Alex looked confused when Leonardo asked him to stop the car, but he did so anyway. Whatever order Leonardo gave, he did not dare to oppose.Caterina turned to look at Leonardo, waiting to see what he would do. She was on guard, preparing herself to put up a fight if Leonardo was about to do something to her.“You can come down if you think you're not safe with me.” Leonardo gave her a choice. He didn't want to force Caterina to come with him if it made her feel depressed and uneasy.Caterina was silent; she was speechless. This was too sudden. She looked around; the road they passed was filled with lush forests on the left and right. Vehicles also rarely passed by. Only their group car filled the road. If she got off there, she would have to walk for who knows how long. She also couldn't be sure that she would survive if Leonardo dropped her off here.Leonardo stared with an unknown look. The more Caterina looked at that look, the less she understood what exactly Leonardo wanted from
“Wh-what?” Leonardo looked nervous as Caterina thrust the food into his mouth. His cheeks were flushed red, his heart beating very fast.“Don't you dare? Your behavior makes me suspicious.” Caterina stared with a probing look. She did not dare to taste the food that had been placed before her. She was afraid that the food had been contaminated with poison. She put her spoon and fork back on the plate of lasagna.Leonardo was silent for a moment; he was trying to normalize his heartbeat. He was trying to regulate his breathing. Once he had calmed down, he grabbed a spoonful of lasagna and devoured it with relish. The man looked deeply at Caterina, not taking his eyes off her at all. He tried to convince her that there was nothing in the food.Caterina looked at Leonardo intently; she was thinking hard. If Leonardo dared to eat the food, it meant that the food served to him was indeed not poisonous. However, why was Leonardo's reaction so suspicious when she thrust her spoon at him? If
The car drove at high speed through the city streets that never died. There were many vehicles passing by. The scent of Leonardo's body still lingered on the car seat where he used to sit. Caterina sighed roughly, inhaling the scent deeply. Every time she smelled Leonardo's body scent, she felt calm and peaceful. There was a strange feeling that crept into her heart every time she inhaled the scent.No matter how hard she tried to lie about her feelings, she could not cover up the fact that her love for Leonardo was still as great as ever.Caterina shifted; she tried to find the most comfortable position to sit. Until an object stuck in her footstool made her bend down to check it.“This is ....” Caterina picked up the object with an inexplicable feeling. The look on her face changed; instantly her memory was thrown to a few years ago.It was Leonardo's 17th birthday. Caterina was so excited and enthusiastic. She prepared a surprise party, decorated the room, prepared a birthday cake,
It turned out that Leonardo's business this time was quite long, he only returned to headquarters three days later. He came home very tired, dirty and full of blood. Just by looking at that, Caterina could already guess what had happened. Leonardo was involved in another battle, but she didn't know who his enemy was this time. Fortunately the blood was not Leonardo's, it was just the enemy's blood splashing onto his body and clothes. He only had a small cut on his palm. It seemed that he parried a hand weapon attack with his hand.Some of Leonardo's men were badly injured. However, there were no casualties. Everyone returned safely.Caterina didn't know what to do. She was actually worried about Leonardo's condition, she wanted to run over and check on him to make sure he was okay. However, Caterina didn't want to take the wrong step. She was afraid Leonardo would get angry again. The woman could only stare from a distance.“Kate, please help me treat the others.” Dante gave the order
“Are you busy? I want to talk to you.” Caterina asked after she entered Leonardo's study. “Get used to knocking on the door before you enter.” Leonardo looked annoyed. He closed this month's financial report book, then took a deep breath. He looked up, looking at Caterina with deep eyes.Caterina's gaze turned to Leonardo's palm, which was wrapped in bandages. Leonardo seemed to understand; he hid his hands behind a pile of files on the table."Why are you looking for me?"Caterina was silent for a moment. She tried to gather her courage before asking, because she had to be ready to accept whatever answer Leonardo would give her."Is this yours?" Caterina held out a necklace, the necklace she found in Leonardo's car the other day.Leonardo looked very surprised when he saw the necklace in Caterina's hand, but he tried to act normal. He doesn't want to admit his feelings right now, because he is too proud. He was used to rejecting Caterina, being rude to her, even swearing that he wou
“Sir, your necklace has been found,” Ben said excitedly. He thrust the necklace in front of Leonardo. His face looked radiant because he was imagining what prize he would get. Leonardo was quite a generous boss; he never calculated money problems. It's just that he is quite cruel if his men make mistakes.Leonardo looked at the necklace with an incomprehensible look. There was no reaction whatsoever when Ben returned the necklace that he had been looking for for several days. He should have been happy that it was back in his hands. However, he felt lost. He didn't know what to do.“Call Alex here.” The man gave the order coldly.Ben looked confused. He was a little disappointed that Leonardo didn't say anything about the return of the necklace he was looking for. However, he couldn't protest; all he could do was do what Leonardo told him to do.The bald man moved out of Leonardo's study.Leonardo reached for the necklace. He gripped the pendant tightly with a strange feeling. What exa
