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
It’s been half an hour, and the man hasn’t left her bedroom yet.“Such a nuisance! I need to unpack!”Kristel rose from the sofa and marched toward her bedroom, knocking on the door. When no one responded, she pressed her ear on the door and listened. But she couldn’t hear anything.She felt so ridiculous that she, the owner of this home, was kicked out of her bedroom!“Hey! Don’t tell me you plan to sleep in my house. What the heck! Go home to your own house!”She was tempted to bang the door loudly until the man inside got irritated with the noise. However, she must avoid making extreme noise, fearing that Noah will hear the happenings in her suite.Kristel is pacing back and forth in the living room when she is interrupted by the doorbell sound.“Could it be Noah? Did he hear me when I shouted?”She doubts Noah can hear that. She barely heard anything from her bedroom. Therefore, the soundproofing is excellent.Kristel strode toward the door and checked the monitor. To her surprise
She wanted to separate ways with Galvin in peace. But given Fiona’s character, she discerned it was impossible.Whereas Galvin also makes things difficult for her after he appears last night.If things keep this way, she wouldn’t be bothered in the future. No matter what happens, from here on, other things or people shouldn’t matter to her anymore.She must care about the child’s bright future in her belly, and she will take action by getting employed soon.Determined to pave her way, Kristel got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen, fixing herself a breakfast. She was grateful that Noah had lent her some of his groceries.While frying bacon, sunny-side eggs, and toasting some bread, she preheats a mug of fresh milk, then mixed vegetables and fruit salad.After eating breakfast, she lounged on her recliner chair on the balcony, leisurely browsing the internet, hoping to find exciting news about the latest fashion trend.Soon, her eyes glimmered when several wedding themes appeared