"Why are you suddenly so nice to me in front of them?" asked Ashton, as he and Abby were already in the car, leaving L'Restaurante to go somewhere else. Ashton insisted on taking her somewhere else, although she was very reluctant. The conversation with him made her mood change suddenly. "I was just doing what I was supposed to. That girl always suspects I have a special relationship with her boyfriend, while that guy—" Abby did not continue her sentence. She was reluctant to talk about Zac because every time she spoke to Ashton, she would not be able to control how many sentences would come out. She didn't want Ashton to know her ultimate goal for Zac. "What's up with that guy? Did he approach you? Is he in love with you?" Ashton shot, remaining calm. That's what Abby didn't like, Ashton rarely showed jealousy towards her. If he was angry, he was just silent, although he was not an introverted and shy man. He was a loud man, even very loud. How
Alice came to Abby's office after a long absence. She had read the news about the arrival of a young businessman who became Abigail's lover, Ashton. "I didn't realize you already had a boyfriend," Alice commented, which made Abby blush. "Remember, Alice, everything a businessman does is back for business," she said as she poured Alice some coffee. "How have you been after disappearing for so long?" "Oh... you should be able to see for yourself. I just went on a mission. It wasn't easy to find your brother. Whenever I got information on his whereabouts, he disappeared as soon as I arrived. It's bizarre, considering no one recognized him." Abigail was stunned to hear Alice's story. Her hand pouring coffee stayed in place, causing coffee to spill everywhere. "Hey, Abby, your coffee!" Abigail flinched at Alice's warning; as a result, the pot of hot, pitch-black liquid fell to the floor, its contents scattering across the room's carpet.
After the failed mission to find Gin, Alice made another plan, of course, for the same purpose. She hoped that this umpteenth tactic would pay off. However, before executing the plan, there was something she wanted to do. Just like Abby, she was curious about Doctor Gregory. How did the man know Abby's true identity? She even remembered that he didn't bring him up at all other than asking about Gin, who was very young then.Foolishly, she did not suspect the doctor. Therefore, today, she decided to return to the rehabilitation center and meet with Dr. Gregory. She could no longer resist, especially since Abigail felt threatened when she learned that the doctor seemed to know a lot about the Anderson family. Alice was already prepared, dressed in her best clothes, still the same as the last time she visited. An appearance that didn't look like manipulation. For the sake of Abby and her family, Alice would disguise herself as anything. She took steady ste
Abby was left alone, thinking about what Alice had said about her brother. How difficult was it to find that young man? Should she step in and search? Honestly, she was being severely beaten by an unrelenting test. He was strong, still the same as before. Only being strong was not enough to get through everything. She needed a friend she could rely on to share with. Alice, of course. However, Abby couldn't always expect Alice to come to see her. The girl had to go on a mission that was no joke, searching for Gin's whereabouts, which was emotionally draining. He was slippery and hard to catch. Then, what about Ashton? He was her best friend and lover in the past, coming back and giving her new hope. However, she never told him about her life.Ashton only knew the outside of her life, not the inside. Therefore, she hesitates to tell him everything for now—maybe later. Deep in thought and reverie, Abby's cell phone suddenly rang, making her startle
Zac was ready because their father, mother, and sister were coming for dinner. And Sidney, too. It was not a big celebration, just talking about his and Abby's partnership and a little father-son conversation—as usual, answering his father's curiosity about how he came to have a business relationship with Abby's company. What Garry knew was that Abby was very difficult to compromise with. Not a few of the company owners had to return empty-handed when negotiating with the female boss of one of the multinational companies. Zac was proud of his career success and achievements but empty because, increasingly, the goal of approaching Abigail was no longer a matter of business but love. And he had swallowed the disappointment of that. "I'm so proud of you, Zac. It's only right that I put the Emers Group under your leadership." A proud smile spread across the face of the mustachioed man who seemed to have aged. It was obvious that his body had shrunk to be thinner th
Abigail and Ashton set foot in Zachary's apartment. The man and his girlfriend greeted them warmly. Especially Sidney. For her, this was a good opportunity to get close to Ashton while making Zac jealous. But unfortunately, Ashton did not let go of Abigail's hand even for a moment. What Ashton did, of course, made Sidney upset, as well as surprised. Why was Ashton, even Zachary, so enamored of Abigail, who looked ordinary in her eyes? She didn't. She admitted that Abby did have an extraordinary charm. Something she could not possibly have even if she spent more money on body care than Abigail. However, Abby had something that Sidney could not have. Zachary invited his two guests to sit, asking the waiter to pour red wine into their glasses, entertaining them graciously. Abigail clasped Ashton's arm tightly, then leaned closer to whisper something into her lover's ear. "Isn't Christmas still a long time away... why did they go to all this trouble to serve us?" asked Abigai
