A man is seen sleeping in restlessness. He moves erratically, causing his king-size bed to look messy, as if he has just finished a heated battle. But in reality, he is only wrestling with his thick blanket. Occasionally, the sound of sighs fills the quiet and dark room. The only light comes from the shy moon peeking through the silver curtains, waving softly due to the breeze from the room's air conditioner. The silhouette of a man is seen sitting without clothes, then he tosses aside his only cover. Wearing only boxer shorts, he gets up from the bed and looks for his flat object to contact someone.
A stifled growl masks the only rhythm that has dominated the silence when the number he called turns out to be inactive. He checks the time on the small screen in his hand. His hand reaches out to the nightstand, searching for something. Byar... The light greets his eyes harshly, and he quickly shields his sight with his strong hands. Dragging his lazy feet, he enters the bathroo
Darian really had to restrain himself from detaining Fahira in his room, considering the tasks he had to accomplish today. If he had the chance, he would undoubtedly spend time with the woman he loved. Darian quickly shifted his focus to the small screen in front of him and checked the data's compatibility with the files on his desk, seemingly calling for immediate completion.Darian was so engrossed in his work that he even skipped lunch. Fahira, who had reminded him several times, began to feel annoyed. She dared to enter Darian's room with a lunchbox she had ordered through go-food."Come on, Darian, have lunch first; otherwise, you might get sick!" Fahira persuaded, having been sitting across from Darian's desk for the past 10 minutes. But he remained unfazed, with both eyebrows furrowed in seriousness."Hmm..." Darian mumbled without diverting his attention from the small screen in front of him."Darian!" Fahira was getting frustrated and got up from
"Next week, we'll go to Surabaya together with Mr. Darian and Mr. David," Fahira revealed during dinner with Ariel. The 18-year-old teenager stopped chewing her food in surprise. She quickly swallowed the mouthful and washed it down with a gulp of warm tea to clear her throat."Are you serious, sister Fahira?" Ariel replied, stuttering in disbelief. He had longed to visit his parents' graves for a while. However, he had kept this wish to himself, not wanting to burden Fahira with his thoughts."Yes, I'm serious. It's a school holiday for you anyway," Fahira continued with teary eyes. She felt the same longing. Missing her hometown, cherishing memories with her parents and friends."Are you sure it's safe for us to go back?" Ariel asked, his smile fading as he remembered the foreign letter they found when they woke up in the apartment they currently lived in.Fahira smiled and nodded reassuringly, "I'm sure it's safe. We should finish our meal."The
Tet... The sound of a bell shattered her reverie. Fahira set down the cup of chocolate she was holding and immediately got up."Good morning, Honey!" greeted the chocolate-skinned man, who was now standing at the doorway with a beaming smile. Fahira's eyes widened in surprise as she saw her boyfriend here at her house so early in the morning. The man's handsomeness multiplied several times with his casual style. Dressed only in black jeans and a white t-shirt, Darian looked even more handsome and youthful."Hi!" Darian greeted again, waving his hand in front of Fahira's still-frozen face."Uh, Mr. Darian, why did you come to my house so early?" Fahira asked formally, with a surprised expression. Darian let out a frustrated sigh and folded his hands in front of his chest."Darian, umm, just call me Darian," he corrected, which instantly made Fahira realize the informality, causing her to smile in amusement. To her, it still felt strange and funny that a ma
Yasmin could only look on with deep concern at her son, who was packing some clothes into his suitcase. She sat at the edge of the bed, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. Yasmin was truly worried about her only son. For the first time, she felt so sad about Darian leaving, apart from work matters. Although Darian often traveled abroad for a few days or even a week, Yasmin had gotten used to it. What worried her was the truth that might be revealed—facts about her husband's relationship with Fahira's parents. Yasmin could only pray that everything would be fine and go according to her son's wishes. Seeing Darian's immense love for Fahira suddenly made Yasmin fearful."Darian, are you sure you're going to Surabaya to meet Fahira's family?" Yasmin's words made Darian pause in his activity. He smiled and then sat by Yasmin's side."Yes, Mom, I'm very sure. Don't you also want to know the reason why Dad asked us to protect Fahira?" Darian replied, receiving a nod f
Suddenly, everyone who was enjoying breakfast froze in place with undefinable expressions. From the end of the table, as the head of the family, a sound of an object falling on a plate was heard, followed by a loud noise. The echo reverberated throughout the house as the figure moved closer to Fahira and Ariel."Fahira! Ariel!" Bisma greeted and then tightly hugged Fahira with teary eyes before turning to hug Ariel. Darian and David could feel the joyful and emotional atmosphere, but there were some people who looked displeased with Fahira and Ariel's return."I'm grateful, you are both safe. Uncle had a feeling that you were still alive!" Bisma continued, shaking hands with Darian and David in turn."Alive? So all this time, they believed Ariel and I were dead?" Fahira wondered with furrowed brows. "So, all this time, they didn't know about me and Ariel?" she mused, realizing why nobody knew about their existence.Before Fahira could become more suspicio
