After almost three days in the hospital, today the doctor allowed Amanda to go home, and on the way to the mansion woman kept silent, never engaging Zayn in conversation or responding to his questions after the morning's argument. Amanda had a big disappointment with Zayn, so her attitude had changed.The situation in the car became more awkward than before, although Zayn occasionally glanced at Amanda's condition through the overhead mirrors, he could only grumble in response to Oriaga's wife's silence. Zayn realized that his strict adherence to Oriaga's rules must have disappointed others, especially Amanda.After the car stopped in the courtyard of the mansion, Zayn immediately got out and opened the door for Amanda, the woman came out without looking at Zayn, all the servants welcomed Amanda's return using their faces of emotion and anxiety that had been held back for days."Miss Amanda, you're finally back. We were so frightened and anxious." Aunt Rosemary's voice represents the
Amanda never came out of the room, she was silent to everyone, and she had no appetite for anything when Aunt Rosemary kept knocking on her door, Amanda still didn't come out, making sadness overwhelm everyone's feelings.Zayn heard that Oriaga was returning to Amsterdam today after a few days away in Russia. Zayn had to mentally prepare himself and his energy to face the man, ready or not this day would surely come to everyone in the mansion.The fear that is difficult to disappear, the situation at the mansion becomes quite tense, although Amanda is the main culprit, they also have to bear the punishment.That afternoon Oriaga appeared at the mansion, but he didn't ask Zayn to pick him up at the airport even though the assistant had a new cell phone and sim card, Oriaga chose to have Dean pick him up.A tense and intimidating aura followed Oriaga's every step, he had managed to contain his anger in front of everyone back in Moscow, but today would be very different, he couldn't wait
Everyone screamed in fear though in the end Oriaga's fist only floated in front of Zayn's face, and the assistant gulped as he realized Oriaga's anger was coming his way."Why didn't you tell me from the start, huh? Why didn't you tell me that Amanda jumped off the cliff, I don't need an excuse if your cell phone has been lost, you can still contact me using anyone's cell phone, Zayn. But, you just kept quiet, huh?" Oriaga was disappointed in Zayn's attitude for trying to hide the tragic incident, Oriaga should have first heard the news from Zayn, but it was Hani after being pressed."I'm sorry, sir. I know it's been a big mistake, I just felt that doing so must have been very disruptive to your situation in Russia. You're taking care of a lot of problems, and I—""You're trying to take care of my problems here, huh?" Oriaga smiled wryly, one hand still clutching his assistant's black jacket.Zayn shook his head as he looked down. "No, sir. Not at all, I didn't mean it like that. I wa
After waking up Amanda touched the back of her neck, it still hurt, and the woman's head was also a little dizzy. She looked around, the atmosphere in her room was still the same, but without Oriaga. She just remembered that she was arguing before she fainted, and realized that Oriaga had hit her on the back of the neck to make her faint."That bastard!" Emotion immediately overcame Amanda, she could not give in, and her pride and feelings were too hurt, for Oriaga's attitude and words were too much, making Amanda want to hit her husband's face.She immediately staggered to the door of the room that was tightly closed, pressed the knob, then glared to find that the door of her room had been locked from the outside, while there was no lock always installed from the inside."He locked me out, huh? He's avoiding me so much that it's like this?" Not giving up yet, Amanda kept knocking—even pounding on the door as she called out anyone's name to open the object in front of her, but everyon
Today Oriaga got some news that made him feel calm and better, he heard that his lawsuit against 'Seize' had been taken care of by the police, and they summoned some important parties from the local brand for investigation.At least Oriaga can still breathe normally after facing the fuss his wife made, he returned home after staying two days at the mansion to keep an eye on Amanda. As his wife had suspected from the start, Oriaga put more guards around the mansion.He hired contractors to remove the metal door near the gazebo and had them raise the boundary wall and close the former metal door so that there was no way out other than the mansion's main gate.The thing that annoyed Amanda the most was when two trees in the backyard were cut down after Oriaga remembered his wife had observed them, making him think that Amanda could repeat the same thing one day using a different method."If you cut down those trees and summer comes, how am I supposed to shelter from the sun there, huh? D
"Sir, Seize's CEO would like to set up a meeting with you." Joana appeared in Oriaga's office to tell him something after receiving the call ten minutes ago."What for?" The man was busy examining a report containing a graph of monthly sales data from Gregorious Jewelry. It had been a long time since they released a new style in the market because they were still focusing on clothing products, plus Gregorious had just received a problem."They want to negotiate with you. One of them is about withdrawing the charges from the police, and they intend to compensate Gregorious for all the losses due to the design plagiarism.""I don't need their money. Just keep it in your pockets," Oriaga replied casually without looking up from the stack of folders."Alright, I'll confirm that you've declined the meeting's wishes.""Yes. Don't give a chance to those who made a mistake on purpose because they could repeat it at any time."Joana agreed to her boss's words and then asked permission to leave
