"Really? Is that true? What did you say to your dad?" Kristen asked in surprise upon hearing Mira’s revelation about her father's condition. Mira nodded before responding, "Honestly, I didn't know what to say at that moment. So instead of refusing or accepting, I told him I would think about it." The sunlight streaming through the large windows illuminated her troubled expression. Kristen sighed, unsure how to comfort her friend given the difficulty of her father's request. "Who do they plan to marry you off to?" Kristen asked. Mira just shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I haven't even had a boyfriend. Maybe Dad is just eager to have a grandchild." After speaking, she looked at Kristen with concern, "Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to target you or anything. I'm just frustrated with Dad and feeling pressured. Not only that, but I'm scared of the idea of an arranged marriage, Kristen. Especially since not all of them are successful." "I understand." Mira took a deep breath befor
When they arrived at the hospital, Mira made sure Kristen was resting comfortably in her room, which was softly lit by a small bedside lamp casting a warm, calming glow. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender, a mix that somehow felt both sterile and soothing. Once Kristen was settled, Mira left to look for the man who had saved them. She searched through the slightly cold and clinical hallways until she found him at the billing section."Who is this patient, sir?" the nurse asked the man, her voice carrying a professional yet curious tone."Ah, well, I don't know their names. Just the ones in rooms 301 and 302," he replied."Okay, sir. Are you paying their entire bill?" the nurse asked, sounding a bit hesitant.''Why would he pay our bill?' Mira wondered, hiding behind a column near the vending machines.After the man and the nurse finished their conversation, he was about to leave, so Mira quickly hid behind a large potted plant. She felt strange about hiding, as if sh
"You know, I've been wondering for a long time how I ended up in the hospital. I believe it was because of what Ashton did to me, since that's the last memory I have before being hospitalized. Yes, it truly traumatized me, but you know," Kristen looked down while sharing this with her husband. "When I woke up, it felt like I'd been lying in the hospital for a very long time. What I don't understand is that none of the people around me told me what really happened."At that moment, Marcus didn't know how to react. While listening to his wife, he couldn't help but think if he should finally tell her about what happened in the past. "Could it be that something else happened to me after that?"Meanwhile, when Pablo and Rihanna met at their hangout spot, Rihanna couldn't stop herself from hurting him. "You're so stupid, Pablo. The task I gave you was so simple. Those pests were right in front of you, and you still couldn't do it properly?"Even though Pablo didn't like Rihanna's tone, he t
Later that morning, Mira decided to go to the gallery to collect her belongings as well as Kristen's. While she was gathering their things, she crossed paths with Rihanna again. It seemed like another argument was about to unfold between them, and no one was there to stop it."What are you doing?" Rihanna asked. Mira was about to ignore her, but she knew that Rihanna wouldn't be satisfied without meddling in someone else's business."Isn't it obvious? I'm gathering my things," Mira retorted sharply."You know, I let you talk to me like that at Aunt's birthday, but here in the office? I'm your boss. I'm trying to remind you just in case you've forgotten," Rihanna said, irritated."Well, who forgot first? You should have thought of that when you treated Kristen like that at Mom's birthday. Just a reminder, she's Marcus's wife, not you, you should know your place just like what you told me," Mira responded, pausing to set down her belongings. Mira's stance showed she was ready for a conf
As Marcus drove to the office, he couldn't shake off the conversation he had with Dylan the previous day. If his suspicions were correct, and it was indeed that car involved in the accident with him and Kristen, why had it returned to target Kristen's life again, along with his youngest sister Mira's?The thoughts swirling around Marcus's mind were like a puzzle he couldn't piece together. Adding to his troubles was the dilemma of how to tell Kristen about their past. Marcus knew that time was relentless and eventually, the truth would come out.Upon arriving at the office, he immediately organized the papers for the meeting. He had prepared for this day for a long time—a day when he would prove how deceitful his older brother was. Yes, he might have felt fear due to the threats, but it wasn't a reason to let his brother do whatever he wanted. Besides, after everything, he planned to confess everything to his wife."Sir Marcus, it's time for the meeting," his secretary reminded him. H
It was morning when Kristen woke up in an unfamiliar room. The dim light filtered through a small, dirty window, casting eerie shadows on the bare concrete walls. The air was damp and musty, and the only sound was the distant hum of machinery. Her hands and feet were bound with rough ropes, and her mouth was covered with duct tape. She felt weak and disoriented. Although she wanted to cry, she held back her tears, aware that her pregnancy was at risk.She tried to find a way to untie her hands but struggled against the tightly wound knots. Moments later, she heard the door creak open and stopped what she was doing. A man, wearing a facemask and cap, appeared before her"If you think you can escape, you're mistaken," he broke the silence.She glared at him, unable to ask who he was or why he had kidnapped her."You know, if it were up to me, you wouldn't be here. You'd be six feet under by now. But be grateful to my brother—be grateful he loves you." That was all he said before leaving