In her room, Fahira gently and patiently tried to reason with Ariel, who was caught up in emotions. Truthfully, Fahira felt disappointed with her family's reception, which seemed unwelcoming to her and Ariel. Moreover, Fahira noticed that everything in the house had changed. Not a single trace of their presence remained. Everything felt unfamiliar."Didn't I tell you, Ariel? You shouldn't cause trouble here. Our purpose in coming back is just to visit Father and Mother's graves, right?" Fahira said softly as she looked into Ariel's eyes."But sis, this is our home, so it's only natural that we reclaim our rights!" Ariel insisted, his jaw clenched, remembering the disdainful looks from Arya. Now, everything was entirely owned by Arya, and Ariel had to live in a small, simple apartment. Fahira smiled and gently placed her hand on Ariel's back, which was resting on her lap. She lifted it and held it tightly."Let go of it all, dear. For me, you are the most preciou
Slowly, Fahira touched her mother's tombstone with trembling hands. Darian placed his hand on Fahira's shoulder, looking bewildered. He felt unable to bear witnessing all the sadness in his beloved's heart. In a corner of his heart, he felt grateful for still having his own mother. Allah had granted him more time to fulfill his duties to the woman who had given birth to him in this world."Father, Mother, forgive Fahira for only being able to visit you here now!" Fahira whispered as she shifted to embrace her mother's tombstone."My dear," Darian murmured softly, gently rubbing Fahira's shoulder. David, who stood beside Ariel, couldn't hold back his emotions either. He held Ariel's shoulder and said, "Ariel, you are a strong young man now. Your duty is to take care of your sister. You have to be strong!" Ariel raised his head to look at David and nodded.Bisma and Arini, witnessing the emotional scene, could only remain silent with tears streaming down their fac
Darian planned to go outside to get some fresh air. The desire to rest had disappeared due to his increasingly chaotic thoughts. His intuition led his steps towards the garden. A smile instantly blossomed on Darian's face as he saw his beloved woman, Fahira, enjoying the beauty of various blooming flowers in the garden. Fahira was inhaling the scent of freshly picked white roses."No flower can match your beauty, my love!" Darian whispered, now standing behind Fahira. Her body tensed as Darian's strong hands encircled her waist."Are you sure I'm beautiful?" Fahira asked, feeling a warm sensation spreading through her heart due to Darian's tender gesture."There is no beauty in this world like you, honey!" Darian replied, while savoring the scent of Fahira's body that always intoxicated him.Fahira untangled Darian's hands from her body and looked at the dark-skinned man with a gaze full of love. "Thank you for all your love, dear," Fahira said, her eyes
That afternoon, David and Alea came to visit the twins. They were warmly welcomed by the entire Setiadi family. Apart from being Darian's personal assistant at the office, David was also his best friend. In fact, Yasmin had known about the close bond between the two men since they were in high school."Honey, aren't you tired of kissing baby Joziah all the time?" David protested, as Alea had been adoring the handsome face of baby Joziah non-stop since they arrived an hour ago. If observed closely, the two babies looked like duplicates of Darian, but one of them had darker brown eyes. Coincidentally, baby Joziah, with Darian's signature dark brown eyes, was in Alea's arms."Don't tell me you're jealous of this handsome little guy!" Alea squinted her eyes at David, her husband of three months and the father of the baby in her womb."You know how jealous I can be!" David replied, stealing a kiss on Alea's cheek.Alea laughed and apologized to Darian and Fahi
With a blossoming smile, Fahira examined herself in front of the mirror. She scrutinized her body, which had undergone drastic changes. From being slim and sexy, she had transformed into a curvier woman, especially in the chest area. The smile at the corners of her lips was momentarily concealed by the sudden appearance of tears in her eyes. Then, her hands lifted to cup her chubby cheeks in front of her reflection. Occasionally, she would gently press her cheeks to make them look slimmer, reminiscent of her appearance ten months ago when she was not pregnant with the twins.A heavy sigh filled the quiet room. The woman standing in front of the dressing table shook her head repeatedly, trying to dismiss the sudden negative thoughts that rudely disrupted her happiness and wreaked havoc on her emotions.Fahira reached for the makeup set on the dressing table to apply a bit of powder to conceal the dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion. She als
In the waiting area outside the operating room, Yasmin and Santi remained silent. However, prayers continued to resonate in their hearts for Fahira's safety and the well-being of her two sons. Not far from them, Gavin hurriedly approached. He had learned about Fahira undergoing a cesarean section from his assistant. After completing his visiting duties for inpatients at the hospital, Gavin immediately went to the operating room."How is Aunt Fahira?" Gavin asked, trying to catch his breath. Hearing Gavin's voice, the middle-aged woman stood up and embraced him tightly. "We're still waiting!" Yasmin replied, still held in Gavin's embrace."Don't worry, Aunt, Fahira and her two sons will be safe and healthy. The surgery will be over soon." Gavin released the embrace and gestured for Yasmin to sit back down.Suddenly, anxiety overwhelmed Gavin's heart as he imagined Farah being in that operating room. The thought of being by his wife's side during a cesarean sectio
