Clara didn't know how long she had been sitting outside the operating room, waiting for Anthony, or at least for Benjamin to come out and give her information about Anthony's condition. However, hours passed, and the only people who came out were a few nurses rushing in and out quickly without explaining anything to her.Her tears had dried up hours ago. Her eyes were sore because she couldn’t stop crying. Elena offered to get her some spare clothes from Anthony's room, but Clara refused, not wanting to leave Anthony, even just to briefly go to the restroom and change her clothes.She took off her high heels and chose to go barefoot while waiting for Anthony. Her hope was fading when she couldn't find a way to pay for Anthony's surgery, but she found one last option, and finally, the surgery could be done.Clara didn't think about the consequences of her decision. She didn't think about anything other than Anthony's healthy. Vaguely, she remembered her conversation with Lucas a few da
At first, Clara still didn't believe what Lucas had said, but when she realized that Rachel hadn't been answering her calls, even though she always picked up, even in the middle of the night or early morning, Clara began to realize that Lucas wasn't kidding, especially when she remembered her last conversation with Rachel when she was still at the hospital."What are you doing?" Lucas walked closer and snatched her phone."Give it back!" Clara realized what he was doing and jumped to reach it. However, her height didn't match Lucas, making her look ridiculous as she leaped in front of him."You don't believe me, so you called Rachel?" Lucas glanced at her phone and ended the call, erasing Rachel's number right in front of her."What the hell are you doing? You're a fucking asshole!" Clara angrily hit his arm."Calm down, Cla." Lucas returned her phone, but there was nothing she could do with it since he had already deleted everything—the phone number, call logs, and the last message s
Anthony stayed in the Emergency Room for 4 days, a normal duration for a child his age. Clara never left his side, even standing in front of the Emergency Room window late at night just to ensure her brother was okay. Usually, Elena would accompany her, but recently, Clara insisted that Elena rest more and go home while she stayed with Anthony alone.Well, she wasn't truly alone. Louis would accompany her almost every day after finishing his classes. And yes, Clara had once again neglected her studies, only attending when there were important exams. She knew education was key to improving her future and leading to a better life than her current one. However, when Anthony needed her, Clara was willing to sacrifice anything to stay with her brother.One month passed, and Anthony was finally allowed to go home, although it was longer than the usual patient's recovery time. Benjamin assured them that Anthony needed to stay in the hospital for a month post-surgery for proper monitoring. Cl
"Haven’t done it in a while, Cla?" Lucas said as he pulled up her underwear. The black dress she had been wearing had come off a while ago before Lucas led her into his room.Clara held her breath. She didn't want to respond to Lucas, but in the end, she couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her lips when he breathed along her stomach."Do you think so?" she murmured softly."You look nervous," Lucas crawled up to touch her breasts, making deliberate motions that seemed to torment her with every touch.Clara became even more breathless. Her lips parted, and she knew what she wanted.Her job as a prostitute had taught her many things, including the inner struggle that always plagued her at certain moments. She never wanted this, but she couldn't deny that her body naturally reacted to every touch she received.Not wanting to be consumed by what Lucas was doing, she reached out and touched Lucas's abdomen. She couldn't deny that Lucas had a perfect body, sculpted like a favorite arti
Clara started her day badly when she woke up in a place she shouldn't have been. She almost cursed herself when she realized she had slept in Lucas's bed all night, especially when she found herself clinging to his arm like a little girl seeking protection.Luckily, she woke up earlier and managed to escape before Lucas woke up and found her still in his apartment. This had never happened before. Even when she sometimes dozed off after finishing her work with clients, she would always wake up in the middle of the night, clean up, and leave discreetly, avoiding any questions in the morning. But this time was different. Lucas would remain her client for a year, and she wouldn't be able to avoid him when he contacted her or asked to meet.Whatever, Clara didn't want to think about Lucas on a bright morning when she could go to campus after leaving her classes for a month. Elena and Anthony hadn't woken up yet when she returned home—something she was very grateful for. She managed to cook
"I don't know what's happening, but lately, you always look tired and sleepy in the morning, and it's making me more worried about you,"Clara lifted her head from the dining table and gave Elena a brief smile. Lately, Clara had been asking Elena to stay over at her house, so they always had breakfast together in the morning. Elena didn't mind because she didn't have anyone at her home. Even two days ago, Elena had discussed her plans to stay at Clara's place permanently, which meant cutting her monthly rent since she decided not to renew her house lease. After her younger brother left, the house became neglected as Elena spent more time at Clara's place. Clara accepted the plan, of course. She didn't want to cut Elena's pay. For her, it would be better if someone was willing to be with Anthony all the time, as she couldn't be sure of her work schedule, especially since Lucas often contacted her late at night, even busier than her work schedule, when Rachel managed her clients.And ta
