Alice sighed deeply. In front of her, right on the table, was the invitation that Ashton had handed over earlier.In hesitation and anxiety, Alice was engulfed in dilemma. She was unsure whether to hand over the birthday invitation or just discard it. But on second thought, she decided it was better not to let her father come to such a big event.Alice was worried; she feared that Rapael would bring up all sorts of things and disrupt the atmosphere. Truly, Alice wasn't ready yet. She needed the right time and all kinds of readiness to introduce her father to her husband's extended family.In the silence, while she was lost in thought, Alice's phone rang. Glancing at it, she saw her father's name calling. Just when she had been thinking about it!"Hello, Dad?""Yes, Alice. How are you? Have you decided when you'll give me the rest of the money?"Alice took a long breath. Her head instantly throbbed as Rapael reminded her once again. Where could Alice find 500 million? Such a large sum.
"Alice, we haven't met in a long time."At that moment, Alice was sitting in a corner of the cafeteria next to the office, enjoying her break. She wasn't alone originally. There were several colleagues and senior staff accompanying her.After waiting a few minutes for her food order, Dimas suddenly appeared. After disappearing for some time, Alice even thought he had resigned, but now he was in front of her, smiling and greeting her in front of their colleagues."Dimas.""Mr. Dimas!"Not only Alice, but all the staff sitting there greeted him. They were all surprised to see the handsome man who had been absent for some time."Hi, everyone," Dimas replied with a friendly nod to the female staff sitting with Alice. "I'm borrowing Alice for a moment, okay?""Sure, Sir. Please take her," Nita replied, nudging Alice's arm. She signaled to her nearby colleague to get up from her seat. "Just make sure to return her promptly when you're done, Sir."Dimas chuckled and nodded. He escorted Alice
In his office, Ashton was checking the project documents brought by Anggia. While evaluating, he also discussed the work that needed to be completed by the end of the week."Ashton, all the drawings have been sent. As per your request, construction will start this Saturday. If you have time, you can check it out yourself. I'll accompany you."Ashton remained focused on reading. He lifted his face, shaking his head at Anggia."Rumi's scheduled to inspect the site this Saturday. Let her oversee the workers in the field.""Why not you?" Anggia inquired. According to the schedule, Ashton was supposed to be on duty next Saturday."I can't. I have something I need to take care of.""Office matters?"Ashton shook his head."No.""Oh, something with the intern staff?""Her name's Alice, Anggia," Ashton replied curtly."I see. Okay, no need to discuss it. So, have you had lunch?""Yes.""When I went out earlier, I bought your favorite snacks."Anggia then turned around, walking to a table not
"My husband... Come on, wake up!"Alice intentionally shook Alsan's body while whining. She was insisting fervently for the still sleepy man to wake up from his slumber.Alice couldn't possibly forget. Today, right at the weekend's end, Ashton had promised to take her on a staycation or an overnight outside their home to find a new atmosphere.Say Alice was indeed very enthusiastic. Especially since she had been provoked by Quadra's senior staff during yesterday's afternoon break.How could she, who was often belittled and gossiped about because she hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy yet, bear it."Alice, don't let Lena win. She's already pregnant right after getting married. Amazing."Rindu teased without restraint. Even though her words were hurtful. How could women compare each other so casually and confidently, especially about sensitive matters."Yeah, maybe it's not in my fate," Alice replied casually. She wasn't bothered at all."Have you checked yet? What if there's something
Inviting Alice for a staycation seemed like a great idea to Ashton. Honestly, he had never thought of taking his wife far away to Singapore before.If it weren't for Rumi's prodding, seriously, Ashton might have just settled for taking his wife to a hotel around Jakarta or maybe, at the farthest, Bali."Ashton, the distance from Jakarta to Bali is almost the same as from Jakarta to Singapore. The flight time is almost two hours for both. Ticket prices? About the same. If I were you, I’d take her to Singapore.""Singapore?""Yes!" Rumi confirmed. "Take her to stay at Marina Bay Sands. You have plenty of money. It won’t be a problem to spend a night in a luxury room. It’s not like you do it every day or even every month. Besides, making your wife happy brings blessings.""But, are you sure I should take her to stay there?""Why not? Don't you have enough money? Do you need me to fund it?"Ashton clicked his tongue. How dare Rumi belittle him, as if he didn't have enough money to the poi
There were only a few hours left until the end of the workday. After finishing all her tasks, Alice seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. Her mind was drifting, recalling the conversation she had with her father during lunch earlier that day."Alice....""Yes, what's up?"At first, Alice thought her father was calling to ask for the remaining money to pay off the loan shark. But instead of mentioning money, the man started talking about something else that Alice had been avoiding with difficulty."Your husband called earlier."Alice's heart felt like it was being squeezed. She was anxious and wondered why Ashton had called her father. Was Ashton still trying to invite Raphael directly to his parents' birthday party? But how did her husband get Raphael's phone number? As far as Alice remembered, she had never shared or told Ashton about it."W-what? Ashton called you?" Alice asked to confirm."Yes, your husband called.""What did Ashton call you about?""At first, I was confused t
