do you mind if I call you just Aileen?” Mr. Alex tried to break the ice between them. The tense atmosphere that Aileen felt, on one side, wanted to be broken first by Mr. Alex's friendliness."Go ahead, sir. I'm used to being called Aileen instead of Ma'am.'" Aileen replied, shaking her hair, which slightly covered her forehead."All right then, Aileen. I just want to talk for
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Love and Scandal 70. Go Back
"When true love hasn't found its way, sometimes it gets buried for a while. But don't ask how much you miss it, because all the numbers in the world won't be enough to count it".Once again, Mark had to work quickly to clear up all the problems at his auditing branch. Some of the issues were related to the embezzlement of funds and the excess production costs over the real ones, so Mark had to deal with the branch officials.Of course, he did not accuse immediately. That would have been a dead giveaway. Instead, he used the tactic of approach. He came while complaining about work during a meeting with his colleagues. And sure enough, the result was that he was placed in a group where many people were unhappy with the company's state. It was a team of idealists who were against any form of embezzlement.So Mark mingled with them and gradually found out the root of the problem. Based on the rumors circulating, the accounting manager seems less transparent. Several other elements, such a
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Love and Scandal 71. Packing
"Oh my! It's so complicated to deal with rich people. If it's true that in this world they all have the right to do whatever they want. I don't want to deal with them anymore." Aileen continued to mutter to herself.She packed her clothes and personal belongings into the apartment. The apartment she had only lived in for three months did not seem to suit her. She remembered the first time she came here, accompanied by Mark, when she had just arrived in NYC. Some hilarious arguments between them made Aileen blurt out that maybe this apartment wouldn't last long. And she was right. It turns out that she has to go back to Manhattan now."Huuft ... Mark already paid for six months. I wonder if I can ask for the change back?" Aileen mumbled to herself, glancing at her cell phone occasionally.For some reason, she felt that Mark would contact her today. For some reason, she felt that Mark would find out about her departure to Manhattan today. It was a strange feeling.Finally, a call came t
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Love and Scandal 72. Cancellation
That night, Mr. Alex did not sleep well. Some fragments of a dream kept him awake several times: his first meeting with his wife, when he, the son of a rich businessman, fell in love with Emma, an ordinary girl from an ordinary family.The opposition of his parents made Alex love her in silence. Not daring to be open. Only when they were alone together, on infrequent occasions, did he declare it. It was painful to remember.Then, they were finally forced to agree when Emma became pregnant with Lucas. Alex threatened to leave home, even at the risk of being dropped from the family's list of heirs. This decision finally made his parents realize that as long as their son was happy, it didn't matter which family he married into.In the second part of the dream, Alex seems to be visited by his wife. Emma, who was very beautiful in her old age, said that love should not be manipulated. Let it grow properly—without force and without signs called caste.The following day, it became clear that
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Love and Scandal 73. Lisa's Confession
With slightly shaking hands, Gio drove his car to take Lisa to the Vienz Restaurant. The restaurant owner, who is one of Mr. Alex's business partners, invited Mark and Lisa on purpose when he heard the news that the two Howard children were on assignment in Texas for some time.Lisa, who sat quietly in the back seat, played with her cell phone to drive away the loneliness. That alone was enough to make Gio's heart beat erratically since he got into the car. Several times he glanced at the rearview mirror in front of him, which showed the charming face of the Indo-French mulatto girl. She looked fresh and beautiful, even without make-up.When Lisa accidentally caught his eye in the rearview mirror, Lisa frowned for a moment. Then, she seemed to immediately ignore whatever expression Gio's face showed. Oh dear! Gio is so shy! Indeed, he was tongue-tied and unable to say anything in front of Lisa. Yet there were so many things he wanted to say if only he could get over his insecurity."W
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Love and Scandal 74. Reconvene
The problems in the Texas office were resolved. Mark formed a unique team of people he trusted to provide regular reports to prevent the same mistakes from happening in the future. So now he could return to New York with Lisa."As always, Mark. You're always reliable," said Mr. Alex as he received a detailed report from his adopted son on resolving the problem."It's a great coincidence that there's a solid team to work with and to ask for help and detailed information, Pa. And if I may, I'll send you a list of names that should be promoted, or at least get a special contribution bonus. Because I think they deserve it," Mark requested, which Mr. Alex immediately approved.It had been a long time since Mr. Alex had taken the time to consider Mark's suggestions and criticisms. As a rule, Mark's innovations and actions are always based on logical reasons, and his goals are clearly for the company's betterment. In short, Mark has earned total and unconditional trust from the owner of H CO
Last Updated : 2024-10-22Between Love and Scandal 75. Hate But Miss
"What's with the greeting? Instead of welcome," Mark swore as he walked into Aileen's room.With his innocence."What? Why say welcome to someone who won't even say goodbye?" he snapped.Aileen said rudely. Her tone was angry."I'm sorry, Aileen. I--" "You don't care about me, do you? You don't think it's important to tell me, do you?" Aileen lashed out at Markrelentlessly until the man was stunned and didn't know how to respond."Hang on. Are you jealous or homesick, huh? Do you look so grim?" Mark rebuked whilesuppressing a smile at the corner of his lips. Which made Aileen even angrier."That's okay. Who would be jealous? Never mind longing. Be self-aware, please," Aileen said unacceptably.I see. Okay, she was angry that Mark didn't say goodbye and didn't tell her while he was away. But this was not a form of jealousy or longing. It was just a protest that she shouldn't behave like that in friendship."But why so angry? I just didn't have time to tell you at the tim
Last Updated : 2024-10-26Between Love and Scandal 76. Mr Lucas Decision
"Listen, Mark. You should help your sister. I see Lisa is quite successful in the design world. Just don't let her lose her focus, that's all." Mr. Alex took the opportunity when Lucas and Lisa returned to their rooms. Only he and Mark remained in the living room to chat as usual."Okay, Dad. But I thought you wanted to introduce her to another man to get away from me? The one you said was good at the boutique business?" Mark asked for the man's identity."Ah, yes. As usual, you can always read my mind, huh? How is that possible? Not even Lucas can do that," Mr. Alex asked as he looked at his adopted son."I'm half Indigo, Dad. Hehehe." He said this absurd answer while chuckling amusedly. I don't know, but even though he wasn't the man's flesh and blood, Mark was usually the most understanding towards him compared to his two biological children."Maybe it's because you're the type of person who doesn't pay much attention to himself. So you're more able to pay attention to others aroun
Last Updated : 2024-10-26
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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
