Nathan sneered, "Who's jealous of whom?" he asked his mother. "Isn't it amusing to think that I would be jealous of Haisley?" his mother replied nonchalantly, taking another sip of her drink. Nathan raised an eyebrow, deliberately mocking his mother. "Mommy is puzzled by what both of you are thinking, you and your father," he said bluntly. The woman walked away from the kitchen and approached Nathan. "Business, right? Why involve marriage?" she said mockingly. "Mutual symbiosis?" Nathan replied foolishly. His mother burst into laughter. "What mutual symbiosis? Can you really endure a woman you don't love? What about intimacy? Can you be intimate with a woman you don't desire? Or do you fantasize about another woman while you crush her in bed?" His mother sneered. "Yes, considering men can have sex with any woman without love, I suppose you can do it. After all, the woman you marry will just be a baby factory to carry on your legacy, won't she?" "Mommy ," Nathan interjected, fee
His mother looked him up and down mockingly and then nodded her head toward the wall clock. "It's already eight, Nath. I thought you've vanished and hidden in your kingdom," she said mockingly. Why did his mother always behave so cynically and mock him? What had he done to her, really? Nathan walked to the dining table and chose to sit there, directly facing his mother. Gilbert sat across from his father, leaving two empty seats. One on Gilbert's left, which was also his mother's right side. One on Gilbert's right, which was Nathan's left side. The sound of the doorbell caught everyone's attention. Aunt Jody offered to open the door without being asked. Meanwhile, Haisley was still engrossed in her cooking, the smell of which reached the table. "Good morning," Loretta's cheerful greeting surprised everyone. Nathan, who was facing away from the entrance, had to turn his body first. "I hope I'm not too late for breakfast. I made breakfast for all of us," she said cheerfully. She car
Haisley smiled and shook her head. "No, Auntie. Nathan isn't lost. He knows exactly which path he should take, and Loretta is his choice. I don't want to keep hoping. I've waited long enough for Nathan to erase the name Crystal from his heart and mind. Even though that name wasn't replaced with mine, I am grateful. At least Nathan is no longer hoping for something that will never be his. "And now, it's my turn to realize that Nathan isn't meant for me," Haisley said with full confidence. Mrs. Monica shook her head. The woman stood up again and paced back and forth in front of the two young women with a troubled mind. "Nathan is just not thinking clearly, and his foolish father is the same. How could he agree to his son's marriage based on business?" the woman grumbled angrily. "In the end, Nathan will realize that marrying for business reasons is not a good thing." Gilbert straightened up and looked at his mother with a mocking gaze. "Come on, why should Mom worry about him so exc
Mrs. Monica looked at her youngest son with a stunned expression, as did Haisley. She didn't want to believe Gilbert's 'assumptions' and avoid building her hopes on uncertain grounds. It was just Gilbert's 'speculation.' In reality, Nathan had decided to marry Loretta, which meant he didn't want her. Because if Nathan did want her, he wouldn't rashly choose to marry a woman he didn't desire. If he truly loved her, he would choose Haisley over his business. Shouldn't love work that way? Or perhaps Nathan relied more on his rationality than his emotions? Yes, of course, marrying Haisley would offer Nathan no benefits compared to marrying Loretta, who could provide him with everything. Haisley sank back into despair. What she heard from Gilbert did momentarily lift her spirits, but the harsh reality swiftly brought her crashing down, not just back to earth, but into a seemingly bottomless pit. For Nathan, she indeed seemed unimportant, not worth fighting for. And that certainty fur
"I swear. I won't let you near Haisley. I swear that you will regret treating her the way you have. And I swear. When someday your muddled mind clears, and you desire Haisley for yourself, I will be the first one to stand in your way," she declared vehemently. "You'll beg, not to me, but to Haisley. And before you do that, I will never let you have her. Remember that!" threatened Mrs. Monica, casting a cynical glance at Loretta and Mr. Samuel before storming back into her room and slamming the door shut. Mr. Samuel looked at his son, as did Loretta. The girl trembled in fear, witnessing Mrs. Monica's outburst, although she didn't comprehend all of her words. "Nath?" Her hand lifted to touch Nathan's shoulder. "Stay silent!" Nathan snapped, causing the girl to freeze and remain still where she stood. His father also fell silent upon seeing the rage on his eldest son's face. With a rage he couldn't contain, Nathan walked towards his room and did the same thing his mother had done e
A week had passed since Haisley's conversation with Gilbert in the car. She still hadn't told her family about her plan to return to America because Haisley herself was now on the brink of confusion. Should she go back to her hometown and waste the golden opportunity to continue her education at a prestigious university just because of a broken heart? Or should she endure in a foreign land, far from the family she loved, with the possibility of getting hurt again someday?Haisley wanted to be wiser and more mature. She didn't want to rush into decisions and end up with regrets. She had worked for three years to get to this position. Just because of Nathaniel, she felt like the world's biggest fool.Haisley took a deep breath. She was now sitting in the campus courtyard with friends she had recently met. Studying abroad turned out to be not as terrifying as she had imagined. Because, as it turned out, she had made good friends. Although sometimes they had different opinions, their high
