Caraline and Diego were still at the dinner table. After the conversation about the Otopixel CEO's desire to meet Deric, there was no conversation for the next few minutes. Both of two were focused on enjoying the meal and the music."Did uou know Universe Corporation will be holding the biggest talent search event in the country in a few months? The grand winner of that event will be contracted by Art Media, one of their company for several years. As we all know, artists under their management go on to achieve great success," Diego said, breaking the silence, "I think it's a good opportunity for you to work with them. It will attract the attention of the whole country.""You're not bragging, are you?" asked Caraline, "I heard that the Universe Corporation doesn't like to divulge some of their agendas to the public. They prefer to surprise the public with unexpected news.""Henry Hulbert told me that himself," Diego said, adjusting his suit jacket. "I don't know, even though it was th
Caraline gripped the phone tightly. The ticking of the clock filled the sudden silence. However, Caraline's consciousness gradually returned. When it did, her eyes flew wide open."What did I say?!" Caraline screamed in a stifled voice. The cell phone she had been holding tightly was accidentally thrown. Fortunately, it landed on the rug under the bed.Caraline suddenly backed up until her body hit the wall. Unexpectedly, the cell phone repeated Deric's voice message.[Good night and thank you for today]Caraline covered both ears. She also stomped the floor to get Deric out of her mind, then disappeared into dust. "Stop it!"Caraline choked up when she heard the bell ring. She quickly checked outside on the small screen by the door. "Diego."Caraline quickly tapped her palms together, letting out a long breath. Once ready, she opened the door, putting on a straight face as if nothing had happened."What happened?" asked Diego, "did I hear you suddenly scream?"Caraline rotated her ey
Caraline glanced at Diego. She had forgotten that he had sharp ears. " I didn't like dogs as a child. When my late sister left me the dog, I couldn't resist, of course.""Oh, so it's kind of like getting used to love," Diego said, "it can't be easy."Caraline coughed. She refused Diego's drink. Used to love? Seriously, she thought."I didn't like my father as a child either," Diego said, looking up at the twilight sky. His hands were at his sides. He looked back at Caraline briefly, then returned his gaze to the sky.Diego continued, "He was a strict father, he didn't like to be argued with, and he didn't even hesitate to spank me if I made the slightest mistake. However, as I grew up and got to know the realities of life, I felt that my father was too soft on me. No matter right or wrong, the world will always hurt you if you stay in the same place. I miss my father now."Caraline crossed her legs, giving a small nod of approval."What about you, don't you come from the wealthy Watts
Caraline was stunned when a voice suddenly emerged from her mind. Her breathing suddenly accelerated several times over. Her body immediately collapsed onto the bed where her eyes widened to scan the surroundings. It was like the woman was forcibly thrown into the real world. It took several seconds for her consciousness to return."Oh my," Caraline whispered as she rubbed her face, massaging her forehead slowly. Her breathing was the dominant sound that filled the large room. "How did that memory come back?"Just as Caraline was about to get up from the bed, the sound of her cell phone startled her. Deric's name was immediately displayed on the screen. She quickly switched off the line without a second thought. "What the hell is Deric calling me for, he's so clueless!"Caraline sat in front of the dressing table. She had warned Helen and the maids not to inform Deric of her whereabouts. She wanted to be free to take a vacation and relax without the man's shadow. But, the paralyzed ma
Deric was at the edge of the lake. His face was still etched with a smile as he glanced at the small box he had prepared since yesterday. He had spent the whole day walking around and taking pictures with his camera. Deric no longer asked Helen or the maids about Caraline's whereabouts. He believed that Caraline would return to the house sooner or later. He suspected that Caraline was busy with work, or perhaps visiting somewhere to unwind. Instead of being annoyed, Deric felt calm when he didn't get an answer when he called Caraline. As long as the call was connected, he believed she was fine. "I'd better hurry," Deric said as he moved the wheelchair forward. The man circled the lake. The maple leaves seemed to fall as if welcoming his presence. He stopped somewhere, then took a bag from under the wheelchair. Deric began his work there. He moved from one side to the other as he attached some accessories to some tree trunks and also a wooden fence that led to the lake. Although his
Caraline suddenly tensed up after pressing the button. She occasionally tucked a lock of hair behind her ear that had somehow fallen back over the front of her face. Her breathing sounded heavy as if she was waiting for important news.Caraline was instantly quiet when the sound of the device started. She strained her ears as best she could.[Hi, you're doing well over there, right? I'm glad you ignored my call, it's a sign that you're still the Caraline I know]"What a freak!" sneered Caraline as she stopped the recording. Afterward, she played the voice message again.[Actually, I have a request. A few days ago, I wanted to tell you about it. But, it seems that you are still busy with work. So, I thought I could wait a bit.Exactly a few hours from now, I turn twenty-five years old. Time seems short to me. A few years ago, I wanted to become a professional basketball player. However, that seemed too far away for me to achieve after realizing my current condition. Therefore, on my cu
