Giselle laughed cheerfully, while Harvey frowned and stamped his feet in annoyance. The dishwashing duty had fallen to him. Even though Eva had forbidden them from interfering in kitchen matters, they would never listen to her.In unison, they said, “We're full, washing the dishes is no problem.” But afterward, they argued over who would wash the pile of dishes.“Oh, Eva, I brought your dress. I also brought the jewelry box. I think it's better if we all wear matching colors,” said Giselle as she took her mug of hot chocolate. ”Breakfast was amazing today. When was the last time you failed to satisfy us with your cooking?”Eva shook her head in surprise. “Actually, I'm not very good at cooking. I just took a course with one of the chefs from the Sandrianna Hotel.”“You're really putting that training to good use.”Eva's smile was faint. ”I'm glad my skills are finally useful.”“We're glad our stomachs are being fed well.”The three of them laughed contentedly. The breakfast held at Ev
(Six months have passed)Isa gazed at her wedding album with a cheerful look. She had collected several articles discussing how the wedding took place. She also collected photos that she thought could show off who she was now.“You look so beautiful in that dress, Isa,” said Giselle with a slight smile. She came with her three friends. Giselle wore a dress specially made for the occasion—as the bride's maid of honor. The other two friends were no less stunning.“Thank you. I really appreciate you coming.” Isa hugged Giselle without hesitation. As if to show the guests there that she was indeed worthy of being friends with them, the upper-class socialites.Even when Harvey and Ursula offered their congratulations, Isa didn't hesitate to share her joy, asking the journalists present to cover the event extensively. She also made sure to acknowledge several guests who were important for her new status.Evangeline Rutherford? She arrived with the three models, but Isa kept her at a distanc
“I refuse,” Eva said, crossing her arms. Although her body was comfortably leaning against the thin wool-covered sofa, her eyes were fixed intently on her conversation partner.“I knew you'd say that.” The man in front of her laughed. ‘But, Eva,’ he said casually, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. He lit the tip and took a slow drag, exhaling the smoke through his mouth. He didn't care that the hotel lounge was filled with smoke. ”You can't refuse this so easily.”“Compensation? I think Brina can tell you how much money I've collected.”Max laughed even harder. “Oh my God, our supermodel is bragging now.”Eva rolled her eyes in annoyance. ”Come on, this isn't a small matter, Max. I don't want to have anything to do with Unique anymore.”“I understand that completely, Eva.” This time, Max placed his cigarette in the ashtray, letting the butt burn out on its own. He needed to talk seriously about this. ”Ursula isn't the one who doesn't want to continue the collaboration. Rumors have
Isa felt a little strange about Rita's departure this time. The woman looked happy and smiled at him during breakfast. Since she moved in, Rita had always been hostile and avoided talking to him.“Is something bothering you?” asked Rick, who had now taken his seat. The dining table was already full with tonight's dishes.“No,” Isa said with a sweet smile. She quickly took some food from her husband's plate. Occasionally, she asked Rick if he had enough to eat. Satisfied, they ate quietly. Not much was said, but Isa's head was filled with questions. Especially about Rita's change in attitude.“Didn't you hear me speaking, dear?” Rick asked, wiping the corner of his lips slightly. He had intentionally made his portion smaller this time. Not because he wasn't hungry, but because his work wasn't completely finished. Usually, he didn't bring work home. However, lately, there had been many complaints that were causing him headaches.“Ah? Yes? What did you say, dear?” Isa asked with a confus
Eva sat comfortably on the long sofa right next to the large glass window. The view she could enjoy was of Yazeran at night. The first time she came to this partly sandy and quite hot place, Eva fell in love. She was captivated by the ethnic patterns on the clothing and the ornaments found on almost every public building there.And because of that, most of the souvenirs she brought back from Yazeran were woven fabrics with unique characteristics, serving as a sign that the fabric was a souvenir from that desert region. Under Giselle's creative hands, the fabric became a comfortable dress that made Eva feel close to Yazeran.That dress was also what she wore for dinner with Max this time. It wasn't unusual for Eva to hear compliments from the man. And his annoying behavior, almost to the point of being infuriating, but Eva couldn't just brush him off. There was always something he did to make Eva end up under his control again.Including now. Where Eva was staying in the famous Paradis
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
“According to sources that Mommy can trust, there is indeed a bit of debate regarding the marketing that has been going on. Although some of Unique's top brass know who you are, Eva, because this is outside of Unique, you are considered someone who works where you can bring them certain benefits.”Rita's explanation to Eva and Max made sense.“But this is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?” Eva asked, sighing softly. ”Maybe if they were targeting Giselle or Harvey, I wouldn't be so suspicious.”Rita nodded, understanding the concerns of the woman in front of her. When the car carrying them stopped at one of the tall buildings in the center of Yazeran, the person Rita didn't want to see greeted them. With a mischievous grin and an overly casual demeanor.Despite knowing him for quite some time, the memory of their conversation that night—when they had accidentally met at Eva's house—still made Rita's heart race with irritation. And that irritation only grew as the man's childish beha
