The two guards standing in front of Stella's room immediately stood at attention and closed the door upon seeing Mrs. Charlotte's presence."I'm not going into your lady's room!" Mrs. Charlotte snapped, irritated by their readiness as if facing an evil enemy. "I need to speak with her sister, not your lady!" she added, glaring at them.She knocked on Mia's door, and shortly after, the door opened. Mia furrowed her brows upon seeing Marvin's mother standing at her door."Yes?" Mia said."May I come in? I need to talk to you for a moment."Mia nodded hesitantly, then allowed Mrs. Charlotte to enter.Mrs. Charlotte closed the door tightly to ensure no one would hear them. "Are you tidying up?" she asked.Mia remained silent but nodded, confirming Mrs. Charlotte's statement."Are you staying in this house?" Mrs. Charlotte asked again as she walked towards the sofa near the balcony. She sat down."Yes, but not for long. Mr. Marvin said that soon all of my family's assets will be returned,
"How about it? Will you do it?" asked Mrs. Charlotte.Mia frowned, unsure of what to say. She was being offered to become Mr. Marvin's wife. Who wouldn’t want that? But the problem was, Stella is her sister."I...""Come on, Mia. Think about it carefully."Mia remained silent, only staring at Mrs. Charlotte."Madam, I don't know what to say," Mia said, confused. "I'm not sure things will go as you wish. Doesn’t Mr. Marvin love Stella? I think it will be very difficult to take Mr. Marvin from Stella. Besides, Mr. Marvin doesn't like me. He only thinks of me as his sister. If he wasn’t attracted to the beautiful Fanny, why would he be attracted to me?""Hey... don't you have confidence? You're beautiful, dear." Mrs. Charlotte tucking Mia's hair behind her ear. "I’m sure Marvin will fall in love with you eventually. Love comes with time, doesn’t it? The same thing happened to me. I once had my heart broken by someone I loved who married another woman. Then, I got close to Marvin’s father
Stella slowly removed Marvin’s hand from around her waist, then got out of bed. She opened the bedside drawer, took something out, and headed to the bathroom.Once inside the bathroom, Stella opened the pregnancy test kit and used it immediately. She hadn’t had her period for almost a month, and she suspected she might be pregnant, so she decided to check with the test kit.A few minutes later.Stella covered her mouth in surprise when she saw the result of the test. "I’m... pregnant?" Stella murmured, jumping up and down with joy, accidentally knocking over a bottle on the sink.She quickly picked up the bottle and put it back on the sink. Then she looked again at the pregnancy test she was holding. "But is this valid? What if it’s not? Should I check with a doctor first? If I’m really pregnant, then I’ll tell Marvin. I don’t want to disappoint him if this is not accurate."There was a knock on the door. Stella immediately turned around."Darling? Are you okay?" Marvin asked from out
Fanny, who had been heading to the dining room because she was hungry, changed her mind when she saw Stella there with Miss Bertha. She was stunned to hear Stella and Miss Bertha’s conversation."She’s pregnant?" Fanny murmured upon hearing Stella's words. "That damn woman! How dare she be pregnant with my man? Fanny clenched her fists, unable to accept that Stella was carrying Marvin’s baby.She eavesdropped again."But Marvin doesn’t know yet. I’ll tell him later after he comes home," Stella said to Miss Bertha.Miss Bertha smiled. "Congratulations, Madam. I’m so happy to hear this. Soon this house will be filled with the sound of a baby crying, and I can’t wait for that day to come."Stella smiled back, while Fanny, still hiding, glared at Stella with increasing hatred."So Marvin doesn’t know yet, and she’ll tell him this afternoon? Good then! I have time until this afternoon to get rid of the baby in her womb, but... how? I haven’t been able to touch her at all!" Fanny thought h
"I’ll hide, Mom."Mrs. Charlotte nodded. Shortly after, Mia arrived to meet Mrs. Charlotte, who was alone in the kitchen."What’s up, Mrs.? Uh, I mean, Mom."Mrs. Charlotte put on a false smile and handed Mia a glass of juice. "Give this to Stella."Mia took the juice from Mrs. Charlotte’s hand, frowning. "For Stella?""Yes, for Stella. You need to win her favor by being nice so she won’t suspect you’re actually a hidden enemy. When we proceed to separate her from Marvin, she shouldn’t suspect that you’re planning to take her husband. So, let’s start with the easiest step first. Just take it slow and make sure it works.""Okay Then, I’ll give it to her right away.""Better do it now. If you wait too long, the juice will get bad," Mrs. Charlotte added with a smile as she drank the remaining mango juice. "Do you want some?" she offered."No, Mom. I don’t like mango juice. Alright then. I’ll head upstairs," Mia said as she left.Mia turned and went upstairs, entering Stella’s room. The g
"What happened? Why is my wife like this, huh?" Marvin asked, grabbing the collar of the guard who had brought Stella."S-sorry, sir, but we swear we took good care of Madam."Marvin roughly shoved the guard, causing him to stumble back a few steps, then he bowed his head, unable to meet Marvin's gaze. His colleague standing beside him did the same, bowing his head in fear."If you did your job right, my wife wouldn't be in the hospital like this!""But we really took good care of Madam. We followed her every step wherever she went. Even when she ate, we were there, and nothing bad happened. The food she ate was safe, and she wasn't approached by Miss Fanny or Mrs. Charlotte."Marvin held his head in frustration. If Stella was being well cared for, then what had happened to make his wife suffer so much?Not long after, the emergency room door finally opened, and a doctor emerged."How is she, doctor? Is my wife okay?" Marvin asked, very worried. "The... baby? How is the baby?" Marvin
