Nico entered the police station with firm steps. In his hand, he held the divorce papers he had just picked up from the registry office. All decisions had been made. All decisions about him and Ruby must come to an end. He stared at the door to the room that led to Ruby's cell, holding his breath for a moment before knocking."Come in," came the voice from inside.Nico opened the door and entered, greeted by the piercing gaze of Ruby sitting on the narrow cell chair. Ruby's eyes conveyed annoyance and hatred, while she was still wearing her prisoner's clothes. She seemed to be prepared for this encounter, but nothing could have prepared her for the words that would come out of Nico's mouth.Nico stepped in and placed the divorce papers on the table in front of Ruby. "Ruby, these are our divorce papers. Sign it, so that everything is finalized."Ruby looked at the letter, then looked at Nico with an angry gaze. "You think I'll just sign it, Nico?" Ruby snorted. "No, I'm not just going
Nicolas sat in the office of his appointed lawyer, his eyes fixed on the middle-aged man before him. The files on the table were neatly organized, but Nico knew that the process he was about to undergo would not be easy. "So, you want my client Ruby to be released?" the lawyer asked, his voice calm but inquisitive. Nico nodded firmly. "Yes, I want to mount a defense. No matter how difficult the process is, I want her to be free as soon as possible." The lawyer looked at Nico with a thoughtful gaze. "Mr. Nicolas, this case is quite complicated. Given the evidence and witnesses, the chances are not great. But if you are willing to pay the fees and involve me fully, I will do my best." "There is no problem with fees. Do whatever needs to be done," Nico replied without hesitation. The lawyer gave a small nod, then began to explain the strategy he would use. The process would take a few weeks, but Nico didn't care. As long as Ruby was willing to sign the divorce papers, he was wi
A month laterCeline sat in her elegant office, looking at the documents neatly arranged on the desk. A faint smile was etched on her face. Devano, the man she trusted to take over William's company, stood in front of her, handing her the latest report. "Everything is going according to plan, Celine. William's company is now fully under your control," Devano said as he looked at Celine with a satisfied look. Celine leaned her back on the chair and nodded slowly. "You did a great job, Devano. I'm satisfied with the result." "Thank you. If there's nothing else to discuss, I'll go back to the team," Devano said, signaling to say goodbye. Celine nodded again. "Okay. Make sure all the legal documents are taken care of perfectly. I don't want any loopholes." After Devano left, Celine looked at the large window behind him. Her gaze was cold, yet there was a sense of relief flowing through her. Now, she had full control over William's company-an accomplishment she had been chasing.
Nicolas' mansionNicolas walked into his mansion with heavy steps. His head felt full, like a boulder was pressing down on his mind. Every corner of the house now only reminded him of something that would soon be gone. In the living room, Mrs. Maria was sitting while knitting, her face immediately turning worried at the sight of her son's expression. "Nico, what's wrong? You look like a mess," she asked, placing her knitting tools on the table. Nico didn't answer right away. He took off his tie rudely, threw it on the sofa, and sat down with a slumped body. His eyes stared blankly at the floor before he finally spoke. "Mom, we need to vacate the house immediately." Maria's mother was silent for a moment, trying to digest the words. "What do you mean, Nico? Why should we vacate the mansion? It's your home." Nico took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "It's all over, ma'am. This mansion... my company... everything. It's not mine anymore." Maria looked at Nico with con
The sun was scorching overhead, but the atmosphere in front of Nico's mansion was much cooler. A luxury car pulled into the courtyard, and Celine got out with steady steps. Several of her men followed behind, their faces flat, emotionless. At the entrance of the mansion, Nico and Mrs. Maria were already standing, waiting for the arrival of these uninvited guests. Mrs. Maria looked worried, while Nico just stood there with a blank stare. "So, you're still here," Celine said sharply, folding her arms across her chest. "I've given you three days. Don't you know what an ultimatum is?" Mrs. Maria stepped forward, trying to speak. "Celine, please listen to me. This mansion is our family home. Can't you give us more time?" Celine looked at Mrs. Maria with a look full of indifference. "Mrs. Maria, I've been kind enough to give you three days. Don't force me to be more strict." "Mom, already," Nico cut in softly. He looked at Celine with a cold face, but without any intention of figh
