"Damian! Stop!" said Stella as she crossed the street.
Damian immediately stopped walking, turning his head to the woman who was walking towards him. "Uh, sweetheart? Why are you here?" He smiled. She looked at him sarcastically. "Why, darling? Did you change your mind about my offer yesterday?" He asked. "Yuck!" She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him roughly. Instead of being angry and upset, he smiled sweetly. "Give me back all of my father's possessions!" she said through gritted teeth. He gently removed her hand from his collar. "Something that already belongs to someone else can't be given back to its owner, sweetheart. Don't blame me, blame your father. Why was he foolish enough to trust me with all his business," he said, still smiling sweetly. Her hands were clenched tightly, the sight of Damian smiling disgusted her even more, and the fire of hatred grew. "Or put it this way, accept my offer to be my wife. Give your body to me. I'll give ten percent of treasure to you and five percent to your sister. Fair, isn't it?" "I'm not willing to have sex with a dirty human like you!" she said angrily. "What did you say?" He looked unhappy. "You're a murderer! How could I have anything to do with someone who killed my parents?" "You!" He raised his hand, about to land a slap on her cheek. She caught his hand and let go quickly. "Yuck! I touched a dirty hand. I'll have to clean it up soon." "Don't you dare! You're nobody now!" "I'm scared," she said, then smiled. After that, she immediately looked at him with cynical glaring eyes. "I'm nobody now, but later I'll become a powerful person, and I'll get back at you. I'll take everything that's mine again!" "Don't ever dream, darling. Your dreams are too high," he said, smiling again. "Your dreams are too high, Damian. Instead of getting rich the sneaky way, you should work hard." "I don't care," he replied. "It doesn't matter if you don't care. Now just enjoy what you have because it won't be long. I'll be back to take you down!" "I'm waiting for your fight, sweetheart. Honestly, I'm not sure. With your current condition, how could you possibly be able to fight me? But that's fine, I'll wait for you to come to me." "Have you forgotten? When you came to me, you were a poor man. I picked you up and made you my lover. I treated you gently, but you bit me instead." "Whatever you want to say to me, I don't care. I'm sorry, darling. I'm busy and have to leave soon. Come see me when you've changed your mind. And, I just remembered. You're being chased by Mr. William's people, aren't you? Your father left a lot of debts. As a matter of consideration, how about I pay it and you give your entire life to me?" Slap! She slapped his cheek, drove her knee into his stomach, kicking him hard. The man immediately held his stinging cheek, as well as his nauseous stomach. He coughed. "No matter how hard I try, I will never go back to you!" She walked away. *** "What took you so long?" asked Mia when she saw her sister walking towards her. "I thought you were going to wait for me, but when I got here, I was the one waiting. I thought you were captured by them." "I met Damian." "What?" Mia looked shocked. "So what?" "I asked him for everything we have back." "It worked?" "What fool would return the treasure he has worked so hard to take? No way!" Mia exhaled harshly. "If only Daddy hadn't believed in him, things wouldn't be the way they are now. Ever since I saw him, I've disliked him. I was right, he's nothing more than trash. I've told you many times to be careful of him, but none of you would believe me." "I apologize for not trusting you at the time." "Regrets are pointless. Now that we've gone to the rental house I got earlier. I want to get some rest. I'm tired of looking for work all morning and not finding any." "I didn't tell you to look for a rental house, you-" "It was clear from your voice that you were being chased. Not to mention that you asked me to clean up our clothes, it's obvious that we have to find a new place." Mia picking up the bag on the sidewalk and walking away again. Stella picked up another bag and followed Mia's footsteps. "Is it far?" "Well, at least we're safe for a while." Stella Krystalin, a 20-year-old girl who is forced to live by moving from one rental house to another with her sister, Mia Krystalin. They are always on the move because they are constantly being chased by people to collect their father's debts. She could not pay all the debts because all the assets, including the house, and the company were taken over by her lover. More precisely, the man is now her ex-boyfriend. Her father and mother died in a car accident, after hearing that news. After her parents deaths, Stella and Mia were evicted from their home by Damian. It turns out that all this