Anggia looked at her reflection in the mirror once more, ensuring that her appearance was absolutely perfect. There was a reason for her wanting to look flawless. Today was an important and possibly historic day in her life. She had waited for a moment like this for a long time, hoping that everything she had meticulously planned would go off without a hitch.Entering the car, Anggia reached for her phone first. She opened her contacts, found Raphael's name, and sent a message.Anggia: Mr. Raphael, I’m on my way to the event now. I hope you arrive on time.She didn’t have to wait long before getting a reply. She quickly opened and read it.Raphael: I’m also getting ready to leave, Miss Anggia. I’m waiting for the online taxi I ordered to arrive at the guest house.Anggia: I hope you will do what I taught you yesterday at the event, Mr. Raphael. And please, don’t take offense if I belittle you or say something that sounds humiliating. I will definitely pay you as we agreed.Raphael: Al
"No! This is impossible. You all can't treat me like this!" Anggia shook her head repeatedly. She continued to reject what Ashton and Raphael had just done to her.Amidst the chaos, Anggia glanced around. From her own eyes, she could see how the invited guests stared at her with looks of disgust and irritation.Initially, Anggia was so confident. She was absolutely sure that her carefully laid plans would yield the results she desired. But it seemed God had other plans. Instead of successfully embarrassing Alice, she herself was humiliated in front of everyone."Mr. Raphael, you have to pay for what you've done. You think you can just toy with me like this!" Anggia exclaimed angrily. She still couldn't accept that Raphael had played her. Who would have thought that the person she had invited all the way to Jakarta for potential collaboration would now humiliate her in front of everyone?"Don't be angry, Miss Anggia. I think you deserve all of this. Maybe now you'll learn not to belitt
"Ashton, why are you crying?" Her voice was unmistakably weak and slightly hoarse. Like someone just waking from a deep sleep, Alice clearly struggled to gather her strength to address Ashton, who had just released her from his embrace and was now busy kissing the tops of her wrists.Alice blinked repeatedly. Overwhelmed with a dizzying sensation, she tried to compose herself. After closing her eyes briefly, she finally mustered the courage to throw another question at her husband, who had been silent since she first opened her eyes."Ashton... why are you just silent? A-Are you seriously ill? Or did the doctor say I don't have much time left?"Ashton actually wanted to laugh. But he refrained from doing so. The overwhelming emotion enveloping his heart right now was more dominant than anything else."I'm fine," Ashton finally replied. He looked at Alice with a gaze that was hard to interpret. "How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"Alice sighed audibly. She was annoyed that in
Alice was still wearing her pajamas while cooking and preparing breakfast for Ashton. Since he requested fried rice with sausage last night, Alice was now busy in front of the stove, making the dish her husband loves.Without needing assistance from the helper, Alice skillfully added all the ingredients. For her, preparing breakfast was a crucial activity she had to do herself. She hoped that what she cooked and served would delight Ashton's taste buds and motivate him for all his work today.Concentrating on cooking, Alice didn't notice her surroundings. She didn't even realize when Ashton approached until his strong arms clearly pulled her body and hugged her from behind."You're so serious. I've been calling you, but you didn't respond."Alice laughed without turning towards Ashton."I was focused on cooking, Honey. Sorry if I didn't hear you.""You're forgiven. Good thing I love you."Alice clicked her tongue and laughed."Alright, wait at the table. It's almost done and ready to
Alice appeared silent. Her eyes were busy gazing at the row of bottles filled with various kinds of medicines and vitamins that she had bought some time ago when she went to the obstetrician.It was all because of Aunt Hilda. The old woman, who was always so critical and nosy, had managed to provoke Alice and ultimately made her decide to go with Ashton to the obstetrician."From the series of examinations that you've undergone, there doesn't seem to be any issues or problems with your pregnancy. Everything is normal. No diseases or abnormalities were detected."Dr. Agatha was the specialist Alice chose to check on her pregnancy condition. After conducting a series of tests and examinations, it was confirmed that Alice and Ashton were in good health."So, Mr. Ashton himself also doesn't have any issues.""But... why am I not pregnant yet, doctor?"Although she had been assured that everything was fine, Alice was still worried. She was curious if there was something they had missed or
Maybe it's luck or maybe it's misfortune. Just a few minutes ago, Rumi flat-out rejected his mother's suggestion to find him a wife or arrange a marriage with a woman she had chosen.Rumi's pride was seriously wounded. Imagine, he is already thirty years old. Not a child who needs everything chosen for him. Is it really necessary to follow his mother's wishes all the time?Just think, from school, lessons, extracurricular activities, choosing a favorite college, to picking a major, Rumi followed everything. Even though he never dreamed of becoming an architect like his brother.From a young age, Rumi had a talent for music and leaned more towards the arts. He even dreamed of becoming a model or an artist. It would be a waste not to make full use of his handsome face.However, his dreams had to be shattered. Instead of being supported, both of his parents wanted him to follow in his brother's footsteps. Also, why was Ashton so annoying since they were kids? Always being the role model
If you pay close attention, since becoming Ashton Wolf's wife, Alice has attended countless events hosted by her husband's extended family. From post-wedding receptions, birthdays, anniversaries, welcoming distant relatives, festive gatherings, achievement celebrations, social gatherings, and tonight, Alice even has to accompany Ashton to a family dinner.Actually, Alice enjoys attending such family gatherings. Besides strengthening relationships and gaining new relatives, she can become closer to and familiar with the many members of Ahmad's extended family. However, there are some things that sometimes make Alice reluctant and a bit unwilling to attend, especially when Aunt Hilda is there, always butting into every conversation."Why aren't you getting ready?" Ashton asked as he exited the bathroom. He walked towards the closet, then chose the clothes he would wear to the event soon."Can't I just stay home?" Alice sat on the side of the bed, her face clearly showing her reluctance.
