Jane breathed a sigh of relief as the train she was on arrived at its destination. She quickly got up from her seat and walked out. With a little haste, she walked past several people, wanting to get out of the crowded station as soon as possible.
It had been about six months since she last set foot in New Oak to check on Serra. Blame her job for not allowing her to visit her sister frequently, but now that she was free, she could visit her sister whenever she wanted.
As usual, she would stop by the flower shop first to buy flowers for her sister. Serra wouldn't be happy if she visited her after so long without bringing anything. She chose beautiful and bright daisy flowers that reminded her of her sister's figure.
"Thank you," she said as she received her ordered flowers, which had been beautifully arranged, and quickly left.
Jane looked around, curious if anything had changed in her hometown. Unfortunately, every time she went to New Oak, she only went to the hospital and accompanied Serra. Not that she wanted to complain, but she was waiting for the day when she no longer had to come to the hospital. She was waiting for the day when her sister would recover.
Occasionally smelling the bouquet of flowers in her hand, Jane walked with enthusiasm, especially when her feet stepped into the hospital area. The hospital was the same, unchanged. She could see many doctors, nurses, patients, and their families walking around. She could hear the blaring sound of ambulance sirens. She could also feel the unpleasant aura of this place.
Jane wouldn't let this place dampen her spirits to meet Serra. So, she quickly walked towards the lift that would take her to the floor where her sister was being treated.
Arriving in front of her sister's room, her hand moved to open the door as quietly as possible, trying to peek inside. Her heart beat pleasantly when she saw Nate, her sister's boyfriend, helping Serra drink.
"I'm not a child, Nate."
"I know you like it when I am pampering you. Come on, don't be shy."
Jane giggled to herself as she listened to her sister and her boyfriend's conversation. Her laughter stopped when Serra and Nate looked towards her.
With a mischievous smile on her face, Jane said, "Hey, if I'm disturbing whatever you guys want to do, I can go home now."
"Jane!" She saw her sister about to get out of bed if it weren't for Nate stopping her. Jane quickly entered, rushing into her sister's embrace, who had already stretched out her arms wide.
It felt unreal to Jane to see her sister again after so long.
"Do you still remember me?" Serra asked, squinting her eyes at Jane once they broke the hug.
"If I didn't, would I still come here?" Jane understood if Serra was angry with her. What kind of sibling wouldn't be angry when their other sibling seemed to ignore and not care about them?
"I miss you, Serra. A lot," Jane added.
"I miss you too, Jane." Serra's voice, full of deep longing, made Jane hug her sister again.
"I know you miss Serra, but don't you want to greet me too?" Nate asked. Jane then released her hug on Serra and looked towards Nate who was standing behind her, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Knowing that he was sulking, Jane brought the man into her embrace. "Alright, don't be too long. My boyfriend will get jealous," Nate said before releasing his hug first. Walking around to the other side of the bed, Nate approached Serra who only looked away with a hint of redness on her cheeks.
"Is that for me?" Serra asked, pointing to the bouquet of flowers she was holding. Jane nodded before moving the bouquet to her sister.
Serra welcomed it with delight. Bringing the bouquet closer to her face, she let her nose be filled with the fragrant aroma.
Slowly, Nate took the bouquet and placed it in an empty vase. Usually, he was the one who filled the vase with flowers, but this time he let the flowers from his future sister-in-law be there. "Now you can look at it to your heart's content."
Serra smiled at Nate before turning to Jane. "I can't believe you're here. You're usually busy with work, right? Did you take a break? Or are you on vacation?"
Jane missed hearing her sister babble about this and that, but for some reason, what came out of Serra's mouth just now felt like a blow to her heart. Serra's question made her appear as someone who only cared about her work. As if her visiting her sister was a rare occurrence like a natural phenomenon that only happens every few years.
Nevertheless, she still answered, "I quit my job, Serra."
Jane had guessed what kind of expression or reaction Serra and Nate might give her when she told them this. But all they gave her was silence.
Jane decided to speak again. "But don't worry. I still have savings." Jane tightly held Serra's hand. "Your treatment will continu. I promise."
"I am more than grateful for everything you've done for me, Jane."
"Hey. You're my sister. And I'm sure you would do the same if the situation were reversed."
Serra gave a smile before saying, "You're not going home right away, are you?"
"You'll accompany me, right?" There was a hopeful tone in her question.
Jane smiled. "You'll probably scold me a lot if I dare to leave without accompanying you first, won't you?" Serra only chuckled softly and then hugged her older sister.
Jane could see Nate smiling at the two of them. And she understood how Nate felt because she felt the same way. Being free from her job as a prostitute made her feel relieved beyond words. Now she could be with her sister and accompany her as she should have done, even without worrying about the cost of her treatment.