Steven remained silent. He chose to stand, leaning his shoulder against the wall, observing the changes Reia made on her. And voila, in less than fifteen minutes, Haisley transformed from casual Haisley to a more feminine version. "We're leaving now," Reia said, not allowing Haisley to see her own reflection in her bedroom mirror. A dozen minutes later, they arrived in the Chayton residential area. Haisley recognized several cars parked along the road leading to the large house. She could also see Gilbert's car intentionally parked on the side of the road, not inside the garage as usual. The Chayton family home was not decorated as lavishly as parties usually were. There were only a few additional lights as decorations and to enhance the view. The rest was just filled with tables laden with food and drinks. Reia didn't release her hold on Haisley's right arm, while Steven stood by her side, looking like a guard. They entered the Chayton residence. Mrs. Monica and Gilbert were ther
Nathan was quite surprised. Seeing Haisley's smile directed at Loretta somehow made his heart beat faster. The girl looked beautiful, although her appearance couldn't be considered extraordinary. But Haisley clearly looked beautiful. Even the bangs that were usually teased now made her appearance more graceful than ever. Nathan enjoyed the beautiful sight in front of him. Beautifully arched eyebrows, a small and sharp nose, Haisley's rosy cheeks were now etched in his eyes. Not to mention her lips, which were reddish and seemed sweet enough to kiss. Unconsciously, Nathan licked his lips. "I thought you wouldn't come," he said coldly, trying to hide his other desires that seemed to rebel against his body. "Gilbert invited me specifically. I wouldn't disrespect that," her cold reply, directed straight at him, made Nathan grind his teeth. Nathan was about to respond, but then his sister and her dance partner appeared. "Haisley, give it a try, you'll like it," Reia said, panting. Of
A few years later, shouts were heard in the backyard of Chayton's residence. A heavily pregnant woman sat on a chair, watching her children jumping on the four-meter-diameter round trampoline, laughing. Occasionally, she yelled, asking her kids to be careful and not to fall. She felt the side of her seat compress and saw her mother-in-law sitting there, placing warm milk in front of her. "G said he's going to fly straight to America," the woman whispered. Haisley turned to her mother-in-law and smiled. Since her brother-in-law made the startling announcement about his choice to convert, she knew her mother-in-law was disappointed. Although in the end, her mother-in-law accepted her son's decision. "Gilbert is an adult; he knows what he's chosen," said his father-in-law in support of his youngest son who chose to convert. "You must be confident in your choice, G. You're not doing it just for a woman, right?" the father asked. Gilbert looked at his family and shook his head. "G has
Haisley fell silent again. She and Nathan had discussed this before the kidnapping happened, but they hadn't informed their families yet. "Nathan asked me to live in England and continue my studies," Haisley said, making Abigail furrow her brow. "Nathan will support me because, clearly, my scholarship can't be used anymore since I've left campus. At first, I said I didn't want to, what's the point of studying if, in the end, I stay at home taking care of the kids. But Nathan said that 'no one regrets having learned', so yeah, I'm starting over." Haisley explained, looking at Abigail with curiosity. "You still don't want to continue your studies? Your brain is clearly smarter than mine, Abby." Abigail shrugged. "I also have plans to go there. I'm just not sure which major to take. I haven't found a passion that drives me to choose a specific field. Maybe later, I'll consult with Itan." Haisley chuckled at her friend's words. "Why are you laughing?" Abigail asked curtly. "I don't know
The next day, Nathan and Haisley's families were planning to return to the hospital. Still, Gilbert objected because Nathan wanted to go home since he opened his eyes in the early morning. Nathan told Gilbert that he didn't want to make Haisley wait for him at the hospital for too long and preferred to rest at home. Gilbert eventually conveyed his brother's request to the morning visiting doctor. Fortunately, the doctor agreed, and in the morning, after completing the paperwork, Nathan, Gilbert, and Haisley returned to Flavia's villa. They received a warm welcome at the villa owned by Haisley's friend. Her family was just as enthusiastic as they were the night before when they gathered at the hospital. If the previous night they allowed Nathan and Haisley to rest, this time they didn't. Everyone was clearly very curious about what Nathan experienced during the abduction. With Haisley sitting by his side and their hands intertwined, Nathan recounted the entire ordeal to his family.