Marvin closed Stella's hospital room door after she had just fallen asleep. He looked at the man standing before him, who had just received a phone call."Well? Have you got the information? Do you know why my wife is like this?" Marvin asked.The man, who was none other than the guard who usually looked after Stella, nodded. "Yes, sir.""What is it?""The juice from Miss Mia is what caused Mrs. Stella to be hospitalized and almost lose her baby."Marvin's eyes widened. "A-are you... serious?""I'm very serious, sir," the guard replied, handing Marvin a white envelope he had been holding. "These are the test results from the juice."Marvin took the white envelope and immediately read the sheet of paper inside."It says that the mango juice Mrs. Stella drank contained a substance that would weaken the fetus or, if left untreated, cause a miscarriage. Luckily, we brought Mrs. Stella here quickly, so she was treated in time. If not? The baby would have been lost."Marvin was still in sho
"Stella? Are you feeling better? How are you?" Mia asked.Mrs. Charlotte and Mr. Myron, who had been sitting on the sofa watching TV, immediately approached Marvin and Stella upon hearing Mia call out Stella's name. Fanny, who was in her room, also came out upon hearing the voices from outside.Stella, receiving Mia's question, did not respond. Instead, she glared at Mia with anger and intensity."Weren't you supposed to be discharged tomorrow or the day after? Why are you home now?" Mr. Myron asked.They were now all gathered in the living room.“Daddy was planning to visit the hospital later this evening,” Mr. Myron said again. He walked closer to Stella and touched her belly, "Is my grandchild okay? What did the doctor say?"Mrs. Charlotte and Mia were taken aback by Mr. Myron's words. During Stella's hospital stay, only Mr. Myron was allowed to visit. Marvin had forbidden anyone else from visiting for Stella's safety.He didn't allow his mother to visit because she was close to Fa
Delvin stood in front of Emily's apartment door, his eyes filled with doubt and hope. His hand continuously pressed the doorbell, but there was no sign that the door would open."Emily? Darling? Are you in there? Open the door, I’m back, Darling," Delvin's voice was full of regret.He stood with his hands in his pockets, feeling the cold air seeping in through the gap under the door. Delvin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His heart was in turmoil, remembering the hurtful words he had once said and his efforts to make things right.Since the incident that nearly cost Emily her life, and after spending difficult times in Paris to reflect, Delvin had decided he couldn’t keep holding onto his anger. He wanted to return and make amends. He wanted to apologize and hoped that Emily would give him a chance to explain everything.He no longer cared about the mistakes Emily had made. After all, Emily had changed and was no longer the person she used to be. So, he decided to come bac
Delvin parked his car in front of the hospital, the tires screeching as he stopped near the emergency room door. Marvin, his face full of tension and tears, quickly jumped out of the back seat. He carried the unconscious Stella and ran towards the emergency room door.Delvin followed Marvin swiftly, fear evident on his face. Meanwhile, Emily, who was a few steps behind them, walked slowly. Her heart felt heavy, as if each step carried a greater burden.Emily watched Delvin’s back, busy and completely ignoring her. “He says he loves her?” she murmured with pain. “But what’s happening now? He doesn’t care about me.”Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She felt isolated in a situation that should have been full of care. Delvin, who should have been supporting her, was instead focused entirely on Stella and Marvin. Emily felt a deep heartache, feeling neglected when she needed support the most.With her head bowed, Emily continued her steps, trying to hold back her tears. In her mind, al
Marvin, Stella, Dariel, and Delvin stood at the edge of the cliff, their eyes fixed on Emily, who was dangling there, gripping tightly to a tree root that pierced through the ground. Her face was pale, tears streamed down her cheeks, and her body trembled with overwhelming fear. Below her, the abyss gaped like a black maw, ready to swallow her at any moment."Darling?" Delvin shouted from above, his voice hoarse with barely concealed anxiety. "Grab my hand, I'll pull you up!" His hand stretched out toward Emily, trying to reach her trembling fingers.Emily looked down at the depth awaiting her below. Fear enveloped her, making her sobs even more uncontrollable. "I'm scared," her voice barely audible, drowned in heart-wrenching sobs."You'll be okay!" Marvin's voice followed, filled with confidence and hope. He lowered his body closer to the edge of the cliff, extending his hand alongside Delvin's. "Now grab our hands, mine and Delvin's. We'll help you up."Stella stood not far from th
