Part 37.Joe followed his mom and dad to the living room. Meanwhile, Clara headed to her room on the second floor.In the room were only Joe, Mr. Bond, and Mrs. Linn. The female servants in the house were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Kimmy was playing with Vivian and her nanny."What do you want to talk about, Mom?" Joe asked."It's about Kimmy," she said."What's wrong with Kimmy?" Joe asked."I feel like Kimmy wants her parents to be back together," Mrs. Linn said, unable to meet her son's gaze.Ugh!Joe's lips pressed tightly together, showing the tension in his jaw muscles. There was a bitter taste in the back of his throat."Does that mean I have to marry Vivian again, Mom?" Joe asked."Yes, that shouldn't be difficult to achieve, right? You still love Vivian very much, and she seems to have changed now. She can improve her behavior and make you and your daughter her priorities, not for me, but for Kimmy!" she added.Silence."The decision is yours, Joe!" Mr.
Part 38The night grew late. The emergency room of the hospital appeared quiet. There were only a few nurses and staff around.Joe gazed intently at his unconscious daughter's face. An IV needle was in her hand, and an oxygen tube was attached to her nose."Mom, Dad, you should go home and rest," Joe said. A mix of sadness and guilt filled his heart."No, Mom won't leave until she makes sure her granddaughter is okay!" Mrs. Linn refused."Doctor Gaston will be here soon, Mom, don't worry," Joe reassured. He was equally worried as Mrs. Linn."What if something happens to Kimmy? Why didn't you open the door immediately, Joe? Look, now my granddaughter is unconscious because of you!" Mrs. Linn accused, her voice low but forceful.Silence.Joe chose to remain silent. Arguing with his mother wouldn't help. He'd surely lose!"That's enough, Mom, don't blame Joe. Let's just pray for Kimmy to wake up soon!" Mr. Bond intervened, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder.Footsteps approached."W
Part 39.Doubt crept in, and it lingered for a while. But in Clara's heart, the feeling of love remained just as strong and sincere for that man, Uncle Young Sebastian.The only man who fascinated and captivated her. She fell too deeply. Because he was the only owner of her love and her heart.It would be a lie if she were to really go to London in two days. How could she! Just one night without a message made her confused because of longing. How could Clara choose to go to London and not see him for years?Clara knew she loved Joe. The feeling of love had already been reciprocated. The girl was still determined not to leave as long as Joe himself told her to go.Clara was sure her feelings of love were never wrong. Besides, Joe would marry her. Why should she listen to people trying to separate them? They didn't value her feelings.Clara would talk to Joe. Then, she would take the next step."Sister, we've arrived!" said a taxi driver."Yes!" Clara handed him two hundred thousand rup
Part 40."Get out of here, Clara, hurry, get out of here!"Joe's words and his expression kept echoing in Clara's mind. He truly expelled her.What should she do now? Go back to Joe's house and leave for London immediately? Or ask for Nadia's help? It's not possible because Nadia is on vacation. What about Mario? He's already in London.Clara deliberately chose the stairs to descend from the third floor of the hospital. At least, there wouldn't be anyone else seeing her cry because no one was interested in walking through the stairs.Step by step, Clara reached the ground floor. In the parking area in front of the hospital building."What should I do?!" Clara muttered, looking into the distance.Suddenly, the rain poured down heavily. Clara was trapped and didn't know where to go. The money she had was not much.Usually, she would ask Joe and he would give her money. But now, Clara didn't even have the courage to speak, let alone ask for money.Worms in Clara's stomach began to protes