After Zachary's dinner, Abigail was left scratching her head about her life. Including her love life. Why was she unable to resist Zac at that time? Was this part of the plan, too? Or had something taken over the control that had been in her hands? Thinking about it, she really couldn't keep her eyes closed tonight. Even thoughts of Ashton were intruding and disturbing her day. Ashton was a pretty stubborn guy. He would never stop until he got what he wanted. Although he had said that he had one month to persuade Abby to accept his proposal, if in the end she refused, he was sure Ashton could have extended the time limit to several months or even years until she said 'yes'. Of course, that was what she feared the most. If asked how she feels about Ashton, her uncle knew she liked him back then, and she still feels the same way today. It might even be love. However, that was not the problem that made Abby confused, but because Ashton's pr
Abby decided to take a few days off. She chose to go back to the Eastern Shore to see her uncle and aunt and spend time with them. She felt she had to start doing that, just in case she didn't have long to live; at least she had given her adoptive parents some good memories—a time of togetherness. She drove the car herself, even though several drivers and assistants offered to pick her up and drop her off. It was nothing; she just wanted to enjoy the trip by herself. It had been a long time since she felt this peaceful solitude. The presence of Zachary, followed by Alice, then Sidney, and finally Ashton, had animated a life previously only her. Introverts seem to feel often annoyed and tired if they have to interact with many people. Now, it was time to feel some real peace. Abigail decided to stop at a convenience store at the intersection of Mount Avery and Eastern Shore, where she and Zac had accidentally met. She paused for a moment,
Two years later...Abby looked at her and Zac's wedding photo with tears still falling. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She should have left when she first realized she was pregnant or maybe when she first started to feel different vibes in her heart towards Zac.He was too naive to get entangled in Abby's false love, but even when he knew that, he remained unmoved and loved Abby and tried to forget the crime she committed.Zac was a kind-hearted man who was hurt and took things wrong. However, Abby was touched when her father-in-law returned after visiting him. What was that sad look on his face?"What did he say?" Abby asked, curious. It had been so many times that her father-in-law and Gin had come to visit Zac. They even asked many questions, such as whether the case he was facing could be suspended with some bail. However, Zac strongly rejected their intentions."I made a mistake after all. Abby was hurt because of me. So let me serve my sentence as it should be so that I will
Right after her phone conversation with Ashton, Abby felt everything happened quickly. The next day, several police officers came to the Emerson family residence and revealed the evidence they had received regarding the case they had committed against the Anderson family.The only suspect, of course, was Amanda, while her daughter, Monica, was still unaccounted for and had disappeared into thin air.Gin read the headline news with a satisfied grin. Since the beginning, he had known many secrets about Alice, who turned out to be her aunt, then Ashton, who had been like a grim reaper for Amanda and Robert Marra, and Jude, who was the older brother of Tamara—Abby's assistant at the office.That was why they seemed to work together to avenge what had happened to James and Selena, and they became protectors for Abby and Gin.Abby couldn't believe how easily everything unfolded, and now it was time for her to tell Zac the truth. However, the news about his mother had left Zac quite devastat
Abby was still bothered by what Garry had said at dinner. She would get her father's share of the business they had worked on, but that wasn't what she wanted.Luckily, Abby was still an intelligent woman who had foreseen everything she would face. She had recorded the conversation between herself and Garry, and repeatedly listening to it made her feelings worse.This morning, she had been in and out of the bathroom several times, vomiting up everything she ate. Even when there was nothing else she could spit out, the nausea she felt intensified.She became suspicious of what she was feeling at the moment."Al, tell me honestly, did the doctors perform an abortion back then? Tell me if they removed the fetus?" Abby asked Alice who took the time to visit her. However, Alice chose not to say anything.As much as Abby hated Zac and the Emerson family, the fetus should not be victimized."Do you want to hear my words?""Alice, I'm not in the mood to negotiate.""No, you're not. I'm not go