Diego was taken aback when Caraline's face sagged towards his chest. The man felt his heart rate increase twice as fast. He quickly gave the musicians the code to leave the venue.Time was ticking away. Diego still faithfully used his chest as a pillow for Caraline. He dozed off for a while and when he woke up it was three in the morning.Diego enjoyed that more than any pleasure he'd ever had. Caraline's charms were a feast for his eyes as well as his heart. His sleepiness suddenly vanished into thin air. This was an opportunity that wouldn't come around twice.Diego wanted to take Caraline to his room so she could fall asleep in comfort. However, he didn't want to wake the CEO of the Mimiline Group and make her think anything when he picked her up.Diego took in Caraline's beautiful features. The woman had a sharp gaze, haughty and seductive at the same time. On top of that, Caraline was blessed with fair skin and a well-proportioned body, it was obvious that the woman cared for her
Caraline was instantly stunned when she heard Deric's voice. Her cell phone slowly moved away from her ear. Her jaw was so rotten that her mouth gaped like a cave. As time passed, her fear gradually subsided. When her condition slowly stabilized, the woman quickly wiped away tears, turning around."I'm here," Deric said with a smile.Caraline looked at the wheelchair lying nearby. The woman looked at Deric and the object several times in a turn. "What the hell is going on?"Caraline backed away slowly. She almost thought Deric had fallen into the lake and drowned. Although she knew that the man could swim, the depth of the lake was not something that the disabled man could easily handle.However, in reality, Caraline saw Deric in the canoe, sitting with his hand on the paddle. Meanwhile, his legs seemed to be aligned and there was no sign of movement."Is the cold making your tears fall?" Deric asked."What the hell are you DOING!" screeched Caraline in a raised voice at the end of th
Jeremy, Jonathan, and James looked tense as they followed a bodyguard to the edge of the park. The crashing of the waves was a musical accompaniment to their racing hearts. The three men suddenly fell silent when they saw Deric with his back to them near the fence. Shortly afterward, the bodyguard chose to excuse himself. For a few seconds, there was only silence between the four men. Jeremy, Jonathan, and James exchanged glances with each other, confused as to what action they should take at this point. Should they say goodbye? Deric slowly turned around, smiling to greet his three half-brothers. He walked over, but Jeremy, Jonathan, and James did not move from their places or even turn their heads towards him. "I've been waiting for your arrival," Deric said. Jeremy, Jonathan, and James had not paid any attention to Deric's words. Their faces had not completely lifted either. "Didn't you miss me a lot, James?" asked Deric, "you even called me and sent me messages almost every da
Six months later The news of the Universe Corporation President's marriage sent the country into a frenzy. Many of the women who dreamed of becoming his wife suddenly felt heartbreak and deep sadness.Rumors circulated like mushrooms in the rainy season about who the lucky woman who would become Jacob Balderic's partner would be. Six months after the Universe Corporation President appeared in public and introduced himself, the man never appeared in front of the media again. However, the news about him continued to fill news lines and television shows.A week after the news of the wedding broke, the media managed to uncover the lucky woman, who was none other than Caraline. Many people agreed with this because they felt that the two were a good match. However, some sneered and bullied Caraline on social media. Even so, the wedding was held in a private location in the city of Summertown.The news of the wedding became the top and hottest topic ever, and even the news of Caraline and D
All eyes were on Deric who had just recognized himself as the presiden of the number one company in the country. The atmosphere of the event was instantly silent, as were the people watching the news on television channels and the internet. Shortly afterward, the adoring admiration was met with thunderous applause."Oh my," said Helen, "isn't that Mr. Deric? How could this be possible? He can walk on both feet and right now he's in front of us."Helen turned to Caraline who was looking down with a smile on her face. When she realized something, Helen quickly controlled herself. She knew the reason behind Caraline's change over the past two weeks."Miss Caraline," Helen called with a bright smile. Despite the crack in her heart, she was happy to see Caraline now.Caraline was silent and didn't dare to raise her head at the moment. The praise and admiration directed at Deric made her even more terrified of losing him.On the other side, Diego and Wilson were watching the show on the scr
