“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
I don't know if this is my last day in this house or just the beginning of a longer suffering. However, one thing was certain, Roderick Langley no longer wanted to see my face in this house, in the house that I once thought could be my refuge.I winced in pain. My hair was grabbed with a force that knew no mercy. I staggered, my hand reflexively gripping the man's arm-my husband-Roderick Langley. But instead of easing, his grip tightened, as if to remind me that I was nothing more than an unwanted intruder.“Rick... it hurts... please let go,” I whispered weakly, hoping that there was a shred of kindness left in his heart. But all I found was a hateful gaze, something that had been lingering in his eyes for so long whenever he looked at me.“How many times have I told you, Eva! Get out of this house!” his voice thundered, echoing throughout the room, making the cold marble walls seem to absorb his anger. I could only swallow, holding my body from falling as he pushed me. I almost bump
I walked slowly through the cold and soulless living room, my steps barely making a sound on the shiny marble. The dim light from the chandelier failed to warm the atmosphere. It seemed to reflect my fate-pale, dim, and lonely.Roderick Langley's gaze still lingered on my back, full of hatred that he could no longer hide. I didn't need to turn my head to know the expression that might be chiseled on his face-his jaw was hardened, his eyes were full of irritation, and his lips were always grinning sarcastically whenever he saw me.In his eyes, I was misfortune incarnate. Five years of being trapped in a marriage he never even wanted. Five years of me enduring the role of an unwelcome wife, a mere shadow in this house.If not for Sebastian Langley's last request, I know Roderick would never have stood at the altar with me. He was only doing what his father wanted him to do, and now that the person who bound us was gone, there was no reason for him to pretend.“Damn it,” she hissed, bare
I stood right in front of the golden-handled door. The polished wood was beautifully carved, exuding a luxury that seemed to synergize with the other furniture around it. It was a symbol of splendor that belonged only to the Langley family-my husband's family.Who doesn't know the name Langley? A renowned furniture company that has dominated the world market with its products that are always sold out within hours of launch. Under Roderick Langley's leadership, the business has grown exponentially, reaching into new sectors despite the passing of its patriarch, Sebastian Langley.Sebastian lost his long battle with illness. The best doctors had been brought in to treat him, but fate would have it differently. In the seconds before a rescheduled surgery due to his deteriorating condition, his life was taken. Since then, the Langley family has been in mourning. However, for me, it was the beginning of a much more painful hell.I, Evangeline Rutherford, was the wife of Roderick Langley. T
No need to wait for tomorrow. My preparations have already been completed. I've even said goodbye to some of the people who live in this luxurious house. Not wanting to intrude, I chose to order a taxi instead of accepting the offer of the driver who usually accompanied me everywhere.“But, ma'am.” Hans, the Langley family's driver groaned in frustration. All the words of persuasion went completely ignored. I just stood up, trying to stay strong, while flashing my warm smile. “It's already late. You could get into trouble leaving this late.”“Don't make me feel heavier, Mr. Hans.” I briefly patted the middle-aged man's shoulder, which looked somber. “I hope you'll help me look after Mrs. Rita. Don't let her be sad that I'm no longer here.”“Madam,” Maria couldn't contain herself anymore. Her eyes, which had been glazed over, spilled over. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “What can I do to keep you here?”I tried hard not to get carried away. My heart was breaking. It hurt so much to pa
I stared in disbelief at the three pieces of paper Maximilian Von Ziegler thrust in front of me. Ever since I first set foot in this magnificent building-which is far more futuristic and iconic-I had no idea that my arrival would end like this. My heart was beating wildly, getting more and more uncontrollable as my eyes couldn't take my eyes off the numbers.“This... is impossible.” I finally managed to make a sound, though it sounded so weak and shaky. “You're blackmailing me?” I stared angrily at the man in front of me. “There's no way the repairs are this expensive.”Maximilian just chuckled softly, as if enjoying my surprise. “You forget, Miss, my car is the latest Lamborghini. Limited edition. You can check it on the luxury car market and try to calculate the price yourself. The damage you caused may seem trivial, but that pole damaged my car's engine and dashboard quite badly.”I gaped wide.“Should I hold that power pole over there accountable?” He leaned back comfortably in hi
Irena didn't blink at all. The woman who came out of the dressing room looked embarrassed and a little uncomfortable in the clothes she was wearing. What's more, it seemed like the woman still didn't fully agree with what had just happened. Irena herself heard complaints and grumbling as she accompanied the woman around.“I can't believe my eyes, Miss.” Irena moved closer. Her eyes continued to notice every detail of the clothes that hugged Evangeline's slender body. ‘You look so beautiful in this dress, Miss Eva,’ she praised sincerely. ”Ah... right. I forgot something. One moment.”I blinked in confusion. I hadn't even said a word, including my desire to protest Maximilian's ridiculous request. Unfortunately, I couldn't just leave. That man really played on my emotions.“What exactly am I doing here?” I grumbled. In this dressing room, surrounded by large mirrors, I saw my own reflection—so foreign in this dress. There were many standing displays with dresses of various colors. Not
POV RITAMaria sighed. My eyes fell on the tray of lunch that she had painstakingly made. I knew that Maria never complained about her job. It's just that food is a supply of energy for the body, isn't it? If it is ignored, how can the body carry out its usual activities?“How?” asked Susi, one of the maids on the second floor. She was only in charge of serving the room with the large, elegantly carved door—my room. Everyone knows I don't want to be disturbed.“She doesn't want to be touched at all. The mistress chose to sleep and I think she is already asleep in her dreams.”Susi groaned in frustration. “Mrs. Rita could get even sicker, Maria. You know that, right?”Maria nodded listlessly. ”Even to simply enjoy the fruit I have served, she doesn't want to. I don't know how to persuade Mrs. Rita anymore. I can't fool her for too long.”Susi squeezed her hands. Her eyes stared at Maria with tears in them. “Mrs. Rita must feel very lost.”Of course. Loss is so painful. Not only them, b
“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