Jane didn't know why, but for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about Lucas now.
"I'm going home, Uncle. Take care." Lucas said, closing the door to his uncle's hospital room softly so as not to disturb him, as he seemed to be falling asleep due to the medication he had been given.Taking a deep breath, Lucas was grateful that he didn't have to spend any more time at the hospital. He had no personal issues or grudges with his uncle that would make him want to spend any more time here.What he disliked about the place was the environment. Lucas hated hospitals. For him, the hospital easily made him feel uncomfortable. So when the nurse entered his uncle's room earlier and gave him medicine, Lucas was ecstatic inside.He quickly said goodbye and promised to visit again later, having already spent the morning and afternoon with his uncle. If he didn't leave now, he might end up spending the night there.Lucas was only disappointed that his parents couldn't come with him to visit his uncle, who had suffered a heart attack a few days ago. If they had come, Lucas wouldn
With happy steps, Lucas entered the luxury apartment complex where his girlfriend lived. It felt like only yesterday when Lucas came here alone, picked a unit that he thought was suitable, and finally bought it for his beautiful girlfriend. And that was about five years ago.How fast time passed, but that wouldn't affect the love he had for her. They were still like a new couple in love. At least for him.With a beautiful flower bouquet in his hand, Lucas pressed his girlfriend's apartment bell. He could have gone straight in because he knew the password, but he was a true gentleman. He wouldn't just enter a woman's place like that, even if the woman was his own girlfriend. He had both respect and great love for that woman.While waiting, Lucas looked at the hallway where he stood now. It was really quiet, the main reason he chose this apartment. It was in line with his desire to hide his girlfriend from her family. Speaking of her family, he really hoped that none of them knew he was
Lucas could feel his respect and admiration for his late grandfather grow each time he looked at the photo. The photo, displayed in a large frame in the family room, showed his grandfather with a serious expression that could intimidate anyone, including Lucas himself. Despite this, Lucas found his grandfather incredibly authoritative and handsome.Lucas wasn't sure when it started, but looking at the photo had become an unconscious daily routine."Mr. Lucas must be very sad about the passing of the Grand Master.""Of course. Mr. Lucas was his favorite grandson."He often overheard the servants whispering like this and chuckled inwardly. They weren't entirely wrong, but Lucas didn't want to confirm their words entirely either. Everyone grieves the permanent loss of a family member, unless they're a psychopath. Lucas was indeed sad. His grandfather had been a constant figure in his life since he was born. The reality that the founder of the Winter Group was no longer around felt like a
Jane woke up to the sound of the doorbell being pressed constantly. Sometimes she got annoyed with herself for being so easily woken by noises. It would be nice if she could sleep through it like other people.Dragging herself out of bed, Jane walked to the door to see who had disturbed her peaceful sleep. She wondered who would visit her apartment and ring the bell so rudely. It couldn't be the landlord, as she only came around for late payments, and Jane had paid her rent through the end of the year.So, who could it be?Without bothering to check, she opened the door, only to be met by the angry face of her best friend."You! There's so much you need to explain to me!"Of course, it was Kayla. Who else would be so disrespectful to her?Without waiting for an invitation, Kayla barged into the apartment. She put her bag on the table and headed to the kitchen, opening every cabinet and the fridge, pulling out various food items, and starting to put on the apron that hung haphazardly o
“I’M GOING CRAZY!” Jane screamed, letting the documents Lucas had brought to her apartment the other day fall over her face. Lucas had never mentioned that memorizing details would be part of her role as his temporary wife.The last time Jane had to memorize so much was back in high school, specifically for her terrifying final exams. She never imagined she’d have to do it again years later.In her mind, she kept repeating the answers to potential questions she might face.Her name is Jane Sharpe. Not Jane Summers .She works as a secretary at one of Willy’s company branches in Minst.Her parents are deceased, and she is an only child.She and Lucas first met when he visited Minst a few months ago. From there, they slowly fell in love.Willy had crafted this entire lie for her to recite, and it was her job to memorize it. Jane agreed, to some extent. Preparing for battle with strategies and tactics was wise for achieving a decisive victory.She was about to turn to the next page when
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, the woman wondered what might be missing from her appearance. She had spent almost half an hour in the luxurious bathroom and should have left by then. She looked at herself closely in the mirror, searching for what might be wrong. Her straight black hair had been combed since earlier, and her face had been made up. She even struggled to fit the new lingerie she had just bought into her bag to add to her charm that night. She bit her lip softly while still looking at herself in the mirror, then smiled. Ha! She knew! The woman smiled contentedly as she saw her lips perfectly painted with her bright red lipstick. The next thing she did was spray perfume on her body, and she was ready to do her job. The job that always made her take a deep breath every time she thought of it. "Hey! How much longer?" The shout made her lazily roll her eyes. Did all men lack patience like this? Didn't they know that women needed more time to get ready than they d