Ariel, who was about to leave for school, finished his milk and said his goodbyes to Yasmin. After kissing her on the back of her hand, the teenager quickly caught up with Darian and Fahira to say goodbye.The aroma of petrichor filled Fahira's senses as her wheelchair came to a stop. Her clear eyes scanned the entire garden, admiring the beauty of the blooming flowers. The colorful blossoms captivated her heart, which had been troubled since the night before. Fahira smiled as she watched butterflies and bees fluttering around the flower buds, like soldiers ready for battle."Are they more fascinating than your husband?" protested Darian, who had been observing Fahira's cheerful expression. For him, Fahira was the beauty he had admired all this time."Oh, I think my husband is just jealous of them. How can fellow butterflies be jealous!" Fahira chuckled, playfully squeezing the hand of her brown-eyed man."I am a jealous man," said Darian, kissing Fahira'
Days passed and months went by unnoticed, and now Fahira's pregnancy has entered the final trimester, which means the Darian family is now filled with a mix of worries and happiness about the upcoming arrival of the twins into the world.Since the first trimester of Fahira's pregnancy, Darian has been on high alert as a husband and has become more possessive and protective. He frequently goes back and forth to the office just because Fahira wants to be close to him. Fahira's sweet and clingy behavior has also increased multiple times since entering the eighth month of pregnancy. She experiences various discomforts, and Doctor Intan, who is in charge of Fahira's pregnancy, has already warned Darian and the family about the risks and vulnerabilities of a twin pregnancy.One of Fahira's severe complaints is the pain in her back and legs. She can't sleep if it's not Darian caressing her back or massaging her legs. Even light activities like standing and walking become diff
55The scorching sun, descending towards the southwest, failed to untangle the traffic jam in Jakarta, the capital city. Unfortunately, Darian was still trapped in the crawling traffic. Both hands, which had been resting on the steering wheel, were suddenly lifted when the harsh sunlight hit his retinas. He pulled down the sun visor to shield his brown eyes. Normally, no matter how long the traffic jam, having David in front of the wheel would never make Darian feel irritated like he did now. At least light banter or David's usual jokes would entertain Darian and make him forget how annoying it was to be stuck in traffic.After about 15 minutes, the car that Darian was driving slowly began to move. To dispel his frustration, Darian finally played his favorite song. The old song by Westlife started melodiously greeting his ears. As the music played, a sense of calm began to soothe Darian's heart, which had been grumbling incessantly. Unknowingly, his car began to move o
54David entered the Putra Corporation building feeling a bit annoyed since David hadn't picked him up as usual. Moreover, David hadn't given any updates at all. Usually, his personal assistant never skipped work or disappeared like this. He suddenly felt worried because David wasn't just his assistant; he was also his best friend—the only best friend he had.Reluctantly, Darian pushed aside his ego and decided to call David first."Shit!" Darian cursed under his breath when the operator on the other end of the line told him that David's phone was inactive.The elevator opened, signaling his arrival on the desired floor, and Darian stepped into his office. He glanced at David's desk, which was empty and tidy, indicating that he hadn't arrived yet."Lily, where's David?" Darian asked as they entered his office."I'm sorry, sir, I don't know. I tried to contact him earlier, but his phone was off," Lily explained, standing in front of Daria
53Four months later...Fahira was incredibly grateful that her first pregnancy didn't come with severe morning sickness like most pregnant women experience. However, she did feel nauseous and vomit every morning upon waking up. After vomiting the bitter yellow liquid, she would feel weak and easily exhausted. To alleviate the discomfort, she would drink warm tea and then rest in Darian's arms.As a result, Darian would arrive late to the office every day. David and Lily had arranged all of Darian's schedules to ensure he wouldn't miss any important company meetings. David himself became busier since Fahira's pregnancy began, with his workload multiplying several times over. He frequently had to go back and forth from the office to Darian's house whenever Fahira needed something.As the days went by, Fahira's clingy behavior and emotional sensitivity increased, often leaving Darian confused and overwhelmed trying to fulfill her desires. Furthermore, Fahir
"Miss Fahira! What's wrong?" Aminah called out, panicking as she had been in the kitchen earlier and witnessed Fahira's rush to the bathroom.Fahira could only manage a weak response, "I'll be fine, Aminah. Just feeling a bit sick."Despite her concern, Aminah gave Fahira some space, sensing that she might need some privacy. However, the uneasiness persisted, and Fahira couldn't help but wonder about the strange reaction she had to the mukbang video. She decided to keep it to herself for now, not wanting to worry anyone.Aminah knocked on the bathroom door repeatedly while calling out Fahira's name upon hearing Fahira's vomiting sounds. Shortly after, the door opened, revealing a pale and weak-looking Fahira. Aminah quickly assisted Fahira to sit on a chair and made her a cup of warm tea."Can you help me to the bedroom, Aminah?" Fahira asked after finishing her warm tea. The nausea in her stomach was starting to subside, but now she felt dizzy."S