Nicole's POVI was already holding the coffee the man gave me after he finished paying, but I could not refuse because he simply didn't give me a chance to talk anymore. We walked away from the cashier and towards the outside of the store."Thank you for the coffee, sir. Though we've never known before." I said, starting the conversation when I saw him already storing his wallet in the pocket of the suit he was wearing.The man shook his head. "It's nothing. I just bought you a coffee that's not even ten dollars." He smiled slightly as he looked at me. "After all, any man wouldn't mind doing the same for a beautiful woman like you, Miss."I didn't show any expression, feeling uncomfortable with his last words, aside from that, he had done me a favor. Perhaps it was enough to be thanked, but I felt compelled to return the favor."I'll replace this coffee, sir. I feel bad if it's left unattended." I said, looking at him, who quickly raised his hand, to my surprise.He shook his head as
Nicole's POVI was already in front of my study and about to enter it, but when I opened the door, I could see an old man sitting in my chair and tapping his fingers on the desk, then looking at me as I walked in."Father?" I called out to him, surprised to see him in my room.Edwin immediately got up from his seat and walked over to me. "Where have you been? You only came in this afternoon, not like usual." He looked at the coffee cup I was holding, then looked at me again. "You bought coffee? you usually leave it for the staff on duty to buy or make.""I needed a new atmosphere, Father. So I decided to buy my coffee." I said as I exhaled.It would be nice to ask others for help when I had a lot of work to do, but when I was more accessible, I would probably prefer to buy or make it myself while I could. I also hadn't purchased this coffee in a long time, so I came alone.Edwin nodded, seemingly accepting my words. "So you went for a walk before going to the office?""Yes, just to th
Nicole's POV"I told you, Ms. Nicole. We will meet again." Matthew said to me as we were walking together, smiling.I also returned the man's contagious smile, acknowledging that our meeting after that day really took less time than he said. I didn't expect it at all, but I liked how our meeting today seemed to me.After that day, a few days later, to be precise, I had to accompany my father on business.He didn't say anything other than that it was a matter of working together between the companies. Then I found out that he was taking me to a meeting place with Matthew Thompson and his father, who is the current head of their company.We had finished the meeting a moment ago and were now walking together out of the discussion room. Our two fathers had already walked ahead of us, so they were a few steps ahead of us. I looked at those who seemed familiar with each other, who knew what they were talking about.I gave him a glance. "I didn't expect that our next meeting would immediatel
Nicole's POV"Dad, did you tell Matthew my phone number?" I asked Edwin when we were already in the car.The old man looked at me with some surprise. "Oh, did you call Mr. Thompson's son by his name?"I didn't answer my father's question, which sounded like I was diverting my question to something else, but just looked at him straight. He sighed softly with a faint smile."Yes, I gave that young man your phone number, Nicole," my father confessed, adding another statement that made it look like he was adding a good reason for his unexpected actions. "You know that my father has been in business for quite some time, so there was an occasion when Benny and I met at an event."I heard my father's brief explanation of his twenty-year business relationship with Matthew's father. This wasn't the first time they'd agreed to work together, but they'd been doing it for so many years that they were like old friends.Although there were a few years where they didn't work together for a long time
Nicole's POVWhoosh!I applauded as Richard's golf ball hit produced an excellent result, a perfect tee shot confirmed by one of the staff waiting at the end. "Well done, Richard."I praised my son for being so talented. Although he had only started practicing golf a few months ago, he had already mastered various golf courses without a single failure.I smiled, looking at him, who was looking back at me. "At this rate, I'll have a hard time catching up to you." I said as I walked closer to him.My son smiled slightly. "Have you beaten me so far? I only remember my victories during our matches."I chuckled, acknowledging Richard's second-to-none ability, not even compared to me, who only played casually but practiced with him on several occasions."That is indeed true. You're better than Mom, Richard." I muttered under my breath, acknowledging his prowess, then reached for the golf club in my bag while smiling at him. "So, how about you teach Mom this time?"He nodded, accepting my of
Nicole's POVI wanted to ignore him as if nothing had happened, pretending that I didn't know him like I should because I currently had no relationship with him. Even our meeting before this could only happen because he came to me, not the other way around.I decided not to look at him anymore and tried to walk past him, but he was still blocking my way. I could hear his breath that sounded dismissive."Are you going to ignore me? Pretend not to know when you don't," he said, the man who had haunted my past without realizing it. Jayden.I didn't react much to the man's words and just replied flatly. "I really don't know you.""Now you won't look at me either?" He asked, looking at me, who refused to meet his gaze.I didn't answer. It wasn't that I was afraid of him. It was just that I didn't want to deal with a man who had already made me feel like I was being played several times. I didn't want that to happen at all."I know that you know me very well, Nicole. You don't need to talk