"With this, the court has decided that Ms. Anggia is sentenced to five years in prison, with six months deducted for psychiatric rehabilitation, on charges of attempted murder and assault."After more than a month of various investigations, Anggia's sentence was finally decided.In the courtroom, the woman, who looked beautiful in a white shirt and black pants, initially appeared calm. Throughout the trial, Anggia even smiled several times.However, upon hearing the sentencing verdict, Anggia suddenly screamed hysterically. She lost control and started to lash out, refusing to accept the decision."This isn't fair!" Anggia shouted. Two officers approached, trying to calm her down and keep her from falling to the floor."Calm down, ma'am."Anggia turned and glared sharply before shouting again."Ma'am... ma'am... I'm not your mother! Do I look so old that you'd call me 'ma'am'?""Okay, please calm down, Ms. Anggia."Anggia looked displeased. She tried to break free, writhing to escape
It didn't take long for Ashton to return to work. After ten days of recovery, today he truly started all his activities as usual.Knowing her husband was so enthusiastic about getting back to work, Alice gave him incredible support. Since early morning, she had been busy in the kitchen preparing several breakfast dishes for her and Ashton."Are we having a party?" Ashton asked as he entered the dining room. He didn't know Alice had cooked this much. "There's a lot of breakfast food."Alice, who had just finished cooking, walked to the table carrying several plates of food. Turning to her husband, she smiled."No, honey. It's not a party. I just cooked a lot to celebrate you starting work again. So you can be full and energetic at the office."Ashton took a step forward. Spreading his arms, he hugged Alice tightly."You're so sweet, my wife.""Of course! I've always been, right? You're just realizing it now."Ashton laughed. It wasn't new for Alice to tease him. Typical of a woman, why
"Sweetheart... why are you crying?"Ashton's consciousness had fully returned. After being examined for a while and confirmed to be in good condition, the medical team and other family members gave him some time to be alone with his wife.Inside the treatment room, Ashton turned slowly. He found Alice sitting there, holding his right hand tightly.Upon closer inspection, he noticed his wife's eyes were swollen and puffy. Ashton was sure it was from crying too much and not getting enough sleep."I'm awake now. You should be happy, not crying. Besides, why stay sad when happiness is free.""I know," Alice replied softly. "I'm like this because I missed you so much," she murmured, her voice trembling. Soon, tears fell down her cheeks again.Anyone would be moved. Just imagine, after two days of uncertain feelings—fear, worry—about something bad happening to her husband. And now, after a long wait, Alice's prayers, along with those of their family, were answered by God.Ashton, who had be
"Zayn, Hana, from the bottom of our hearts, we both apologize for what Anggia has done."Frans and Celine are Anggia's parents. They came to the hospital specifically to visit Ashton and apologize for their daughter's bad behavior and the chaos she has caused in the past few days.Frans was clearly embarrassed. His relationship with Zayn's extended family had always been very good, and now, everything was at risk of being ruined because of Anggia's reckless actions, which no one had predicted.Everyone knew Anggia as a good person. She was smart, independent, and accomplished. Frans was very proud of his only daughter.Frans knew that Anggia had liked Ashton for a long time. Because of her love for Ashton, Anggia had once asked for permission to change her religion so their relationship could go more smoothly.As a father, Frans initially disagreed. But seeing Anggia's strong determination, he couldn't bear to refuse and gave her permission to choose her own faith.However, if God say