Fanny stared out the villa window. "Has he left yet?" she asked without turning, her voice firm with a hint of impatience.Willy, the brother of the deceased man she once loved, kept talking after bringing Emily here, which only irritated her further. So, with cunning, Fanny sent him away to buy food for the evening, using it as an excuse to keep him away while she executed her plan.One of her henchmen nodded, his face expressionless. "Yes, Miss. He's gone far," he replied curtly.Fanny sighed in relief, a thin, meaningful smile curling on her lips. "Okay, bring the girl!" she ordered coldly, her gaze shifting to Emily, who lay helpless in the corner of the room.Emily tried to struggle, her body writhing in vain on the cold floor. "Mmmhhh..." Her screams were muffled by the cloth stuffed in her mouth, only the rustle of fear could be heard. Her wide eyes, filled with panic, welled up with tears as she watched Fanny approach with a terrifying gaze.Fanny’s men moved quickly, lifting
Marvin stepped into the company cafeteria, his forehead furrowed when he saw only Zaline and Daniel sitting together at one of the tables.“Just the two of you? Where’s Emily? Where did she go?” Marvin asked, his voice filled with confusion.Zaline and Daniel exchanged glances before Daniel responded, “She didn’t show up, and we haven’t heard anything from her.” He sighed, showing his phone to Marvin. “I’ve tried calling her several times, but her number’s not active.”Marvin frowned, a mix of confusion and concern crossing his face. “Did she request leave from the division head?” he asked, trying to find an explanation.Daniel shook his head, his expression mirroring the same confusion. “No, I even checked with the division head, and there’s no word from her today. It’s strange; she usually informs the division head if she’s not coming in.”Marvin remained silent for a moment, his mind racing through unpleasant possibilities. Without saying another word, he reached into his pocket an
Delvin gripped the steering wheel with one hand while the other slapped his forehead in frustration. "Damn it, my phone! I left my phone in the room," he muttered, exasperated. He had just realized that his phone was still at Emily's apartment.Earlier, before heading out to pick Emily up from work, he had decided not to bring his phone because its battery was dead. So, he had plugged it in to charge. "How am I supposed to contact Emily without my phone?" Delvin grumbled, annoyed with himself.Quickly, he turned the steering wheel and headed back toward Emily's apartment.Delvin drove fast but cautiously.Delvin's car finally stopped in front of Emily's apartment building. He immediately got out of the car and looked around. His eyes fell on Emily, who was following someone wearing a black hoodie. Delvin's heart pounded with worry."Who is she with?" Delvin murmured, his lips pressing into a tight line. "She’s not sneaking around behind my back, is she?" Confused, Delvin decided to fo
Delvin gently squeezed Emily's hand as they stood in front of the apartment building. The night was beginning to fall, wrapping the city in a blanket of twinkling lights in the distance.He gazed into his lover’s eyes, trying to ensure that Emily really didn’t mind his job that took up so much of his time. “Darling, I might be back a little late tonight,” he said softly, with a hint of worry in his tone. “Weekends are usually very busy at the restaurant. Are you okay with me leaving you alone for so long?”Emily, who had been attentively gazing at Delvin’s face, smiled faintly. The warmth in her eyes made Delvin feel slightly more at ease. "It’s fine," she replied in a soothing voice. “You always come home very late on weekends. I’m getting used to it.” Her sweet smile widened as she added, "Besides, before you, I was always alone. So, it’s okay, darling."Delvin sighed in relief, but there was still an uneasy feeling gnawing at his heart. He knew how hectic work was on weekends, but
"Do you want to know something about Mrs. Daisy?" Marvin asked his father.Mr. Myron immediately set aside the cake he was holding. "Why?" he asked, his tone reflecting deep curiosity."A month ago, I happened to meet Mr. Emrick in detention. He was furious when he saw me and cursed at me—he cursed at me harshly and continuously, Dad."Mr. Myron's brow furrowed, his expression turning to confusion and concern. "Cursed at me too? Why?" he asked, clearly puzzled and not fully understanding the situation. "I don't feel like I ever caused him any trouble. I never communicated with him, so why would he curse at me? I haven't wronged him.""He hates you because of Mrs. Daisy," Marvin said.Mr. Myron raised an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation, but what Marvin said next was quite shocking."Apparently, during their marriage, Mrs. Daisy never loved him. Mr. Emrick said that Mrs. Daisy was indeed his wife, but her heart was never his. Even until she died, her heart still belonged to the
Marvin glanced at Dariel, who was seated across from him, with a serious and tense expression.“It’s been over a month, and still no trace of her?” Marvin asked, his voice low but demanding.Dariel, slightly hunched over, slowly shook his head. “I suspect she’s fled the city, maybe even the country, with a fake identity. Just like what she did to the man at the scene of Lily’s accident. Damian too… he was a wanted man back then, wasn’t he? But he managed to leave the country with a fake identity,” Dariel explained, his tone filled with suspicion.Hearing this, Marvin felt the heavy burden on his shoulders growing even heavier. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh, trying to calm the turmoil inside him. “So what now? Just let her get away? No way!” Marvin declared firmly, his voice booming with restrained anger. “I want her behind bars, suffering even more than her father!”Dariel looked at Marvin calmly, understanding his friend’s anger and frustration. “I’ve already s