“Get up and leave this room quickly if you want your daughter to live.” Leonardo said firmly; he looked very scary.“Please don't kill her, sir.”“Didn't you hear my order?!” Leonardo's tone of voice rose.Hearing Leonardo's growing anger, Dante feared that his temper would soon explode and take out his frustration on Caterina. He didn't know what the man would do to his daughter. However, if he continued to be there, Caterina's life would be in danger. So, he had no choice but to get up and leave the room.Dante closed the door tightly at Leonardo's command. However, he didn't want to leave the room, so he waited behind the door. He put his ear to door leaf, trying to eavesdrop on what was going on in there.“Didn't Alex tell you to come see me?” Leonardo stared at Caterina like a predator staring at prey.“He told me.” Caterina replied casually.“Then why didn't you come to see me?”“I already know what you want to say, so I didn't need to come to see you.” Caterina glanced in all d
Once satisfied, Leonardo left Caterina alone. He walked out of the room without saying a word. The expression on his face was unpredictable. No one knew what exactly was in Leonardo's heart and mind, apart from himself.Caterina could only cry with her weak body lying on the floor. Some parts of her body were bruised and swollen, a sign that Leonardo had done it very roughly. She felt extreme pain and soreness in her groin. In her heart now there was only anger and hatred. The man she had been in love with for a dozen years had done something so hurtful to her. Not even Marco had done that to him.“Kate!” Dante ran into the room after Leonardo disappeared from there. The man ran over. His world seemed to collapse when he saw his daughter lying on the floor without clothes. His heart sank when he saw his daughter's body covered in wounds, as well as love juices. Even Caterina's inner thighs were stained with the blood of her hymen.Dante hugged his daughter with a trembling body. He wa
At home, Luka thought about Caterina until he couldn't sleep. He looked at the ceiling of the room, his mind wandering. His memories revolved again about the dinner incident some time ago.“Do I have to try again this time? But what if she rejects me again?” Luka sighed while squeezing his hair.In the next second, he grabbed his cellphone and started typing something on his keyboard. His face showed full confidence, his forehead wrinkled with a full gaze at the cellphone screen.“At least I have to try again, this is for Kelvin's own good.” The man murmured again.On the other hand.In her room, Caterina was about to lie down, after having spent some time looking at the special flowers that Luka had given her. The woman flashed a smile, then tried to close her eyes while pulling the covers over her. However, she opened her eyes again after hearing a message notification from her cellphone.Both eyebrows went up as soon as she knew who had sent her the message.“Luka?” She muttered.“
"Your father doesn't like me. He openly said that he hates me. I couldn't stand it. He offered me a lot of money and company to leave you. I can't take his cynicism and insults anymore. I tried my best, but he never appreciated it. In his eyes there's nothing but bad things about me." Caterina said in a hoarse voice. After she felt a little better, she began to tell the story of what happened.Luka rubbed Caterina's head tenderly. He poured out all his affection to her. He listened to all of Caterina's complaints. Meanwhile, Shopia cuddled in his arms. Alex just listened from the other side of the dining table.The dining room, which had been calm and peaceful, now turned tense and full of sadness."What happened after that?""I agreed to leave. I'll be leaving with Alex tomorrow morning."Alex was quite surprised when his name was mentioned. However, he was happy because he wanted to follow in all of Caterina's footsteps. She would go wherever Caterina went."I'm not allowing you to
"Tell me how much you want." Adam said sharply," He gave Caterina a hostile look.Caterina stared with a furrowed brow. She was confused and did not understand what Adam's words meant. The middle-aged man suddenly appeared and asked a question."How much money do you want? Leave Luka alone; I'll give you whatever money you ask for. I won't bargain. I just want to give my best to Luka. He's the only son I have. I don't want his future to be ruined because of you." Adam explained in detail. He didn't use figurative words to offend Caterina. He preferred to be straightforward.Caterina laughed slightly. She smiled sadly. Although her lips carved a sweet smile, her heart ached like it was being sliced. Until now, Adam still couldn't accept it. She thought he would change his mind if she behaved properly towards him. However, hope was far from reality. Adam openly waved the flag of hostility."I don't need your money. You keep it for yourself." Caterina said very firmly."Luka isn't here,
