Maria didn't want to waste the remaining time in Yogyakarta. She planned to host a family dinner and invited her only sibling who lived in Yogyakarta, Alan, her brother-in-law and Hendrik's close friend. Before Hendrik arrived the next day, Maria had already planned the dinner with Erika, her sister-in-law.
This morning, the women, consisting of Maria, Erika, Arabella, and Laura, had gathered at Aurora's house. Due to Aurora's minimalist kitchen, they transformed the backyard into a makeshift kitchen and dining area. Since it was a Saturday, the men were still busy with work at their respective offices until midday. So, it was Aurora who had the task of looking after Baby Azka, who was in her active and exploratory phase. It was quite overwhelming for Aurora, but at the same time, it served as a distraction from her constant thoughts about Dave.
"Aurora still seems a bit down, Ma?" Arabella asked while observing Aurora playing with Baby Azka
Hendrik stopped Maria, who was about to enter Aurora's room. Of course, Hendrik was saddened that his little girl was still refusing to speak to him. Maria nodded, looking at Hendrik with a pleading expression, hoping to keep her emotions in check. She didn't want another argument to break out, leading to further strain in the harmonious relationship between father and daughter. Hendrik smiled, gently stroking Maria's head with a glimmer of love shining in his eyes, causing Maria to freeze momentarily, her heart racing. For the first time, she felt Hendrik's unconditional love. Maria remained still until Hendrik disappeared behind Aurora's bedroom door.Hendrik sighed deeply before approaching Aurora, who was standing on the balcony, gazing at the bustling street on this Sunday evening."Are you still angry with Papa?" Hendrik inquired, standing beside Aurora with both hands resting on the balcony railing. Aurora remained still
Anton forcefully placed his backpack on the bed. Was he angry? Of course, he was, his ego was bruised. A highly educated man like him shouldn't create a scene while performing his university duties. He should be able to handle any problem calmly, as he always did. However, the fact that Dave, a man who had hurt his cousin, made him furious and lose control, leading to the physical altercation. And this news would undoubtedly spread quickly, considering that several people had witnessed the chaos. His reputation on campus was now at risk."Shit!" Anton cursed while ruffling his hair in frustration and then stopped his restless pacing inside the hotel room. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, finally sitting on the edge of the bed.Ding! Anton was startled by the loud ringing of the room's bell. Two curses had already escaped his lips when he approached the door."Sorry, Mr. Anton, Mr. Dave is waiting for you in the
When the clock struck 5 in the evening, Anton hastily began packing up the items he had brought with him for the past 2 days in Surabaya. He meticulously scanned through all of his belongings and checked every corner of the room to ensure that nothing was left behind. Suddenly, the doorbell rang."I don't understand why the hotel staff here enjoys bothering people when they're trying to relax," Anton grumbled, his irritation evident as he quickly slung his backpack over both his shoulders.The door creaked open, revealing the girl he usually referred to as the "little rascal," standing there with a wide grin, waving her hand."What are you doing here, you little rascal?" Anton growled, looking at Daveina with irritation."Oh, Uncle, why are you still so grumpy? You'll lose your handsome looks, you know! And you'll age faster too! Poor mustache, it's going to rust before it even gets any
"Why the long face, Anton? You look like you've hung out laundry. Have you found your future wife already? I heard you're planning to bring in four at once!" Andra teased while stifling a laugh and taking a seat across from Anton, who appeared to be staring at his flat screen intently. But Andra was sure something else was bothering his friend.Hearing Andra's informal words, Anton understood that his friend wanted to talk about something other than campus matters. "I think I need some counseling, bro, seriously unlucky!" Anton sighed and shifted his attention from the screen in front of him."I know, it's... about women, right? As far as I remember, you've never been this restless. Come on, spill the beans. Which lady managed to melt the heart of a reformed playboy like you?" Andra replied, now getting enthusiastic with a teasing smile. Anton grimaced in annoyance because his friend's guess was spot on."She's still a l
Delon fell silent for a moment, trying to digest Dave's words. "What? So, Mr. Dave has been ordering someone to spy on Aurora, and of course, I couldn't escape his surveillance," Delon muttered to himself quietly. "Shit, shit!" Delon cursed while clenching his fists tightly. The more people involved, the higher the risk of blowing his two-year-long cover, and if he failed in this mission, his career would be ruined. After this mission ended, he had to erase all traces and even his own identity.Reluctantly, Delon left his disguise behind and, once he felt safe, he quickly got into his car. He removed his fake mustache, wig, and the ragged clothing that clung to his body.Dave booked the fastest flight available that afternoon to get to Yogyakarta as soon as possible. He also contacted Anton to check on Aurora's whereabouts at her home, as Aurora's phone had become inactive since his informant reported losing track of her.