As promised to Anthony last night, Clara fulfilled his request to visit their parents' graves. Luckily, she had no morning classes, so she could accompany Anthony without worrying about her studies and other tasks. The weather was also better that morning, as it had been raining unexpectedly in New York for the past few weeks."Do you still want to stay here, Anthony?" Clara took off her jacket and handed it to him when he started to feel the gentle cold breeze."Can I stay here a bit longer?" Anthony turned and looked at Clara standing behind him.Clara smiled and nodded. Usually, they would spend some private time there—she would give Anthony time to talk, pray, or do anything he wanted without disturbing him. After Anthony finished, it would be her turn to have her private moment at their parents' graves. She couldn't recall when they had agreed on this arrangement, but everything just fell into place."He's been talking about his parents a lot in the past week," Elena commented, j
There was nothing Clara wished for more than her menstruation this month. After everything that had happened, including Lucas' punishment after kicking him again a week ago, Clara finally got what she had been waiting for. She was three days late, making her slightly panicked because she was never late.Her job taught her many risks she might face if she forgot one important thing—protection. With all the consequences in mind, Clara spent every month fearing being late for her period. She didn't know what she would do if it ever happened—pregnancy. She always prayed that it wouldn't happen to her. As a woman, she couldn't deny that she often dreamed about her future—getting married, getting pregnant, having children, watching Anthony grow up with her child, and doing wonderful and enjoyable things. However, now she had to convince herself that the dreams in her head didn't have to come true in her life. None of it had to happen because... she was aware of her past life, and she didn't
Clara walked in, passing dozens of people who looked at her in awe—admiring her beauty, her wide smile, and her eyes that shone as she welcomed her new day—a new beginning for the life she was about to have.Far ahead, she saw Lucas smiling at her—only at her.The piano sounds playing "River Flows In You" accompanied each step Clara took, each step filled with happiness in the smiles around her, witnessing her embracing eternal happiness, now standing proudly in front of her—waiting for her to come to always holding her hand.Her white floor-length gown and the bouquet of flowers in her right hand signified her seriousness about every step she was taking.Louis walked beside her, holding her hand and escorting her to the altar.Her father should have been walking beside her, but... they were happy in heaven. And... Clara had Louis—someone who had always been there in every step of her life. So, it was Louis who escorted her to the aisle towards Lucas.Elena stepped forward—becoming a
Lucas sighed long and leaned back, closing his eyes, seeming reluctant to look at Clara. He even released her hand, allowing her to gaze at the starry night outside the helicopter window.Minutes passed, and Lucas remained seated in silence—not saying anything.Clara reached for his hand, placed her fingers in his lap, and turned her head to look intently at Lucas. "Can you teach me how to read your mind?"Lucas opened his eyes, "why do you want to read my mind?"Clara shrugged, "So I know what you're thinking without asking you. Just like you've always done with me.""My thoughts are too dark for you to understand, Cla." Lucas shook his head. "You shouldn't have entered all of this—entered my world and all the dark things that you shouldn't have to stay on.""Then where should I stay?""Definitely not in the dark world I have." Lucas quickly retorted, "I tried to make you stay in a better place and protect you from all dangers, not bring you to this meeting, Cla."Clara let out a lon
Lucas departed for Canada exactly on the day the secret meeting of ElWagner was scheduled. He didn't say anything to her, but Clara knew everything, and perhaps Lucas knew that she already knew.The journey from New York to Canada—to the headquarters of ElWagner—didn't take long, only about a 4-hour trip. Lucas left during the day, and he would arrive there in the evening while the meeting was set to take place in the middle of the night.Clara... still couldn't believe what she was doing. She had come to Canada—secretly following Lucas with the help of Beatrice and Cheryl, who had been waiting for her at a hotel near the headquarters. She kept her arrival a secret from Lucas, but of course, she couldn't hide it from Elena and Laura. She had told them her purpose for coming to Canada and when she would return to the United States tomorrow morning. They agreed to support her after learning about her complex problems. Even Louis offered to accompany her, but she refused because she didn