The Heavenly Bar, it's where she's been working for the past two years. It gave men out there the chance to taste her body for a not so cheap price. A hell she never imagined would be the place where she had to rely on to support her sister's life, apart from the hospital of course. Walking in, she saw her boss, also the owner of this business, Madam Lexa, chatting with some men near the toilet. The bar had just opened and only a few customers had come in. Jane then sat next to Kayla, her close friend during her work here, who apparently arrived earlier and was sitting nicely at the bar table. "You're already getting drunk in the afternoon?" she asked in disbelief when she saw Kayla drinking what she knew was her favourite drink, gin. Laughing softly, the blonde woman put back the shot glass she was holding. "One glass won't make me drunk. If I get drunk, please carry me." She poked Jane's shoulder, which was covered by her cardigan with her index finger. Jane pushed away her fri
This is really unexpected for Jane. She and the man who introduced himself as Lucas a while ago ended up being busy talking about various things. Even though she had prepared herself to serve him as well as she always does. This man is not a scumbag like the men she usually meets. He even kept his distance from her by sitting at the end of the sofa. When Jane offered him a drink, he politely refused, saying that he doesn't drink alcohol. And when asked about his purpose of coming here, he only came to accompany his friend, nothing more. Jane dared to say that Lucas is a good man. Jane really enjoyed their conversation so far. It's been a long time since she could speak freely like this. She even dared to tell a little about her life. "So, you work here to pay for your sister's medical treatment?" Lucas asked and Jane could catch a tone of concern in his voice, something she didn't really like. "Yes, that's right. The job requirements nowadays are very difficult. Even if there is
“I’M GOING CRAZY!” Jane screamed, letting the documents Lucas had brought to her apartment the other day fall over her face. Lucas had never mentioned that memorizing details would be part of her role as his temporary wife.The last time Jane had to memorize so much was back in high school, specifically for her terrifying final exams. She never imagined she’d have to do it again years later.In her mind, she kept repeating the answers to potential questions she might face.Her name is Jane Sharpe. Not Jane Summers .She works as a secretary at one of Willy’s company branches in Minst.Her parents are deceased, and she is an only child.She and Lucas first met when he visited Minst a few months ago. From there, they slowly fell in love.Willy had crafted this entire lie for her to recite, and it was her job to memorize it. Jane agreed, to some extent. Preparing for battle with strategies and tactics was wise for achieving a decisive victory.She was about to turn to the next page when
Jane woke up to the sound of the doorbell being pressed constantly. Sometimes she got annoyed with herself for being so easily woken by noises. It would be nice if she could sleep through it like other people.Dragging herself out of bed, Jane walked to the door to see who had disturbed her peaceful sleep. She wondered who would visit her apartment and ring the bell so rudely. It couldn't be the landlord, as she only came around for late payments, and Jane had paid her rent through the end of the year.So, who could it be?Without bothering to check, she opened the door, only to be met by the angry face of her best friend."You! There's so much you need to explain to me!"Of course, it was Kayla. Who else would be so disrespectful to her?Without waiting for an invitation, Kayla barged into the apartment. She put her bag on the table and headed to the kitchen, opening every cabinet and the fridge, pulling out various food items, and starting to put on the apron that hung haphazardly o
Lucas could feel his respect and admiration for his late grandfather grow each time he looked at the photo. The photo, displayed in a large frame in the family room, showed his grandfather with a serious expression that could intimidate anyone, including Lucas himself. Despite this, Lucas found his grandfather incredibly authoritative and handsome.Lucas wasn't sure when it started, but looking at the photo had become an unconscious daily routine."Mr. Lucas must be very sad about the passing of the Grand Master.""Of course. Mr. Lucas was his favorite grandson."He often overheard the servants whispering like this and chuckled inwardly. They weren't entirely wrong, but Lucas didn't want to confirm their words entirely either. Everyone grieves the permanent loss of a family member, unless they're a psychopath. Lucas was indeed sad. His grandfather had been a constant figure in his life since he was born. The reality that the founder of the Winter Group was no longer around felt like a