“You don't need to complain like that, Isa,” Samantha laughed in response to all the chatter from the woman she could rely on. She didn't expect Isa's move to be so smooth and flawless, and that it had been carefully considered. She placed the cup of tea she had made especially for the woman in front of her. ”Drink this so you can calm down.”“How can I calm down?” Isa sighed irritably. ‘I believed I could influence Ursula. But it turns out she's just like Giselle. I have to retaliate for what Ursula did to me yesterday.”Samantha laughed. ’Do you really want to be friends with them?”Isa sighed softly. “You know that if I'm in their group, I can have much more influence. What's the point of that if not to enjoy it together?”The woman who owned Sams Group laughed even harder. ”You really take advantage of everything within your grasp, don't you? You've really thought through what you want to do.”Isa grinned. She slowly sipped the tea made especially for her. “I should have done this
“Why do you look upset, Isa?“ Rick asked, glancing at the woman sitting next to him. Since the press conference, which he had also attended, his wife had only smiled slightly and said little.“I don't know,” Isa sighed deeply. “Maybe I'm tired because work at Sams is quite demanding.”Rick furrowed his brow, a bit surprised by Isa's words. “You've only been working for two days. And I think you've been out of the office since lunch today.”The woman chuckled. ”You're right. I intentionally took some time off to pick up Ursula because I felt she's been helping us a lot at Unique, right?”Rick nodded.“But if this latest choice is really the best, I think we should welcome Eva properly.”Rick chose not to speak. He focused on the road ahead, which was no longer as empty as usual. The crucial hour had trapped them in traffic, and they had to be patient to reach their destination: Dominique's residence.“Are you happy to meet Eva, dear?”The man glanced at her with a sneer. “What do you m
“Are they here yet?” asked Rick, checking the watch on his left wrist. It had been almost an hour since Max had confirmed their arrival time.“Just a moment, sir. Their car has entered the lobby and is being directed to the upper floor to avoid the reporters. They are all after a story about Miss Eva.”Rick quickened his pace toward the meeting room. At least he had to entertain the guests properly; he couldn't afford to tarnish his image further. And he couldn't afford to lose focus either.“Mrs. Isa is also on her way to the office, sir.”Rick's steps slowed. “For what?”“She wants to meet Unique's new icon. It seems like Mrs. Isa is giving her full attention to sales. I've seen her discussing things with Mr. Jacob a lot over the past few days. With Mrs. Samantha, of course.”Rick chose to keep that information to himself and wait for the right time to talk to his wife. Since the investor in Milan had caused problems, his concentration had been quite disturbed. He didn't have much t
Rick's anger was pent up, his hands clenched, and he had cursed countless times, but the result was still the same. It wasn't getting done quickly. Indeed, checking several parts took time. But still, as long as Unique was in his hands, and as long as he was under his father's supervision, there had never been a problem like this before.To make matters worse, there was the new project he had recently been assigned. He had already warned the staff involved to focus more, as the production target was far higher than the previous year. There was trust, but also hard work to prove they could deliver.“No word from Gustav yet?” Rick asked, sitting down roughly in his chair. It had been two days since the bad news reached him via email. He couldn't take it lightly at that time. He immediately took action, one of which was to ask Gustav to check it out directly.He didn't know what his trusted employee was doing in Jazeran, but what was clear was that the distance between Milan and Jazeran
“How's it going?” Samantha asked, a little excited. They were enjoying some time together during what was actually a pretty busy day. But for Samantha, being here with her favorite cup of coffee and some snacks to go with it was no problem. After all, Sams Group had started to take off since the woman in front of her got involved.That's also why Samantha wasn't going to let go of the woman who was now part of her family.“I've already tried to convince Rick,” Isa sighed softly. ‘But it seems like my persuasion isn't working yet. He just said he'd think about it.”“Did you give him the most convincing reason?’ Samantha asked with a soft laugh. ”Usually, when you give that reason, a man as stubborn as Rick can't resist it.”“I did.” Isa's shoulders slumped weakly. ‘But it's okay. I'll wait patiently for his decision. I'm sure he won't be able to refuse me easily.”Samantha nodded confidently. ’No problem. I would be helped if I had an assistant, but since this position is meant for you
“According to sources that Mommy can trust, there is indeed a bit of debate regarding the marketing that has been going on. Although some of Unique's top brass know who you are, Eva, because this is outside of Unique, you are considered someone who works where you can bring them certain benefits.”Rita's explanation to Eva and Max made sense.“But this is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?” Eva asked, sighing softly. ”Maybe if they were targeting Giselle or Harvey, I wouldn't be so suspicious.”Rita nodded, understanding the concerns of the woman in front of her. When the car carrying them stopped at one of the tall buildings in the center of Yazeran, the person Rita didn't want to see greeted them. With a mischievous grin and an overly casual demeanor.Despite knowing him for quite some time, the memory of their conversation that night—when they had accidentally met at Eva's house—still made Rita's heart race with irritation. And that irritation only grew as the man's childish beha
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
Eva sat comfortably on the long sofa right next to the large glass window. The view she could enjoy was of Yazeran at night. The first time she came to this partly sandy and quite hot place, Eva fell in love. She was captivated by the ethnic patterns on the clothing and the ornaments found on almost every public building there.And because of that, most of the souvenirs she brought back from Yazeran were woven fabrics with unique characteristics, serving as a sign that the fabric was a souvenir from that desert region. Under Giselle's creative hands, the fabric became a comfortable dress that made Eva feel close to Yazeran.That dress was also what she wore for dinner with Max this time. It wasn't unusual for Eva to hear compliments from the man. And his annoying behavior, almost to the point of being infuriating, but Eva couldn't just brush him off. There was always something he did to make Eva end up under his control again.Including now. Where Eva was staying in the famous Paradis