Part 41."Try calling me?" challenged Doctor Gaston."Ma... I can't call you that, doctor!" Clara refused, scratching her non-itchy head."Emm, okay, I won't force you!" the man said. "Now, tell me why Joe kicked you out?" he asked.Clara lowered her head, the events of earlier that evening still vivid in her mind."I went into Kimmy's room and found the oxygen tube detached from her nose, and Uncle Joe came in, thinking I was trying to harm Kimmy," Clara closed her eyes. The image of Joe, bundled with his anger, was etched clearly in her memory."Do you really like him?" Gaston inquired. He was curious if Clara pursued Joe or vice versa."Yes, I like Uncle Joe, I don't know since when exactly, but I've always looked forward to seeing him every time," Clara said. She smiled, reminiscing about her feelings of love. Every meeting with him would become an unforgettable moment."Did Joe reciprocate your feelings?" he asked again. Clara was indeed beautiful, and Gaston couldn't help but no
Title: Part 42.The orange sky turned dark. The beauty of dusk was replaced by the night. Joe was still in his car on his way home. Antoni was driving for him. He noticed Joe's continued gloominess since this morning. That afternoon, his boss didn't show a smile at all when signing a contract with a model for the new Blue Jewelry product of the month. Even when returning home from work, his lips remained tightly sealed without a smile."Sir," Antoni called out, observing Joe through the rearview mirror."Hmm...," Joe glanced briefly and looked out the window again."Is Miss Kimmy still not recovered?" Antoni inquired. He was always curious about what was happening with his boss."Kimmy is in the healing phase, her injuries aren't too serious," the man replied without turning. There was a heavy burden on his chest."Is there a problem, Sir?" Antoni probed further. "Is this about Miss Clara?" he pressed."Hmm...," was all Antoni heard."If it's a matter of the heart, I can't help, but i
Part 43.Joe felt annoyed. He didn't know what was really going on. Was Gaston really interested in Clara or was his friend just teasing him? Honestly, Joe felt very emotional and provoked. How could that man make him so irritated?The clock showed 7:10 PM WIB. In Bali, it was still late afternoon. Gaston would soon take Clara back to the hotel. Hufft. The image of Clara, her smile, her strawberry lips. The man clenched his fists tightly."Gaston damn!" he muttered.He grabbed his phone and searched for Antoni's number.The call connected."Hello, good evening, Sir..." the man's greeting stopped."Cancel all my appointments for tomorrow!" Joe shouted."But... Sir, we have to...," Antoni's speech stopped again."Book a ticket to Bali for tonight!" Joe ordered."But Sir!" protested the voice on the other end."Inform me immediately!" Click. Joe ended the call.Joe tried to call Gaston, but there was no answer at all. So, he decided to call Clara."Hello," Clara greeted from the other en
Part 44.Joe descended the stairs and walked towards the living room, then continued to the veranda of the house.A man in a black suit was standing with his back to him. Joe observed him from behind, not recognizing who the man was."Ahem..." Joe cleared his throat as he approached his uninvited guest.The man turned around. They exchanged glances. The man in the black suit was tall, fair-skinned, and appeared to be around 25 to 30 years old."Excuse me, who are you?" Joe asked. He really didn't know who the man in front of him was."Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Zio, I came here because I want to confirm something!" he said.Joe scrutinized the man in front of him."Is this indeed the residence of Joe Sebastian?" the man asked."Yes, I am Joe himself," Joe confirmed. "Please, have a seat," he offered.Joe sat on the rattan chair in front of his house. The man did the same."Nice to meet you, Sir," he greeted.Joe shook the man's extended hand."I want to inquire about a m