Nico and Mrs. Maria now lived in a small apartment that was far from the luxury of their previous mansion. Mrs. Maria sat at the dining table, staring blankly out the window. "You can't live like this forever, Nico," she said finally. "You have to rise up. Not just for yourself, but for Calvin." Nico sat in front of her, his face looking tired. "I'm trying, Mom. But every step I take feels like a dead end." Mrs. Maria grasped her son's hand. "You're not alone. I'm here to help you. And I'm sure, one day, Celine will realize her mistake." Nico smiled a little, though his heart was still filled with doubts. "I just hope Calvin won't hate me." "He won't hate you," Mrs. Maria replied firmly. "He knows who his father is. You just need to prove that you can still be a strong man." Nico nodded, though in his heart he knew the struggle would not be easy. He stared at the suitcases still piled up in the corner of the room, realizing that his old life was truly gone. But one thing th
A month had passed, That night, Nicolas sat in the living room of his small apartment. Job application papers littered the table, and his cell phone wouldn't stop vibrating with messages from loan sharks collecting debts. He massaged his temples, frustrated with the way things were going. His parents, Maria, Nicolas's mother, sat not far from him. The woman's face is full of anxiety as she watches her once-successful son fall into a directionless slump. "I've tried talking to some friends to help you find a job, but everyone says Celine is blocking your chances, son," Maria said in a low voice. Nicolas looked up with a tired look. "She has every right, Mom. I did ruin her life. Maybe this is karma for me." "Don't talk like that, Nico. You did that because you wanted to protect her. She needs to know the truth!" Maria insisted. Nicolas shook his head weakly. "Celine won't care, Mom. Even if she knew, I would still have nothing to offer her. She has chosen her path, and I mus
On a quiet night, the atmosphere at Celine's mansion suddenly turned chaotic. Calvin, who had just overheard the servants talking about his mother's marriage to Gabriel Valerio, threw his toy on the floor with a bang. His little face reddened, his tears began to flow. "No! I don't want Mommy to marry Uncle Gabriel!" Calvin shouted hysterically, making the servants startle and stop working. Celine, who heard the commotion from the living room, immediately went into Calvin's room. Seeing her crying son, she approached cautiously, trying to calm the boy down. "Calvin, honey, what's wrong? Why are you screaming like this?" asked Celine softly, kneeling in front of him. Calvin looked up at his mother with eyes filled with anger and sadness. "I don't want Mommy to marry Uncle Gabriel! I want Mommy to remarry Daddy!" Celine was silent, feeling like she had been slapped by her son's words. She took a deep breath, trying to explain. "Calvin, Mommy knows you love Daddy, but Mommy and
The long-awaited day had finally arrived. The inauguration of the Calco Group took place grandly in the company's new building in the city center. Invitations from all walks of life, from entrepreneurs and business partners to family and close friends, attended the event. On the main stage, Nico stood proudly in his black suit, while beside him, Celine looked elegant in a navy blue dress. Between them, Calvin stood excitedly, ready to carry out his important duties today. An MC took the stage and began to speak, "Dear audience, today is a historic moment for Calco Group. After a long journey, the company is finally firmly established and ready to enter a new era. To inaugurate this company, we will witness the ribbon cutting by the first son of our CEO, Calvin!" The audience applauded loudly. Nico squatted towards Calvin, handing him a small golden scissors. "Come on, son. It's time for you to be part of history." Calvin nodded confidently. With both hands, he grasped the sc
One month has passed since the tense incident at the hospital. Now, the twins were healthy and at home with their families. The mansion felt more alive with the cries and laughter of the babies filling the room. Celine sat on the living room sofa, holding their baby girl, now named Aurora, on her lap. Meanwhile, Nico held their baby boy, named Alva. Calvin, their older brother, sat next to Celine, occasionally stroking Aurora's head gently. "Mommy, why is Aurora so small?" Calvin asked with curious eyes. Celine smiled, kissing her son's forehead. "Because she was born earlier than she should have been, dear. But look, she's healthy and strong now, right?" Calvin nodded firmly. "I promise I'll take care of them both, Mommy. I'm a big brother!" Nico chuckled, patting Calvin's head proudly. "That's Daddy's boy! Big Brother should always love the younger siblings, right?" "Of course!" Calvin patted his chest, acting gallant. "If anyone bothers Aurora or Alva, I'll go first!"
