“Thank goodness, I thought you wouldn’t come.” The woman with shoulder-length hair who greeted Jordan was Raisa. Raisa’s face and body were undeniably perfect, but Jordan was not at all interested in her. “Don’t mention anything about last night…” Raisa remained relaxed, “Why the rush? You haven’t ordered a drink yet. Isn’t this your time off?” Jordan’s expression remained flat and serious as he spoke. “You call this time off? Don’t you remember the schedule? We have a lot of work to do this year-end. You need to finish all the administration for the year-end closure until it’s done.” “But…” Raisa planned to persuade him, but Jordan was firm, giving an order. “Get ready, we’re going to a meeting with the Vlora Business group, a high-class community of elite individuals.” Hufft! Raisa felt like she had lost her purpose, but she was still grateful that last night hadn’t affected her work at Jordan’s company. Slowly, her spirits rose. This meeting could be a self-promotion opportuni
As Clara peeked into the kitchen, she saw a woman standing with an apron tied around her waist. Clara tiptoed closer to the woman. “Raisa? You’re cooking and doing the chores? Isn’t the maid here?” Raisa responded with a smile, without stopping her activities. Clara felt awkward with Raisa’s busy schedule, even Louis commented. “Lately, I rarely see you, where have you been all this time?” Raisa nodded, her eyes meeting the innocent boy’s gaze. "Why? Do you miss me?" Lucas suddenly hugged her and rubbed her back. “Auntie, you must be tired after working so hard.” Again, his cute words made Raisa smile, “Not really, I’m just trying to be independent without bothering your Mommy.” “I don’t think Mommy minds, but seeing your dedication, I’m sure she’s happy.” Once again, the compliment didn’t erase her smile. “Oh, you’re just coming home now? Where have you been all day?” Lucas and Louis were indeed chatty, a long conversation ensued. They didn’t even want to try Raisa’s cooking,
"No I have to take care of her. But what will I do with Raisa? Should I marry her?" "What are you doing?" The door creaked open, and Clara entered, carrying a cup of beverage. She placed it in front of Jordan. Jordan adjusted his sitting position. He had been thinking about how to tell Clara about Raisa's pregnancy, but he didn't know where to start. If he kept it to himself, he would be mentally stressed. "Do you have some free time?" Clara asked cautiously. "Why?" His tense tone made Clara a little hesitant. "The food in the fridge is all gone, so I just want to go shopping. Can you accompany me for a while?" Raisa actually felt stupid; things that should be readily available at home were not something she could manage. Unexpectedly, Jordan grabbed the car keys in front of him and stood up. "What are you waiting for? Let's go." "Are you willing?" Clara hesitated. "What if I'm not?" Clara smiled. She followed her husband's steps and told Lucas and Louis to stay at home with t
Jordan was restless. Clara hadn't answered his calls at all. Raisa, too, was puzzled by Clara's sudden change in demeanor. "It's okay, maybe she's busy. Career women are always busy, after all," she said, trying to console him. Jordan ignored her advice and was about to leave. "Wait, you're just going to leave like that?" Raisa questioned, her eyebrows raised. Without wasting time, she grabbed two cups of drinks, returned, and sat across from Jordan. "Have this first. This is African coffee, often called Liribika coffee. It's a high-quality coffee with trees taller than Arabica. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Jordan accepted the warm coffee and took a sip. "Don't rush. Are you afraid your wife will be angry seeing us so close?" Jordan sighed. "I don't know... Why do you want to know?" "Of course, aren't we getting married soon?" "Ssshh..." Jordan hissed, but Raisa quickly put her finger on his lips. "Don't tell me you're not planning to marry me after knowing I'm carrying your baby?"