time Damian has been dating Stella to seize all of Stella's family's property. Damian also did not want to pay all the debts left by her father, even though all the assets had been taken over. As a result, these people continue to pursue Stella and Mia to collect debts. *** "This is the data you asked for. His name is Damian Alvaro. He used to be an ordinary student who lived alone because his father and mother had passed away. Then, he had a relationship with the daughter of the CEO of Dixon Company. He was sent to college by Jaffin Kalandra, but he stabbed him in the back. He took over the company and also Jaffin's mansion. Jaffin died in a car accident, while his wife's Vania was in a coma in the hospital before she died," said Dariel who was standing next to Marvin. Marvin opened the folder and looked at the photos inside. He stared at the photos of Damian, Jaffin, and Vania. "Jaffin's daughter? How is she now?" "She was kicked out of her home and now has no idea where she is." Marvin picked up a photo and stared at it for a long time, it was a photo of a woman who had gotten into his car yesterday morning. "Stella Krystalin, Jaffin's middle child, and also this one..." Dariel took another photo and showed it to Marvin. "Mia Krystalin, Jaffin's youngest daughter." "This woman is the middle child?" "After graduating from school, she went straight to Japan to continue her education." "Has she found out about her family situation?" "I haven't gotten any information about that. I don't think so. Because at the time of Jaffin's passing, she wasn't at the funeral." Marvin nodded. "Find this woman and bring her to me." Continued...Marvin, who was sitting with his eyes looking straight at the laptop screen, immediately raised his gaze when he heard the sound of the door being opened. He saw Dariel approaching him with hurriedly."Couldn't you have knocked first? Just startled me!" Marvin said."I'm sorry, sir. I have news for you, either good news or bad news." Dariel said. He sat on the chair opposite Marvin.Marvin, who was sitting back, frowned. He straightened his back, put his hands on the table and looked at Dariel in confusion."What's wrong?" Marvin asked."It's about Lily."Marvin immediately swallowed his saliva when Dariel mentioned a woman's name. "Wh-why?"Dariel got up from his seat and walked over to Marvin, then whispered in Marvin's ear."...""What?!" Marvin got up from his seat and stood straight, looking at Dariel with a very surprised look. "Are you serious?""More than serious." Dariel replied."How did you find out? Did you find out the truth?"Dariel shook his head. "It happened a long ti
A secretary escorted Stella to her boss's room, then knocked on the door."Come in." A man said from inside the room.A secretary finally opened the door and entered after getting approval.As Stella entered, she saw a man sitting on a chair with his back turned to her."Sir? Miss Stella-""You may come out.""Yes, sir." A secretary smiled at Stella and then left the room.The man turned his chair around and looked at Stella. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was sitting there. Yesterday at an inopportune time, they were brought together."You... I-i mean, Mr... who helped me yesterday, right?" she asked."You have a good memory," said the man who was none other than Marvin.Stella swallowed her saliva. "For yesterday, I-i apologize, sir. I swear to God, I didn't mean to say anything to you," said Stella as she pointed her index and middle fingers until they looked like the letter V, "That remark yesterday was directed at someone else and not you. Also, I'd like to apologi
"Wait, so one of the Jaffin daughters is Mr. Marvin's lover?" William said, the 35-year-old man who had been hiring people to go after Stella and Mia."Yes, Boss. It appears that way. We overheard the man addressing the woman with affection. He also mentioned that Stella should have disclosed her debt, so he could settle it without causing embarrassment.""Why don't you find out first! You should have—""Our job is to collect debts, not look for information!" The man interjected. "Now, hurry up and pay for our work, so we can leave this place!""Damn it!" William exclaimed, his fists clenched tightly. He walk over to the desk, opened the drawer, and retrieved a brown envelope to give to the men."Mr. Marvin also mentioned, if you want to take the blame, just blame Damian.""Damian?"Without hesitation, William grabbed the cell phone lying on the table and dialed Damian's number.***"What is the meaning of this? Why did you unilaterally cancel our partnership?" Damian demanded angrily