Aurora felt a throbbing pain in her head and a limp body, as if she had no bones, due to the repeated effects of the sedative administered by her kidnapper every time she started to regain consciousness. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. Her hands touched her head as she tried to open her eyes slowly. With the little strength she had left and her heart pounding, she mustered the courage to open her eyes.Blink... Aurora's eyelids opened wide, but her body froze with fear as she realized she was lying on a comfortable bed. She could feel her heart racing as fear coursed through her veins. She began to touch her clothes, checking if they were still intact or...? Aurora quickly shook her head, dispelling the frightening thoughts that could shatter her life. She breathed a sigh of relief because her clothing appeared to be as she had worn it when she left for campus.Aurora shifted her position to sit up and observed the room, which was predominantly white with silver acc
Aurora slowly opened the bathroom door while silently reciting a prayer in her heart, hoping that someone would come to her rescue. Without changing her clothes, Aurora reluctantly stepped out of the bathroom. Kenzi was waiting for her, wearing a loving smile that made Aurora's heart race as her face turned paler."Let's eat first; I don't want you to get sick," Kenzi said gently as he held Aurora's hand and led her to sit on the sofa in the room."I want to go home, Kenzi," Aurora replied while giving Kenzi a sharp look, trying to gather her courage. However, Kenzi remained indifferent and picked up a plate of food, intending to feed Aurora."I want to go home!" Aurora shouted, refusing the plate that Kenzi offered and pushing it away forcefully. Crash... The plate was thrown forcefully, shattering into pieces with its contents scattered on the floor."What's wrong, My Lord?" A large, intimidating man with dark skin and a fearsome appearance entered the room hastily upon hearing the
Dave quickly carried Aurora out of the room, but suddenly, a pistol was pointed directly at his temple."She belongs to me."Door"Quick, take Aurora and go!" Delon shouted after managing to shoot Kenzi's hand and then taking cover behind a wall while firing at Kenzi's henchmen who continued to attack."Damn, they keep multiplying," Delon cursed as he pulled another revolver from inside his jacket and continued to return fire with both hands. Delon didn't expect a new wave of attackers from outside, especially since he had already neutralized all of Kenzi's men with his team.A shootout was inevitable. Dave clenched his jaw and lowered Aurora to hide behind his back."How dare you touch my woman!" Dave shouted with fury, then struck Kenzi's face and kicked him mercilessly.Kenzi groaned in pain, his face bruised. "It turns out Aurora's lips are sweeter than I imagined," Kenzi taunted with a smile that further enraged Dave.Door
After the birth of the twins, the life of Aryan and Laura's small family became even more colorful. There was no happiness that could replace it, but behind all that, Aryan became the subject of jokes among relatives and family members due to the fainting incident while accompanying Laura during her recent surgery."Seriously, you're so funny for fainting next to your wife during her surgery. Luckily, Laura didn't go into shock; it could have been fatal," Andre said with laughter as they had just returned home from the hospital."Let it go, Dad, there's no need to talk about it again," Aryan replied with irritation as he guided Laura into the bedroom, while the twins remained calm in the arms of Liana and Della.Laura rested for a while, trying to ease the pain from the incision in her abdomen following the cesarean section surgery, which still greatly affected her movements. Aryan wiped the sweat from Laura's forehead with a tissue and gently kissed her.
Seven months later…Laura and Aryan were now in the final trimester of her pregnancy. It wouldn't be long before she would give birth to their twin babies, a boy and a girl, according to the ultrasound results. Laura's pregnancy had been progressing smoothly, even though she had experienced morning sickness for two months.She managed to meet all of Dr. Rahma's recommended nutritional requirements. Despite occasional morning sickness and vomiting in the morning, Laura's appetite had increased with her advancing pregnancy. It wasn't surprising that her weight had increased by 30 kg. Dr. Rahma estimated that each baby weighed around 3 kg, so Laura was advised to follow a diet while waiting for the delivery.For the past two months, Laura and Aryan had moved to a ground-floor room, using the living room as their bedroom because Laura wasn't allowed to go up and down the stairs. When Aryan was at the office, Liana, his mother, would be on standby, and Bi Ana an
Aryan's overprotective attitude made Laura both happy and annoyed. She was ecstatic because she felt deeply loved, but at the same time, she was frustrated by Aryan's constant restrictions. Like tonight, Aryan didn't allow her to do anything except go to the bathroom. He prepared a glass of water for her medication along with the prenatal milk they had bought at the mini-market. And, of course, he always accompanied her to the bathroom every time."Thank you, Honey, for all the happiness you've given me. I promise to be the best husband and father for you and our children," Aryan whispered while hugging Laura from behind. He nuzzled his face into the curve of Laura's neck, his right hand gently caressing her still-flat stomach."You're welcome, and thank you for all your love," Laura replied while stroking the back of Aryan's hand, which was wrapped around her belly. Laura couldn't believe that after all the pain she had endured, God had given her a perfect husband and