71.One month later.As requested by the grandfather, Clara and Joe's wedding was held in a simple manner, attended only by close relatives. On Clara's side, only Freedy Lim and Zio were present, while on Joe's side, both of his parents invited their close relatives.Freedy Lim was chatting with Bond Sebastian and Linn."Mr. Lim, you should stay here, and we can go on vacation together," Bond offered. Hearing that his in-laws were also leaving for Singapore tonight made him feel a bit sad."No, Mr. Bond and Mrs. Linn, I must leave immediately. My work is waiting, and I'm sure I'll only disturb the newlyweds if I stay here," he replied. "After this, I have to go to the airport so as not to be late," he added."Alright, sir, please wait a moment. We should have dinner together before you leave!" Bond requested.Freedy Lim nodded. Then Mrs. Linn moved towards the bridal chamber.Inside the bridal chamber, Clara was taking off the crown that adorned her hair. Meanwhile, Joe was in the bat
Part 70."First, I don't want Clara to become a mother at her young age, make sure she continues her education until she obtains at least a bachelor's degree!" he said. "Secondly, I don't want your married life to be consumed by the public, I don't like Lim family members being exposed to the media, and thirdly, guide Clara to become a businesswoman, I still want her to be the primary heir!" Freedy Lim revealed these three conditions to Clara."Alright, I agree," Joe replied loudly."Come closer!" Mr. Lim commanded."Yes, Sir."Overcoming his awkwardness, Joe got up from his seat and sat next to the middle-aged man."Thank you very much for taking care of Clara, if you weren't a good person, my grandson wouldn't insist on staying by your side," he said.Joe smiled. Freedy Lim wasn't as intimidating as the articles he had read about Clara's grandfather."Continue to take care of my granddaughter, as you have been doing for the past ten years, make her happy, because only you can make h
Part 69Clara tightly held Uncle Joe Sebastian's hand. They had arrived at Changi Airport. A four-wheeled vehicle was parked at the airport exit."Are we meeting Grandpa now, Uncle?" Clara asked as she stepped into the car."I need to eat first, Clara. I'm very hungry," Joe made an excuse. He wasn't ready. Yes, meeting Freedy Lim, who clearly didn't like him, was daunting."Okay, we should eat first," Clara agreed. She felt very nervous. Her heart always wondered what would happen next? Of course, Clara had a backup plan in case her grandfather didn't give his blessing.The car they boarded stopped at a seafood restaurant. They got out of the car and started going in.Joe ordered some food from the menu. Strangely, his hunger vanished just like that."Why aren't you eating, Uncle?" Clara asked. She was trying to swallow the scallops she had chewed."I don't know, Clara, suddenly I lost my appetite," Joe answered. He just stared at his empty plate."Is Uncle very afraid to meet Grandpa
68."Yes, Clara, I was looking for you," Joe replied. He kissed Clara. Starting from her forehead, then her eyelids, moving down to her left cheek and then to her right. Then, he gazed longingly at Clara's lips.Relieved, it turned out Gaston had never kissed Clara."Uncle...," Clara's words halted as Joe kissed her eagerly. Long, gradual, and deep. While embracing her, Joe continued to kiss Clara. Hundreds of kisses felt insufficient to make up for the month after he woke up from his coma. If he remembered correctly, he missed Clara every day. Morning, noon, and night. Clara, Clara, and Clara.Slowly, Joe released his kiss. He gazed at Clara's face carefully. Their gazes met each other."Clara Rusadi Lim, I apologize for all my mistakes towards you. Firstly, for not telling you when I woke up, and secondly, for pretending to have amnesia," Joe confessed. With his right hand, he brushed Clara's hair behind her ear, then cupped her beautiful face. "I missed you so much, Clara, I misse
67.Creak.The door opened.Joe's and Gaston's eyes met. Joe stared sharply at the man in front of him, observing Gaston from head to toe. He noticed three buttons of Gaston's shirt undone, and his hair was disheveled. Joe's eyes sharpened as he spotted traces of nude lipstick on Gaston's lips."What's up? Can't you see I'm busy!" Gaston pretended to adjust his appearance. "Oh," his face looked surprised, and he quickly straightened his shirt buttons."What are you going to talk about! Spit it out now! I need to sleep and rest!" Joe said, trying to appear indifferent.Gaston nodded, turning back to glance at Clara briefly before closing the door."Let's talk downstairs!" Joe ordered. He really wanted to talk to Gaston and get him out of his house.Gaston followed, following Joe's steps down the stairs. They both sat facing each other in the living room."Here's the thing, Joe, when you were in a coma, Mr. Lim asked me to take care of Clara. Essentially, he preferred me to be Clara's h
