Seeing how Kristel cried, Gloria squeezed the former’s hand.“Kristel, this is all my fault. I should not have forced my grandson to marry you just because I like you so much. I did hope Galvin would forget that bitch and fall in love with you. But my grandson is too blind!”Kristel, flabbergasted, stared at the older lady, not knowing if she should laugh or cry. She sniffed, wiping her eyes dry, saying, “Grandma, please don’t stress yourself because of us, okay? Galvin and I were both adults. We will end things in peace.”Gloria felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She asked, “Are you not happy staying with him? This is only a minor incident. I believe it is only a misunderstanding. If you talk this over, maybe the two of you don’t need to get a divorce.”Kristel beheld the older lady with a warm look. “Grandma, to be honest, it would not make me and Galvin happy to remain married when his heart doesn’t belong to me….”Gloria understood what Kristel wanted to convey. Staying in
Galvin remained motionless before the elevator, although its doors had already shut. Kristel had left long ago, but her scornful voice still echoed in his ears, bringing discomfort to his heart.“Mr. Hudson, please be reminded that most of those images posted online were the private property of Hudson Enterprise. They were records and proof of your negotiations with them. From what I am seeing, you must hold a meeting with your IT team and discuss why someone released those photos, which were edited to use for malicious reasons. Should you give them an earful scolding for not giving you a satisfying job of providing you with the best security system in your company? It looks like you better improve your system or hire new ones!”Galvin clenched his jaw, and his gray eyes narrowed when Kristel pursed her lips and tugged the corner. Those red lips are always inviting him to claim them.The atmosphere is tense. He swallowed, then averted his eyes, pretending something caught his attentio
That night, Kristel had a peaceful rest that she had never had for a long time after she was constantly tormented by Galvin almost every night. And while she found solace in her best friend’s apartment—On the other side of the city, one particular building is still bustling with work.The IT team continues working on their computer to search for the attacker in their system. They were finding a solution to satisfy their boss’s orders since some photos posted online were from their archives.Tonight, they must upgrade or build an even more effective security system that immediately prevents hackers from snooping in their system. May the rumors online be taken care of instantly; however, the internal effect would be enormous if they would not trace the used IP address.HUDSON ENTERPRISE had just been able to come back. Although the company sailed for several decades, it almost went bankrupt a year ago.Several of its rivals in the industry were thrilled to raise their glasses and decla
Right after she graduated from a prestigious school of Arts and Fashion Design, she was preparing to look for a company to work on when her friends arranged a blind date, and the man she met was Galvin.Then, in a flash, he proposed and introduced her to his family. She was happy that his parents and grandmother approved of her.Delaying nothing, the two families reached an agreement. Although the wedding is very private, that doesn’t matter to her as long as she gets married to the man she loved for so many years already.But her life is far from a fairytale. Although she married her Prince Charming, it wasn’t the Happily Ever After. Instead, her real-life battle begins.Suppose two people have to work on the marriage, and both have to make adjustments and invest time together until their hearts beat as one.However, her marriage to Galvin is only for business collaboration and a fun time for him to pass. It was crystal clear initially that she was only a replacement, a companion to
“Indeed. I would feel safe when I have a policeman in the neighborhood.” Kristel ignored Noah’s statement. She is not dense enough not to understand the double meaning in his words. But she hopes it's only a superficial statement with a bit of truth—and it’s not something to be misunderstood when others hear it. Thus, she changes the topic. She asked, “How long have you been living out here?”Noah replied with a smile, “Ah, that... I’ve been living here since college.”“Oh…” Kristel pondered. ‘Isn’t the time this apartment was newly built?’The apartment building boasts advanced technology, which was initially costly but became reasonable given the beautiful community and exclusive parks available.“The neighborhood is kind and doesn’t put their noses to others’ business. So, you will feel at ease living here,” said Noah with pride in his eyes, seemingly convincing her.Kristel could come again to Noah’s meaningful words. By stating that, she wondered if he saw the malicious rumor onl
She chuckled and shook her head. She had that smile when Noah returned to the living room.“What?” He found Kristel charming, with that playful smile across her face. Yet, her eyes remain sad, which makes him want to replace them with joy. “Kristel…”“How were you more familiar with my house? I almost forgot that you were living next door.” She spoke before Noah could express himself.Noah chuckled and confirmed it. “You are right. I am familiar with the floor plans, which were the same as mine.”“I realized that, yeah. That’s why I shouldn’t be surprised if you knew every room in my suite better than me.” The two of them laughed at that.Then Kristel was in awe, hardly believing how she felt close to Noah, probably after Leila mentioned that Noah also attended the same academy they attended. Thus, she is confident about him.“Well, since you just moved in and have had no groceries in your pantry and fridge, let me lend you some of my stocks.”“Oh, you don’t need to do that. How about
“Wait! I’m the one who purchased them. It was only right that I pay for them.”‘Is he serious about paying for them?’ She wondered how much a police officer earns annually. But if Noah can attend Brooke Academy. The school required not only admitting smart kids but also wealth and connections, not to mention this pricey apartment. ‘Then his family must be well off too.’Kristel is not concerned about whether Noah can afford it. What worried her was that if he paid for her purchase, these people would conclude that they thought they were a couple who just moved in together.Kristel let out a breath of relief when the delivery was done. She admired the potted plants nicely arranged on her balcony. She could tell they were professional in this aspect, as they were not only delivering the items to your doorsteps.As she was satisfied, she gave them generous tips.“It looks so much better than my suite,” Noah commented behind her.She turned around with a smile, then snapped when she remem
‘Who could it be?’ Kristel panicked.Noah had told her how good the neighborhood was, and even it was a highly secured apartment! But why did someone attack her the first day she moved in?“Hmmm! ...”She wants to scream for help. Trying to remove the hand covering her mouth, but to no avail. The man was firm. She only gets free after a few struggles, exerting all her strength, reaching the man’s face to scratch him. Wasting no time, she steps forward and reaches for the door handle. She was about to input the code, then noticed…‘It was already open!?’ Kristel screamed inwardly. The door is auto-unlocked, meaning the man who assaulted her is able to open it. ‘Why did he know the security code at my door?’She regretted not changing it right away when she moved in. Putting aside her mistake, Kristel pondered whether to enter her apartment or run toward Noah’s suite and ask for help. But the man pinned her to the wall before she could do anything.“You!” The man kicked her apartment do