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82. Mark's Planning
Huling Na-update:
2024-11-13 11:36:14Kaugnay na kabanata
Between Love and Scandal 83. Gio Feat Lisa
It is true that when Gio arrived in Jakarta, Mark helped her a lot with contacts and connections that she would need to work on Lisa's boutique project. Gio began to be more flexible and less rigid with Lisa because, this time, she was in a position where Lisa depended on her."We will discuss the concept again every day, from the exterior to the interior...and everything," Gio told Mark on the second day. He was proud because he hadn't expected to be so close to Lisa. But thanks to Mark's concept, he was able to get this rare opportunity."Well, then there will be so much time, huh, to steal her attention? Uh, is that so?" Mark teased Gio while one eye blinked happily. Well, although Gio couldn't see his expression either since they were only talking over the line."Hahaha, please, sir. Don't make me feel like the deadline is not about finishing the project but about winning Lisa's heart. What the hell!" Gio began to dare to argue jokingly with Mark. And that was a significant improv
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-13Between Love and Scandal 84. Revealed
Gio offered his jacket for Lisa to wear as they exited a Danangina ornament shop that was wafting heavily through the streets."Wear this, miss," Gio offered as he prepared to put on his jacket, seeing that Lisa was wearing only a thin dress with a scarf around her neck.Lisa didn't refuse. She felt so cold that she had goosebumps because they had lost track of time in their choosing until it was almost closing time."Miss would like a warm drink before she goes home?" Gio offered again.Lisa seemed to consider it. Usually, she would get angry if she went out too late at night. But in the last few days, she had always come home late because she had a lot of business outside and was safe from Mr Alex's protests. It was all because Mark guaranteed her safety with Gio, who always accompanied her everywhere."Can I ask you, do you know a place with good drinks and a good place?" Lisa asked, testing Gio's knowledge, who was only a newcomer to Jakarta."Ah, that's easy, miss. I just send a
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-13Between Love and Scandal 85. Revenge
"This really can't be helped, Mom!" Courtney paced back and forth in her mother's room. Seeing the joy that Mark and his family were experiencing made her jealousy-fueled emotions run high. Not caring that happiness should be Mark's after what he experienced as a child, Courtney couldn't accept that he would be further excluded from the company's inheritance."You're right, sweetheart. Don't think that just because your father can't do anything in his wheelchair that George has the right to control everything. Where are our rights? You should have an equal share of the power in the company with Mark," Mrs. Rebecca said in support of her daughter's words."Oh, I don't know, Ma. Then we have to act. Justice sometimes has to be done ourselves." Courtney said as her eyes held a determined look."Think of a way, sweetie. I'll help you make it happen. I have no idea how to destroy your uncle. Damn. He always manages to get away with it. It's like having a lot of psychics!" grumbled Mrs. Re
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16Between Love and Scandal 86. Fainting
"What? Anna!" A comrade immediately shrieked in surprise and drew the attention of the others.Madame Anna had fallen unconscious after visibly staggering and letting her glass fall from her hand. The woman was lying on the ground because no one had noticed her fall. The lemon tea liquid, which was still half remaining, splashed onto her evening dress, which was a luxurious dark blue dress with a strap accent at the waist that made her curves look beautiful.The long clear glass shattered into pieces, making those around Madame Anna realize that someone had fainted. A crowd soon formed, and some of her friends asked the male guests to help Mrs. Anna, taking her outside to find the lady's driver whom they almost all knew.Soon the driver, who had been smoking a cigarette next to the car, threw out his long cigarette butt, his second cigarette because he was too bored to be there with nothing to do but wait for her to come home.And what a surprise it was that she was now on the shoulde
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16Between Love and Scandal 87. Investigation
Mark had returned to the hospital around eleven in the evening, and Aileen had decided to stay overnight at the hospital. After all, there was an extra bed in the room for waiting patients plus a long sofa and could even ask for another futon to use if needed.“Are you still here?” greeted Mark as he wrapped an arm around Aileen's waist. He almost kissed Aileen on the forehead as was their habit when they met recently. Fortunately, he then remembered that his father was also in the room although he was busy watching his wife.“Are you awake yet, Pa?” She turned toward the gurney where her mother was still unconscious.“Not yet. What about the police investigation?” “They'll be here tomorrow morning. I just checked the guest book list and who the invitations were distributed to, Pa.” Mark answered in detail.“And what did you find?” Mr. George asked impatiently.“Aunt Rebecca and Courtney were included in the invitation but they didn't attend judging from the guest book,” he answered
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16Between Love and Scandal 88. Interrogation
“Don't play games, Reg. I'll investigate until I have strong evidence to pin you down. Before that, if you dare to plan anything to harm my mother, you will face me directly. Keep that in mind! Even then the police won't be able to protect you, you know!” Mark said threateningly on the line.While Red=gina listened on the other end scoffing.“Don't be so accusatory, Mark! You didn't even find my name and mom's name on the guest list, did you?”“That must be just your aliboi. Make no mistake, I'll find the proof. Don't think you'll be safe after trying to poison my mama! You savage women!” Mark snarled again, unconcerned with Courtney's denials. Because he had a very strong feeling that Reginna and her mother were behind the poisoning of Mrs. Anna.“Don't talk so much. Just find the evidence if there is any! If there isn't, we'll sue you for defamation and malicious misconduct, Mark! Don't mess with the law!” Courtney turned to bully Mark who of course didn't flinch at all because he w
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16Between Love and Scandal 89. Emergence of Evidence
"The CCTV footage didn't show anything unusual, sir," the detective reported to Mark, who had taken the day off to personally follow up on the investigation. "We also questioned the waiter who served Mrs. Anna her drink. He claimed he had no idea the glass contained sodium cyanide. He said he was just randomly distributing drinks, picking a variety to serve around the hall," added a younger officer, explaining the situation. Mark studied the photo of the waiter. The file already contained his personal data and identification. Intuitively, Mark felt something off about the man. "I’ll interrogate him again, sir. I believe there’s more he knows but hasn’t disclosed to the police," Mark said confidently. Without waiting for approval, Mark immediately set out on his own. He had his ways of investigating cases, and relying on the police only tested his patience to its limits—patience he didn’t have in abundance. The perpetrator had to be caught, with or without the police's help. Hi
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16Between Love and Scandal 90. Arrest of The Suspects
“Mom, why do I feel so uneasy? Like something bad is about to happen,” Courtney said that afternoon. She was having lunch with Mrs. Rebecca at their home. The two of them had been avoiding going out much these past few days for no apparent reason—just a constant feeling of being haunted by Mark’s presence. “Calm yourself, Reg. We’re safe now. That young man wouldn’t dare say anything. In fact, he won’t even mention our names if he gets caught. He has no evidence, right?” Courtney tried to reassure herself, following her mother’s advice, but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away. It was as though something terrible was about to happen. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Because she still felt restless and anxious, Courtney decided to visit her father’s room. Usually, just talking to him would make her feel calmer. Well, it wasn’t exactly a conversation. It was more like Courtney talking while her father listened, occasionally squeezing her hand softly. Ah, not even a squeeze—i
Huling Na-update : 2024-11-16
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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
