Lucas stood on the balcony of his house in Alaska—the place that Clara always loved during the evenings. The night air in Alaska felt even colder, piercing through his bones, although winter had ended two weeks ago. But Alaska would remain cold, with snow freezing the lake in his front yard.Three months had passed since Clara disappeared—completely gone without a trace, leaving him unable to find her or hear any news about her. Lucas stopped going to Elena to ask about Clara's whereabouts after two months, as he was tired of seeing Elena sad every time Anthony asked about Clara.Instead, he continued to visit Anthony and took him around Manhattan in the afternoons, buying toys or ice cream, hoping to find Clara sitting in a restaurant corner with three cups of ice cream on the table. But once again, it was just a part of his imagination. It never happened, even though he had been to all the ice cream shops in Manhattan.Then Lucas gave up and decided to come to Alaska to stay for a w
Clara opened the apartment door after making sure that the person standing outside was Louis—the only person who would come to the apartment because he was the only one who knew about her."How are you?" Louis walked in carrying a basket of fruit to stock his fridge.Clara pursed her lips, "I've told you that you don't need to do this, Lou. I can still shop for myself, and I don't want to bother you even more.""Since when do I feel bothered just by buying fruit and your other stuff?" He looked up from the fridge as he arranged apples inside. "Besides, you can't stand too long at the supermarket picking out fruit, let alone kneel down in front of the fridge to arrange them." He squinted with a playful smile."I'll be very mad at you for not stopping teasing me, Lou!" she said, reaching out to grab some grapes that Louis had bought."The fact is, your belly is so big now that I'm afraid it might explode, Cla." Louis shook his head. "You should reduce outdoor activities and spend more t
Lucas walked calmly towards the main conference room of Axton Corporation, located in its headquarters building—the center of all the company's branches, including the one led by Louis in Seattle.He had arranged this meeting so that all the branch leaders would come to Manhattan to provide reports on their business developments, and he deliberately did so to make Louis come to Manhattan, even though he initially resisted Jamie's request.Lucas didn't contact Louis directly. He asked Jamie to relay the information about the meeting to Louis. And Jamie mentioned that initially, Louis declined the invitation to come. However, it seemed he had a changed his mind and decided to attend after Jamie explained the importance of this meeting.Well, at least he kept his promise to his father from a month ago, and he would ensure that Laura meets with her son, who had intentionally escaped to Seattle, pretending not to want to meet his family—almost similar to what Lucas did after graduating fro
Giving birth had always been a terrifying thing that haunted Clara for the past few months. She knew it would be painful, but she never imagined it would be this excruciating.The pain almost made her lose her mind. It made her want to cry, but she realized that her tears wouldn't change anything."You'll push when I tell you to push," a female doctor instructed after adjusting Clara's leg position. "If a contraction comes, you'll push, but if there's no contraction, you don't need to do it because it'll waste your energy. Understand?""Yes, yes," Clara replied with difficulty.The contraction came, and she closed her eyes as the pain felt like it was piercing all the way to her bones."Yes, do it again," the doctor instructed, looking down and gently assisting her by pushing on her abdomen.Clara felt her breath constrict with the pain—it was something she had never experienced before."You can do it," someone held her hand and whispered gently in her ear.Clara opened her eyes and t
As Louis mentioned a while ago, Laura came to the hospital and visited Clara in her room while she was with Chloe. That baby had finished nursing, so Lucas helped by placing her back in the crib. Seeing that Laura wanted to talk privately with Clara, Lucas decided to step out, using the excuse of meeting Jamie.Jamie had been at the hospital since Clara gave birth a few hours ago; he even helped push her bed when they arrived on the helicopter landing pad. However, Clara hadn't seen Jamie since leaving the delivery room and being transferred here."How are you feeling?" Laura smiled gently.Clara shrugged, "Still in a lot of pain, but I feel really happy.""Yes, that's how mothers feel. Painful, yet incredibly happy." Laura nodded in agreement.Clara took a deep breath. She knew that Laura's visit wasn't solely about seeing her and her baby—of course, she wanted to see them, but there was another reason that brought her here, considering the chaotic last encounter they had."Have you
Elena and Anthony returned home at 9 PM since visiting hours for maternity patients had ended. Louis accompanied them back, and Anthony cried as he wanted to stay. Clara felt sad seeing Anthony cry while mentioning Chloe's name, seemingly forgetting about Clara and all the promised toys from Louis. Eventually, Anthony had to go home despite crying through every step."Are you feeling comfortable?" Lucas asked as he pulled the blanket over Clara."Yes," she nodded softly.Only one person was allowed to stay overnight with her, and Lucas volunteered when the nurse asked. No one wanted to deny Lucas, as both Elena and Louis immediately agreed, leaving Clara with no room for refusal."Rest, Cla," Lucas stroked her forehead gently, hoping his touch would lull Clara into sleep. “You need to go sleep.”“I am not… sleepy,”Clara remembered that she had cried in Lucas's arms a while ago. He held her tightly without asking any questions, just holding her and allowing her to cry as long as she n
When Clara first arrived at the mansion two weeks ago, she had requested a separate room for herself and Chloe. Lucas agreed and provided a room on the first floor close to Anthony's room. Clara slept there with Chloe, with the baby crib already set up when they arrived. However, in the middle of the night, when she heard Chloe crying and prepared to pick her up to nurse her in bed, she saw Lucas enter her room with a sleepy expression. He immediately took Chloe in his arms and brought her to Clara. He had been sleeping in front of her door, waiting for Chloe to cry so he could come in and help Clara to bring her to her bed. After Chloe fell asleep, Lucas got ready to leave her room, but Clara pulled his hand and allowed him to sleep beside her—right in front of Chloe's crib. Clara wasn't sure if she was doing something right or wrong, but she couldn't think about it when she saw Lucas's love for Chloe. She knew how it felt to be loved by her parents—where they put her needs first an
There was nothing more beautiful than Chloe's birth—a miracle that changed everything in his life.From the moment he heard Chloe's cry for the first time, he never stopped falling in love with that tiny baby. It felt as if he had found a new purpose in life, something enduring and unconditional. In her beautiful blue eyes, Lucas saw nothing but genuine happiness... and he had vowed, from the first time he held Chloe in his arms, that he would provide her with all the happiness she deserved.Lucas's world had changed. It revolved around Chloe and Clara—two women he would never let go of. Chloe was a miracle for everyone around her. She not only brought joy, but she also mended the broken fragments of happiness.Lucas's relationship with his parents had strained since they learned of his decision to join the ElWagner clan. They disapproved of the dangerous business he was involved in, especially once they understood his primary motive for joining the clan. However, they never overtly e
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