Amanda had gotten used to the silence of the mansion's workers after her escape attempt that night. Even as the fall season drew to a close, they remained cold as if they had never met, making her occasionally feel uneasy about living with living statues.She stood in the hallway of the backyard as she folded her arms across her chest, now that the scenery was different after the apple and avocado trees were cut down according to Oriaga's orders.The woman snorted. "He's the best at reading the smallest situations and opportunities, and I have to applaud that man. Is that why he managed to become a businessman?"She looked back, more precisely, at the red-aproned figure visible from the large windows around the hallway. Amanda always found Aunt Rosemary busy in the kitchen in this position.Amanda longed for a moment of intimate conversation with the woman, but Aunt Rosemary always avoided her, allowing Oriaga's wife to open up a time-binding discussion for them."Now I'm always talki
Jeff is still very curious, and the man continues to find out why the Griscouv family suddenly disappeared from their home in the De Pijp area, making Jeff continue to think that even while working, he is afraid that something bad will happen to Amanda.Today, Jeff is back in Amsterdam after a month away from the city for work, and he's sure he'll have to approach the developer's office to find out where the Griscouvs went."They just said they moved to the Nieuwmarkt en Lastage area, that's all. The rest we didn't know anything about."After hearing a bit of information from a staff member at the developer's office, Jeff thanked them and said goodbye.He thought about it after sitting behind the wheel, a situation that made Jeff feel quite awkward knowing the economic hardship on Amanda's family."Nieuwmarkt en Lastage? Aren't the houses there more expensive than the houses in the previous neighborhood? Doesn't Amanda's family also have complicated financial problems?" Jeff grumbled.
"Immediately prepare the data of all office employees with contracts that are about to expire at the end of this year, Joana. The data should be ready by the time I get to the office, probably in an hour due to the situation outside. Thank you." Oriaga put his phone back after ending the call.The three were in the car, still halfway to the mansion. As Zayn was driving was deliberately slowed down to keep up with the clearing of the surrounding snow piles.Zayn deliberately set the music to make the atmosphere in the car less quiet because since the pair of humans sat in the passenger seat, they were united in silence as if there was a cold war."Sir. Do we have to return home after taking Miss Amanda to the mansion?" Zayn asked as he glanced at the overhead mirrors, confirming the situation behind him."No, no. It's too time-consuming. I have a few changes of clothes in the office.""Alright.""Do you want to buy anything before arriving at the mansion?"The question had not been rea
"What were you guys talking about that you only came back to this room near midnight? You seem to have a lot of energy."Amanda snorted as she stared irritably at the gray-shirted man on the bed. She thought Oriaga had fallen asleep since leaving the living room about two hours earlier, while Amanda had joined her family to relieve her longing."Although I have little energy, I will try to make the most of my time when it comes to my family." Amanda sat on the edge of the bed, her back to her husband."Yes, of course, you can only see them when I give you the chance."Amanda made no sound. She lay in the space beside Oriaga as she pulled up the blanket. She didn't want to face the man, so she tilted her body to the right."You're going to ignore me?""You ignore me a lot, Oriaga. Don't overdo it.""Exaggerate? I very rarely even lie beside you.""It's not my fault, you did it. I've always been lying in the mansion's bed at your convenience while you chose to sleep elsewhere.""You're
Amanda was all smiles from the moment she stepped back into her parents' home, receiving a warm welcome, and it was fortunate that Nadine had returned to work as soon as she could after receiving word from Mateo that her sister would be visiting.If there had been no such news, Nadine would most likely have approached Rudolf at his coffee shop to help her lover."Mom, I have a gift for you," Oriaga said as he took something out of his coat pocket before removing it: a blue jewelry box with the 'Gregorious' emblem on the top. He placed it on the table right in front of Pamela.About five people sat on the sofa by the lit fireplace, the atmosphere becoming quite warm as the light in the sky dimmed."What is this, Oriaga?" Pamela grabbed the object and opened it, and she was quite surprised to find a bracelet with several pearls around it, very pretty and luxurious. "Oh my! This must be expensive.""Is it the latest collection from your brand?" asked Nadine.Oriaga shook his head. "No, i