Luka massaged his temples while staring at the glowing laptop screen. Today was one of those rare occasions when he could enjoy the tranquility of his home without phone calls or business meetings. But his thoughts were still preoccupied with one thing—his father, Adam.Since Caterina moved to Sydney, his relationship with his father had begun to change. Adam appeared more and more often in their mansion, especially when Luka was not there. Although he always claimed to want to make sure everything was okay, Luka knew more than that. From the sharp gaze and cold attitude, it was clear that Adam didn't like Caterina.Luka finally picked up his cell phone, tapping the table a few times before daring to press Adam's number.“What's wrong?“ Adam's heavy voice immediately greeted.“Dad, I need to talk for a minute,” Luka began carefully. “About your presence in my house when I was away.”A long pause. Luka could feel the tension creeping in.“So?“ Adam asked in a flat tone.“I think... ple
It was getting dark when Luka finally finished an important phone call with a client from Hong Kong. He stretched his stiff body after hours of sitting in front of the laptop. His thoughts went back to the incident earlier that afternoon when his father brought in Sophia, who was crying and accusing Caterina of hurting their little daughter.Luka sighed. He knew the truth behind the incident, but still he felt the need to talk to Caterina. Maybe to emphasize that he believed her, or maybe to make sure that the woman he loved was okay after being accused by Adam.“Sophia, My Princess, where's Mommy Kate?” she asked when she found her daughter drawing in the family room. The little girl's knees were plastered with pictures of unicorns, and she seemed to have forgotten about what had happened that afternoon.“Mommy's in the back garden,” Sophia replied without looking up from her coloring book. ”Mommy Kate said she wanted to look at the flowers.”Luka gently stroked his daughter's head b
That afternoon, the sun began to hide its rays behind the gray clouds that were parading. Sophia, Luka's five-year-old daughter, ran happily to the playground located in the backyard of their family's luxurious mansion. Her brown hair, braided in two, waved along with her agile footsteps.“Swing! Swing!” she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice full of excitement. Without waiting for anyone, she immediately jumped onto the white-painted iron swing and began to swing her own body.Caterina, who was watering the plants in her small garden not far away, occasionally looked back to make sure Sophia was okay. ”Be careful, Sweetheart. Don't go too high,“ she said gently, even though she knew Sophia was the type of child who always wanted to try challenging things.“I want to be as high as the sky, Mommy Kate!” Sophia replied with a cheerful laugh, kicking her legs in the air to gain more momentum.Caterina smiled at the happiness of the little girl she considered her child. She returned her fo
In his office, Luka was leading an important meeting with several investors when his cell phone vibrated continuously. Seeing his father's name on the screen, he frowned. Adam rarely contacted him during working hours unless it was important.“Sorry, I have to pick up this phone,” he told the meeting participants before stepping out.“Dad, what's going on? I'm in a meeting.”“Come home now! Your fiancée is having an affair with Alex in our house!” Adam's voice sounded full of anger.Luka was silent for a moment, digesting his father's words. ”What? Dad, that's impossible—”“I saw it myself! They were both in the kitchen, laughing like nothing had happened. Come home now!”Luka sighed deeply. Since taking over the family business after their move, the pressure has been quite heavy. Now, this problem.“All right, I'll go home. But please don't make any more fuss.”Luka returned to the meeting room with a gloomy face. “I'm Sorry, but there are sudden family matters. We'll continue tomorr
In the kitchen, the fragrant aroma of chicken soup wafted in the air, mixed with the scent of garlic and freshly sautéed spices. Warm steam rose from a large pot simmering on the stove, creating a light mist that spread throughout the room.Caterina stood by the stove, stirring the broth with a wooden spatula. Occasionally, she blew on the hot steam that rose to her face, making the strands of hair around her forehead move slightly. Next to her, Alex leaned against the shiny marble table, holding a glass of cold water with condensation on its surface, smiling casually, watching Caterina's deft hands as she cooked.“You're really good at cooking,” said Alex with an admiring tone that was not fake, his eyes observing the way Caterina deftly added spices—such as salt and pepper.Caterina chuckled. "It's just a simple soup; I got the recipe from the internet,’ she said modestly, taking a small spoon to taste the broth. “You can try it later when it's perfectly cooked. It still needs a lit
A little while later, the afternoon breeze was gently blowing in the back garden, carrying the scent of blooming roses. The sun was slowly leaning towards the west, creating long shadows on the manicured green grass. Shopia was sitting under a big tree, playing with her favorite bunny doll. The sound of birds perched on branches sounded melodious, blending with the sound of water gurgling from a small shower near the garden fence.Heavy footsteps approached, disturbing the tranquility of the afternoon. Adam sat on a nearby wooden bench and looked at his granddaughter with a gaze that was difficult to interpret. “Shopia, what are you doing?”The little girl raised her face and smiled sweetly while raising her rabbit doll. “I'm playing with Bunny, Grandpa. Bunny is having a picnic in the garden.”Adam smiled slightly. "A picnic, huh? Does Bunny like tea or milk?”Shopia seemed to think for a moment, then answered firmly, "Milk! Bunny likes chocolate milk.”Adam nodded while adjusting hi