"Clara, you haven't even said anything after yesterday's problem. I never thought of betraying you," Jordan insisted, trying to defend himself as Clara returned home. However, she glared at him with piercing eyes. "So what am I supposed to say?" she retorted, her voice devoid of emotion. "I'm not joking, Lara, I need your approval." Clara took a deep breath, "So you're forcing me to allow you to marry her?" she asked sarcastically. "Do you feel no guilt after betraying me behind my back?" "Clara, listen to me..." "Shut up" Clara didn't even give Jordan a chance to speak. Her gaze was sharp, as if piercing through his eyes, making him sweat even more. "But Clara..." "You still have the audacity to ask me to approve your marriage?" Jordan remained unfazed. But Clara was not a weak woman who would cry, even though the betrayal hurt deeply. She felt it was pointless to stand there and decided to leave. However, she had only taken a step when Jordan's words reached her. "... I've m
The man who had helped them, his face vaguely familiar, stood before Clara and her twin sons. They had been cornered in their car, the thugs finally giving up and leaving them alone. He turned around, his face coming into focus. "Joe?" Clara exclaimed, slowly releasing her grip on her sons. As Joe approached, Clara tried to act nonchalant. “Thank you for helping us…” she started, then stopped. "Wait! How did you know we were here?" Just then, a police car arrived. The thugs, incapacitated by alcohol, were no match for the officers who easily apprehended them. Joe, a doctor who had treated her in the past, smiled. “I just happened to be passing by. Are you alright? And these two little ones…” Clara tightened her hold on Lucas and Louis. “They're my sons. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there... but who called the police?" "Me!" Clara looked at Lucas, who was grinning. "You?" The boy looked at Clara. "Yes, I called the emergency number and sent the locatio
"Are you sure about this place?" Raisa's skepticism hung in the air as they entered the open-air restaurant, its mid-range ambiance a stark contrast to her refined tastes. Jordan shrugged, his easygoing demeanor betraying nothing of her disapproval. He was used to simpler fare, to the robust flavors of traditional, spicy dishes. The menu's modest offerings didn't faze him. Lara's influence, Raisa muttered under her breath, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. Even with Clara, he'd displayed this same unpretentiousness, but it grated on her now. This place felt too…rustic. She pushed her plate away, the gesture a subtle dismissal, a subconscious rejection that extended beyond the food to Clara herself. "Forget this," she declared, her voice sharp, "From now on, you'll adjust. You'll change your perspective." Jordan opened his mouth to protest, but Raisa, already impatient, pulled him away. They moved on, leaving behind not just the restaurant but, it seemed, a part of his past, a par
"Lara, are you okay?" Seeing Clara grimace while holding her stomach, Joe felt concerned. "I-I'm fine, my stomach is just a little uncomfortable. You wait here, I'll be right back." After speaking, Clara hurried away. Just as Clara's back disappeared from view, a man cleared his throat, startling Joe. "So, it's you?" However, the man snorted, staring sharply at Joe, "I think it's time for you to leave..." Hearing the cold whisper, Joe immediately responded. "What do you mean? Why are you telling me to leave?" "Don't make me repeat myself, you know Lara is someone's wife, right? You shouldn't be here." Joe burst into laughter instantly. "Someone's wife, what are you talking about? Come on, Mr. Halle, don't lie to yourself. You two have nothing to do with each other anymore, am I wrong?" Joe raised an eyebrow. "You..." Jordan held back his words, his finger pointing directly at Joe's face. "Did Lara tell you something?" "Maybe yes, maybe no!" Joe circled Jordan, making him irrit
The next few days were a blur of tender care and cautious optimism. Raisa recovered remarkably well, her strength returning with each passing hour. Jordan, usually a whirlwind of activity, found himself strangely content in the quiet routine of caring for his wife and their newborn daughter. He named her Anya, a silent tribute to the woman whose selfless act had saved Raisa's life.One evening, as Anya slept soundly in her bassinet, Raisa stirred, a flicker of unease in her eyes. "Jordan," she whispered, her voice still weak, "I had a dream... a strange dream."Jordan sat beside her, his hand gently stroking her hair. "Tell me, my love.""I was in a place... dark and cold. A woman was there, her face obscured by shadows, but her voice... it was familiar. She was speaking of a secret, a terrible secret that must never be revealed."Jordan listened intently, his initial dismissal of it as a postpartum dream slowly fading as Raisa described the dream in vivid detail. The woman’s voi
dessy absorbed her friend's words, until unconsciously her tongue clicked. "Are all men the same? This is the first time I've heard Aldi like that. After all, as far as I know Aldi is so insistent on being with you." She then looked at Anna. "Sorry Anna, I don't want to interfere with your problem, but what if you listen to him talk sometimes." "You're defending him?" "N-no, I m-mean... It's best to make sure of the real thing first, if it's true that Aksi is guilty, I'll punch him immediately." *** "Anna..." Aldi quickly chased away the drunk thugs who had just bothered his girlfriend. "What are you doing outside at this late hour?" Anna took a breath, adjusting it to be stable. Luckily Aldi was in the right situation, if not, who knows what would have happened to her today. "Thank you, again I'm bothering you, I'll be careful in the future." Aldi sighed, "Is that enough?" Anna realized that she was so selfish,