Nicole's POVI thought the matter was over when I was about to ask Matthew and Richard to leave, but Jayden was still talking and made me stop my steps."Were you going to keep acting like you didn't know me up until this point, Nicole? Really?" He asked, raising his voice so that I could hear him, as well as the two men I was holding in my arms.I felt my hands trembling, but I tried to hide it by grasping their hands tighter and refrained from replying to the man's words. There was no point in me responding to Jayden's words when they would turn out to be something he could use.I looked down, speaking softly so that only Richard and Matthew could hear me. "Come on, already, just ignore it."I started stepping on them, but the man still didn't give up. "Oh, he's the man who is the father of your child, right? The new guy by your side that I don't know at all."Matthew immediately turned around, provoked by Jayden's words that were clearly directed at him. "Sir, you should have kept
Chris' POV"My apologies, sir. Miss Nicole is not available at the moment." I sighed, accepting the statement that I did not want to hear from the receptionist of the office I was visiting.I searched for Nicole's whereabouts, which disappeared after our last meeting. She was nowhere to be seen, not even in the places she had visited several times and knew well.I was worried that something terrible had happened to her. Still, I also didn't want to think that she might have avoided me after our meeting at Selena's house and unintentionally angered her.I visited one of Edwin Duncan's subsidiaries, which Nicole visited regularly, far more often than the other places, even though the hours varied daily.I noticed her working hours now and then, but for once, I couldn't find her in the office for several days straight. Information regarding where she went, or her current whereabouts was kept secret as it was a matter of personal interest to the woman.I paused after taking a few steps fr
Catherine's POVI looked at the man over my glasses, feeling mixed emotions inside me as I poured out all sorts of things I had wanted to say to him since last night but could only say today."Did you know that your family sent a marriage proposal to my family?" I began. "It wasn't that long ago that we entered college, Ben, but how could the proposal come at such an unexpected time and from your family."My gaze was fixed on his eyes, which were also looking at me. "Did you ask for the proposal to be sent to my family so that we can get married?"He didn't say a word in reply; he just squeezed his hands on each side of his body and turned his gaze away from me. I clamped my mouth shut for a moment."I'm furious." I took a deep breath, trying to control myself from overwhelming feelings."You already know I don't like this at all, Ben. Getting married. It's a new prison for me and indirectly proves to my father that I'll never escape the Varma family's female nature."I still remember
Catherine's POVWhen I woke up, my head hurt, as well as my eyes, which were quite difficult to open even though I was awake. I seemed to have cried too much and fallen asleep immediately afterwards to have this effect.I felt thirsty and looked for a drink on the small table not far from the bed and grabbed it. I drank the contents of the glass in four big gulps and put it back on the table. My gaze automatically went to the large mirror on the other side of the bed.There, the reflection of my face looked messy. I really looked like someone who had just woken up after crying for hours. My eyes were puffy with traces of tears that I could feel with my fingers, my nose was slightly reddened, and the area around my eyes was slightly reddened.I stared at my appearance with mixed feelings. It's really embarrassing even though I'm the only one who sees this right now, and maybe one of the waiters who refilled my water, but it doesn't really matter because I have to leave for college in a
Catherine's POVI was feeling tired.It's been one week since the end-of-semester exams, and I have to repeat the lessons of the whole semester on my own. I also have to read copies of the assignments I've done and notes from the lecturer on topics that might come up in the exam this time.I was so busy that I didn't have time to do anything other than study and get enough rest when night fell, that is, if I didn't have any assignments to complete for the practical exam.Arriving home, I already felt a piercing headache that made me want to lie down and sleep for a while. I still had to study for the theoretical exam and submit other practical assignments to the lecturer from other courses.I had envisioned a soft mattress on my bed, as well as blankets and pillows that would feel very soft on my body after I had exhausted my thoughts and abilities for today's exam, but it didn't work out.Someone knocked on my bedroom door and opened the door after I let myself in. It was one of the