"You're home already? How strange, you're usually home late at night." Stella remarked upon entering the rental house and seeing Mia sitting on the carpet playing with her cell phone."I have something to talk to you about." Mia said, putting down the phone and looking at Stella seriously."Same here, I want to talk to you too." Stella replied, settling down on the carpet."Well, you go ahead and talk.""No, Mia. What I have to say will take some time, so please, you go ahead." Stella suggested."What I have to say will also be lengthy.""Instead of debating about it, why don't you go first? I promise to listen no matter how long it takes. We have plenty of time anyway. So, what's on your mind?""Okay." Mia replied, her eyes briefly closing as she caught her breath. Then, she fixed her gaze on Stella. "Damian came to see me earlier.""Huh? What?" Stella exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "What did he want?""He proposed a deal." Mia explained."A deal? What kind of deal?""He offe
"Mr. Marvin should be able to help us, right?" asked Mia."I don't know," replied Stella while putting on her socks. She was getting ready to see Mr. Marvin and discuss their deal. "He's willing to make a deal with me because there are benefits for him. If he helps you, what will he gain? I don't think so.""Huft..." Mia exhaled very harshly."But there's no harm in trying. Come with me to meet Mr. Marvin and let's talk to him. Who knows, he might be willing to help.""I'm not sure since there's no benefit for him, but never mind. There's no harm in trying first. At least we'll have tried."Stella nodded, then got up, as did Mia. They left their rented house and walked to Esther Company.30 minutes later.Stella and Mia got out of the taxi that they had booked online earlier. They stood in front of the company."Wow... the company is bigger than Dixon, Sis.""It doesn't matter if it's big or small. Let's go!" Stella urgued.They took another step and entered, then walked towards the r
"About your idea of switching positions. I'm sorry, I can't," Marvin said. "I made a deal with Stella from the beginning. So the woman I'm going to marry is her, not you, and that's inviolable."Mia pursed her lips. She really wished she could switch positions so that she could marry Marvin, who was a perfect man."Besides, you made that mistake knowingly, didn't you? You already knew Damian wasn't a good person but still made the deal. As for Stella, she did make a mistake, but she didn't know that Damian was a bad person. If she had known he was a jerk, she wouldn't have fallen for him."Stella who heard Marvin defending her, smiled. Mia now looked very upset."Okay! So what about me, what's the solution? I don't want to marry Damian either. Give me a solution," Mia said."What do I have to gain by helping you, hm?" asked Marvin. "I made the deal with your sister because it had a mutually beneficial goal and mission, and I think you'll enjoy it later too. So if I help you now, what
Stella looked at Marvin with furrowed brows as he said he would never fall for a woman again."After the mission is successful, you are free to choose your options. I allow you to stay in my house and enjoy all the facilities as long as you don't interfere with what I'm doing."Stella nodded in understanding. "Since it happens in the future, we'll see how it goes.""One more thing," Marvin said."What?"Don't expect more from me. Don't put your heart into me and never involve love."Stella turned her gaze in another direction and smiled sadly. She looked back at Marvin again. "You are numb, right? Then it's the same. Damian made me reluctant to fall in love with a man again. All men are jerks!""So you're calling me a jerk?" asked Marvin with narrowed eyes.Stella swallowed hard. "You're on the exclusion list," she said with a smirk.Marvin was still squinting and glaring sarcastically. Stella went back to reading the contents of the agreement, then when she finished, she looked back
"He killed the person I care about the most," said Marvin, his eyes piercing."Who?" asked Stella. "Your lover?"Stella and Mia glanced at Marvin, their expressions serious, wondering who he was referring to."Yes, Lily... she's my lover whom I love very much," Marvin replied. "I just found out that the accident that happened to Lily eight months ago wasn't purely an accident, but it was due to Fanny's interference. That damn woman managed to make it look like an accident, and she did it very cleanly.""Is she so deeply in love with you, sir, that she would take someone's life?" asked Stella."That's not love! It's obsession!" Marvin retorted, locking eyes with Stella. "So, I need your help, Stella. Help me bring down Fanny for killing Lily, and I'll assist you in reclaiming your property rights and even dealing with Damian.""Wait, does that mean Fanny killed Lily out of jealousy, wanting to possess you entirely?" Mia finally spoke up. "Fanny eliminated Lily because she saw her as a
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