The dinner was over, Randy and Dessy were still watching TV, while Anna chose to sit on the patio and busy herself with her phone."Anna..." Aldi followed her there, and Anna greeted him with a sour face, accompanied by a piercing question. "Why did you do that?"Unconsciously, his voice was a little hoarse. Aldi moved his mouth, trying to explain. "This is a misunderstanding, I don't know that girl at all, I don't know why she was so reckless..."Anna could see the honesty in his eyes, but her heart still hurt, so a word came out of her mouth. "For now, it's better if we don't meet for a while...""Why?"Aldi couldn't accept hearing the short sentence that seemed to pierce his heart, his eyes looked at Anna's face with a dull gaze.While Anna deliberately looked away, "I just want to be alone, so don't bother me for now."Aldi tried to get closer to her, but she immediately moved away. "Just because of what happened earlier?"His expression seemed like it was a trivial matter, Anna w
"Why is Anna taking so long?" Aldi repeatedly checked his watch, even getting in and out of the car to wait for his lover. His eyes stared at the box he had just bought as a surprise for Anna. "I hope she'll like this beautiful cake." However, it was almost dark, and Aldi had been waiting for hours in front of the fifteen-story building, but the one he was waiting for hadn't shown up yet. Suddenly, a group of beautiful girls appeared, just coming out of the building, and actually pointed at Aldi with their whispers. "You didn't see, there's a handsome man there." What a bunch of flirty girls!Although Aldi heard them, he deliberately turned his face away, too lazy to respond to the girls dressed formally but scantily clad. This was far different from Anna's appearance, who wore a hijab. In the midst of his thoughts, one of the girls dared to approach him. "Hi, I'm Kiran. Can we get to know each other?" She was in her tw
"Here's your order, you get a bonus of one exclusive Swiss-made handbag."Dessy reappeared, carrying three packages ordered by her customers. While they were chatting, Anna distanced herself from them. This was because she was texting Aldi, walking around the apartment with her eyes glued to her phone, not paying attention to where she was going. Brukk!Unfortunately, Anna was so careless that she bumped into someone. She immediately bent down to apologize. "Wait!"She hadn't had a chance to see the person she had bumped into. They were facing each other, and it felt like she recognized this person. Anna mustered up the courage to touch the mask covering their face and quickly removed it. "Aldi?" Anna was shocked to see her fiancé standing in front of her, smiling. "Since when were you here? Didn't we just..." "Right, this is a surprise, isn't it?" Initially, the man wanted to avoid this, but since he had been c
"Anna, you have a visitor..." In Dessy's apartment, Anna sat leaning back, exhausted after a long journey. "But I'm very tired, Dessy. Why don't you just..." But her friend had already dragged her out to the terrace. Even though she put on a grumpy face, "Who is the visitor anyway..." Dessy didn't seem to mind, but Anna was silent when she saw a familiar figure standing behind her. "Who is that?" The person in front of her suddenly turned around. "Ayunda...?" Anna couldn't believe that the woman had come to see her. Ayunda seemed surprised too when she realized that the person she met was not a stranger, and they just stared at each other without a word. Why was the atmosphere so awkward? "How are you..." Anna tried to act nonchalant, as if nothing had happened. She invited her guest inside and acted friendly, forgetting the time when they argued in the past.
"Honestly, I feel sorry for her..." Aldi and Anna both turned towards Dessy. "Why?" "Apparently, after her company went bankrupt, her mother took Hanif's two children with her." "They're his grandchildren too, so she must be feeding them," Aldi said, trying to stir the pot. Anna, who had been silent until now, finally commented. "How do you know?" "It's all over the internet, and the worst part is Ayunda..." Dessy shook her head and clicked her tongue. "She's getting worse." "What do you mean?" Anna frowned. "She's become a PRN* star, it's a job that... God forbid, I hope all my descendants are free from such things." Anna became curious. She realized that she had to listen to her friend's gossip now. However, she had to get the right information since she had already been told. "How do you know so much?" Dessy widened her eyes in annoyance. "I saw it on
Clara hadn't left her apartment since the previous night. She had hired several people to renovate it. It seemed that not only Joe was impatiently awaiting the next day, but Clara was also eagerly anticipating their wedding day. Her unwavering smile became a topic of conversation among her neighbors, curious about her busy day. "Mrs. Lara, are you sure you want to replace all the decorations in this room?" A worker felt sorry for all the furniture and everything visible in the apartment. Everything was still new, they couldn't bear to throw it away. As if understanding the workers' thoughts, Clara smiled faintly. "I just want to change the scenery in this house, you can take any old furniture or anything else you like." "B-but ma'am? Are you sure?" Clara nodded amidst their busy work. "Of course." "Hey, you know what, Doctor Joe has a complete and unbeatable job. I didn't expect him to be able to do it, his activities at the hospital are always busy." *** "Replace all my sche
Four Years Later, "Let's go in." The click-clack of high heels echoed through the white building as a new figure stepped out of the car. All eyes were drawn to the dress that fluttered in the wind, its owner possessing a clear and serene face. This was Clara, the owner and ambassador of a world-renowned cosmetics brand. Clara was invited to an exclusive event for a fashion brand, celebrating the grand opening of their new building. As an ambassador, Clara, surrounded by a life of luxury, had captivated the world. Just a week ago, her cosmetics factory was expanded, and her workforce grew. It was strange, her fortunes had improved since becoming a single mother. "Lara..." a man called out, causing a moment of awkwardness. "Joe? Why is he here? I thought..." "Mommy, why are you spacing out? Let's sit over there..." Lucas called out, gesturing for Clara to stop lingering. Though curious about why Joe and her two sons were there, Clara continued towards them. The event began. The