By afternoon, Kristen’s exact location was still unknown, despite Dylan and his team’s efforts. The command center was filled with the hum of computers and the murmur of voices. As they reviewed the CCTV footage showing the last sighting of the car that had taken Kristen from home, Dylan noticed something odd. The footage showed a parking lot, dimly lit with sporadic shadows cast by the lights, and Dylan squinted at the screen."Dylan, take a look at this," one of the detectives said, rewinding the footage. "It looks like ha has switched to another car."Dylan leaned in closer, zooming in on a black sedan. "You're right. That black sedan—he moved there. They’re trying to mislead us.""Smart move," the detective muttered. "But not smart enough. Let’s see more to it."Almost half an hour later, Marcus received a call from Dylan. He had just returned to the mansion from searching. The mansion was large, with grand columns and a sprawling driveway, the epitome of luxury but now filled wit
After the incident with Marcus, he was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, there were people who passed by the scene of the accident at that time, and they were able to quickly call an ambulance for him.Marcus’s mother stood by his bedside, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at her son lying unconscious. She reached out to gently touch his hand, her voice trembling with emotion."Why did this have to happen to him?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "He's so young. He shouldn't be lying here like this. What if he doesn't wake up? I can't bear the thought of losing him."Her husband stepped closer, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "He’s strong. Our Marcus is a fighter. He’ll pull through this."A little later, Marcus's doctor entered the hospital room."Doctor, how is my son? Why hasn't he woken up yet?" asked his mother anxiously."He's doing fine, ma'am. It's normal for his body to seek rest. Aside from the wounds and damage he sustained from the
KRISTEN's POVThe silence between us hung heavy, but eventually, Marcus broke it. His voice was calm, detached.“About the divorce papers—I’ll have them sent to your address tomorrow. Just text me where, so I’ll know.”“Uhm… Sure. I will. Thank you,” I replied quietly. He didn’t say anything else and hung up.So that’s why he called. Just business. Nothing else.With a sigh, I let the thought go and quickly turned my attention back to Daniel. I replied to his earlier message, letting him know it was fine and that I understood why he had to leave. He texted back almost immediately, asking why I hadn’t picked up when he tried calling earlier. Honesty felt like the easiest route, so I told him the truth.His response caught me off guard. He said he was coming back to the hospital. He didn’t want me to be alone, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. The truth was, it would be nice to have someone there—someone to lean on.The timing was perfect. Daniel arrived just as the doctor came by
KRISTEN's POVI didn’t know what to feel as I stood in the sterile, echoing hallway. Relief, certainly, that Nathan was alive, but it came tangled with something heavier. Guilt. The man I’d kept at arm’s length—the man I’d fought so hard to shield Nathan from—was the very one who’d stepped forward to save his life without hesitation.Marcus didn’t question or waver. The moment the doctor asked for a donor with B-negative blood, he simply nodded and followed them, as though it was the most natural thing in the world."What happens now? What if he starts questioning why Daniel isn’t a match for Nathan when he’s supposed to be his father?" That thought gnawed at me as I watched Marcus walk away, his silhouette growing smaller until he disappeared from sight.Mom and Dad approached me together. Meanwhile, I stood frozen, staring at the empty space Marcus left behind.Hours dragged by, each one heavier than the last. Finally, the doctor emerged, and we rushed to meet him.“Your son’s condi
KRISTEN'S POV“I’ll give you what you want.” That was the last message he sent before I closed the laptop.At that moment, I didn’t even think about how he might feel when he saw I read his message without replying. To be honest, I was caught off guard.Is it weird that I’m feeling something strange? I expected this message—I knew it was coming. But why does it feel like this?I glanced at Nathan, still sleeping soundly, hugging his pillow tightly.It was still early, so I lay back down beside him, my gaze fixed on his peaceful face. As I watched him, I couldn’t help but admit it—so much of him resembled Marcus. Even his stubbornness, that difficult-to-understand personality, he clearly inherited from his father.I hugged my son tightly, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep again.When I woke up, it was almost 4 PM. A few minutes later, Nathan stirred awake as well. I planned to get ready and leave after leaving him with Mom, but when I went downstairs, the house was empty. It was