Slowly, Laura's eyelids opened for the second time, and now it was the peaceful face of Aryan that greeted her. Laura gazed at the handsome man's face in front of her for quite some time. He was the source of her love and greatest strength up to this point. Not satisfied with admiring her husband's handsome face, a sudden sense of curiosity began to disturb her. She glanced at the wall clock, which had stopped at exactly 4 in the early morning. Without much thought, she pulled open the drawer next to her bed, carefully retrieved a pregnancy test from inside it, and entered the bathroom without making a sound that could wake Aryan.Laura's heart pounded loudly as she looked at the pregnancy test that she had dipped into a small container containing her urine. She lifted the test stick slowly with trembling hands, and there it was... two red lines she had been waiting for appeared. It was crystal clear. For a moment, her body felt boneless, and she sat down on the bathroom floo
Laura's proposal seminar went smoothly with an A grade, which made her more enthusiastic as she entered the final semester of her college. She only needed to complete the data from her research that she had already conducted. Anton, as her thesis advisor, was now more flexible with all of his supervised students, even though he had a busy schedule as a professor and head of the university's research center. Everything was scheduled, from the day, time, and location of the advisory sessions. If he had any sudden commitments, he would reschedule them at another time, ensuring that all his students for the year progressed smoothly, including leading up to their thesis defense in two weeks."Look at that belly, just like a balloon, Ara," Laura pointed out as she walked with Arabella towards the faculty cafeteria after their last thesis advisory session before the upcoming defense in two weeks."Yeah, it's like a balloon. It can expand and deflate," Arabella replied, pantin
Laura completed her makeup exams without any issues. Everything went according to the schedule set by their respective course instructors. And semester 6 ended with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.6, alongside Arabella, her close friend and now her sister-in-law.Laura spent her semester break learning to cook with her mother-in-law, Liana. They experimented with various recipes from both Indonesia and other countries. Aryan no longer worked late into the night at the office, and if there were urgent tasks, he entrusted them to his personal assistant, Jefri. On Sundays, he spent quality time with his family at home or went out with Laura. Trying out new recipes was something Aryan looked forward to every day because his wife's cooking experiments never disappointed.Finally, the plan to cook together with Laura's friends could be realized. Arabella, along with Andra and Baby Azka, arrived early, followed by Aurora and Laura's younger siblings, who joined in to make th
One week after the surgery, Laura had already started to resume her usual activities. During that week, Aryan had been constantly by Laura's side, handling all his office matters while Andra and Jefri took care of them. Even if there were documents requiring his signature, Jefri would bring them home, allowing Aryan to stay close to Laura and attend to her. Aryan could still manage to check on Jefri's work and reply to emails from his colleagues at home.He did all of this solely for Laura's recovery. Laura often urged him to go to the office, but Aryan refused to budge. He wanted to focus on taking care of Laura until she was completely healed. Arabella and Aurora, as their best friends, always provided their support. Additionally, Nancy and Ricard came to the house to deliver Laura's favorite dishes, prepared by her mother, Della. Many of their classmates also visited Laura at home."Look, Honey, two weeks at home, and my body is getting all soft. How can I resist yo
The long-awaited day finally arrived, the day when Laura was to undergo surgery to remove the cyst in her abdomen. All the preparations for the surgery were in place, and there were only 30 minutes left before Laura would be taken into the operating room. Feelings of relief and worry dominated everyone's thoughts, but they all had to hide those emotions behind smiles to show support for Laura."Aryan, where's Mom?" Laura asked anxiously, looking at the clock on the white-walled room. In five minutes, she would be moved to the operating table, but Aryan had not been seen since he left briefly to go to the bathroom.Liana was nervous, but before she could answer Laura's question, two male and female nurses entered to take Laura to the operating room. Everyone held back their tears as Laura smiled at them, trying to show that she was strong and brave. As the nurses pushed the wheelchair carrying Laura toward the door, Aryan suddenly appeared with a smile. Laura returned h
Aryan could only gently pat Laura's trembling shoulder. He was confused about how to calm his wife. Since returning from the hospital the previous night, Laura had been silent in her room. Aryan had been shocked by the results of Dr. Rahma's explanation that Laura had been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. This was the reason for Laura's recent abdominal and hip pain, as well as her occasional fever and nighttime vomiting. What pained Aryan even more was that he had been unaware of Laura's illness. Regret. That was the feeling weighing heavily on Aryan's chest now. He felt like he wanted to pound his own chest in frustration. His heart shattered as he looked at Laura's sad state, a promise to never make her cry that he had now broken."I'll get you breakfast first," Aryan said softly as he kissed the top of Laura's head before leaving the room.Aryan walked to the dining room with a heavy heart. Instead of finding his parents there, he saw Ana, their maid, covering the d