A week passed after Caraline met with Deric on the rooftop of the building. However, her happy smile never faded. Helen, Stevan, and the rest of the maids and guards couldn't understand her attitude. While Caraline had been saddened a few months ago, for the past week, she had been overwhelmed with happiness.Caraline visited an event organized by one of Universe Coporation's subsidiaries in a large park. Many famous officials and businessmen attended the event, including Henry Hulbert.Caraline couldn't sit still while watching Henry Hulbert perform on stage. Her eyes were often drawn to the surroundings. There was a good chance that Deric was also at this event, she thought.Caraline hadn't received any messages from Deric all week. She also deliberately did not contact him. If longing had been excruciating in the past, this longing had only intensified the love."Do you need something?" asked Helen, who was sitting next to Caraline's chair."Nothing." Caraline shook her head, turni
Caraline and Deric looked at each other for some time, lost in their feelings. The lights around the rooftop seemed to change color as time passed."I'm just afraid that you'll lose consciousness like last time," Deric said suddenly."What do you mean?" asked Caraline with flushed cheeks."You know, you suddenly passed out when we were about to do... 'it' in your room." Deric laughed, gently stroking Caraline's hair."Passed out?" Caraline raised one eyebrow. "Didn't we ever do that?""Not at all," Deric said, "you seemed to be so nervous that you passed out, especially since you didn't stop smiling during your sleep."Caraline suddenly turned her back on Deric, closing her eyes with a very red face. She was embarrassed when she heard that. So, all this time she had only dreamed about doing 'that' with Deric. "Don't talk to me anymore. I hate you.""I know if your heart says otherwise." Deric stood beside Caraline."No, I'm serious." Caraline turned her gaze to the other side. "You ar
Caraline's whole body shook even more when she saw Deric standing in front of her. She dropped her cell phone because she couldn't contain her shock. For a few moments, she could only hold her breath with an unblinking gaze.Caraline felt shocked on top of the shock. She had wanted Deric to walk again, but when she saw it firsthand, Caraline was left stunned and unable to do anything. Her lips half opened, but quickly closed again.Didn't Deric look perfect with his current appearance?Caraline pinched her left arm hard. She felt a great pain there. It signaled that she was in the real world. However, Caraline still felt lost in dreamland. Deric, who she thought was a man who had lost his dreams, was the mysterious figure that people wanted to know about. Deric was none other than the richest man in the country.Doesn't Deric look perfect in his current position?Caraline looked back as her feet hit the rooftop barrier. She was at the edge of the room and there was no turning back. Fo
"Deric."Caraline could only remain silent with wide-rounded eyes for some time. Her mouth was half open with a look of disbelief. All the images of her time with Deric instantly faded away, making her body almost collapse on the floor. Tears were rolling down her cheeks relentlessly.Caraline knew that she missed Deric more than anything. However, when he was in front of her right now, she could only stand still without being able to get closer or even hug him tightly.Time seemed to stop for Caraline. All the scenery around her suddenly turned black and white, except for Deric alone. At the same time, the world became eerily silent.Could this all be a delusion?Could it be that he was in a dream?Could it be that God had answered all her prayers and hopes?Caraline still couldn't quite believe what was happening. For months she had searched for Deric's whereabouts with everything she had, but nothing good had come of it. However, at this moment, Deric came to him alone on this roof
Two months laterA talent show organized by one of Universe Corporation's subsidiaries received an overwhelming response from the public. The show had the highest ratings for several weeks. It culminated in the finale that aired last night. The participants put on an incredible show of entertainment and performance. The show was even aired in several neighboring countries. The enthusiasm of the public and netizens for the program was so high that the organizers intended to re-organize a similar event with a fresh and new concept.As a token of appreciation for the achievement and success, a lavish banquet was held for all partners who joined the program. Several Universe Corporation officials were present, one of whom was Henry Hulbert.Caraline was still in the room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She put on the earrings Deric had given her to complete her look tonight. The search for the man had been ongoing until now, but his whereabouts had yet to be discovered."Wherev
One month passed quickly. Caraline reorganized her life. Diego was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for the crimes he had committed. Although it wasn't worth it, it was enough to make her feel relieved. On the other hand, Wilson was also put behind bars. Although the Wattson family tried to get him released, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.Caraline's life gradually returned to the way it was before knowing Deric. She was busy with office work. However, her longing and love for him became even more unstoppable.Caraline has a new habit now. When she missed Deric the most, she would go to his former residence and spend the night there. Caraline would smile at the pictures on the wall and cry shortly after.The search for Deric, Lucy, and Thomas was still ongoing. However, there was no sign that they will be found. Caraline felt that this was her punishment for hurting and wasting Deric's presence all this time. This longing and regret tormented her.On the other hand, Cat