KRISTEN'S POVOverthinking has a way of draining every ounce of energy from your body. It’s been two days, and my mind has been consumed with one question: why is Dad so fixated on buying back our old gallery out of all the properties he could invest in?I stood by the sliding door overlooking the garden, watching Nathan play by himself. My thoughts were a whirlwind until Mom walked by. At first, I hesitated to call her, unsure if this was the right moment. But my intrusive thoughts won.“Mom, can we talk?” I asked, my voice hesitant but firm.She smiled warmly at me. “Of course, dear. What’s on your mind? Is this about Nathan’s father?”I sighed internally. Of course, she’d jump to that conclusion. But no, this wasn’t about Marcus. Not this time. I was too preoccupied with trying to understand Dad’s actions.“No, it’s not about him,” I clarified. “It’s... about something else. Actually, someone else. Is Dad here, by the way?”Mom’s brows furrowed in confusion as she shook her head. “H
KRISTEN's POVLife has a way of playing cruel jokes, and at some point, I stopped fighting it and just went along. Coming back here was supposed to bring me peace, but it feels like I’ve stepped into quicksand. The more I try to settle, the more tangled and suffocated everything becomes.I can’t forget the way Marcus looked at me as the elevator doors remained open, a barrier between us that somehow felt thinner than the air. His frustration was etched into every line of his face, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.That gaze—it was heavy, sharp, cutting through the fragile walls I’d built around myself. For a moment, I stood frozen, my hand hovering over the elevator panel. It wasn’t fear that rooted me in place, but something deeper, something raw.I tell myself it’s all in the past. I tell myself I’ve moved on. But moments like that—moments where his presence feels like an unrelenting storm—bring everything rushing back.But why does he seem so
"Is he your son?"That was the last thing Marcus said before stepping closer to them. Daniel, on the other hand, was immediately on alert, noticing how Kristen froze in place, her gaze glued to Marcus as he approached. But Marcus didn't come too close.He chose to keep a distance, not wanting to cause a scene, even though every fiber of his being was screaming to let loose. Why? Because, for reasons he couldn't quite understand, anger flared up in him once more. His mind replayed the visit from Dylan, his detective friend, over and over again.When Kristen had left, Marcus received a message from an unknown sender. The message claimed that Kristen had been involved with another man during the time they were apart. It accused her of aborting their child long ago because she didn’t love him and leaving him to be with someone else.At first, Marcus didn’t believe it. But for reasons he couldn’t explain, his friend Dylan had come up with the same information before suddenly disappearing.
"I like you." Kristen froze. The words hung in the air between them, unexpected and heavy. She let out a nervous laugh, trying to brush it off. “What? Are you serious? Daniel, stop joking around,” she said, her voice light, but her hands fidgeting nervously.Daniel didn’t budge. His face stayed serious, his eyes focused on her like he wasn’t going to let this moment slip away.“Daniel,” she tried again, her tone quieter now. “Are you… are you serious?”He nodded, slow and certain. “Do I look like I’m joking?”Her heart skipped. She didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t the kind of thing you could just laugh away.“I…” she started but faltered. She glanced at him, searching his face for any sign that he was teasing her. There was none. Her breath hitched as the truth of his confession started to sink in.Daniel stepped closer, his voice steady and calm. “Kristen, I know things are complicated right now, and I don’t want to add more pressure to your life. But I need you to know that yo
The ride home was quiet, with Daniel still behind the wheel. Kristen's father sat in the front seat while her mother sat beside her, holding Nathan, who had fallen asleep between them.Kristen's gaze shifted between two things: the road outside and her son's angelic face. Every time her eyes landed on Nathan, a pang of guilt tugged at her heart.Guilt for keeping him away from his father.Nathan was still too young to ask questions or express curiosity about his dad, but Kristen knew that day would inevitably come. And when it did, she would have no choice but to be honest with him.For now, though, she wanted to savor the moments when he was all hers. She wasn’t used to being away from him for long periods, and didn’t want to start now.When they arrived home, Daniel carefully carried the sleeping Nathan to Kristen’s room. Meanwhile, Kristen stayed in the living room with her parents. Her father, exhausted, excused himself to retire upstairs. Her mother, however, remained seated, her
Kristen and her parents decided to split up to search for Nathan. At the same time, Daniel informed the hotel staff about the situation before following Kristen to help her look around."Why would he wander off alone?" Kristen thought to herself, her worry growing as she searched for her son.The grand hotel where the mayor—her godfather—was holding the birthday party was enormous. Kristen didn’t even know where to start. She let her feet guide her wherever they might take her."Wherever my feet lead me, as long as I find my son," she whispered to herself."Kristen!" Daniel called out from behind, making her turn quickly."What is it, Daniel?" she asked, her voice laced with tension.Daniel, still catching his breath, took a moment before answering, "Your mom called me. They found Nathan, and he’s back at the lobby."Kristen felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank goodness! That’s such a relief.""Apparently, someone found Nathan and brought him to the lobby. Your mom had told the