"I want to go back to work.""Work?" Pamela was surprised to hear her husband's wish. "Why go back to work? Don't we have enough to live for?""Yes. I know." The man grunted as he leaned back on the sofa—they were sitting by the dying fireplace. "Your son-in-law did guarantee our lives, even paid all the debts, but don't you think if one-day Oriaga announces his marriage to everyone, they will ask, 'Who is that man married to? What is her family background?' do you know what I mean, Pamela?"The wife paused, then snorted as she understood the meaning of Mateo's words. "It seems like this could cause a bit of trouble.""Right, aside from the judgment of others, I also want to protect my daughter from anyone's evil words. Although I'm sure Oriaga is taking good care of her, there's still a bit of guilt when I remember why Amanda had to get married."Mateo thought back to the past. If it weren't for the massive debt, he probably wouldn't have accepted Pamela's decision for Amanda to marr
"You know a guy named Jeff pretty well, huh?"Amanda didn't budge, as her husband was visiting the mansion in the middle of the night for the winter. In other people's homes, they choose to rest or watch thrilling romance movies, but at the mansion, a man named Oriaga Niel Thompson is trying to harass his wife.Amanda is already asleep and is forced to wake up due to Oriaga's relentless harassment, causing her to almost punch him in the face.Now, Amanda had to stand facing Oriaga in the library, and the opening question was enough to make Amanda understand the annoying situation."Why not answer it, Amanda?"The woman exhaled harshly, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm sure you already know the answer, so why ask, huh?""I have the right to say anything.""How ridiculous. You woke me up to ask about Jeff, huh?""Again, I have the right to say anything. After all, this is my house. I also have the right to disturb anyone, including you.""I hate to hear such strange rules.""Seco
Oriaga had examined some of the latest jewelry designs submitted by the three Gregorious jewelry designers. Still, the man had not shown any satisfaction with the images on the table, either because he had not found the best or was influenced by something else.It was a good thing he was alone in the CEO's office, so he wasn't asked to comment on the designs because Oriaga didn't have a definitive answer yet, his mind like a ship adrift in the middle of the ocean. Thanks to Amanda's words this morning, he was not eager to work.He collected all the design papers and intended to put them in a drawer. He could review the designs tomorrow or the day after before commenting on their flaws or satisfaction. Still, after pulling out the drawer and finding Amanda's cell phone, Oriaga's attention was distracted.He put the design paperback on the table and took out Amanda's cell phone, which had been stored there for months. He immediately connected the object to a powerbank. When the cell pho
Amanda exhaled harshly when she looked in the mirror before the sink and found several kiss marks around her chest and neck. The man was being quite brutal, more than usual, making Amanda feel tortured even though it wasn't violent.She quickly took off her entire towel kimono before soaking in the bathtub filled with soothing, warm water. At least this room was the best reason for Amanda to secure herself. If Oriaga woke up, the man would immediately repeat their hot activities like a hyper while his wife had given up.It was now close to midnight, and Amanda ventured into the bath as the snow piled up more and more outside."That man should go home. I don't want him to stay here, and all my joints are aching from the pressure of Oriaga. What's gotten into him like that, huh?" She complained even if she said it in front of Oriaga, he wouldn't care; he was just obsessed with Amanda's body.She hadn't realized that someone had woken up and searched for her while feeling the bed's surfa
Amanda's feelings became anxious after Oriaga ended their video call. Although his expression was flat when he spotted it, intonation was enough to emphasize that the man was angry, even though Amanda had not shown the final part of the lingerie that she had cut out carelessly.Amanda swallowed; from the beginning, she realized that she had challenged Oriaga, but when the man answered her challenge—it caused a different kind of anxiety, and Amanda didn't like the way she felt.She lowered the lingerie box from the top of the closet, double-checked, put the item back, then double-checked. She kept doing this because the confusion, as the saying goes, 'rice has become porridge,' fit Amanda's anxiety perfectly.Time passed, and it became dark. All the lights in the mansion were bright, including Amanda's room, but she still couldn't shake off the anxiety. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the lingerie box on the surface of the dressing table."What else am I supposed to do with
The man wasn't lying, and he sent many things to the mansion the day after visiting his wife. Many boxes piled up in the main room, making Amanda angry at her husband's behavior.What looked like a variety of gifts from many people, and damn those items were from luxury brands. Amanda regretted she should have insisted that Oriaga buy something ordinary so that she could wear it without thinking about the price."Miss. Should we move all these boxes to your room?" asked one maid among the other two; they witnessed Amanda getting frustrated."I don't know." The woman sat down on the sofa, supporting her chin with her hands as she stared at the pile of multicolored boxes. "Why would he buy this much stuff, huh? It's too much, and he could have used the money to donate to an orphanage or something.""But, Miss. Isn't Mr. Oriaga a regular donor at an orphanage?" A servant interjected as Amanda spoke to herself."Really? Where is it?""I'm sorry, Miss. But, we don't know enough about it."