Part 66.Joe's words made Celine angry. Without much thought, she decided to leave the house."It seems like a mistake for me to be here. Uncle Joe, you need to be more decisive with your feelings. If you still love her, fight for it! I know your love for her is immense. It's impossible for you to protect Clara, sacrificing yourself if you don't love her!" Celine's message sounded slightly irritated. She realized she was defeated by Clara. "Dr. Gaston, Clara, I'll take my leave now! I hope you can resolve your feelings without involving too many parties! Goodnight!" Celine nodded respectfully and left Joe Sebastian's dining room.Clara's gaze fell downwards. She bowed her head, deeply hurt by Joe's words. Meanwhile, Dr. Gaston looked at Joe with disappointment. He felt Joe didn't need to go that far to make Clara give up; telling her directly would have been more mature."It seems like you've learned a lot from Vivian; now you're so good at acting like your late wife!" Gaston said. "We
Part 65.Clara lay down next to Kimmy, the little girl asleep from exhaustion. Clara's eyes focused on her phone screen, feeling frustrated and unsure who to contact.She continued to move her thumb, scrolling through her phone, and found Dr. Gaston's number.The call connected."Hello," greeted Dr. Gaston on the other end."Hello, doctor, it's me, Clara!" she said."What's up, Clara?" Dr. Gaston asked."Uncle Joe invited someone for dinner, can Dr. Gaston also come here? I need Dr. Gaston's help," Clara asked hopefully. She wasn't sure if her plan would succeed, but there was no harm in trying."So tonight, I come to Joe's house?" the doctor confirmed."Yes.""What can I help you with, Clara?""Dr. Gaston's presence!" Clara replied."Alright, what time should I come?""Just a moment, I'll ask Uncle Joe, then I'll let you know, the journey from the hospital to here is only half an hour!" Clara replied, looking at the wall clock showing it was almost half past four in the afternoon."O
Part 64."Nad, something's not right!" Clara exclaimed."What do you mean?" Nadia asked.In the afternoon, she purposely skipped her last class to meet Clara."Dr. Gaston and Uncle Joe seem to agree to hide something from me!" Clara said, lowering her head as she sipped her cold juice."What are they hiding?" Nadia inquired."Uncle Joe has amnesia, but I'm sure it's impossible! There must be something he's hiding!" Clara explained."What if he really has amnesia?" Nadia suggested another possibility, considering the gunshot wound on Joe's temple."Maybe, I just need to know what really happened!" Clara lowered her head, knowing that no one in Joe's residence would tell her the truth."When will you go home?" Nadia asked."I'll stay for two nights, then head to London!" Clara replied."Alright, I suggest that during your two days and two nights in Jakarta, you should stay at Uncle Joe's house. Maybe the parents, servants, driver, and gardener will keep silent! But, did you forget? Clar
63.The ticking of the clock in Clara's room was agonizingly slow. Standing while gazing at the city's beauty from her room tonight did little to ease the unease in her heart.Remembering that Mrs. Linn and Doctor Gaston hadn't responded to her messages for almost a week made Clara wonder what was really going on. Initially, Clara thought that the two of them were just busy. But the photos sent by Nadia made Clara suspicious.Clara got up from her seat. She left the room and immediately sought out her grandfather."Where's Grandpa?" Clara asked the maid."Mr. Lim is in his room, Miss," the woman replied.Clara walked towards her grandfather's room, which was next to Aunt Margaret's room.Knock.Knock.Knock.Clara gently knocked on the door."Grandpa," Clara called out.After a moment, the door opened, revealing the middle-aged man standing before her."What is it, Clara?"Freedy Lim observed his granddaughter's face. There was a restlessness there. Clara's eyebrows furrowed, and her