Abby and Zac were already in the dining room with Garry, but she didn't see Amanda anywhere. Abby decided to search but didn't want to show everyone that she wanted to know how Amanda was after finding out her daughter was missing."What the hell did you guys do to eliminate those rats? Now I've lost track of my daughter." The woman sobbed. "By all means, search and find my daughter. I don't care about Sidney. I only want Monica. Are you listening!?"Abby had heard enough. Not from the beginning, but the snippets of conversation between Amanda and whoever was on the phone made her think.It was true that Alice had said that Amanda was the one who was being deceitful. She wanted to have everything and didn't even care about others. Everything was only about her. So, how did Garry deal with it all?How could he endure all this time living with a woman who didn't love him? Even behind his back, Amanda betrayed him and made him a target to get what she wanted.Did Garry do that on purpose
"Are you busy today? Mom and Dad asked us to come over for dinner. But if you don't want to, it's fine if we don't come," Zac said as he shaved while Abby cleaned up his work clothes that had just been washed.Something she'd never done before—cleaning up after herself. Even though several servants were ready to help or do everything for her, for now, she felt like doing everything, even taking care of Zac's needs at home and work.Abby's movements stopped when she heard Zac's words. Instantly, she remembered what happened on her wedding day. She shouldn't have been afraid and asked Garry what made him so sure of his words. It could be that this was her chance.The other thing that makes Abby do it is Gin's statement, which says everything that happened to their family resulted from Sidney's father, Robert Marra. If that was true, then what role did Garry play? That was what she needed to find out.One way was to get close to the head of the Emerson family."Okay, no problem. We'll go
Alice was relieved she had good instincts, especially regarding her best friend. If not, who knew what would have happened to Abby by now? It could be worse than this. She felt terrible when she learned that Abby had asked her to take her to a suspicious location. She had heard many things about the district. High crime, looting, robbery, even murder. Another one that worried Alice was the high abortion rate.Abby probably wouldn't do it, but what if she did?Alice followed where her friend was going, and when she entered a secluded alley, she knew her instincts were right. She was now pointing a gun at men dressed as doctors and medical staff—Alice wasn't sure if they were actually in the profession. There was no way a doctor would sully his title for the immoral deeds they were doing now."I'm Detective Denver. Let her go, or I'll take you to jail," Alice said firmly, gun in hand. The others raised their hands, allowing the convincing-looking woman to take Abby away.Alice left no
According to some, including Zac, everything was going well, and he was living a beautiful and passionate married life. However, he had no idea that a time bomb was about to explode. He only envisioned a life of love with Abby, who showed the same towards him.For Zac, Abby's attitude was getting better, and Abby didn't understand what she was going through. She became very attached to Zac and was reluctant to let him go to work or the slightest distance so that she would sulk."Al, do you know what I'm experiencing is very strange? How is it possible, who has been reluctant to get close to Zac except to attract attention and ensnare him with a love trap so that he falls into my trap for revenge, now everything seems to be reversed? I hate being apart from him." Abby wrung her hair in frustration while at the office and received a visit from her best friend. "Is there something wrong with me?"Alice held her chin and looked thoughtful. She had never experienced the same thing; even th
A fierce duel was inevitable between Jude and the man standing guard, along with some of the men who eventually moved to all sides to confront Jude's friend, who had managed to fend off the criminals attacking them outside."Jude, come in; I'll deal with them. Save Alice!" commanded one of them, who seemed to be the most elegant among the others and had been trying to block the attack on Jude.This time, however, the gang's boss would not let Jude go. He insisted the man stay there to fight the last drop of blood. Jude didn't mind doing that and still faced him, but his friend didn't let that happen. Again, Jude protected his position so he could immediately enter the room where Alice was. He managed to break down the door, which was already rickety and saw Alice trying to free herself by scraping the broken glass on the rope that bound her. Instead of breaking the rope, it was her hand that was scratched by the object, and she was helpless except to grimace in pain as the blood con
Not many expected this, including Gin when one of Zac's confidants, who he said was one of the men he could rely on to help find Alice, was a familiar face to the Genovhia family.Gin's eyes almost glazed over as the man entered the room and removed the distinctive brown hat and coat he always wore, even when meeting Abby."Mr. Thompson?" muttered Gin, still unable to believe what he saw. Did this mean the man had betrayed his sister?"Hi, Young Master Genovhia," the man greeted when he saw Gin in the room with the others. Gin was the only one he recognized, so to the others, he only bowed slightly. "What can I do for you, Mr. Emerson?"The man was immediately quick to ask the task Zac was going to give him. Meanwhile, Gin, who felt trapped in this, immediately grabbed the shirt collar of the man who had not yet sat in his chair and dragged him out of the room regardless of his brother-in-law's call.He was on the verge of throwing a punch if Mr. Thompson didn't stop him immediately.