"I didn't mean to disturb your daydreaming. But you've been here for a while, and Lucas is starting to get annoyed because you're not coming back,"Clara turned her head and found Louis walking towards her with two glasses of wine. "I'm not drinking," she said."These are for me," he took a sip from both glasses and continued, "I know you don't drink."Clara rolled her eyes as she realized it was just Louis's way of teasing her."I'm very happy about your engagement, Cla," Louis suddenly said.Clara smiled, looking at her hand—admiring the ring Lucas had chosen for her.Lucas always asked about clothes, watches, and even ties to wear because he wasn't skilled in choosing fashion-related things. However, the ring he chose truly amazed Clara—it was beautiful and perfectly fit her finger."He actually asked for my opinion on the ring," Louis glanced at his hand and smiled."Really?" Clara blinked, "So he intentionally proposed to me at his birthday party, and you knew?"Louis chuckled, "
Clara couldn't stop staring at the ring that encircled her ring finger—a beautiful ring with sparkling gemstones and intricate engravings that looked incredibly stunning.The moonlight's reflection in the night sky made her ring appear even more mesmerizing which make Clara couldn't take her eyes off of it.Lucas's birthday party was still ongoing, and everyone was busy chatting with each other—trying to find a moment to congratulate Lucas on his engagement.She thought Lucas would be surprised by the birthday party theme she had chosen, but she was the one who got a surprise because Lucas is proposing her on his own birthday."What a beautiful ring," a woman in a light blue dress approached with a glass of wine in her hand.Clara turned her head and smiled briefly when she realized that the woman was... Rafael's wife."My name is Cheryl, by the way," she said, smiling."I... know," Clara replied with the same smile when she could hear Cheryl’s voice that seemed filled with passion th
"You look stunning in that dress," Lucas commented as he walked into the closet.His habit remained the same—waiting for Clara to get ready and giving her that look as if he was undressing her with his eyes.Oh, God. Any woman who was with him would surely suffer from his mesmerizing gaze. Being with a handsome man with such captivating eyes was a blessing that never came twice in her life."I think my arms look really chubby," she said, lifting her arms to the mirror, then shaking her head as she noticed her belly also seemed plump.One month after giving birth to Chloe, Clara realized that there were many changes in her body. There were stretch marks on her belly that had not completely faded, her arms looked bigger, and her belly hadn't fully gone back to its original size. She felt fine wearing long pants and shirts that could cover her arms and belly, but sleeveless dresses like the one she was wearing now made her... lack confidence."Nothing's wrong with your arms," Lucas walke
Clara couldn't deny that she still hadn't fully accepted the facts about herself—about her family status and her parents' past. However, she also couldn't reject the facts that were right in front of her.Slowly, she had to start accepting it all—making peace with everything about herself, even if she didn't like it all.All the anger she showed at Lucas when he returned home that morning did make her feel a little better, but she wasn't completely better.Rafael and Beatrice had come to her house to give more explanations about what had happened. Clara welcomed them, but she didn't accept any explanations about their clan. And Lucas agreed with her decision to refuse to enter the clan, even though she was an official member of the ElWagner clan due to her status as the daughter of the Wagner family.She hadn't changed her name on her identification card, and she also recently found out that her name couldn't be found on the 'GOD's Mind' server. Not just her name but all her identifyi
Almost an hour had passed since Clara sat in Louis' car with Rafael's provided documents on her lap. However, she hadn't found the courage to open them—to read a document titled 'Clara Clark' on the front page as if she's a fugitive with a long criminal record.Louis sat beside her, remaining patient without saying anything—even though Clara was sure many questions were swirling in his mind.Clara took a deep breath—attempting to gather bravery from within herself... still, she continued to gaze at the document without taking any action."Should I... open it?" She whispered softly after a prolonged silence.Louis looked at her and nodded, "You should, Cla." He held her hand tightly, "You have the right to know, even though your parents have tried to keep all of this hidden.""Why would they hide this?" Clara retorted quickly.Louis shook his head, "I don't know, Cla. If you want to know... you have to open the document and read it."Clara stared at the document in her hands and sighed
Leaving Chloe alone at the mansion always made Clara feel uneasy. She was afraid Chloe might cry, refuse to drink her milk, or not sleep like she did last night. However, taking Chloe to the hospital wasn't a suitable option either, considering she couldn't ensure what would happen there."Are you going to the hospital?" Elena asked when she saw Clara sitting in the kitchen at 5 in the morning."Yes, I'm going there, El," Clara nodded, "I'm waiting for Louis because he's showering, and he won't let me go alone."Elena nodded her head and started taking out food ingredients from the fridge.When Clara returned home last night, Laura and George asked what had happened, and Louis told them everything. They had initially planned to come to the hospital, but Louis forbade them and said that Lucas was sleeping due to the influence of the medication. The plan for this morning was for all of them to go together while Chloe would stay home with Elena and Anthony. However, Laura changed her min