Edwin's POGIn my father's study, I was reading a book he recommended. He was also reading for a while, but then he put the book on the desk and looked at me."What do you think about our new project?" he asked, slightly serious but also relaxed.I moved the book out of sight to look at him. "The things they're doing are right. I can't find any flaws."He nodded. The report he had shown me this morning followed the book he had put down. It was about the business collaboration between the Duncan Family and the Thompson Family, with Benny and I as the chief executives, while our father was the funder and in charge.Although the two of us had not completely taken over the family business, our fathers had agreed to involve their family successors in this newly started business. Aside from the family interest, both of them said it was important for our future.I had no problem with that. After all, my father had taught me everything about our family business since I was a child and other i
Catherine's POVAfter receiving the gift from Edwin, I was now only with Benny and his personal driver driving. The man sat down with me and then noticed something was different about my attitude.He rested his chin on one of my hands, which was still clasped tightly. "What are you holding on to? You didn't let go at all....""This." I showed him the bracelet.His eyes look wide. "Isn't that the jewelry you saw earlier? I thought you didn't buy it.""I didn't buy it."Considering Benny was also aware of what I was doing while looking at the jewelry, perhaps my liking for this bracelet was too obvious.My gaze was fixed on the bracelet, and I thought about how the man who had left the festival first had unhesitatingly bought me this jewelry and given it to me without anyone knowing. I don't know what that man was thinking when he bought me this, but the pounding of my heart was starting to feel too clear in my chest.The car stopped. I blinked, realizing that I had arrived in front of
Catherine's POV"Thank you for buying me a drink, Duncan." I smiled, accepting the glass with a lid made of solid cardboard from his hand, and I immediately held the glass with both hands.He just nodded and passed the other glass to Benny.I took a sip of the relatively warm drink. It turned out to be a delicious chocolate drink. I felt relieved and happy. My legs even wiggled without me fully realizing it.Night had almost fallen, so it was starting to get cold. I remembered the embarrassing incident a few days ago when my skirt got caught, but in the end, the man came back to help me by giving me a warm drink after we had walked quite a distance.A loud snort was heard from Benny. "Why are you buying me a fruity and cold drink? I also want a warm chocolate drink like you guys." He protested.I looked at the two men who stood facing each other with glasses in their hands. Still, a noticeable smoke could be seen from Benny's slightly open mouth, probably the effect of the drink he ha
Catherine's POVI was mesmerized by the festival atmosphere surrounding me. I've always liked things like this: simple and fun stuff without having to always care about manners or conversations that are always serious and filled with business or politics.Many booths were arranged according to their types, ranging from games, shops selling various things, and other equally entertaining booths. My gaze stopped at one of the nearby stands for jewelry of sale.My steps halted when I arrived in front of it. I looked at the various kinds of jewelry displayed and touched a few that I wanted to take a closer look at. They all looked pretty, but I didn't really want to buy them either; I just wanted to look around.I didn't have much jewelry, but my mother added to it according to my needs, so I didn't feel the need to do the same.A person who seemed to be the salesgirl watched me without saying much but then said to me after a while."Don't you intend to buy the jewelry, Miss? I think the b
Catherine's POVI was always with Benny and Edwin. I felt happy because I was finally able to make a new friend again, and it was a guy I initially thought was quiet and cold.At first, Benny and Edwin always argued for whatever reason, but in the end, they always accompanied me wherever I went. We were like a unique combination, from three different majors and different personalities.I heard rumors about us hanging out, going to our respective classes or the cafeteria."Look, she can get two handsome guys simultaneously," whispered one of the students.His friend replied. "She's so lucky. I never even managed to get close to Edwin Duncan....""She's luckier because she's close to Benny Thompson. That guy is really nice and friendly."They said that and then talked about one of the guys I was with, who was probably my boyfriend.One of them spoke up again. "Isn't that obvious? His girlfriend must be Benny. They've been in a relationship for a long time.""Hm, I agree."There were som
Catherine's POVI still felt uncomfortable walking on campus. Aside from my aching feet, my father's words before I was allowed to leave for the campus with our family's private driver also bothered me.I was happy with my friendship with Edwin and my friendship with Benny, which lasted longer than that. Both of them were friends to me, but my father always made our relationship seem like a transaction, trying to talk to them for the benefit of our family.He said that each of them would greatly help me prove myself in the Varma Family. Our relationship would make me valuable and not the only useless woman in our family, while all the things I had done before were meaningless in my father's eyes.I felt annoyed that my father shouldn't be behaving like that towards me, but also unable to do anything to stop it. As Edwin said, I was still not strong and had to extricate myself with the help of the allies that had just started from the man himself.My sigh escaped on its own, but after