With happy steps, Lucas entered the luxury apartment complex where his girlfriend lived. It felt like only yesterday when Lucas came here alone, picked a unit that he thought was suitable, and finally bought it for his beautiful girlfriend. And that was about five years ago.How fast time passed, but that wouldn't affect the love he had for her. They were still like a new couple in love. At least for him.With a beautiful flower bouquet in his hand, Lucas pressed his girlfriend's apartment bell. He could have gone straight in because he knew the password, but he was a true gentleman. He wouldn't just enter a woman's place like that, even if the woman was his own girlfriend. He had both respect and great love for that woman.While waiting, Lucas looked at the hallway where he stood now. It was really quiet, the main reason he chose this apartment. It was in line with his desire to hide his girlfriend from her family. Speaking of her family, he really hoped that none of them knew he was
"I'm going home, Uncle. Take care." Lucas said, closing the door to his uncle's hospital room softly so as not to disturb him, as he seemed to be falling asleep due to the medication he had been given.Taking a deep breath, Lucas was grateful that he didn't have to spend any more time at the hospital. He had no personal issues or grudges with his uncle that would make him want to spend any more time here.What he disliked about the place was the environment. Lucas hated hospitals. For him, the hospital easily made him feel uncomfortable. So when the nurse entered his uncle's room earlier and gave him medicine, Lucas was ecstatic inside.He quickly said goodbye and promised to visit again later, having already spent the morning and afternoon with his uncle. If he didn't leave now, he might end up spending the night there.Lucas was only disappointed that his parents couldn't come with him to visit his uncle, who had suffered a heart attack a few days ago. If they had come, Lucas wouldn
Jane breathed a sigh of relief as the train she was on arrived at its destination. She quickly got up from her seat and walked out. With a little haste, she walked past several people, wanting to get out of the crowded station as soon as possible.It had been about six months since she last set foot in New Oak to check on Serra. Blame her job for not allowing her to visit her sister frequently, but now that she was free, she could visit her sister whenever she wanted.As usual, she would stop by the flower shop first to buy flowers for her sister. Serra wouldn't be happy if she visited her after so long without bringing anything. She chose beautiful and bright daisy flowers that reminded her of her sister's figure."Thank you," she said as she received her ordered flowers, which had been beautifully arranged, and quickly left.Jane looked around, curious if anything had changed in her hometown. Unfortunately, every time she went to New Oak, she only went to the hospital and accompanie
Lucas thought his life was perfect. He had almost everything.Everything was complete, and he couldn't complain about his life. But that changed when his grandfather passed away. For the first time, he faced a problem that might ruin his life entirely.Willy, Lucas's friend, asked if he agreed with his idea. Lucas was at Willy's apartment, sitting on the balcony, enjoying the breathtaking view of the night. "What else can she do besides agreeing? She no longer needs to work as a prostitute, and I will give her a lot of money. She only needs to be my wife for a few months, and everything will be over." Lucas was desperate, thinking that there was only a dead-end for his problem. For the first time in a while, he thanked his friend Willy because he gave him an idea that he had never thought of before."I was just talking nonsense back then, Luke. Are you sure my idea can help you?" Willy asked, feeling a bit uncertain. "Do you have any better idea?" Lucas asked Willy, who remained silen
As if knowing that there was an impatient customer, their food arrived quite quickly. And without further ado, Jane started to enjoy her breakfast. Despite her annoyance, Jane had to admit that she was quite enjoying her breakfast this morning. The waffle she ate was really delicious and became even more perfect when she spread it with her favorite chocolate spread. In less than ten minutes, she had finished her breakfast."So, where is your promised explanation?" Jane urged Lucas, who seemed indifferent and was still busy enjoying his pancakes.Janem thinks that Lucas is getting revenge by not answering his question because he did the same thing to him earlier. He straightened up when he saw Lucas put down his knife and fork, a sign that he was done with his breakfast."It's not good to talk while eating, Jane," Lucas said after wiping his mouth."I don't need your advice. Now quickly tell me what all this means."Lucas cleared his throat before starting. "You know, I spent a fantast
"Hi, Jane. It's so nice to see you." "Oh… Hi to you too, Lucas." The man sat with his legs raised. He waved at her with a small smile before she was asked to sit next to him. Despite her doubts, Jane did as she was told. She wondered what was really going on. "What is going on here?" Jane asked, not sure about the situation. Jane's first thought was about how Lucas might be curious and want to use her services. Finally he dropped his good man facade. That was probably the reason why he was in front of her now, even though they had only met last night. Jane didn't have any other possible thoughts or reasons. Jane looked at Madam Lexa and Lucas in turn. They both exchanged glances, as if wanting to know who would speak first. Madam Lexa looked at Jane then. "There is something that we need to talk about." Finally! Someone finally spoke up and was willing to dispel the curiosity in her mind. But okay? Jane understands that there must be something they need to talk about because