"Both of you, come with me," he said with a nod of his head, walking towards another black Jeep Gladiator, as dark as the other two jeeps that had roared away, leaving their tire tracks in the sand. Clasping each other, with Nathan limping, they entered the leader's car. "You were never part of this capture," the man said with his deep voice, immediately nodded by Haisley and Nathan. "You never met us," he continued, receiving another nod from Haisley and Nathan. After that, no one spoke. Haisley and Nathan's hands were intertwined, their bodies swaying with the car's movements on the uneven roads. Haisley looked out the window. Although she didn't pay much attention to the road when they departed, she knew that the path they were on now was different. And actually, the dock they had just left wasn't the same as when Haisley departed. Was this a secret route? A path known only to a few? Were the people who just saved her elite forces? Were they government troops? Or special forces
"They will take you to the dock, which will then take you to where Loretta is. The man who will pick you up later is not my henchman. So, you have to be cautious," Antony warned. "The two men with you now will give you some items." The man next to him then took out a small box from his shirt pocket, opened it, and took out a small round object about the size of a headset's knob, no bigger than a thumb. "This is a GPS and a mic. Place this object where it can't be seen," the henchman said with a mischievous smile. "Maybe in your clothes." He chuckled, making the driver laugh heartily. "And this, although small, is very sharp." The man handed Haisley a metal object. "If you press this," he pressed his thumb on a point, and then a sharp-edged knife quickly appeared. "This knife can accidentally hurt you, so be careful and use it wisely." He said as he placed the object next to the previous black item. "Uncle's people will monitor you. With the GPS, we'll know where that man is taking y
"Wh-who are you?!" Loretta asked in the midst of her pain. "Ramon! Ramon! Where are you, you bastard!" she shouted loudly. Loretta looked at the darkened cabin where Ramon should have been behind the ship's wheel. She trusted the man who had tormented Nathan all day to be the captain of the ship they were on. "We've neutralized Brother Ramon from the beginning!" said the uniformed man, walking closer to Loretta, who had turned pale and looked in pain, taking handcuffs out of his pocket. The other two men working for Loretta had already been instructed to kneel, and the two other men in black uniforms handcuffed their hands behind their backs. "How did you get here?" Loretta asked, trying to buy time as the police put handcuffs on her. Unlike her two henchmen, Loretta's handcuffs were placed in front, allowing her to still hold her bleeding leg. "You'll know the chronology later," the policeman said, pulling Loretta's arm to make her stand. Unbeknownst to Loretta, the ship they had
They walked with firm steps that made the ship's floor creak under the weight of their large bodies. One of the big men grabbed Nathan's arm from behind and made him stand up, causing Nathan to groan in pain. Haisley tried to hold onto Nathan, but her arm was also held by another man whose body was just as large as the one holding Nathan. Nathan appeared to walk with a limp, occasionally hissing in pain. Something was wrong with his leg, and Haisley could sense it even though she didn't know why. "What have you done to Nathan?!" Haisley shouted at Loretta, who stood between her and Nathan. The woman turned, tilting her head and then looking in Nathan's direction. "Nothing," she replied flatly, shaking her head. Then her mouth opened wide, and she looked at Haisley with a guilty expression. "Maybe I've made a few of his ribs move. A little crack in the rib bones, and his leg won't kill him, right?" she asked cheerfully, continuing her steps. Nathan was now at the front of the deck,
Five minutes, could Haisley sneak out of Flavia's villa? What should she say if someone catches her? Haisley shook her head. Quickly, she walked out of the room. Sneaking as she put on her sneakers and headed towards the front gate because the villa didn't have a back gate. A guard seemed to be at his post. Haisley tried to come up with a plan so that the tall, sturdy man wouldn't suspect her. She walked closer and saw the uniformed man immediately stand and inquire about Haisley's needs. "The guest inside is asking for you to come in, he said there are instructions to be given." Haisley said to the man, who she knew was only slightly older than her husband. The man nodded without much suspicion and then left his post. Thus, Haisley could leave the villa without being suspected. She stepped out and chose to hide in a dark area while waiting for the car mentioned by the caller to arrive. The two men who had earlier claimed to be police officers and took Nathan away now stopped the
"We have successfully located his whereabouts." The local man pulled out his phone from his pocket and showed the screen to everyone in the room. "Ramon's gang has a hidden base on a small island. There's a concealed building behind the forest that they've been using as their headquarters. We need to cross the strait to get there, and it will take hours," the informant continued. "We have agreed to raid the base when we are sure that everyone is there. Forces have been mobilized. The police, along with the navy and ground forces, are working together for this massive capture. Pray that your brother Nathan is in good condition." The man said, nodded at by several heads in the room. They intended to share this information with Haisley so that she could be more at ease, knowing at least they had information about Nathan's whereabouts. Gilbert went to the room where he knew Haisley was with her two friends. However, after knocking on the door several times and receiving no response, he c