"Celine! Wake up! Don't joke around like this, wake up!" Nico shook his wife's body violently, his voice hoarse from shouting too much. His tears fell relentlessly. "I can't live without you! You promised you would always be by my side! Don't leave me!" Maria, who was standing in the corner of the room, finally couldn't take it anymore. She covered her mouth, turned around, and walked out with tears in her eyes. Seeing her son like this was too painful. Meanwhile, Nico was still in place, his hand grasping Celine's cold hand tightly. "Honey... please... if this is my punishment, I accept it. But don't leave. I beg you, don't leave me alone..." Suddenly, Celine's fingers moved slowly. Nico gasped. His breath caught in his throat. He looked at his wife's hand, then frantically felt his wrist. There was a pulse! There was still a heartbeat! Nico's eyes widened, he brought his face closer to Celine's chest and heard a weak heartbeat. "Celine?! Can you hear me?!" There was no r
Nico stood as soon as the doctor came out of the operating room. He held his breath, waiting for the news to come out of the doctor's mouth. "How is my wife, Doc?" he asked in a hoarse voice. The doctor removed his mask, his face looking exhausted. "We managed to save your twins, Mr. Nico. Although premature, they are in stable condition, but will have to stay in the incubator for some time." Nico breathed a sigh of relief for a moment. However, he saw the doctor's expression turn tense. "And... Celine?" his voice weakened. The doctor looked down for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, sir... We tried our best. But Mrs. Celine lost too much blood... She didn't survive." The world seemed to stop spinning. The doctor's voice echoed in her head, but her brain refused to understand. "No... It's impossible," she whispered, her body faltering. Maria covered her mouth, her tears falling instantly. "Oh my God... Celine..." Nico stepped forward, gripping the collar of the doc
That morning, the smell of cooking filled the entire mansion. Maria was busy in the kitchen, stirring the warm soup while checking on some side dishes she was frying in the pan. The servants could only stand at the side of the kitchen, looking at her in confusion. "Madam, let us do the cooking," one of the servants said politely. Maria smiled, but her hands remained busy stirring the dishes. "No need. I haven't cooked for the family in a long time. Besides, Calvin would love his grandmother's cooking." Celine who had just come down from the room immediately approached, surprised to see Maria in the kitchen. "Mommy, why are you cooking alone? There are servants." Maria glanced over with a smile. "Mommy wants to cook for you once in a while. It's been a long time since I've cooked for the kids." Celine sighed while holding her growing belly. "But Mommy should just rest. Let the servants take care of it." Maria chuckled. "Celine, when you get older and have grandchildren, you
Three months passed quickly. The company Nico had built, Calco Group, was finally firmly established. The building was magnificent, his team was ready to work, and some projects were already well underway. Nico looked at his company logo displayed in front of the building with pride. All his hard work had finally paid off. Leo stood beside him, also gazing at the building in awe. "Finally, everything is ready. Just waiting for the right time to launch," he said, glancing at Nico. Nico nodded. "Yes. I want everything to run smoothly first before it's announced to the public. And most importantly, I want Celine to give birth first. I don't want her to be stressed because of this." Leo chuckled. "You're really protective of your wife, huh." Nico glanced at him with a flat expression. "What's wrong?" Leo raised his hands in surrender. "No, not wrong. In fact, it's good. Celine is a great woman, but she still needs support. Especially now that she's pregnant with twins." Nico t
Leo returned to Nico's room with a serious expression. He closed the door slowly before placing a file on the table. "We have a problem." Nico gave Leo a sharp look. "How big?" Leo took a breath before explaining, "The company we want to work with has outstanding debts to several large vendors. They look stable on the outside, but their finances are actually in trouble. If we continue to work with them, we might be dragged down if they go bankrupt." Nico sighed, then opened the file Leo had given him. His eyes quickly scanned the reports attached to it. "So they're covering all this up with organized financial statements?" "Right," Leo nodded. "They diverted funds from one project to another to make it look healthy. But as I investigated further, there were some transactions that didn't make sense." Nico clenched his fists on the table. "If we're not careful, we could get into big trouble." Leo sat opposite Nico, leaning back in his chair. "What do you want to do?" N
That morning, Nico woke up earlier than usual. He looked at Celine who was still sleeping beside Calvin, smiling at how peaceful his wife's face was. Carefully, he got out of bed, arranged the blankets for them, then hurried to take a shower and get ready. As he finished putting on his white shirt and suit, Celine began to squirm, her eyes opening slightly. "Are you ready to go?" asked Celine in a hoarse voice from just waking up. Nico approached her and sat on the edge of the bed, gently rubbing his wife's cheek. "Yes, sweetheart. You just go back to sleep. I don't want to disturb your rest." Celine smiled slightly. "Be careful." Nico kissed her forehead. "Always." Celine nodded, then closed her eyes again. Nico smiled a little, then got up and walked out of the room. Once he reached the garage, he got into his car and drove straight to the construction site. Today was an important day, as he wanted to see the progress firsthand and make sure everything was going accord
The grand room was filled with classy guests who came in their finest attire. Crystal chandeliers hung beautifully from the ceiling, illuminating the neatly arranged tables with sumptuous dishes. Tonight, Nico and Celine's family were hosting a special banquet to celebrate Celine's fourth month of pregnancy. Celine stands beside Nico, wearing an elegant light blue dress that falls gracefully on her body. Although her belly wasn't too big yet, there was happiness clearly on her face. "Good evening everyone," Nico's voice was firm as he stood before the guests. "Thank you for coming to celebrate our happiness. Tonight, Celine and I would like to share some exciting news..." The guests began to whisper curiously. Nico turned to his wife with a loving gaze. "According to the results of the last ultrasound, we're not just going to have one child... but two." The room immediately erupted in applause. Celine smiled happily, while Nico wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Wo